scholarly journals Longing for evidence-based traditions

Author(s):  
Lindsay Bell

In Native North America, clinical/healing spaces are caught up in political struggles for autonomy. In Canada’s Northwest Territories, where rates of alcohol consumption are substantially higher than national averages, there are ongoing attempts to align therapeutic practice with traditional Aboriginal modes of healing and well-being. This Think Piece traces the ‘therapeutic trajectory’ of alcohol treatment in and out of this subarctic region. I show how the language of ‘evidence-based practice’ affords both gains and losses with regard to the assertion of collective identity and values vis-à-vis the state. Against the backdrop of the closure of the region’s sole residential treatment program, I contrast a conversation with a clinician responsible for implementing culture-based programs with the experiences of Destiny, a young Dene woman who, in the absence of local treatment options, spends time in clinics some one thousand kilometers away from her home community. In her movements away from the place to which she is indigenous, Destiny activates different forms of Aboriginal care than those intended by state and community actors. These divergent perspectives speak to the enmeshment of addiction with the perils and politics of liberal forms of recognition.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine A. Sinsky ◽  
Lee Daugherty Biddison ◽  
Aditi Mallick ◽  
Anna Legreid Dopp ◽  
Jessica Perlo ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (40) ◽  
pp. 5128-5133
Author(s):  
Kate Levenberg ◽  
Wade Edris ◽  
Martha Levine ◽  
Daniel R. George

Epidemiologic studies suggest that the lifetime prevalence of bipolar spectrum disorders ranges from 2.8 to 6.5 percent of the population. To decrease morbidity and mortality associated with disease progression, pharmacologic intervention is indicated for the majority of these patients. While a number of effective treatment regimens exist, many conventional medications have significant side effect profiles that adversely impact patients’ short and long-term well-being. It is thus important to continue advancing and improving therapeutic options available to patients. This paper reviews the limitations of current treatments and examines the chemical compound Linalool, an alcohol found in many plant species, that may serve as an effective mood stabilizer. While relatively little is known about Linalool and bipolar disorder, the compound has been shown to have antiepileptic, anti-inflammatory, anxiolytic, anti-depressive, and neurotrophic effects, with mechanisms that are comparable to current bipolar disorder treatment options.


2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 1360 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D. Brown ◽  
Robert C. Corry

More than 80% of the people in the USA and Canada live in cities. Urban development replaces natural environments with built environments resulting in limited access to outdoor environments which are critical to human health and well-being. In addition, many urban open spaces are unused because of poor design. This paper describes case studies where traditional landscape architectural design approaches would have compromised design success, while evidence-based landscape architecture (EBLA) resulted in a successful product. Examples range from school-yard design that provides safe levels of solar radiation for children, to neighborhood parks and sidewalks that encourage people to walk and enjoy nearby nature. Common characteristics for integrating EBLA into private, public, and academic landscape architecture practice are outlined along with a discussion of some of the opportunities and barriers to implementation.


Author(s):  
Nirit Putievsky Pilosof ◽  
Yasha Jacob Grobman

Objective The study examines the integration of the Evidence-based Design (EBD) approach in healthcare architecture education in the context of an academic design studio. Background Previous research addressed the gap between scientific research and architectural practice and the lack of research on the use of the EBD approach in architectural education. Methods The research examines an undergraduate architectural studio to design a Maggie’s Centre for cancer care in Israel and evaluates the impact of the EBD approach on the design process and design outcomes. The research investigates the impact of the integration of three predesign tasks: (1) literature review of healing architecture research, (2) analysis and comparison of existing Maggie’s Centres, and (3) analysis of the context of the design project. Results The literature review of scientific research supported the conceptual design and development of the projects. The analysis of existing Maggie’s centers, which demonstrated the interpretation of the evidence by different architects, developed the students’ ability to evaluate EBD in practice critically, and the study of the projects’ local context led the students to define the relevance of the evidence to support their vision for the project. Conclusions The research demonstrates the advantages of practicing EBD at an early stage in healthcare architectural education to enhance awareness of the impact of architectural design on the users’ health and well-being and the potential to support creativity and innovative design. More studies in design studios are needed to assess the full impact of integrating EBD in architectural education.


Author(s):  
Nicholas Rebold ◽  
Dana Holger ◽  
Sara Alosaimy ◽  
Taylor Morrisette ◽  
Michael Rybak

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
pp. 233339362110357
Author(s):  
Johanna R. Jahnke ◽  
Julee Waldrop ◽  
Alasia Ledford ◽  
Beatriz Martinez

Many studies have demonstrated a significant burden of maternal stress and depression for women living on the Galápagos Islands. Here, we aim to uncover burdens and needs of women with young children on San Cristóbal Island and then explore options for implementing evidence-based programs of social support to meet these needs. We conducted 17 semi-structured qualitative interviews with mothers of young children, healthcare workers, and community stakeholders. We then used Summary Oral Reflective Analysis (SORA), an interactive methodology, for qualitative analysis. Despite initial reports of a low-stress environment, women described many sources of stress and concerns for their own and their children’s health and well-being. We uncovered three broad areas of need for mothers of young children: (1) the need for information and services, (2) the need for trust, and (3) the need for space. In response to these concerns, mothers, healthcare workers, and community leaders overwhelmingly agreed that a social support program would be beneficial for the health of mothers and young children. Still, they expressed concern over the feasibility of such a program. To address these feasibility concerns, we propose that a web-based education and social support intervention led by nurses would best meet mothers’ needs. Women could learn about child health and development, develop strong, trusting friendships with other mothers, and have their own space to speak freely among experts and peers.


Author(s):  
Marco Gola ◽  
Monica Botta ◽  
Anna Lisa D’Aniello ◽  
Stefano Capolongo

Aim: The current COVID-19 pandemic has been causing significant upheavals in the daily lives of citizens and consequently also their mood (stress, distraction, anxiety, etc.), especially during the lockdown phase. The aim of the investigation is to evaluate the benefits of 20–30 minutes in contact with nature. Background: The Scientific Community, also through the evidence-based design approach, has already demonstrated the importance of greenery and nature on the psychophysical well-being of people and, in a moment of emergency, contact with the nature can be therapeutic and quite influential on the mental health of staff subject to stress. Method: During the lockdown, an Italian multidisciplinary working group promoted an experience-based survey, based on the Profile of Mood States methodology, for measuring the psychophysical well-being of hospital staff. Results: The author collected 77 questionnaires. The benefits that users have obtained from the experience in nature have been investigated by comparing the type of stresses they were subjected to and highlighting various peculiarities in the data analysis associated with the type of green in which they carried out the survey, the healthcare areas in which they worked during the pandemic emergency, and the moment in which the survey was conducted. Conclusions: The study has highlighted that a short break in green spaces strongly influenced the mental and psychophysical well-being of hospital staff, emphasizing the importance of nearby green spaces in architectures for health. Even a brief break in nature can regenerate users, especially in times of a stressful health emergency.


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