title: An enquiry into the mental health benefits of attending an autism group facilitated by Enrich +, using pre and post measures to evaluate anxiety reduction

authors: Macdonald, Ashli

abstract: Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is estimated to affect one in every hundred New Zealanders. Males are more frequently affected by ASD than females, as evidenced by a 4:1 ratio, implying that females are frequently underrepresented in research. These individuals have poor social and communication skills, as well as repetitive patterns of behaviour. Comorbidities are prevalent in the autistic community, with more than 70% of individuals having at least one co-occurring condition. Anxiety and depression are of the utmost concern for the autistic community, with individuals experiencing generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) at a significantly higher rate than their neurotypical peers. Many ASD-specific group interventions are being developed in response to the growing number of diagnoses. There are numerous approaches to social skill interventions; however, many of these interventions focus on the core deficits of ASD, with very few incorporating mental health approaches. This study used a mixed methods formative evaluation approach to identify mental health and anxiety reduction benefits of attending a programme for females with ASD. The programme aims to encourage the participants to develop independence, extend their social circles, build friendships, and gain a sense of belonging. Participants included three females on the autism spectrum aged 15 to 32 who attended the programme on a regular basis. Direct observations, along with pre and post self-reported questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, were intended to be used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, however, due to covid-19 disruptions not all research activities were able to be carried out. Findings suggest that regular attendance and participation in a facilitated autism group can potentially aid in anxiety reduction. Due to a limited sample size and the inability to gain sufficient data, the results of this study are inconclusive, however, it is still
worthwhile to further evaluate autism-based groups and the impact they have on mental health and anxiety reduction.

text: An enquiry into the mental health benefits of attending an autism group facilitated by Enrich +, using pre and post measures to evaluate anxiety reduction Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is estimated to affect one in every hundred New Zealanders. Males are more frequently affected by ASD than females, as evidenced by a 4:1 ratio, implying that females are frequently underrepresented in research. These individuals have poor social and communication skills, as well as repetitive patterns of behaviour. Comorbidities are prevalent in the autistic community, with more than 70% of individuals having at least one co-occurring condition. Anxiety and depression are of the utmost concern for the autistic community, with individuals experiencing generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) at a significantly higher rate than their neurotypical peers. Many ASD-specific group interventions are being developed in response to the growing number of diagnoses. There are numerous approaches to social skill interventions; however, many of these interventions focus on the core deficits of ASD, with very few incorporating mental health approaches. This study used a mixed methods formative evaluation approach to identify mental health and anxiety reduction benefits of attending a programme for females with ASD. The programme aims to encourage the participants to develop independence, extend their social circles, build friendships, and gain a sense of belonging. Participants included three females on the autism spectrum aged 15 to 32 who attended the programme on a regular basis. Direct observations, along with pre and post self-reported questionnaires and semi-structured interviews, were intended to be used to collect both quantitative and qualitative data, however, due to covid-19 disruptions not all research activities were able to be carried out. Findings suggest that regular attendance and participation in a facilitated autism group can potentially aid in anxiety reduction. Due to a limited sample size and the inability to gain sufficient data, the results of this study are inconclusive, however, it is still
worthwhile to further evaluate autism-based groups and the impact they have on mental health and anxiety reduction.

year: 2022

title: Where there's smoke there's fire? Women's experiences of smoking and cessation during pregnancy

authors: Drewer, Amanda

subjects: smoking

abstract: Women who smoke during pregnancy have been identified by the New Zealand Ministry of Health as a priority group for cessation services. In addition to adverse pregnancy outcomes, the effects of cigarette exposure in utero are believed to have health implications throughout life for the developing foetus. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors that affect smoking and cessation during pregnancy.  Fifteen women who had quit, tried to quit, or continued to smoke through a recent pregnancy were interviewed using face-to-face semi-structured interviews. During analysis, several key findings became apparent. Smoking played a central role in the women’s lives both in and out of pregnancy. Women were fearful and concerned about the possible effects on their growing babies. Their concerns contributed to their feelings of guilt and other negative emotions, as did frustrations over not being able to quit, adverse pregnancy outcomes and their perceived failure to meet with social expectations. However, they also doubted their concerns as most had seen, or had had their own experiences of healthy babies being born to mothers who smoked. Nonetheless, their worries led to a range of behavioural changes including spontaneously quitting, adjusting their smoking, hiding their pregnancy to continue smoking, or hiding their smoking. Changing their smoking behaviours enabled women to avoid being judged which was raised in most interviews. In addition, the importance of the context in which women lived and socialised was highlighted, as were the women’s midwives. Healthcare professionals were often spoken about in relation to the mismatch between what women wanted regarding cessation and what they were supplied. A key finding was the range of smoking statuses women presented with. This contrasts with much of the other literature that usually defines women as smokers or quitters. The use of the label ‘smoker’ in society is a generalised term that obscures differences that are important for healthcare practitioners to recognise. As a result of this study, a tool that assesses a woman’s awareness of the risks from smoking in pregnancy and openness to talking about smoking cessation has been developed. The aim is to give maternity care providers a way to broach this sensitive subject in a way that is appropriate for their client.

text: Where there's smoke there's fire? Women's experiences of smoking and cessation during pregnancy Women who smoke during pregnancy have been identified by the New Zealand Ministry of Health as a priority group for cessation services. In addition to adverse pregnancy outcomes, the effects of cigarette exposure in utero are believed to have health implications throughout life for the developing foetus. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors that affect smoking and cessation during pregnancy.  Fifteen women who had quit, tried to quit, or continued to smoke through a recent pregnancy were interviewed using face-to-face semi-structured interviews. During analysis, several key findings became apparent. Smoking played a central role in the women’s lives both in and out of pregnancy. Women were fearful and concerned about the possible effects on their growing babies. Their concerns contributed to their feelings of guilt and other negative emotions, as did frustrations over not being able to quit, adverse pregnancy outcomes and their perceived failure to meet with social expectations. However, they also doubted their concerns as most had seen, or had had their own experiences of healthy babies being born to mothers who smoked. Nonetheless, their worries led to a range of behavioural changes including spontaneously quitting, adjusting their smoking, hiding their pregnancy to continue smoking, or hiding their smoking. Changing their smoking behaviours enabled women to avoid being judged which was raised in most interviews. In addition, the importance of the context in which women lived and socialised was highlighted, as were the women’s midwives. Healthcare professionals were often spoken about in relation to the mismatch between what women wanted regarding cessation and what they were supplied. A key finding was the range of smoking statuses women presented with. This contrasts with much of the other literature that usually defines women as smokers or quitters. The use of the label ‘smoker’ in society is a generalised term that obscures differences that are important for healthcare practitioners to recognise. As a result of this study, a tool that assesses a woman’s awareness of the risks from smoking in pregnancy and openness to talking about smoking cessation has been developed. The aim is to give maternity care providers a way to broach this sensitive subject in a way that is appropriate for their client.

year: 2014

title: Local Contexts: Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels for Ngāi Tai ki Tamaki

authors: Hamilton-Pearce, Janette

subjects: Local Contexts

abstract: How can the Local Contexts Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels ground the rights of Ngāi Tai ki Tamaki in datasets and digital infrastructure? This presentation will help to address this question.

text: Local Contexts: Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels for Ngāi Tai ki Tamaki How can the Local Contexts Traditional Knowledge (TK) Labels ground the rights of Ngāi Tai ki Tamaki in datasets and digital infrastructure? This presentation will help to address this question.

year: 2022-07-27