A review of the effectiveness and meaningfulness of education interventions to enable children, young people and their families to self-care for their gastrostomy tubes in the community.

A systematic review of qualitative and quantitative evidence of the effectiveness and meaningfulness of education interventions to enable children, young people and their families to self-care for their gastrostomy tubes in the community

Accommodating interruptions: a grounded theory of young people with asthma

Background: Accommodating Interruptions is a theory that emerged in the context of young people who have asthma. A background to the prevalence and management of asthma in Ireland is given to situate the theory. Ireland has the fourth highest incidence of asthma in the world, with almost one in five Irish young people having asthma. Although national and international asthma management guidelines exist it is accepted that the symptom control of asthma among the young people population is poor. Aim: The aim of this research is to investigate the lives of young people who have asthma, to allow for a deeper understanding of the issues affecting them. Methods: This research was undertaken using a Classic Grounded Theory approach. It is a systematic approach to allowing conceptual emergence from data in generating a theory that explains behaviour in resolving the participant’s main concern. The data were collected through in-depth interviews with young people aged 11-16 years who had asthma for over one year. Data were also collected from participant diaries. Constant comparative analysis, theoretical coding and memo writing were used to develop the theory. Results: The theory explains how young people resolve their main concern of being restricted, by maximizing their participation and inclusion in activities, events and relationships in spite of their asthma. They achieve this by accommodating interruptions in their lives in minimizing the effects of asthma on their everyday lives. Conclusion: The theory of accommodating interruptions explains young people’s asthma management behaviours in a new way. It allows us to understand how and why young people behave the way they do in order minimise the effect of asthma on their lives. The theory adds to the body of knowledge on young people with asthma and challenges some viewpoints regarding their behaviours.

Substance misuse in young people in Ireland - a focus on benzodiazepines

Benzodiazepines are a class of drugs that are prescribed for the treatment of anxiety and insomnia. Due to the powerful tolerance that can develop as a result of sustained use, benzodiazepines can also be dependence-forming. Benzodiazepine dependence can occur from prescribed and from recreational use, and is a significant issue for young people. The consequences of benzodiazepine dependence include cognitive and learning impairment, depressive symptoms, and increased suicide risk. Despite these risks, the nature of youth benzodiazepine use has not been explored to the same extent as other drugs. A review of existing Irish literature revealed that benzodiazepines are one of the five most recreationally-used drugs among young people. Analyses of young people attending a treatment centre indicated that young attendees from urban areas were more likely to be referred to the centre because of benzodiazepines than rural attendees. Further examination of the centre’s attendees showed that regular benzodiazepine users experienced more paranoia, loss of interest in sport, and pallor than non-regular users. Analysis of benzodiazepine prescribing to young people revealed that approximately one in seven young people were prescribed benzodiazepines for periods greater than recommended by national guidelines. Young benzodiazepine users discussed in interviews that they took benzodiazepines to escape from negative feelings and that they are generally taken in a social setting. Further interviews with youth counsellors and general practitioners highlighted that both family and community attitude to benzodiazepine use can impact on a young person’s benzodiazepine usage. Suggestions for reducing benzodiazepine use such as psychological alternatives to medication, public awareness campaigns and prescribing restrictions are provided. Future research can elaborate upon this work to determine other methods of reducing youth benzodiazepine use and the damage that it causes to the young people themselves, but also to their families, their community, and society at large.

Characteristics and trends of self-harming behaviours in young people

Deliberate self-harm is recognized as a serious public health issue in young people. There is evidence that young people who self-harm are more likely to repeat self-harm, and this in turn increases their risk of completed suicide. Prevalence studies have identified that the rate of self-harm among young people is on the increase, information largely based on data arising from review and analysis of hospital attendances. However, community-based studies indicate that the prevalence is much higher, with those seen in emergency departments representing the 'tip of the iceberg' (Hawton and Rodham, 2006). Young people's motives for self-harm are discussed, as are research findings which indicate that nurses can have negative attitudes towards patients who self-harm. The article considers the implications of this for young people and identifies areas for future research.

Emergency care of children and young people

Children and young people account for a quarter of all patients treated in emergency departments in the UK, with three million children attending emergency departments every year. Emergency Care of Children and Young People prepares practitioners for the challenges of caring for children in emergency departments. Children requiring emergency care have unique and differing needs and may not respond or cooperate during an initial assessment as an adult would.

Safe spaces and sense of identity: views and experiences of lesbian, gay and bisexual young people

Empirical data on the life experiences of contemporary school-age lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) young people in Britain remains somewhat sparse. This paper reports the preliminary findings of a study conducted at a recently-initiated LGB youth Summer School. To further an appreciation of issues of concern to today's LGB teenagers, in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 Summer School participants (five female and five male, aged 15-18 years). The aim was to elicit their views and experiences relating to their need for support such as that offered by the Summer School. Themes drawn from participants' interviews are presented. Key issues included: being positioned as different by their majority heterosexual peers; feelings of isolation and loneliness in their peer groups and families; difficulties in finding others like themselves for companionship; and the importance of meeting more LGB people of their own age.

The first time: young people and sex in Northern Ireland.

The sexual health of people, particularly young people, in Northern Ireland is currently poor. Yet there has been little research conducted on sexual attitudes and lifestyles. This paper is based on data from the first ever major research project in this field in Northern Ireland. Using quantitative and qualitative methods, it targeted young people aged 14-25. A combination of a self-administered survey questionnaire, focus group discussions and one-to-one interviews was found to be most suitable for the collection of sensitive data on sexuality in a country where the social and moral climate had previously prevented studies of this nature. Information was collected on sexual attitudes and behaviour generally. This paper focuses on one crucial issue: the age of first sexual encounter. It explores the attitudes of young people to that experience and the use of contraception. Many of the findings match those of similar large-scale surveys in England and Wales, including the modal age of first sexual encounter and the influence of peer pressure on decision-making about first sex. There were significant gender differences in both behaviour and attitudes. It is hoped that the research results will influence future education and health policy, which has all too often been based on ignorance.

Sexual behaviour of young people in Northern Ireland: First sexual experience

Two National Surveys of Sexual Attitudes and Lifestyles in Britain (Natsal) were conducted, one in 1990 and one in 2000. Northern Ireland was excluded from both studies. Now, for the first time, comparable data about sexual attitudes and lifestyles of young people (14- to 25-year-olds) in Northern Ireland are available. Data were collected through self-administered questionnaires, one-to-one interviews and focus-group discussions. As in Natsal 1990 and 2000, young people were asked about their sexual attitudes towards sex, experiences of sex education, knowledge of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and, if sexually active, about the circumstances in which sexual intercourse occurred. A total of 1013 young people in the target age group completed the self-administered questionnaire. Young people in Northern Ireland do not differ significantly from their counterparts in Britain in terms of sexual lifestyles and attitudes. Some 53.3% of all respondents reported that they had had sexual intercourse. Condom use at first sex was reported by 64% of sexually active respondents; 27.4% said they used no contraception; 26.7% of all respondents said they had sex before age 16. Respondents who first had sex when they were 15 or 16 years were more likely than other respondents to say that 'being drunk' was the main reason why intercourse occurred. Peer pressure to engage in sex was more prevalent among males than females. Young people in Northern Ireland regard friends as their most important source of sex education. School is the second most important source but most respondents wanted more sex education in school. It is important that it is needs focused and includes potentially sensitive and contentious information.