Randolph C. H. Chan

Collaborative writing with wikis: an empirical investigation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the process and interaction among group members using wikis to produce collaborative writing (CW) projects, and to compare their collaborative behavior among students at different levels of education. Design/methodology/approach – The study investigated the participation and collaboration of Hong Kong primary school, secondary school, and university students in the process of developing their wiki-based CW projects. Both qualitative and quantitative data were obtained from analyzing the revision histories and the content of wiki pages. Findings – Results indicated that the level of education significantly affected student CW actions, and their interaction and coordination behavior to co-construct the work. Also, the frequency of collaborative activities varied noticeably among the primary, secondary, and university students. Practical implications – The study enriches our understanding of the complex and dynamic process of CW using wikis. It has practi...

A Cross-Diagnostic Investigation of the Differential Impact of Discrimination on Clinical and Personal Recovery

OBJECTIVE Although the negative association between discrimination and recovery has been established, only a few studies have attempted to investigate the underlying mechanism of how perceived discrimination dampens both clinical and personal recovery among people with psychiatric disorders. This study aimed to examine the mediating roles of self-stigma and mental health service engagement in the relationship between perceived discrimination and recovery. METHODS A total of 374 people (half men and half women; mean±SD age=43.47±12.76) living in Hong Kong and in recovery with a primary diagnosis of a psychotic disorder, mood disorder, or substance use disorder responded to a cross-sectional questionnaire on discrimination, self-stigma, mental health service adherence, recovery orientation of services, clinical recovery, and personal recovery. Multisample structural equation modeling was conducted to examine whether the hypothesized model for perceived discrimination and recovery produced results that could be generalized across people with various psychiatric diagnoses. RESULTS Findings indicated that respondents perceived discrimination from the general public and from health care professionals, which was positively associated with self-stigmatization and service disengagement and was negatively associated with clinical and personal recovery across three different types of psychiatric disorder. CONCLUSIONS This study showed that the influence of perceived discrimination on recovery was universal and could be generalized across people with different psychiatric diagnoses. Multipronged stigma reduction interventions targeting the general public, health care professionals, and people in recovery, along with policies that avert discrimination and uphold human rights in health care settings and beyond, should be implemented.

Effectiveness of Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) for Chinese in Hong Kong

ABSTRACT The present study evaluated the effectiveness of the Wellness Recovery Action Planning (WRAP) in a matched controlled design among individuals in recovery of mental illness in Hong Kong. Feedback from the first batch of WRAP facilitators in Hong Kong was sought for future implementation of WRAP. Participants were recruited from the service units of the largest nongovernmental organization (NGO) serving people in recovery in Hong Kong. Fifty-nine service users were recruited to learn WRAP and 59 service users served as matched controls. The WRAP program consisted of eight weekly sessions delivered by NGO staff who were certified WRAP facilitators. Assessments were completed before, immediately after, and 3 months after the program. Findings based on repeated measures ANOVAs showed that compared with their matched controls, WRAP participants reported significant increase in perceived social support. No significant change was noted in empowerment, hope, self-stigma, social network size, symptom severity, and recovery. Facilitators discussed issues on cultural adaptation and resources needed for future implementation of WRAP for Chinese. Discrepancies between the present findings and those from previous studies were discussed. This is the first quantitative study evaluating the effectiveness of WRAP among Chinese.

Flourishing With Psychosis: A Prospective Examination on the Interactions Between Clinical, Functional, and Personal Recovery Processes on Well-being Among Individuals with Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

Well-being is not just the absence of mental disorder but also involves positive feelings and contentment (emotional well-being), meaningful engagement (psychological well-being), and contribution of ones community or society (social well-being). Recovery processes, which encompass mitigation of clinical symptomatology (clinical recovery), improvement in occupational, social, and adaptive functioning (functional recovery), and development of personally valued goals and identity (personal recovery), have demonstrated to be important markers of well-being. This study examined the relative contribution of clinical, functional, and personal recovery processes on well-being among individuals with schizophrenia and explored the effect of personal recovery on people with varying levels of symptom severity and functional ability. A longitudinal quantitative research design was used in which 181 people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were assessed at baseline and 6 months. At baseline, 28.2% of the participants were considered as flourishing. Around half of the participants (52.5%) were moderately mentally healthy, while 19.3% were identified as languishing. Results showed that clinical recovery was predictive of better well-being at 6-month postbaseline. Personal recovery was found to positively predict well-being, above and beyond the effects of clinical and functional recovery. Moderation analysis showed that the effect of personal recovery on well-being did not depend on clinical and functional recovery, which implied that people with schizophrenia can participate in the process of personal recovery and enjoy positive well-being regardless of their clinical stability and functional competence. Given the robust salutogenic effect of personal recovery, greater emphasis should be placed on developing person-centered, strength-based, recovery-oriented services.

Cultural model of self-stigma among Chinese with substance use problems.

BACKGROUND Substance use is regarded as one of the most stigmatizing conditions worldwide. To achieve recovery, individuals with substance use problems must learn to cope with stigma. Despite the potential importance of cultural factors in the internalization process of stigma, few studies have incorporated culturally salient factors in understanding self-stigma. We responded to this gap in the literature by investigating a mechanism of self-stigma that focused on a cultural value salient to the Chinese-face concern. Specifically, we hypothesized that two types of face concern (mianzi concern and lian concern) would affect self-stigma and mental health through self-conscious moral emotions and rumination. METHODS A total of 199 Hong Kong Chinese adults with substance use problems completed standardized questionnaires. RESULTS Test of the proposed model using structural equation modeling showed excellent fit to the data. The findings support the role of face concern in affecting self-stigma and mental health among Chinese with substance use problems. In particular, the findings showed significant indirect effects of lian concern on rumination, self-stigma, and mental health via moral emotions. CONCLUSIONS The present study provides preliminary empirical support for the importance of cultural factors in the internalization process of stigma and the maintenance of mental health among individuals with substance use problems.

Scaffolding in information search: Effects on less experienced searchers

This study aims to investigate how expert scaffolded training could help, from novice postgraduate students’ point of view, and foster development of information search ability among postgraduate students. Using a quasiexperimental design over a year and a half, eight doctoral students (novice searchers) participated in a series of five sessions with an expert searcher who was an information professional. A novice-expert comparison examined the differences between novices and experts in information searching; and the effect of scaffolding sessions in which the expert information searcher helped novice information searchers was examined. Findings showed differences existed between the novice and the expert searchers in use of complex formulation of query statements, choice of keywords, and operators. Scaffolding sessions with the expert searcher resulted in self-reported and observable improvement in information searching among the novice searchers. The paper concludes with a discussion of the design of information retrieval systems and recommendations for library programmes to support the continued development of research students’ information literacy skills.

Unraveling the insight paradox: One-year longitudinal study on the relationships between insight, self-stigma, and life satisfaction among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders

The promotion of insight among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders has posed a dilemma to service providers as higher insight has been linked to positive clinical outcomes but negative psychological outcomes. The negative meaning that people attached to the illness (self-stigma content) and the recurrence of such stigmatizing thoughts (self-stigma process) may explain why increased insight is associated with negative outcomes. The present study examined how the presence of high self-stigma content and self-stigma process may contribute to the negative association between insight and life satisfaction. A total of 181 people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders were assessed at baseline. 130 and 110 participants were retained and completed questionnaire at 6-month and 1-year follow-up, respectively. Results showed that baseline insight was associated with lower life satisfaction at 6-month when self-stigma process or self-stigma content was high. Furthermore, baseline insight was predictive of better life satisfaction at 1-year follow-up when self-stigma process was low. Findings suggested that the detrimental effects of insight can be a result from both the presence of cognitive content and habitual process of self-stigma. Future insight promotion interventions should also address self-stigma content and process among people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders so as to maximize the beneficial effects of insight.

Self-Stigma and Empowerment as Mediating Mechanisms Between Ingroup Perceptions and Recovery Among People With Mental Illness.

Positive ingroup perceptions have been recognized as a protective factor that enhances stigma resistance and improves the well-being of people from minority communities. However, the impact of positive ingroup perceptions on mental health recovery has rarely been explored. The present study proposed an ingroup perceptions model of recovery and examined how group value, group identification, and sense of community contribute to better clinical and personal recovery for people with mental illness through the mediation of self-stigma and empowerment. There were 258 people with mental illness completed a self-report questionnaire. Results of structural equation modeling revealed that the proposed model fit the data well, &khgr;2(255) = 515.36, p < .001, comparative fit index (CFI) = .91, Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = .90, root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA) = .063 (90% [confidence interval] CI [.055, .071]), standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) = .068. Group value was positively associated with group identification and negatively associated with self-stigma, which were in turn related to better clinical and personal recovery. Group identification and sense of community were associated with higher level of empowerment, which was positively associated with clinical and personal recovery. The present study extended research on ingroup perceptions by showing the effect of ingroup perceptions on recovery. It provided practical implications to mental health services by emphasizing the importance of fostering membership within mutual self-help groups and integrating peer-led services into existing mental health services system.

Perceived primal threat of mental illness and recovery: The mediating role of self-stigma and self-empowerment.

Although people in recovery from mental illness can continue to live a personally meaningful life despite their mental illness, their perception of mental illness as being a threat to their basic needs may influence the way they view themselves as a person with mental illness and their sense of mastery over their condition. The present study explored the effects of perceived primal threat on the recovery of people with mental illness, considering the mediating roles of self-stigma and self-empowerment. Latent variable structural equation modeling was conducted among 376 individuals with mental illness in Hong Kong. The model had excellent fit to the data (&khgr;2 = 123.96, df = 60, &khgr;2/df = 2.07, comparative fit index [CFI] = .98, Tucker–Lewis index [TLI] = .97, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = .05, standardized root mean squared residual [SRMR] = .04). The influence of perceived primal threat on recovery was mediated by self-stigma and self-empowerment. Specifically, perceived primal threat was associated positively with self-stigma, which was negatively related to recovery; in contrast, it was negatively related to self-empowerment, which was positively related to recovery. This study adds to the understanding of the mechanism underlying the influence of perceived primal threat on recovery and suggests that perceived primal threat should be considered in the recovery process among people with mental illness.

Development and validation of Attitudes towards Recovery Questionnaire across Chinese people in recovery, their family carers, and service providers in Hong Kong

Considering the lack of existing measures on attitudes toward personal recovery and the need to acknowledge the cultural milieu in recovery attitude assessment, the present study developed and validated the Attitudes towards Recovery Questionnaire (ARQ) in a sample of people in recovery of mental illness, family carers, and mental health service providers in Hong Kong. The ARQ was developed based on existing literature and measures of recovery, and focus group discussions with various stakeholders. Findings of the multi-sample confirmatory factor analyses supported a five-factor structure: (1) resilience as a person in recovery, (2) self-appreciation and development, (3) self-direction, (4) family involvement, and (5) social ties and integration. The ARQ was positively correlated with recovery outcomes, empowerment, recovery knowledge, and recovery orientation of mental health services. As a tool for examining recovery attitudes, the ARQ informs us of the mindset across stakeholders and areas that need enhancement to facilitate the recovery process.