Doping in disabled elite sport: Perceptions,knowledge and opinions from the perspective of German and UK coaches

ObjectivesThe phenomenon of doping is rarely researched in Paralympic sport, especially from the coach perspective. This study responds directly to this gap in research by exploring coaches' doping-related perceptions, knowledge, and opinions of the current anti-doping system in order to inform future interventions specific to disabled elite sport contexts.MethodEleven coaches from Germany (n = 6) and the UK (n = 5) working across physiological (n = 7) and skill-based (n = 4) sport disciplines at an elite level (Paralympic, n = 10 and World Championship, n = 1) took part in semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using abductive reflexive thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2019a).FindingsFour themes were developed to capture the coaches’ perspectives. The first represents coaches’ perception that doping is an issue in Paralympic sport. The second theme shows that risk factors to dope are typically multiple and intertwined, stemming especially from financial incentives and pressure to win. Theme three captures coaches' opinion of differences in testing and education across countries due to budget, resource, or infrastructure issues. Finally, data showed that coaches prefer to refer responsibility for doping prevention to their national anti-doping organisation, rather than taking on personal responsibility for anti-doping efforts.ConclusionsAccording to the interviewed coaches, doping has the potential to be a big issue in disabled elite sport. The main risk factors of money and pressure to win (earn prize money or funding/sponsorship) are knitted together and can be additionally impacted (negatively) by a nation’s sporting system. These factors should be addressed by thinking both on an individual level (e.g., support dual careers) and a structural/policy level (e.g., aim to have minimum standards to level the global inconsistent anti-doping systems, including anti-doping education/testing). Furthermore, coaches should take their role and be proactively made aware of their responsibility in doping prevention to coach clean and protect their athletes properly.     

Pragmatic Screening of Anxiety,Depression, Suicidal Ideation,and Substance Misuse in Older Adults

Older adults’ mental health needs are often unmet across care settings (e.g., primary or residential care) for a variety of reasons, such as mental health stigma and mental health care professionals’ lack of awareness of age-related changes in mental disorders. Screening, when coupled with access to evidence-based interventions, is effective at identifying and reducing anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and substance misuse in older adults across care settings. Unfortunately, due to lack of training many mental health care professionals may be unsure about what or how to screen, as well as which screening measures are available for use with older adults. Following professional guidelines recommended for older adults, we provide an overview of screening measures for anxiety, depression, suicidal ideation, and substance misuse that are evidence-based and meet pragmatic criteria identified by stakeholder research. Specific pragmatic criteria include screening measures developed with older adults (unless unavailable) as well as brief in length (items ≤30), time for administration (≤15 minutes), scoring (<5 minutes), and interpretation (<5 minutes). Other pragmatic criteria include screening measures readily available on the internet at no cost and usable across diverse settings (e.g., community, primary care, and/or residential care). For each measure, we also review relevant psychometric properties (e.g., reliability, cut-scores, sensitivity, specificity, and construct validity). Lastly, we discuss strategies to facilitate screening with older adults and direct mental health care providers to internet resources that can be used to learn more about assessment with older adults.     

The incremental role of trait emotional intelligence on perceived cervical screening barriers

Researchers have become increasingly interested in investigating the role of the psychological aspects related to the perception of cervical screening barriers. This study investigates the influence of trait EI on perceived cervical screening barriers. Furthermore, this study investigates the incremental validity of trait EI beyond the Big Five, as well as emotion regulation in the perceived barrier towards the Pap test as revealed in a sample of 206 Italian women that were undergoing cervical screening. Results have shown that trait EI is negatively related to cervical screening barriers. Furthermore, trait EI can be considered as a strong incremental predictor of a woman’s perception of screening over and above the Big Five, emotion regulation, age, sexual intercourse experience and past Pap test. Detailed information on the study findings and future research directions are discussed.     

Deterrence of drug driving: The impact of the ACT drug driving legislation and detection techniques

Drug driving is a significant road safety concern rendering the implementation of roadside drug testing in all Australian jurisdictions. The current research sought to examine the impact of recently introduced roadside oral fluid screening in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Specifically, the study sought to examine drivers’ awareness, perceptions and perceived deterrent impact of these operations and the degree to which they influence likelihood of future drug driving. A total of 801 male and female motorists aged 17–88 years of age completed a phone interview assessing demographics (e.g., driving and drug taking history), awareness and perceived effectiveness of roadside drug testing, and constructs central to both Classical Deterrence Theory (i.e., certainty, severity, swiftness) and reconceptualised deterrence theory (direct and vicarious experiences of both punishment and punishment avoidance) frameworks. Overall, despite an apparent decline in drug driving behaviour since the introduction of roadside testing, a large proportion of driver’s possessed a poor awareness of these operations and did not perceive a high certainty of apprehension. Age, punishment avoidance and vicarious punishment avoidance were found to predict future likelihood of drug driving, whilst Classical Deterrence Theory variables did not. Contrary to expectations and previous studies, few significant differences were found with regards to gender. Findings are interpreted in light of the recency of roadside drug testing in the ACT and the need for future studies to examine the impact of such operations. Further recommendations for augmenting the deterrence of drug driving are discussed.     

Increased skills usage statistically mediates symptom reduction in self-guided internet-delivered cognitive–behavioural therapy for depression and anxiety: a randomised controlled trial

Cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for clinical and subclinical symptoms of depression and general anxiety, and increases life satisfaction. Patients’ usage of CBT skills is a core aspect of treatment but there is insufficient empirical evidence suggesting that skills usage behaviours are a mechanism of clinical change. This study investigated if an internet-delivered CBT (iCBT) intervention increased the frequency of CBT skills usage behaviours and if this statistically mediated reductions in symptoms and increased life satisfaction. A two-group randomised controlled trial was conducted comparing internet-delivered CBT (n = 65) with a waitlist control group (n = 75). Participants were individuals experiencing clinically significant symptoms of depression or general anxiety. Mixed-linear models analyses revealed that the treatment group reported a significantly higher frequency of skills usage, lower symptoms, and higher life satisfaction by the end of treatment compared with the control group. Results from bootstrapping mediation analyses revealed that the increased skills usage behaviours statistically mediated symptom reductions and increased life satisfaction. Although skills usage and symptom outcomes were assessed concurrently, these findings support the notion that iCBT increases the frequency of skills usage behaviours and suggest that this may be an important mechanism of change.     

Monitoring and Fostering Elementary School Students' Life Satisfaction: A Case Study

Research on the importance of complete mental health has led to increased focus on students' subjective well-being (i.e., happiness and life satisfaction) coupled with the traditional attention to psychopathology. Although screeners for psychopathology abound, the present project is novel in applying best practices in universal screening to grade level-wide assessment of children's life satisfaction, followed by implementation of a positive psychology intervention for students identified through the screener. In this case study of 375 third- to fifth-grade students in one elementary school, 93.6% participated in the screening, 11.2% qualified for supplemental services based on screening cutoff scores, and 4.8% took part in the targeted intervention to improve subjective well-being. Repeated measures analysis of mean scores revealed the intervention increased children's life satisfaction, lending support for the value of universal screeners in the process of service delivery. Implications for practice regarding universal screening and intervention for life satisfaction are discussed.     

Response to an abnormal ovarian cancer-screening test result: Test of the social cognitive processing and cognitive social health information processing models

All cancer screening tests produce a proportion of abnormal results requiring follow up. Consequently, the cancer-screening setting is a natural laboratory for examining psychological and behavioural response to a threatening health-related event. This study tested hypotheses derived from the social cognitive processing and cognitive–social health information processing models in trying to understand response to an abnormal ovarian cancer (OC) screening test result. Women (n = 278) receiving an abnormal screening test result a mean of 7 weeks earlier were assessed prior to a repeat screening test intended to clarify their previous abnormal result. Measures of disposition (optimism, informational coping style), social environment (social support and constraint), emotional processing, distress, and benefit finding were obtained. Regression analyses indicated greater distress was associated with greater social constraint and emotional processing and a monitoring coping style in women with a family history of OC. Distress was unrelated to social support. Greater benefit finding was associated with both greater social constraint and support and greater distress. The primacy of social constraint in accounting for both benefit finding and distress was noteworthy and warrants further research on the role of social constraint in adaptation to stressful events.     

The utility of socio-demographics,knowledge and health belief model variables in predicting reattendance for mammography screening: A brief report

Abstract

The aims of the present study were to investigate socio-demographic and knowledge variables as predictors of re attendance for mammography screening and to examine the utility of the Health Belief Model (HBM) in predicting reattendance for mammography screening above and beyond socio-demographic and knowledge variables. A total of 88 reattenders and 44 non-reattenders of an Australian breast screening service completed a questionnaire assessing socio-demographics (age, marital status, education, physician recommendation and family history), knowledge and HBM variables. Results showed that reattenders were more likely to be older, married and report physician involvement than non-reattenders. Family history and knowledge did not significantly predict reattendance. Of the HBM variables, perceived benefits was related to reattendance above and beyond socio-demographics. Results support the utility of the HBM as a focus for improving regular attendance for breast screening. It is concluded that non-reattenders should be investigated as a seperate group to women who have never attended for mammography screening.     

Psychological models in predicting uptake of prenatal screening

Abstract

The purpose of the current study was to determine which psychological models are most useful in predicting uptake of a prenatal screening test, maternal-serum alphafetoprotein screening for spina bifida and Down's syndrome. 1000 women eligible for the test completed standardised self-report questionnaires at two routine clinic visits to an antenatal clinic prior to the time when the test could take place. 902 underwent the screening test; 51 declined the test; and 47 did not undergo the test, giving no reason for this to staff. Knowledge of the test, the subjective expected utility attached to the test, and attitudes to doctors and medicine were all significant predictors of uptake behaviour. Results of a discriminant function analysis demonstrated distinct psychological processes underlying each of these three uptake behaviours, explaining 21% of the variance in uptake of screening. If uptake of screening is examined not as a dichotomous variable but as a group of behaviours, predictive models are identified accordingly. This would lead to rnodels of health-related behaviours as a heterogeneous rather than homogeneous phenomena, predicted and influenced by different causes.