Caroline Limbert

Job demands are factors that are associated with a physical and psychological cost when it comes to coping with them, but which can also positively affect the motivational process. Demands such as overload, defined as an excessive workload, have not presented positive results in any of the studies that have related it to employee engagement. The present study aims to delve into the possible positive effect of this demand on the intellectual bonding of employees. It is hypothesized that: (a) Initially, the increase in the perception of work overload will show a negative influence on the intellectual engagement of the employees; but (b) high perceptions of overload will change this effect, producing an increase in the intellectual dimension of engagement. The sample is made up of 706 employees of a Spanish multinational company. The results support this asymmetric curvilinear influence. The level of intellectual engagement is significantly reduced when the role overload increases from the lower values of the scale. However, upon reaching high levels of role overload, the intellectual engagement response begins to grow. These results challenge the conceptualization of overload as only negative and opens the door to consider that the positive response to a demand can also occur at high levels of it.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the perceptions of staff towards psychotropic Pro Re Nata (PRN) medication in a residential care setting. Design/methodology/approach Three male and seven female participants were interviewed using a semi-structured interview. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings Four themes pertaining to PRN medication emerged from the data: behaviour change, calming effect, importance of timing and perceived uniqueness. Research limitations/implications - The participant group was not homogenous and findings may have been different in a more qualified cohort. This care setting may not be representative of other environments where PRN medication is administered. The findings do, however, highlight some of the challenges facing the administration of PRN medication in mental health and care settings. Practical implications The awareness of these themes is significant for improving staff knowledge, training practices and policies towards the use and administration of psychotropic PRN medication. Originality/value This is the first study to engage in a thematic analysis of staff views towards the administration of PRN medication.

Background:Enhanced Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT-E) (Fairburn, Cooper and Shafran, 2003) was developed as a treatment approach for eating disorders focusing on both core psychopathology and additional maintenance mechanisms.Aims:To evaluate treatment outcomes associated with CBT-E in a NHS Eating Disorders Service for adults with bulimia and atypical eating disorders and to make comparisons with a previously published randomized controlled trial (Fairburn et al., 2009) and “real world” evaluation (Byrne, Fursland, Allen and Watson, 2011).Method:Participants were referred to the eating disorder service between 2002 and 2011. They were aged between 18–65 years, registered with a General Practitioner within the catchment area, and had experienced symptoms fulfilling criteria for BN or EDNOS for a minimum of 6 months.Results:CBT-E was commenced by 272 patients, with 135 completing treatment. Overall, treatment was associated with significant improvements in eating disorder and associated psychopathology, for both treatment completers and the intention to treat sample.Conclusions:Findings support dissemination of CBT-E in this context, with significant improvements in eating disorder psychopathology. Improvements to global EDE-Q scores were higher for treatment completers and lower for the intention to treat sample, compared to previous studies (Fairburn et al., 2009; Byrne et al., 2011). Level of attrition was found at 40.8% and non-completion of treatment was associated with higher levels of anxiety. Potential explanations for these findings are discussed.