Browsing by Author "Williamson, I. R."

Now showing 1 - 20 of 49
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemOpen Access
    Aphasia: A mixed methods investigation into the impact of semantic activation therapy with and without word finding: preliminary results from a single therapy trial.
    (2017-06-27) Bixley, Morag; Jin, Lixian; Williamson, I. R.
    Abstract introduction Aphasia is a multimodality language difficulty experienced by people who have a left sided stroke. Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) who work with People with Aphasia (PWA) often provide word finding therapy because wfd are one of the most debilitating effects of aphasic language loss. The majority of published word finding research uses mixed therapy techniques in which PWA practise accessing, using and combining sounds and words. This therapy trial is one of only three case studies that describe PWA receiving therapy that is purely semantic. Semantic therapy is particularly relevant to people with severe aphasia. This is because the evidence base underpinning language therapy for PWA supports therapy for people who can talk: very little research addresses the problems of those who have very limited access to output. This case study was designed to add to the evidence base that supports language therapy for people with severe aphasia who have no access to propositional speech. Abstract Method This paper reports on a single therapy trial conducted within a cohort of ten individual semantic therapy trails. Research design incorporated best practise recommendations for therapy studies (Brady et al, 2012, Tate et al, 2008 and Moher et al 2001). In the first six weeks of this single therapy trial, P participated in six therapy sessions of semantic therapy with word finding (SAT with). In a further six weeks of therapy P was provided with semantic therapy without word finding (SAT without). Results and conclusions Descriptive and statistical analysis of the impact of therapy suggested that P’s word finding skills improved after both types of semantic therapy. The effects of therapy generalised and were permanent. There was some suggestion that SAT with therapy was more successful that SAT without therapy, but this difference may have been attributable to an order effect. This abstract provides single clinical case evidence to support impairment based semantic therapy for people with severe aphasia.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemOpen Access
    Benefits to University students through volunteering in a health context: A new model
    (Taylor and Francis, 2017-06-19) Williamson, I. R.; Wildbur, D. J.; Bell, Katie; Tanner, J.; Matthews, Hannah
    Individual interviews explored 50 British University students’ accounts of sustained volunteering within health settings and a model was developed using grounded theory. Phase one - 'Getting involved' outlines 'motives and catalysts' for students starting to volunteer wherein altruistic motives of compassion for others are juxtaposed with perceptions of enhanced employability. Phase two - 'Maintaining commitment' includes three components ('Making connections' 'Developing resilience' and 'Keeping the balance'), which represent important aspects of continuing volunteering participation. Phase three - 'Reaping the rewards' focuses on the benefits of volunteering including self-development. Our findings have implications for the training and support of student volunteers
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Black and minority ethnic men who have sex with men Project evaluation and systematic review.
    (Public Health England, 2016-05) Jaspal, Rusi; Fish, Julie; Papaloukas, P.; Williamson, I. R.
    Public Health England (PHE) has been funded by the MAC AIDS Foundation to deliver a programme of focused work to improve the health and wellbeing of black and minority ethnic (BME) men who have sex with men (MSM). PHE’s wider work on the health and wellbeing of gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men has identified a trio of interacting health inequalities which disproportionately affect these men, these are: (i) sexual health and HIV, (ii) mental health and wellbeing and alcohol, and (iii) drug and tobacco use. The work to develop the MSM health and wellbeing framework identified that in most areas BME MSM experience even more extreme inequalities than their white MSM counterparts. This may well be a result of the compound impacts of discrimination based on ethnicity and sexual orientation from multiple communities and dimensions. The BME MSM project provides an opportunity to increase the organisational understanding of the relationships between compound identity and health inequalities as well as increasing the visibility of these issues across the health and social care sector. Key outcomes for the project include improving the support for BME MSM through health and social care and community sector services as well as increasing the evidence base for interventions targeted at this specific community group The project has four key components: • increasing understanding of BME MSM identity, health and social care needs and access issues among BME, lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and faith third sector organisations and leaders through three structured and interconnected learning sets • increase understanding of sexual orientation and minority identity among healthcare professionals through an e-learning module • increase the potential for visibility of BME LGBT people through boosting the relevant contents of the NHS and PHE image bank • pilot and evaluate five different models of direct intervention for BME MSM
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    Caught between compassion and control: Exploring the challenges associated with inpatient adolescent mental healthcare in an independent hospital
    (Wiley, 2016-01-08) Matthews, Hannah; Williamson, I. R.
    Aim To extend our understanding of how healthcare assistants construct and manage demanding situations in a secure mental health setting and to explore the effects on their health and well-being, to provide recommendations for enhanced support. Background Contemporary literature acknowledges high rates of occupational stress and burnout among healthcare assistants, suggesting the context in which they work places them at elevated risk of physical harm and psychological distress. Yet, there is a deficit of qualitative research exploring the experiences of healthcare assistants in adolescent inpatient facilities. Design An exploratory multi-method qualitative approach was used to collect data about the challenges faced by healthcare assistants working on secure adolescent mental health wards in an independent hospital during 2014. Method Fifteen sets of data were collected. Ten participants completed diary entries and five participants were also interviewed allowing for triangulation. Data were analysed using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis. Findings The findings illustrated how inpatient mental healthcare is a unique and distinctive area of nursing, where disturbing behaviour is often normalized and detached from the outside world. Healthcare assistants often experienced tension between their personal moral code which orientate them towards empathy and support and the emotional detachment and control expected by the organization, contributing to burnout and moral distress. Conclusions This study yielded insights into mental health nursing and specifically the phenomenon of moral distress. Given the ever-increasing demand for healthcare professionals, the effects of moral distress on both the lives of healthcare assistants and patient care, merits further study.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    Combining photographs with interviews in the context of phenomenological research around chronic illness: An evaluation.
    (2016-08-25) Quincey, Kerry; Papaloukas, P.; Williamson, I. R.; Fish, Julie; Wildbur, D. J.
    Background: Health psychologists’ adoption of contemporary qualitative research methodologies in recent times has enabled the rise of multiple integrative approaches applicable to the study of long-term conditions. Synthesis of visual and verbal qualitative methods simultaneously presents both potential opportunities and challenges, for the researcher and the researched. Drawing on our experiences of two research studies, both of which explore lived experiences of chronic illnesses in marginalised populations from a critical health psychology perspective, we consider some of the advantages and potential pitfalls of fusing qualitative methodologies. Methods: Both studies combine the collection and analysis of verbal and visual data; phenomenologically oriented semi-structured interviews together with photographs authored by participants themselves. One study focuses on 16 LGBT persons living with multiple sclerosis, while the second investigates 31 British men’s lived experiences of breast cancer. The visual component is informed by Photovoice methodology. All data are analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Findings: Combining the verbal and visual data forms has presented several challenges in both research studies, including epistemological, practical and ethical issues, concerns around ‘methodolatry’, participant comfort and engagement, and best practice for analysing the data. Despite such challenges, our experiences show methodological synergy is both possible and advantageous; allowing for richer understandings by enabling participants to ‘give voice’ beyond talk. Discussion: We discuss some of the benefits and shortcomings of combining verbal and visual data when investigating chronic illnesses. We conclude with recommendations for how qualitative health psychologists might further refine integrative approaches which combine verbal and visual data.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    Developing undergraduate students’ skills in qualitative data analysis through the exploration of on-line Hajj diaries.
    (Higher Education Academy Publications, 2011) Williamson, I. R.; Song, J.; Lyttle, Steven
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemOpen Access
    Disturbance at the Dinner Table: Exploring mothers’ experiences of mealtimes when caring for their son or daughter with anorexia nervosa
    (Sage, 2020-01-14) White, Hannah; Haycraft, Emma; Meyer, Caroline; Williamson, I. R.
    This study examined mothers’ (n=9) mealtime experiences when caring for their son or daughter with anorexia nervosa (AN) through semi-structured interviews. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis identified three themes: 1) Managing mealtime combat through accommodation and acceptance; 2) Feeling isolated, inauthentic and ill-equipped; 3) A need for understanding and to be understood. The overarching concepts of ‘combat’ and ‘distortion’ also underpin the analysis, uniquely outlining how mothers come to understand this daily situation. Mealtime-related interventions need to be developed which prioritise promoting skills and confidence in managing mealtimes and helping carers to address the emotional challenges of these occasions.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    ”Does my bump look big in this?” the meaning of bodily changes for first-time mothers-to-be.
    (2004-06-01) Williamson, I. R.; Burrows, A.; Johnson, Sally
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Equality in sexual health promotion: a systematic review of effective interventions for black and minority ethnic men who have sex with men.
    (BMC Public Health, 2016-06-08) Fish, Julie; Papaloukas, P.; Jaspal, Rusi; Williamson, I. R.
    Background: Over the past decade, new diagnoses of HIV have increased eightfold among men who have sex with men (MSM) of other or of mixed ethnicity in the UK. Yet there is little intervention research on HIV among black and minority ethnic (BME) MSM. This article aimed to identify effective HIV and sexual health prevention strategies for BME MSM. Methods: We searched three databases PubMed, Scopus and PsychInfo using a combination of search terms: MSM or men who have sex with men and women (MSMW); Black and Minority Ethnic; HIV or sexual health; and evaluation, intervention, program* or implementation. We identified a total of 19 studies to include in the review including those which used randomised control, pre/post-test and cross-sectional design; in addition, we included intervention development studies. Results: A total of 12 studies reported statistically significant results in at least one of the behavioural outcomes assessed; one study reported significant increases in HIV knowledge and changes in safer sex practices. In 10 studies, reductions were reported in unprotected anal intercourse (UAI), number of sexual partners, or in both of these measures. Six out of the 13 studies reported reductions in UAI; while seven reported reductions in number of sexual partners. Seven were intervention development studies. Conclusions: Research into the mechanisms and underpinnings of future sexual health interventions is urgently needed in order to reduce HIV and other sexually transmitted infection (STI) among UK BME MSM. The design of interventions should be informed by the members of these groups for whom they are targeted to ensure the cultural and linguistic sensitivity of the tools and approaches generated.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    Evaluating the audio-diary method in qualitative research
    (Emerald, 2015-02-02) Williamson, I. R.; Leeming, D.; Lyttle, Steven; Johnson, Sally
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemOpen Access
    Evaluation of a pilot sensory play intervention to increase fruit acceptance in preschool children
    (Elsevier, 2017-10-07) Coulthard, Helen; Williamson, I. R.; Palfreyman, Zoe; Lyttle, Steven
    Recent research has found an association between dislike of messy play and higher levels of food neophobia in children. The aim of the present study was to pilot and assess a five week intervention with preschool children, to examine whether engagement in tactile sensory tasks leads to increased fruit acceptance. Interventions were carried out to examine whether weekly sessions of sensory play combined with fruit exposure, would increase acceptance and enjoyment of fruits to a greater extent than two non-sensory play conditions featuring fruit exposure or normal play activities alone. One hundred children aged 18 months to four years were recruited from ten playgroups in the Midlands area of the United Kingdom (UK) of which 83 completed the interventions. Participants were randomly assigned to one of four conditions: combined sensory play (fruit and non-food), non-food sensory play, fruit taste exposure, and control play. There were baseline differences in child fruit acceptance, so this was entered as a covariate into subsequent analyses. It was found that children in both the combined sensory play and non-food sensory play conditions enjoyed significantly more fruits at follow up than children in the control play condition, whilst children in the non-food sensory play group also enjoyed significantly more fruits than the fruit exposure group. These findings suggest that sensory play, with fruit and/or non-food substances, combined with exposure may be an effective strategy to increase tasting and fruit acceptance in children.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    Everybody’s a nobody in school
    (2007-04-01) Williamson, I. R.; Cullingford, C.
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Examining the experiences of LGB patients in cancer care
    (De Montfort University and Leicestershire Partnership Trust, 2015-10-12) Fish, Julie; Williamson, I. R.
    This seminar will present findings from a qualitative study of cancer care funded by the local cancer charity Hope Against Cancer. Experiences of health and healthcare are relatively under-theorised in the social science literature. Using Minority Stress Theory, the presentation will consider how ‘prejudice events’, ‘expectations of rejection’ and ‘hiding and concealing’ (Meyer, 2003) may mediate how cancer care is experienced. Two additional aspects of the conceptual framework will be considered: internalised homophobia and ameliorative coping. Plans for developing research will be discussed.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemOpen Access
    Exploring accounts of collaborative working between speech and language therapists and communication support coordinators following stroke
    (Taylor and Francis, 2018-03-09) Scantlebury, K.; Bixley, Morag; Williamson, I. R.
    In the United Kingdom, speech and language therapists (SLTs) and Stroke Association communication support coordinators (CSCs) are both employed to provide services for people with communication difficulties following stroke. There is very little literature about this type of collaborative working. This research is unique because it explores collaborative working between SLTs who are employed by the National Health Service and CSCs who are employed by the Stroke Association. Five CSCs and seven SLTs from the East of England participated in a series of in-depth interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis informed by an interpretative phenomenological approach. Analysis suggested complex negotiation processes occur at a number of different levels. These levels include negotiation of individual relationships between SLTs and CSCs, negotiating the particular challenges involved in working across organisations and professions, and the need for both roles to negotiate and promote the value of their services at a societal level. The findings of this research are discussed in relation to existing theories and research within the field of collaborative working. Clinical applications are suggested for collaborative working within communication services. We propose that our findings may have relevance to other individuals and organisations delivering services collaboratively
  • Thumbnail Image
    ItemOpen Access
    Exploring accounts of joint working between Speech and Language Therapists and Stroke Association Communication Support Coordinators
    (2016) Scantlebury, K.; Bixley, Morag; Williamson, I. R.
    Exploring accounts of joint working between Speech and Language Therapists and Stroke Association Communication Support Coordinators Introduction Both Speech and Language Therapists (SLTs) and Stroke Association Communication Support Coordinators (CSCs) are employed across the UK to provide services for people with communication difficulties following Stroke. The two roles are usually employed by different sectors and are subject to very different levels of qualification and professional regulation. Despite recommendations that the two roles work together, there is little existing literature examining current practices of joint working between SLTs and CSCs. Method Data were collected through a series of in depth individual interviews with five CSCs and seven SLTs working within the East of England. Data were analysed inductively using Thematic Analysis (Braun & Clark, 2006). Results Six themes were developed which highlighted the perceived benefits and challenges in this example of cross sector working. Both SLTs and CSCs identified strong incentives for joint working. The themes developed suggested a number of processes are engaged in negotiating the joint working relationship. These include ‘Developing and earning trust and respect’; ‘Pushing to establish place’; and ‘Struggling against external pressures and threats’. In addition, two further themes were developed to explore the process of finding agreement in the division of workload: ‘Sharing Out’ of aphasia; and ‘Local level Negotiation and Matching of expectations’. Conclusions: The findings suggest a number of unique features which characterise joint working relationships between SLTs and CSCs. Clinical applications based on the findings are discussed, along with suggested areas for further research.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemOpen Access
    Exploring lesbian, gay and bisexual patients’ accounts of their experiences of cancer care in the UK
    (Wiley, 2016-04-20) Fish, Julie; Williamson, I. R.
    Despite greater recognition of rights and responsibilities around the care of cancer patients who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) within healthcare systems in the United Kingdom, recent quantitative evidence suggests that they experience poorer care than heterosexual counterparts and qualitative findings are limited. Therefore, in the present study, we present an analysis of the accounts of fifteen British LGB cancer patients (diagnosed with different forms of the disease) of the care received. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Three of the emerging themes are discussed. These include an examination of what we conceptualise as the ‘awkward choreography around disclosure’ opportunities and dilemmas for LGB patients, we describe ‘making sense of sub-optimal care’ which included instances of overt discrimination but was more frequently manifested through microaggressions and heteronormative systems and practices, and explore accounts of ‘alienation from usual psychosocial cancer support’. We employ Meyer’s Minority Stress Theory (2003) as a lens to interrogate the data and explore the ways in which actual or anticipated prejudice affected their experiences of treatment and support. We close with recommendations to enhance LGB-affirmative cancer care including enhanced training of healthcare professionals and explicit articulation of institutional commitment to LGB equality.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    Exploring men's breast cancer experiences through an ethno-photographic lens: A multi-method phenomenological study.
    (2016) Quincey, Kerry; Williamson, I. R.; Wildbur, D. J.
    Background: Breast cancer in men is rare, under-researched and underfunded within both clinical and third-sector healthcare systems. Despite higher annual mortality than testicular cancer in the UK, breast cancer is frequently overlooked as a threat to men's health, often misperceived as a women-only illness. High-profile activism and awareness-raising around breast cancer in women has led to pervasive feminisation of the disease with ramifications for male patient-survivors. Method: 31 British men with a history of breast cancer participated in a multi-method qualitative study combining verbal and visual data collection. Participants were asked to illustrate their breast cancer experience using a series of self-authored/self-selected photographs, and to discuss these images as part of extended semi-structured interviews. All data collected were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Findings: Three themes are discussed, illustrated using extracts and photographs taken from the men's accounts: ‘Reclaiming Masculinity’, looks at how the men assert their masculinities and relate various aspects of their accounts of breast cancer to hegemonic male practices. Theme two, ‘The Self-Marginalising Man’, considers how the men themselves contribute to the marginalisation of breast cancer in men. Finally, ‘A Better Man’, reveals how the men position their breast cancer experience as life-enhancing and themselves as improved individuals. Discussion: We discuss and expand on the positioning of breast cancer in men as a marginalised malignancy, and demonstrate how being on the periphery of optimal psychosocial support poses challenges for men affected. We conclude by offering some suggestions for more inclusive breast cancer advocacy, and care practices.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemMetadata only
    Expressing yourself: A feminist analysis of talk around expressing breast milk
    (Elsevier, 2009) Williamson, I. R.; Johnson, Sally; Lyttle, Steven; Leeming, D.
  • No Thumbnail Available
    ItemOpen Access
    Half the Man I Was”: Exploring Accounts of Emasculation and Estrangement amongst British Men Living with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus
    (Men's Studies Press, 2016-07-31) Pendeke, T. F.; Williamson, I. R.
    Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic, unpredictable, autoimmune condition primarily affecting women. In the current study eight British men recruited through a support organisation, with established SLE, aged 20 to 69 years and from various ethnic backgrounds participated in individual semi-structured interviews. Data were recorded, transcribed and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). We draw on theorising around ‘marginalised masculinities’ to explore how SLE affects the performance of masculinity in multiple contexts and threatens psychological well-being. Participants described the psychosocial consequences of struggling to fulfil expected obligations as workers, parents and sexual partners whilst navigating a way through interpersonal relationships where the legitimacy of their illness and coping was frequently contested. We argue that more focused, sex-specific strategies need to be developed for individuals with SLE, relevant healthcare professionals and informal caregivers to raise the profile of men with the condition and work towards enhancing their psychological well-being.