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The chapter delves into the intricate relationship among poverty alleviation policies, cultural identities, and community-specific development in the context of sustainable development. Through various case studies, the chapter underscores the need for policies that empower communities and encourage active participation in decision-making processes. It argues that inclusive development should consider local knowledge, traditions, aspirations, and advocates for partnerships between stakeholders to ensure effective and culturally appropriate strategies. The chapter presents the view that recognizing and preserving cultural identities can not only help fight against poverty but also enhance social unity and well-being. In conclusion, the chapter advocates for a paradigm shift in poverty alleviation strategies: Appreciating and leveraging cultural diversity, empowering communities, and embracing a multifaceted approach to development. Through this approach, a holistic and community-specific stance can yield more effective, sustainable, and equitable outcomes in poverty reduction.

This research examines the mediating effect of self-efficacy among interrelationships of emotional intelligence, achievement motivation and students’ employability in the Chinese higher education institutions. This study was primarily conducted by applying the social cognitive theory to explain the beliefs and abilities of being employed for university students and influenced by their achievement motivation.

A survey approach was employed to collect the samples of 585 final-year college students using the convenience sampling method from 5 different Chinese higher education institutions. The structural equation modeling (SEM) approach was used as the data analysis method.

The result significantly supported the positive effect of emotional intelligence (ß = 0.298, p < 0.001) and achievement motivation (ß = 0.307, p < 0.001) on students’ employability. Furthermore, the results also showed that self-efficacy significantly had a mediating effect between achievement motivation and employability (ß = 0.119, CI95%: 0.062, 0.195) among college students. However, the study confirmed that self-efficacy was not associated with the relationship between emotional intelligence and employability (ß = 0.029, CI95%: −0.003, 0.075).

This research clarifies and highlights that psychological variables have highly correlated with the employability outcomes of university students. The findings also hold significant value and practical implications for the governments, colleges, and students that enhancing employability should be through targeted interventions. This study sets the stage for future research exploring potential mediators of motivation and other essential factors that may influence among the existing relationship.

This study aims to explore how not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) adopt service innovation and improve their employee resilience capabilities as a response to environmental changes arising from marketisation of public services.

Using a multiple case-study research design, this study involved 32 interviews with frontline employees working in a not-for-profit care-providing organisation.

This study finds that the development of absorptive capacity can facilitate service innovation adoption in NFPs and improve employee resilience in times of transition.

This study offers theoretical insights on service innovation, absorptive capacity and employee resilience in NFPs. It makes practical recommendations that will enable NFPs to help frontline employees better adopt service innovation practices in business models endorsed by the private sector.

Incidents of violence and aggression are a regular occurrence within adult forensic mental health inpatient settings and often lead to the use of restrictive practices such as seclusion. Such events are frequently attributed to the complexity of the patients. Research commonly focuses on patient’s characteristics and their association with seclusion use. Less attention has been centred on forensic mental health nurses’ attitudes to seclusion and the association of nursing staff characteristics.

A cross-sectional survey was undertaken using a standardised questionnaire, “Survey of Nurses’ Attitudes to Seclusion”. Responses were received from n = 147 nurses at a high secure forensic mental health hospital in the UK.

Key findings indicate that most participants believed seclusion should remain part of clinical practice. A correlation was identified between forensic mental health nurses’ attitudes to seclusion use and their characteristics: gender, age range, educational level and experience.

This paper presents novel information on seclusion reduction opportunities through modifiable workforce factors such as gender-sensitive rostering and staff training and development. Furthermore, recruitment and retention strategies should be prioritised so forensic mental health is perceived as an attractive career and a safe workplace.

The paucity of research in this area has prompted calls for further research to explore nursing staff characteristics and seclusion use. This is particularly important now due to the current global difficulty in the recruitment and retention of mental health nurses.

This study aims to report on the feasibility, acceptability and outcomes of a peer support program designed to promote social participation for adults with serious mental illness (SMI) in China.

The authors used a community-based participatory research approach to adapt and test a six-month, culturally responsive peer program with 68 participants. Peer supporters were trained and supervised in Guangzhou, China. Peer workers were hired via a competitive process and completed both classroom and field training. Study participants were offered individual and group socialization activities. Participants completed measures on recovery, quality of life, functioning and symptoms at three time points (pre-, post- and follow-up).

Nearly 90% of participants expressed satisfaction with their peer supporters and the frequency of services. Findings showed a significant increasing trend for the social relationships domain of quality of life from baseline to follow-up. Female participants reported significantly increased recovery from pre to post and increased psychological quality of life pre-follow-up as compared to their male counterparts. Supervision logs documented positive gains from participants such as increased help-seeking, improved social skills, enhanced emotion regulation and self-confidence and established routine, alongside challenges like inconsistent engagement, low service incentives and an overreliance on social workers. Peer supporters also reported concerns about their own lack of skills and in navigating relationships between participants and their family members.

Peer interventions have been well studied in Western countries but underexplored in China. This research addresses this gap by presenting a peer program aimed at enhancing the social participation of Chinese with SMI.