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Looking at the other side: working conditions in Portuguese courts
- João Paulo Dias, Paula Casaleiro, Conceição Gomes, Fernanda Jesus, Teresa Maneca Lima, Filipa Queirós, Ana Paula Relvas, Luciana Sotero, Marina Henriques, Luca Verzelloni
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- Journal:
- International Journal of Law in Context , First View
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 05 February 2024, pp. 1-21
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QUALIS is a research project that studies ‘the other side of courts’ by looking at the working conditions of judicial professions in Portugal and their impacts on the profession, health, family and personal life. The objective of this article is to provide an overview of the results obtained, based mainly on the interviews and the online questionnaire administered to the Portuguese judicial professions (judges, public prosecutors and court clerks). The questionnaire was sent to all professionals (more than 10,000) working in the courts and had a good response rate; the interviews were conducted among the three judicial professions. The article focuses on three main dimensions of working conditions, namely physical environment, working time and work intensity, and work/social environment of professionals working at first instance courts. It will make then a further analysis of their impacts in the health and well-being and in the work-family conflict of the judicial professionals.
Caregivers’ concerns through health professionals’ eyes
- Carolina Oliveira, Daniela Lourenço, Luciana Sotero, Ana Paula Relvas
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- Journal:
- Palliative & Supportive Care , First View
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 05 January 2024, pp. 1-12
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Objectives
Advancements in medicine and science have enabled more and more people to live longer with a chronic medical condition, namely cancer. Nevertheless, the palliative care (PC) approach continues to be introduced and incorporated later in the lives of patients and families dealing with such conditions. Thus, the need for individuals to care for this population in our society is increasing, giving rise to the so-called “informal caregivers.” The present study intends to examine the main obstacles faced by informal caregivers taking care of a cancer patient receiving PC based on what health professionals working in these settings perceive and write down. To achieve this goal, the written files of 2 Portuguese palliative care institutions were analyzed.
MethodsAn inductive thematic analysis was conducted, focusing on the contact between health professionals and family caregivers and based on the notes taken by health professionals.
ResultsThree main overarching themes were identified: (1) burden, (2) intra-family impact of the illness, and (3) network vulnerabilities. Included in this are the emphasis on the role of the family and social support, the high levels of psychological morbidity and caregiver burden present over this period, and a great need for information about the illness.
Significance of resultsThis study provided a broader awareness regarding the daily struggle experienced by family caregivers, particularly those who juggle between “roles.” It is vital to understand the scope of the obstacles experienced by caregivers during the terminal phase of their loved one’s illness, given how important it is to address the family’s needs. Future studies and practitioners should consider these observations and topics when considering new approaches for this population, as they ought to be quite focused and short in time in order to meet people’s needs.
Caring for people who take care: What is already done?
- Carolina Oliveira, Gabriela Fonseca, Neide P. Areia, Luciana Sotero, Ana Paula Relvas
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- Journal:
- Palliative & Supportive Care / Volume 20 / Issue 5 / October 2022
- Published online by Cambridge University Press:
- 27 August 2021, pp. 720-730
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Objective
The growing prevalence and impact of cancer on the family system calls for a palliative care approach with the family as the unit of care. This study aimed at providing an overview of the intervention programs that have been developed to offer support to the family caregivers of oncologic patients receiving palliative care.
MethodSixteen articles were included in the final review, encompassing (i) studies focused on intervention programs with family caregivers of cancer patients in palliative care, (ii) studies including a pre- and post-test evaluation of the intervention program, (iii) and studies whose cancer patients were at least 18 years old.
ResultsA great heterogeneity was verified with respect to care settings, number of sessions, outcome measures, or timing of assessment within the reviewed programs. These findings mirrored the complexity of the palliative care approach, which is difficult to standardize. Nonetheless, some interventions with different features accomplished good and sometimes similar results. The studies’ main outcomes were clustered in five categories: psychological symptomatology, general quality of life, caregiving role, family relational variables, and bereavement/grief. Moreover, 44% of the main outcomes were psychological symptomatology of family caregivers, with an emphasis toward anxiety and depression. Also shown was a growing emergence of technology use among these interventions.
Significance of resultsResults revealed a scarcity of family-oriented programs and lack of certified mental health professionals as interventionists. Future studies and interventions should focus on the positive outcomes of the caregiving experience and must acknowledge the cultural differences when trying to replicate programs. Considering that there is no precise formula for dealing with terminal illness and grief, we submit that family-centered and systemic lenses are excellent approaches for support during this adjustment process. In conclusion, the present study advocates for increased investment in the field, underscoring the importance of family caregivers’ mental health.