This cross-sectional study investigated staff’s attitudes towards the use of mobile telepresence robots in long-term care (LTC) homes in western Canada. We drew on a Health Technology Assessment Core Model 3.0 to design a survey examining attitudes towards nine domains of mobile telepresence robots. Staff, including nurses, care staff, and managers, from two LTC homes were invited to participate. Statistical analysis of survey data from 181 participants revealed that overall, participants showed positive attitudes towards features and characteristics, self-efficacy on technology use, organizational aspects, clinical effectiveness, and residents and social aspects; neutral attitudes towards residents’ ability to use technology, and costs; and negative attitudes towards safety and privacy. Participants who disclosed their demographic backgrounds tended to exhibit more positive attitudes than participants who did not. Content analysis of textual data identified specific concerns and benefits of using the robots. We discuss options for implementing mobile telepresence robots in LTC.

In this paper, we consider subgeometric (specifically, polynomial) ergodicity of univariate nonlinear autoregressions with autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARCH). The notion of subgeometric ergodicity was introduced in the Markov chain literature in the 1980s, and it means that the transition probability measures converge to the stationary measure at a rate slower than geometric; this rate is also closely related to the convergence rate of $\beta $-mixing coefficients. While the existing literature on subgeometrically ergodic autoregressions assumes a homoskedastic error term, this paper provides an extension to the case of conditionally heteroskedastic ARCH-type errors, considerably widening the scope of potential applications. Specifically, we consider suitably defined higher-order nonlinear autoregressions with possibly nonlinear ARCH errors and show that they are, under appropriate conditions, subgeometrically ergodic at a polynomial rate. An empirical example using energy sector volatility index data illustrates the use of subgeometrically ergodic AR–ARCH models.

Maternal perinatal depression (PND) and partnership problems have been identified to influence the development of later child adjustment difficulties. However, PND and partnership problems are closely linked which makes it difficult to draw conclusions about the exact transmission pathways. The aim of the present study was to investigate to what extent PND symptoms and partnership problems influence each other longitudinally and to examine the influence of their trajectories on child adjustment difficulties at the age of three. Analyses were based on publicly available data from the German family panel “pairfam”. N = 354 mothers were surveyed on depressive symptoms and partnership problems annually from pregnancy (T0) until child age three (T4). Child adjustment difficulties were assessed at age three. Results of latent change score modeling showed that partnership problems predicted change in PND symptoms at T0 and T3 while PND symptoms did not predict change in partnership problems. Child adjustment difficulties at age three were predicted by PND symptoms, but not by partnership problems. Partnership problems predicted externalizing, but not internalizing symptoms. Results underline the effects of family factors for the development of child adjustment difficulties and emphasize the importance of early interventions from pregnancy onwards

This article analyzes the print culture of the Black and multiethnic community known as L8 in the northern British city of Liverpool. Through a critique of printed materials, including newsletters, magazines, and pamphlets all written, produced and read within the locale, the author assesses the construction of a community that was at once imagined and lived. This print infrastructure facilitated a collective sense of L8 as a marker of identity and belonging in a city and a nation that otherwise often harbored racialized hostility to the residents’ economic and political interests. Such a commitment to the locale, the author asserts, became a key factor in organizing the collective action taken by the residents in the 1981 Toxteth protests. Before and after that event, the neighborhood's print culture served to justify to residents the reasons for taking violent action against the state. Equally, this source material highlights the fissures and divergences between neighbors in their deliberations over the definitions—and limitations—of such a community and its relation to the nation. The author thus offers new ways to think about Black British protest in close relation to the specific political and social dynamics of neighborhoods across Britain.

The rising prevalence of mental illness among youth has underscored the critical need for proficient therapists trained in effective methods for treating prevalent mental disorders. As mental health services grapple with resource constraints, the demand for shorter training programs has increased. This study aimed to investigate whether therapist competence improves continuously over a two-year cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) training course, whether specific CBT skills show greater improvement than generic skills, and whether self-perceived competence varies based on therapist characteristics. Data were gathered from seven different CBT training courses spanning the years 2013–2021 involving a total of 151 Norwegian therapists. Therapist self-assessed their CBT competence using the Cognitive Therapy and Adherence Scale (CTACS). The collected data were analysed using mixed effects models using the R program. The findings revealed a significant increase in self-reported competence throughout the two-year training period. Notably, skills related to case formulation and CBT techniques displayed the most substantial improvements, indicating a high level of competence attained by the conclusion of training. No significant interactions were identified between time and therapist characteristics. The outcomes of this study support the efficacy of in-depth training through an extended CBT course spanning multiple semesters. The observed progress in CBT skills suggests that investments in therapist training can yield high levels of competence. Furthermore, this investment appears warranted regardless of therapists’ individual characteristics.