The potential for harms from adverse drug reactions (ADR) constitutes a critical patient safety a... more The potential for harms from adverse drug reactions (ADR) constitutes a critical patient safety and public health challenge, especially with increased medication usage as populations age. The research reported here explores explanations for a sudden increase in ADR reporting in New Zealand after a new formulation of a medication to treat hypothyroidism, Eltroxin® (levothyroxine), was phased in. The formulation was adjudged to be bioequivalent to the old formulation, yet following its introduction, a sharp increase in the reporting of adverse reactions to this drug occurred. The paper analyses public engagement and the role of print media coverage, press releases and minutes of meetings of relevant agencies in order to describe the unfolding of this health controversy. Early interpretations of the sharp increase in reporting of reactions explained it as an outcome of a combination of factors, including a mistrust of state drug subsidizing agencies and media attention that provoked anxiety in this vulnerable population. This paper offers an alternative explanation arguing that, as adverse drug reactions are known to be significantly underreported, the Eltroxin® ‘health scare’ illustrates enhanced pharmacovigilance triggered by the interaction between patients and the media. The Eltroxin® controversy is an illustrative case example of the amplification of ADR reporting by patients following increased media attention in the context of a low consumer reporting environment. The case of Eltroxin® indicates that drug safety can be enhanced by actively using media sources and by encouraging patient engagement and reporting of ADRs.
ABSTRACT Homelessness is a pressing social and health concern that literally embodies broader ine... more ABSTRACT Homelessness is a pressing social and health concern that literally embodies broader inequities in society. This article provides an introduction to research in social psychology on homelessness and an emerging research agenda that situates the contributions of social psychologists within the broader social science effort. Attention is given to the consequences of homelessness, definitional issues, the relevance of a turn to place and interpersonal and intergroup relationships, and the importance of an action-orientated agenda for responding to the complexities of homelessness.
... Darrin Hodgetts, Ottilie Stolte, Linda Waimarie Nikora and Shiloh Groot ... Many experienced ... more ... Darrin Hodgetts, Ottilie Stolte, Linda Waimarie Nikora and Shiloh Groot ... Many experienced abuse as children, often whilst in state care or foster homes, and they struggle with mental health and/or substance misuse issues (O'Connell 2003; Tois 2005). ...
Homemaking is associated with domiciled family life, community, and secure work. Moving beyond th... more Homemaking is associated with domiciled family life, community, and secure work. Moving beyond this perspective, we explore the experiences of people dislocated from family, community, and work, and their efforts to make a place for themselves. We consider a homeless man's efforts to make a home on the streets of Auckland in the absence of positive social ties, employment, and
ABSTRACT Socioeconomic inequalities are increasing in many OECD countries, as are punitive welfar... more ABSTRACT Socioeconomic inequalities are increasing in many OECD countries, as are punitive welfare reforms that pathologise 'the poor'. This article draws on the accounts of 100 families in Auckland to consider the impacts of increased social stratification and structural violence on their interactions with a government welfare agency. Each family was recruited through a food bank and was matched with a social worker who used a range of interview, mapping and drawing exercises to document their experiences of adversity over a one-year period. The analysis sheds new light on how institutionalised and abusive relations with these families manifest in spatially located urban interactions. It is argued that poverty is misrecognised at the institutional level and that this nurtures structural violence in service provision interactions.
For domiciled individuals, homeless people provide a disturbing reminder that all is not right wi... more For domiciled individuals, homeless people provide a disturbing reminder that all is not right with the world. Reactions to seeing homeless people frequently encompass repulsion, discomfort, sympathy and sometimes futility. This paper considers domiciled constructions of homeless people drawn from interviews with 16 participants recruited in the central business district of a New Zealand city. It documents how, when trying to make sense of this complex social problem, domiciled people draw on shared characterizations of homeless people. The concept of "social distance" is used to interrogate the shifting and sometimes incongruous reactions evident in participant accounts. "Social distancing" is conceptualised as a dynamic communal practice existing in interactions between human beings and reflected in the ways that domiciled people talk about their experiences with homeless individuals.
Urban poverty and health inequalities are inextricably intertwined. By working in partnership wit... more Urban poverty and health inequalities are inextricably intertwined. By working in partnership with service providers and communities to address urban poverty, we can enhance the wellness of people in need. This article reflects on lessons learned from the Family100 project that explores the everyday lives, frustrations and dilemmas faced by 100 families living in poverty in Auckland. Lessons learned support the need to bring the experiences and lived realities of families to the fore in public deliberations about community and societal responses to urban poverty and health inequality.
The potential for harms from adverse drug reactions (ADR) constitutes a critical patient safety a... more The potential for harms from adverse drug reactions (ADR) constitutes a critical patient safety and public health challenge, especially with increased medication usage as populations age. The research reported here explores explanations for a sudden increase in ADR reporting in New Zealand after a new formulation of a medication to treat hypothyroidism, Eltroxin® (levothyroxine), was phased in. The formulation was adjudged to be bioequivalent to the old formulation, yet following its introduction, a sharp increase in the reporting of adverse reactions to this drug occurred. The paper analyses public engagement and the role of print media coverage, press releases and minutes of meetings of relevant agencies in order to describe the unfolding of this health controversy. Early interpretations of the sharp increase in reporting of reactions explained it as an outcome of a combination of factors, including a mistrust of state drug subsidizing agencies and media attention that provoked anxiety in this vulnerable population. This paper offers an alternative explanation arguing that, as adverse drug reactions are known to be significantly underreported, the Eltroxin® ‘health scare’ illustrates enhanced pharmacovigilance triggered by the interaction between patients and the media. The Eltroxin® controversy is an illustrative case example of the amplification of ADR reporting by patients following increased media attention in the context of a low consumer reporting environment. The case of Eltroxin® indicates that drug safety can be enhanced by actively using media sources and by encouraging patient engagement and reporting of ADRs.
ABSTRACT Homelessness is a pressing social and health concern that literally embodies broader ine... more ABSTRACT Homelessness is a pressing social and health concern that literally embodies broader inequities in society. This article provides an introduction to research in social psychology on homelessness and an emerging research agenda that situates the contributions of social psychologists within the broader social science effort. Attention is given to the consequences of homelessness, definitional issues, the relevance of a turn to place and interpersonal and intergroup relationships, and the importance of an action-orientated agenda for responding to the complexities of homelessness.
... Darrin Hodgetts, Ottilie Stolte, Linda Waimarie Nikora and Shiloh Groot ... Many experienced ... more ... Darrin Hodgetts, Ottilie Stolte, Linda Waimarie Nikora and Shiloh Groot ... Many experienced abuse as children, often whilst in state care or foster homes, and they struggle with mental health and/or substance misuse issues (O'Connell 2003; Tois 2005). ...
Homemaking is associated with domiciled family life, community, and secure work. Moving beyond th... more Homemaking is associated with domiciled family life, community, and secure work. Moving beyond this perspective, we explore the experiences of people dislocated from family, community, and work, and their efforts to make a place for themselves. We consider a homeless man's efforts to make a home on the streets of Auckland in the absence of positive social ties, employment, and
ABSTRACT Socioeconomic inequalities are increasing in many OECD countries, as are punitive welfar... more ABSTRACT Socioeconomic inequalities are increasing in many OECD countries, as are punitive welfare reforms that pathologise 'the poor'. This article draws on the accounts of 100 families in Auckland to consider the impacts of increased social stratification and structural violence on their interactions with a government welfare agency. Each family was recruited through a food bank and was matched with a social worker who used a range of interview, mapping and drawing exercises to document their experiences of adversity over a one-year period. The analysis sheds new light on how institutionalised and abusive relations with these families manifest in spatially located urban interactions. It is argued that poverty is misrecognised at the institutional level and that this nurtures structural violence in service provision interactions.
For domiciled individuals, homeless people provide a disturbing reminder that all is not right wi... more For domiciled individuals, homeless people provide a disturbing reminder that all is not right with the world. Reactions to seeing homeless people frequently encompass repulsion, discomfort, sympathy and sometimes futility. This paper considers domiciled constructions of homeless people drawn from interviews with 16 participants recruited in the central business district of a New Zealand city. It documents how, when trying to make sense of this complex social problem, domiciled people draw on shared characterizations of homeless people. The concept of "social distance" is used to interrogate the shifting and sometimes incongruous reactions evident in participant accounts. "Social distancing" is conceptualised as a dynamic communal practice existing in interactions between human beings and reflected in the ways that domiciled people talk about their experiences with homeless individuals.
Urban poverty and health inequalities are inextricably intertwined. By working in partnership wit... more Urban poverty and health inequalities are inextricably intertwined. By working in partnership with service providers and communities to address urban poverty, we can enhance the wellness of people in need. This article reflects on lessons learned from the Family100 project that explores the everyday lives, frustrations and dilemmas faced by 100 families living in poverty in Auckland. Lessons learned support the need to bring the experiences and lived realities of families to the fore in public deliberations about community and societal responses to urban poverty and health inequality.
This chapter considers the “hard-to-reach” in qualitative research and issues involved in obtaini... more This chapter considers the “hard-to-reach” in qualitative research and issues involved in obtaining qualitative research data when working with the hard-to-reach. We first discuss what hard-to-reach might mean, and then consider pertinent issues for data collection with hard-to-reach groups – access, gatekeeping and sampling, methods for data acquisition, and ethical concerns that can arise in working with such groups. We contend that most researchers consider field research with the hard-to-reach as difficult, and requiring special care and attention, with strong possibilities of denied access, participant non-response, refusal, or incomplete participation. In contrast, we propose that researching with the hard-to-reach is no more difficult than other forms of field research, provided that initial work around consultancy and participation is undertaken, and that the research is flexible and responsive to changing conditions as it progresses. We illustrate this with two case studies of research we have conducted with homeless people and impoverished families. Throughout the chapter we discuss the principles that underlie such research and produce effective solutions to working with hard-to-reach groups, namely ethical practice, trust, reciprocity, immersion and responsiveness. In closing, we comment on the value of undertaking scholar-activist research in this domain.
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