Harnessing the therapeutic effects of nature for chronic Pain: A role for immersive virtual reality? A narrative review.

Background And Objective: There is a growing interest in the relationship between nature and pain relief. Evidence from environmental psychology, neuroscience and physiology-based studies point towards analgesic effects of nature being mediated through various cognitive, affective and/or autonomic factors. Being able to harness these therapeutic effects using immersive virtual reality (VR) could help to optimize and improve accessibility of nature-based environments as part of chronic pain management plans.

Tailored videoconferencing counselling program to support family carers of people living with dementia during the transition to permanent residential care: a pilot and feasibility randomised trial.

Background: Decisions surrounding the permanent residential care placement of people living with dementia can be stressful and distressing; however, providing access to targeted information and support prior to placement may help carers better cope. This mixed methods study aimed to test the feasibility, acceptability, and potential benefits of providing a tailored, individual counselling program (the Residential Care Transition Module), delivered via videoconferencing, to Australian family carers of a relative with dementia during the transition to permanent residential care.

Methods: A total of 18 family carers were randomly allocated to receive either the counselling intervention (six sessions delivered over 12 weeks) or a check-in call, delivered by a trained Transition Counsellor.

Bottle with a message: The role of story writing as an engagement tool to explore children's perceptions of marine plastic litter.

As human behaviors play a crucial role in addressing the global threat of plastic pollution, it is vital to understand perceptions about marine plastic litter (MPL) and to develop interventions encouraging pro-environmental behaviors (PEBs). This study evaluates story writing as a window to explore perceptions and as an engagement activity to boost PEBs. During the COVID-19 lockdowns, schoolchildren from the East Pacific coast participated in this activity, each creating a story and answering a pre-post survey.

Citizen science in marine litter research: A review.

Citizen science (CS) can help to tackle the emerging and worldwide problem of marine litter (ML), from collecting data to engaging different stakeholders. We reviewed what and how the scientific literature is reporting CS on ML to identify possible gaps to be improved. The 92 search results (separate occasions when 48 different CS initiatives were discussed across 85 publication records) revealed an under-representation of studies in developing regions.

Long-term care placement: The transitional support needs and preferences of spousal dementia caregivers.

Background And Objectives: Many spousal caregivers experience stress, depression, loneliness, guilt and grief when placing a partner with dementia into long-term care. However, there is little research about their transitional support experiences, needs and preferences. This study aimed to gain a deeper understanding of these issues from spousal caregiver and long-term care facility staff perspectives, to inform subsequent support and intervention development.