Managing participation through modal affordances on Twitter

On Twitter, retweets function as a method of reporting speech and spreading the talk of other users. We propose that changes to the interface and mechanisms of Twitter have led to the coexistence of two complementary forms of retweeting. The Preserving Retweet, enabled by the Twitter interface, directly reports speech and retains attribution to the original author, but it does not allow for any modification or indication of stance. The Adapting Retweet, a user-created norm studied by boyd et al. (2010), allows users the option to add comments to pre-existing tweets but resulting in confusion in attribution. Using an updated form of Goffman's participation framework, we analyze the use of these two types of retweets and their impact on attribution

How African American Adolescents Manage Depression: Being With Others

BACKGROUND: African American (AA) adolescents with depression face serious negative outcomes. Despite racial/ethnic disparities in treatment utilization, few studies have explored how AA adolescents manage their depression. OBJECTIVE: To describe common ways AA adolescents manage depressive symptoms through relationships with people in their lives. DESIGN: Qualitative descriptive methods were used to analyze the narratives of 22 AA young adults who had been depressed as adolescents and 5 AA adolescents in treatment for depression. RESULTS: A typology describing the varied ways AA adolescents manage their depressive symptoms through interactions with other people was constructed and labeled Being With Others. The five categories in the typology are keeping others at bay, striking out at others, seeking help from others, joining in with others, and having others reach out CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians might use the Being With Others typology to guide discussions related to detecting, assessing, and treating AA adolescents with depression

Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Grounded Theory Research

National initiatives in the United States call for health research that addresses racial/ethnic disparities. Although grounded theory (GT) research has the potential to contribute much to the understanding of the health experiences of people of color, the extent to which it has contributed to health disparities research is unclear. In this article we describe a project in which we reviewed 44 GT studies published in Qualitative Health Research within the last five years. Using a framework proposed by Green, Creswell, Shope, and Clark (2007), we categorized the studies at one of four levels based on the status and significance afforded racial/ethnic diversity. Our results indicate that racial/ethnic diversity played a primary role in five studies, a complementary role in one study, a peripheral role in five studies, and an absent role in 33 studies. We suggest that GT research could contribute more to health disparities research if techniques were developed to better analyze the influence of race/ethnicity on health-related phenomena

Pathways to a Lung Cancer Diagnosis

Purpose The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to identify and describe pathways to a lung cancer diagnosis based on narratives of persons diagnosed with the disease. Data sources Eleven adults with lung cancer were recruited from an academic thoracic oncology clinic in a large city in the southeastern United States. Moderately structured interviews were conducted by an experienced nurse practitioner (NP) to obtain information regarding the participants’ experiences leading to their diagnosis. Qualitative content analysis was used to develop a typology of pathways. Conclusions Findings revealed four distinct pathways: missing opportunities, waiting and seeing, being alarmed, and being blindsided. Implications for practice The Pathways to a Lung Cancer Diagnosis Typology has important implications for clinical practice and can be used to inform NPs and other healthcare providers who provide care for patients at risk for or diagnosed with lung cancer

Lessons Learned: Nurses’ Experiences with Errors in Nursing

Background Health care organizations seek to maximize the reporting of medical errors to improve patient safety. Purpose This study explored licensed nurses' decision-making with regard to reporting medical errors. Methods Grounded theory methods guided the study. Thirty nurses from adult intensive care units were interviewed, and qualitative analysis was used to develop a theoretical framework based on their narratives. Discussion The theoretical model was titled “Learning Lessons from the Error.” The concept of learning lessons was central to the theoretical model. The model included five stages: Being Off-Kilter, Living the Error, Reporting or Telling About the Error, Living the Aftermath, and Lurking in Your Mind. Conclusion This study illuminates the unique experiences of licensed nurses who have made medical errors. The findings can inform initiatives to improve error reporting and to support nurses who have made errors

Reasons women do not seek health care for dysmenorrhea

Aims and objectives The purpose of this study was to identify and describe reasons women do not seek health care for dysmenorrhea symptoms. Background Although dysmenorrhea is highly prevalent among women, can cause significant disruptions in their daily lives, and may increase their risk for future chronic pain conditions, few women seek health care for dysmenorrhea. A better understanding of why women do not seek health care is necessary to develop strategies that facilitate care seeking and optimal symptom management. Design A Qualitative Descriptive design was used to guide the study and summarize text responses to an open-ended survey question. Methods Participants in an online survey study who had not sought health care for dysmenorrhea (N=509) were asked to write about their reasons for not seeking care. Data were collected in January and February 2015. Participants’ text responses were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results Nine categories of reasons were identified: assuming symptoms are normal, preferring to self-manage symptoms, having limited resources, thinking providers would not offer help, being unaware of treatment options, considering symptoms to be tolerable, being wary of available treatments, feeling embarrassed or afraid to seek care, and not seeking health care generally. Conclusions Findings can guide the development of strategies to promote care seeking and inform policy and clinical practice to improve dysmenorrhea management. Relevance to clinical practice Findings underscore the need to provide routine screening for dysmenorrhea, avoid dismissing dysmenorrhea symptoms, initiate discussions and provide education about dysmenorrhea, provide treatments options based on evidence and women's preferences, and raise public awareness of dysmenorrhea and its impact

Attributes of Spirituality Described by Survivors of Sexual Violence

This study focuses on what aspects of attributes of spirituality as defined by Martsolf and Mickley (1998) are most salient for female and male survivors of sexual violence. Content analysis of secondary narrative data, provided by 50 participants in a study of women\u27s and men\u27s responses to sexual violence, was coded to the five attributes of spirituality as defined by Martsolf and Mickley. The attribute aspects of connecting with others in spiritual ways and with God/higher power were particularly significant. The attribute of transcendence was found less important, and the attributes of value, becoming, and meaning were not found important. The Martsolf and Mickley framework helped organize narrative data for a content analysis of spirituality in survivors of sexual violence

Interventions for Family Members of Adolescents With Disruptive Behavior Disorders

Problem - The family members of adolescents diagnosed with disruptive behavior disorders (DBDs) experience profound stress and burden. Despite the need for empirically supported interventions that address the challenges faced by these family members, few such interventions are available. Methods - In this qualitative descriptive study, we conducted in-depth interviews with 15 families of adolescents diagnosed with DBD. We asked the family members to identify what types of mental health services they needed and to describe the “ideal” program that would best address their concerns. Findings - Family members identified several intervention modalities that would fit their needs, including multifamily groups, family therapy, individual therapy, and community-based hotlines. They indicated that programs should address the following topics: family communication, conflict resolution, education about DBD, and strategies to improve interactions with child service agencies. Conclusions - Clinicians should recognize that all family members may need support to manage the stressors associated with caring for or living with adolescents with DBD. When working with families, clinicians should provide information about the etiology and management of DBD, help navigate interactions with child service agencies, and employ strategies to improve family communication and functioning

A feasibility test of an online intervention to prevention dating violence in emerging adults

Dating violence in emerging adults is a significant problem and few prevention programs based on the developmental needs of this age group have been developed. Our research team developed an online dating violence prevention program called WISER (Writing to Improve Self-in-Relationships) for emerging adults. The program is based on narrative therapy principles and uses structured writing techniques. A single group pre-post feasibility test of WISER was conducted with 14 college women. WISER was demonstrated to be feasible and acceptable and to show promise as an effective program to decrease dating violence in this population

Getting a Grip on My Depression: How Latina Adolescents Experience, Self-Manage, and Seek Treatment for Depressive Symptoms

Latina (female) adolescents are more likely to experience depressive symptoms and less likely to receive mental health services than their non-Latina White peers. We aimed to develop a framework that explains how Latina adolescents experience, self-manage, and seek treatment for depressive symptoms. Latina young women (n = 25, M age = 16.8 years) who experienced depressive symptoms during adolescence were recruited from clinical and community settings and interviewed about experiences with depressive symptoms. The framework was developed using constructivist grounded theory methods. Participants experienced a psychosocial problem that we labeled being overburdened and becoming depressed. They responded to this problem through a five-phase psychosocial process that we labeled Getting a Grip on My Depression. Family members, peer groups, and mainstream authorities were influential in how participants experienced these phases. Future research should further develop this framework in diverse samples of Latino/a youth. Clinicians can use this framework in discussions with Latina adolescents about depressive symptoms