The overdose epidemic in the United States is evolving, with a rise in stimulant (cocaine and/or methamphetamine)-only and opioid and stimulant-involved overdose deaths for reasons that remain unclear. We conducted in...
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The overdose epidemic in the United States is evolving, with a rise in stimulant (cocaine and/or methamphetamine)-only and opioid and stimulant-involved overdose deaths for reasons that remain unclear. We conducted interviews and group model building workshops in Massachusetts and South Dakota. Building on these data and extant research, we identified six dynamic hypotheses, explaining changes in stimulant-involved overdose trends, visualized using causal loop diagrams. For stimulant- and opioid-involved overdose deaths, three dynamic hypotheses emerged: (1) accidental exposure to fentanyl from stimulants;(2) primary stimulant users increasingly using opioids, often with resignation;(3) primary opioid (especially fentanyl) users increasingly using stimulants to balance the sedating effect of fentanyl. For stimulant-only overdose deaths, three additional dynamic hypotheses emerged: (1) disbelief that death could occur from stimulants alone, and doubt in testing capabilities to detect fentanyl;(2) the stimulant supply has changed, leading to higher unpredictability and thus higher overdose risk;and (3) long-term stimulant use contributing to deteriorating health and increasing overdose risk. These hypotheses likely each explain a portion of the recent trends in stimulant- involved overdoses. However, confusion and uncertainty around the drug supply emerged as a central theme, underscoring the chaotic and unpredictable nature of the stimulant market. Our findings indicate the need for research to develop targeted public health interventions, including analyzing the extent of the effect of contamination on overdoses, reducing confusion about the stimulant supply, and examining historical stimulant use trends.
BackgroundThe deteriorating mental health of children and young people in the United Kingdom poses a challenge that services and policy makers have found difficult to tackle. Kailo responds to this issue with a commun...
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BackgroundThe deteriorating mental health of children and young people in the United Kingdom poses a challenge that services and policy makers have found difficult to tackle. Kailo responds to this issue with a community-based participatory and systemically informed strategy, perceiving mental health and well-being as a dynamic state shaped by the interplay of broader health determinants. The initiative works to explore, define and implement locally relevant solutions to challenges shaping the mental health and well-being of young people. Kailo unfolds in three stages within each locale. These stages encompass: "early discovery", "deeper discovery and co-design" and "implementation". This document delves into the participatory group model building and design protocol occurring in the "deeper discovery and co-design" stage of the *** methods, such as group model building, are effective in articulating and building consensus on complex issues like the social determinants of adolescent mental health. This paper describes the protocol for application of group model building within the Kailo design process to develop causal loop diagrams and pinpoint leverage points for improving adolescent mental health. It also suggests a method for considering modifications to delivery within a unique project context and in alignment with participants' needs. This paper sets out to define the approach and clarify the objectives these engagements aim to fulfil. The method adapts existing group model building (GMB) protocols for use in a community setting. The engagements will involve groups of local young people and existing community members. To assess the success of the session's implementation post-delivery, the study utilizes existing frameworks for fidelity evaluations, which define a core and flex *** method described enables an integration of diverse local understandings of complex processes which provides a platform for creating co-desig
BackgroundAlthough medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are effective for treating opioid use disorder (OUD), persistent barriers still prevent patients from accessing this life-saving care. Policies to increase...
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BackgroundAlthough medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are effective for treating opioid use disorder (OUD), persistent barriers still prevent patients from accessing this life-saving care. Policies to increase MOUD access have produced suboptimal results. This study presents a qualitative systemdynamics model that elucidates the complexities of accessing and staying in MOUD *** utilized a community-based system dynamics approach to modeling the MOUD treatment system. We engaged a cohort of system experts/stakeholders, including individuals who had received MOUD, treatment providers, and policymakers, in interviews and group model building to develop and refine a simulation model. We then created a qualitative causal loop diagram based on insights gained while developing the simulation model and a review of interview *** causal loop diagram captures four key factors affecting treatment initiation, retention, and leaving: (1) fraught interactions between patients and healthcare providers;(2) stigma-driven regulation of MOUD creating a culture of fear and defensive medicine;(3) a punitive culture in clinics and opioid treatment programs offering MOUD;and (4) the internalization of the abstinence narrative contributing to premature termination of *** analysis highlights how interdependent and non-linear feedback processes diminish or counteract the effectiveness and sustainability of MOUD policy interventions. Due to system memory and cultural resistance to change, even rolling back reactionary policies may do little to curb established behavioral patterns. In addition, conflicting and competing strategies among various actors within the system contribute to goal misalignment and a lack of standardization of care.
Group model building is a participatory workshop technique used in systemdynamics for developing community consensus to address complex problems by consensus building on individual assumptions. This study examines ch...
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Group model building is a participatory workshop technique used in systemdynamics for developing community consensus to address complex problems by consensus building on individual assumptions. This study examines changes in individual mental models of the complex problem of childhood obesity following participation in group model building (GMB), as part of a larger community-based system dynamics project. Data are drawn from GMB participants across six community sites in the Whole of systems Trial of Prevention Strategies for Childhood Obesity (WHO STOPS) in rural and regional Victoria, Australia. Each community participated in two GMB sessions resulting in a causal loop diagram (CLD) of drivers of childhood obesity for each community. Presurvey and postsurvey captured participants' perspectives before and after (n = 25) participation in both GMB sessions and a blend of inductive and deductive qualitative content analysis was used to code individual responses. Three calculations were used to determine the number of responses, whether responses were a result of persuasion from others, and comparison of responses to those found in the CLD. Our study found participant mental models shifted during the course of the GMB sessions, with some responses persuaded by others and 75% of new insights identified in CLDs created by communities. The GMB process created a platform for participants to share ideas and learn from each other. In addition, participants listed new insights about childhood obesity in their community through developing CLDs.
The federal Senior community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) provides on-the-job training to people 55 years and older with incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty level with multiple barriers to employment...
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The federal Senior community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) provides on-the-job training to people 55 years and older with incomes at or below 125% of the federal poverty level with multiple barriers to employment. This study examined the processes by which SCSEP may influence participant financial, physical, and mental well-being. We engaged 15 SCSEP participants and case managers over four virtual and one telephone session using a participatory research method called community-based system dynamics. Activities included identifying key problem trends, variable elicitation, developing a causal map, and identifying changes to the system to increase participant well-being. Respondents identified how individual, organizational, and program and policy factors relate to participant well-being (e.g., SCSEP participation reduces social isolation, which increases desire to participate) and suggested program and policy recommendations to strengthen SCSEP (e.g., benchmarks of success should include health and well-being outcomes). These findings highlight the benefits and potential of this long-running program.
About 240 million children have disabilities globally. Sustainable Development Goal 4 calls for inclusive and equitable quality education for all, including children with disabilities. Compared to children without dis...
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About 240 million children have disabilities globally. Sustainable Development Goal 4 calls for inclusive and equitable quality education for all, including children with disabilities. Compared to children without disabilities, children with disabilities are more likely to never attend school or to drop out from school due to barriers such as negative attitudes among teachers, parents and peers, lack of trained teachers, inadequate learning materials and inaccessible facilities. Our study examines the effect of a participatory child-centred pedagogy intervention on academic and non-academic learning outcomes of children with disabilities in primary rural schools of Afghanistan and Pakistan. We use an ICF-based disability measure, the Child Functioning Module, to identify children with disabilities. We built a participatory intervention on the ethics of care and the capability approach that aimed at improving the learning process. It did not significantly improve the learning outcomes of children with disabilities compared to non-disabled children. However, we found that children with disabilities overall progressed significantly more than non-disabled children on several learning outcomes while benefiting from a larger reduction in stigma and discrimination. The impact was secured overall for children despite school lockdowns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic and political unrest in both countries. Therefore, we argue that this type of intervention could potentially improve the inclusion of children with disabilities in school with more time for implementation and circumstances allowing schools to stay opened.
This article reports on the development of group model-building workshops for understanding children's nutrition and health as a complex adaptive system. A community-based system dynamics approach was used to cond...
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This article reports on the development of group model-building workshops for understanding children's nutrition and health as a complex adaptive system. A community-based system dynamics approach was used to conduct workshops in 5 United States-Affiliated Pacific jurisdictions as part of the Children's Healthy Living Food systems project from October 2022 to March 2023. Workshops were cofacilitated by local teams using a facilitation guide with a series of structured small-group exercises or "scripts" and evaluated using a pre-post participant survey. Products generated through these workshops included causal maps of the food systems driving child nutrition and health and prioritized action ideas that can be used to inform program design, planning, and implementation of local initiatives. Workshop evaluation highlights the robustness of workshops across jurisdictions, cultural contexts, and varied experiences of facilitation teams. Implications for the future development of group model-building facilitation guides and child nutrition are discussed.
The practice of participation has gained prominence in several disciplines recently. The present study discusses how participation meets systemdynamics, a particular modelling method, which looks at complex systems f...
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The practice of participation has gained prominence in several disciplines recently. The present study discusses how participation meets systemdynamics, a particular modelling method, which looks at complex systems from an endogenous viewpoint. systemdynamics has always oriented itself towards practical problems and engaged with clients actively. This tradition is represented in contemporary participatory methods. We can underpin the involvement of stakeholders in a number of ways: with normative arguments (participation is a democratic right), substantive (involvement produces better knowledge), instrumental (participation improves the chance of success), and transformative ones (improvement of social capital). We discuss three schools of participatory systemdynamics. First, group model building, a professional and practical method. Next, participatory systemdynamics modelling, which is rooted in public policy decisions and aims to involve stakeholders actively. Finally, community-based system dynamics aims for the empowerment of communities, with long-term deep commitment on the part of the researcher.
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