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Background While the COVID-19 pandemic caused major disruptions to social connections and lifestyles, many countries continued the sale of alcohol as an essential commodity. Evidence on change in alcohol use, and its association with mental health and wellbeing during the pandemic is, however, mixed and limited to initial periods of the pandemic. This study aimed to address these research gaps. Methods Data were drawn from the COVID-19 Risks Across the Lifespan (CORAL) Study, a three-wave longitudinal study conducted between May 2020 and April 2021. The present sample included 2,369 participants (age M = 38.81 ± 16.94 years, range = 11–100; 90% females) from the United Kingdom, United States, and Australia. Measures included pre-pandemic alcohol use and changes in consumption frequency, quantity, drinking behaviours (e.g., drinking earlier in the day), and motivations (e.g., drinking for enjoyment) during the pandemic. General perceived stress, COVID-19-related stress, loneliness, and symptoms of depression and anxiety were also assessed. Findings Drinking frequency and quantity remained stable across the first year of the pandemic; however, non-linear age associations were found. Young individuals aged between 11 to 20 years, and mid-aged individuals aged between 50 to 70 years, had the highest probability of increased alcohol use frequency and quantity. Drinking behaviours and motivations also remained largely stable, although age- and country-specific differences emerged, potentially reflecting policy differences such as alcohol access restrictions and lockdown measures. Finally, loneliness unidirectionally predicted subsequent alcohol use quantity. Conclusions These findings highlight the heterogeneous alcohol use patterns across age groups and countries during the pandemic, and underscore loneliness as an important public health issue with implications for alcohol misuse.

Stress is an important physiological and psychological reaction which, when prolonged, has a negative impact on the health and well-being of humans. Traditional stress assessment methods tend to be subjective and are not scalable in real-time. In this research, a lightweight machine learning framework to predict stress from easily measurable environmental and activity-related features, temperature, humidity, and steps, is introduced. The proposed method is different from the approach that depends on complex physiological signals and uses minimal non-invasive inputs that can be applied in the wearable and IoT field. The stress level is considered as the target variable, and all the features used as input variables are independent from each other to prevent data leakage. There are several machine learning and deep learning models and their performances are measured, such as LightGBM, Support vector machine (SVM), AdaBoost, Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU). Bayesian hyperparameter optimization is used to improve the performance of the model and guarantee strong generalization. Experimental results show that LightGBM outperforms the other models, giving an accuracy of 97% and a balanced precision, recall and F1 score of 95%. The results demonstrate promising predictive performance on the evaluated dataset. However, since the model was validated on a relatively small publicly available dataset, further evaluation using larger and more diverse real-world datasets is required before practical deployment.

In volleyball, as in other sports, special attention should be paid to the individual characteristics of the athlete. However, this is often neglected. Most problems arise when the selection criteria for a role are not a player’s personal qualities, but rather their technical and tactical skills (tallness, a strong dominant arm, etc.). Here, it’s not just the player’s skills that matter, but also how they present themselves as a person. Many personal qualities are determined by a person’s genetic code, which cannot be changed. The nervous system, temperament, and character play a crucial role in success in volleyball. Athletes’ activities during volleyball are subject to many specific characteristics inherent to the game. The fast pace, the variety and unexpectedness of game situations, the interaction with teammates, the intermittent pace, and other characteristics place mental demands on volleyball players that are markedly different from those placed on, for example, a gymnast during gymnastics exercises. A volleyball player must be able to quickly and accurately navigate changing conditions, instantly switch from one situation to another, and be prepared for any actions by teammates and opponents. The time constraints of fast-paced play place high demands on reaction time and decision-making. Two main types of neuropsychological resilience can be distinguished: players with an unstable nervous system and those with an inert nervous system. In the former case, a player may involuntarily change their mental state before an important game, sometimes becoming calm, sometimes excited. It is important to properly prepare such volleyball players. High-intensity and prolonged training before the game will help them focus and distract themselves from external stress. An athlete with this type of nervous system should focus on the technique and precision of the elements they perform. In the case of an inert nervous system, training should be focused on mental work. Before the game, a volleyball player should begin psychological preparation, which will consist of positive and negative mental stimulation based on the athlete’s personal experience. When working during training or warm-ups, it’s important to emphasize the athlete’s potential dangers.

Reading comprehension is an essential skill that enables learners to understand texts, interpret information, and determine the meanings of unfamiliar words. However, some Grade 8 learners experience difficulties in comprehending reading materials because of limited vocabulary knowledge and difficulty identifying context clues. This study, titled Improving Grade 8 Reading Comprehension Through Targeted Context Clue Strategies, aimed to improve learners’ reading comprehension by implementing targeted, structured context clue strategies. The study involved 33 Grade 8 learners and focused on five categories: definition and explanation clues, synonym and restatement clues, antonym and contrast clues, example and illustration clues, and inference and general context clues. A pretest and posttest were administered to determine changes in learners’ performance following the intervention. The pretest results revealed an overall mean score of 2.48, interpreted as Low, while the posttest results showed an overall mean score of 3.60, interpreted as High. A paired-samples t-test revealed a statistically significant difference between the pretest and posttest scores, t(32) = −10.615, p < .001. The null hypothesis was rejected, indicating that the difference between the learners’ pretest and posttest performance was statistically significant. The findings suggest that targeted, structured context clue strategies may help improve learners’ ability to identify contextual information, infer unfamiliar word meanings, and understand reading passages. The study recommends the continued use of context clue strategies, with additional instructional support for example and illustration clues and definition and explanation clues, to further strengthen learners’ reading comprehension skills.

Abstract Knowing where to find what kind of food, and when, is essential for survival and reproduction. Studying animals’ foraging strategies thus provides insights into the cognitive processes underlying real-world problem solving. We investigated whether free-ranging Guinea baboons ( Papio papio ) keep track of the spatio-temporal availability of a preferred food resource, the Natal orange ( Strychnos spinosa ). An exceptional wildfire that destroyed most ripe fruits in 2019 provided a quasi-experimental opportunity to assess whether Guinea baboons flexibly adjusted their space use to an unexpected change in resource availability or instead continued to follow habitual routines. The animals’ space use patterns shifted significantly following the wildfire. After one single visit, they stopped going to the area during the period when Natal oranges would normally be available. In the following year, when Natal oranges were available again, the baboons resumed regular space use patterns. We also assessed travel linearity, speed, and departure time from sleeping sites towards the target area with and without ripe fruit. Guinea baboons travelled more linearly, 14% faster, and ca. 40 min earlier toward the target area when S. spinosa was in season than when it was not. In conclusion, Guinea baboons rapidly adjusted their space use patterns in response to changes in the availability of a high-value food resource. These results underscore their capacity for flexible, reward-sensitive decision-making and goal-directed foraging.

Sports betting has expanded across sub-Saharan Africa, increasingly intersecting with young people’s aspirations, technological accessibility, and economic insecurity. Although awareness of gambling-related risks may influence young people’s decisions, recognising such risks does not necessarily lead to cessation of betting. This study explored how young bettors understood betting risks in Shibai Street, Buhongwa Ward, Mwanza, Tanzania. A qualitative cross-sectional study employing ethnographic methods was conducted between July and August 2025. Data were collected from 18 purposively selected active bettors aged 18-29 years through in-depth semi-structured interviews, non-participant observation, and informal conversations. Interviews were conducted in Kiswahili, audio-recorded, transcribed into English, and analysed thematically following Braun and Clarke’s approach. The findings were interpreted using Verstehen, strain, and rational choice perspectives. Participants identified financial loss, difficulty stopping, stress and mental distress, relationship conflict, theft, reduced attention to work or learning, reduced work-seeking, dishonesty, deepening poverty, and loss of personal possessions as important betting-related risks. However, awareness of these risks did not consistently result in withdrawal from betting. Some participants continued because betting provided hope, expectations of quick financial gains, peer influence, and a perceived opportunity to escape poverty. The study concludes that understanding betting risks among youth requires attention to the meanings attached to betting and the economic and social circumstances within which participation occurs. Risk education should therefore be complemented by livelihood opportunities, community support, counselling, and appropriate harm-prevention measures.

Cyberbullying has become an important concern for adolescent well-being because online harassment can continue beyond school settings and expose young people to repeated social stress. This study examined the relationships between cyberbullying exposure, emotion-regulation strategies, and mental health among adolescents. A quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design was used with 100 secondary-school adolescents aged 13-18 years (M = 15.42, SD = 1.38). Measures included the Cyber-Victimization Scale (CYBVICS), Emotion Regulation Questionnaire (ERQ), and Early Adolescent Mental Health Scale (EAMHS). Descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlations, and simple linear regression analyses were reported. Cyberbullying exposure was negatively correlated with cognitive reappraisal (r = -.42, p < .001) and mental health (r = -.58, p < .001), and positively correlated with expressive suppression (r = .48, p < .001). Cognitive reappraisal was positively associated with mental health (r = .51, p < .001), whereas expressive suppression was negatively associated with mental health (r = -.46, p < .001). Regression analysis indicated that cyberbullying exposure accounted for 33.6% of the variance in mental-health scores, R? = .336, F(1, 98) = 49.68, p < .001. The findings indicate meaningful associations among online victimization, emotion regulation, and adolescent well-being. Because the study is cross-sectional and relies on self-report measures, the findings do not establish causality.

BACKGROUND: Understanding prescription trends and costs of psychotropic drugs is essential to inform mental healthcare policy and practice. However, comprehensive national evidence across psychotropic drug classes is limited, and little is known on how prescription volumes changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. AIMS: We examined prescription trends and costs of psychotropic drugs in the UK and assessed changes in prescription volumes following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. METHOD: We analysed national Prescription Cost Analysis data from 2013 to 2023, for six major psychotropic drug classes. Annual prescription volumes, total costs and average costs per drug were estimated. Linear regression was used to assess temporal trends and changes in prescription volume during the pandemic years. Costs were adjusted for inflation to 2023 prices. RESULTS: Between 2013 and 2023, psychotropic prescriptions grew 4% (95% CI 3.9-4.2) annually. Prescriptions for antidepressants, antipsychotics, stimulants and anti-dementia drugs increased, but not for hypnotics and anxiolytics and drugs used in substance dependence. In contrast, total costs declined by approximately £328 million, and the average cost per drug dropped from £11 to £5.9. Prescription volume remained unchanged during the pandemic years, except for anti-dementia medications, which showed an annual reduction of 17.2% (95% CI 7.8-26.6) relative to the underlying temporal trend during the study period. CONCLUSIONS: Our observed rising prescription trend is consistent with global evidence on availability and use of psychotropic drugs. Furthermore, we found a decrease both in total drug costs and average costs per drug.

ABSTRACT The Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) program provides learning experiences that require students to adapt, learn from experience, and develop innovative ideas. Individual differences in personality may be associated with variations in these abilities, making further investigation of personality dimensions necessary. This study aimed to analyze the role of the five Big Five personality dimensions in predicting learning agility and innovative behavior among MBKM participants. A quantitative approach with a cross-sectional correlational design was employed, involving 303 students who were currently participating in or had previously participated in MBKM activities. Participants were selected using a non-probability sampling technique. Data were collected through self-report questionnaires and analyzed using Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) and multivariate regression with Mplus 8.4. The results indicated that openness to experience was the strongest positive predictor of innovative behavior (β = 0.422; p < 0.001) and learning agility (β = 0.361; p < 0.001). Conscientiousness and extraversion were also positively associated with both outcomes. In contrast, agreeableness was negatively associated with innovative behavior (β = −0.116; p = 0.016) but was not significantly associated with learning agility. Neuroticism showed no significant association with either outcome. These findings highlight the relevance of personality characteristics in understanding variations in student competencies and support the development of adaptive MBKM mentoring programs without using personality profiles as the sole basis for student selection. ABSTRAK Program Merdeka Belajar Kampus Merdeka (MBKM) memberikan pengalaman belajar yang menuntut mahasiswa mampu beradaptasi, memanfaatkan pengalaman, dan mengembangkan gagasan inovatif. Perbedaan karakteristik individu diduga berkaitan dengan variasi kemampuan tersebut, sehingga perlu dikaji melalui dimensi kepribadian. Penelitian ini bertujuan menganalisis peran lima dimensi Big Five personality dalam memprediksi learning agility dan perilaku inovatif mahasiswa peserta MBKM. Penelitian menggunakan pendekatan kuantitatif dengan desain korelasional cross-sectional yang melibatkan 303 mahasiswa yang sedang atau pernah mengikuti kegiatan MBKM. Sampel diperoleh melalui teknik non-probability sampling. Data dikumpulkan menggunakan kuesioner laporan diri dan dianalisis dengan Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) serta regresi multivariat menggunakan Mplus 8.4. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa openness to experience merupakan prediktor positif terkuat bagi perilaku inovatif (β = 0,422; p < 0,001) dan learning agility (β = 0,361; p < 0,001). Conscientiousness dan extraversion juga berhubungan positif dengan kedua variabel tersebut. Sebaliknya, agreeableness berhubungan negatif dengan perilaku inovatif (β = −0,116; p = 0,016), tetapi tidak signifikan terhadap learning agility. Neuroticism tidak menunjukkan hubungan signifikan dengan kedua variabel. Temuan ini menegaskan relevansi karakteristik kepribadian dalam memahami variasi kompetensi mahasiswa, sekaligus mendukung pengembangan pendampingan MBKM yang adaptif tanpa menjadikan profil kepribadian sebagai dasar tunggal seleksi mahasiswa.

Counselling researchers have spent decades arguing about why counselling works. One philosophical camp locates the active ingredient in specific techniques tied to specific disorders. The other locates it in factors common to all bona fide therapies, chiefly the relationship between counsellor and client. This article develops a process-based perspective on the debate, examining how relational and technical elements are used within an unfolding therapeutic interaction. Drawing on the equivalence findings, the contemporary alliance literature, the unresolved question of causal mediation, the routine outcome monitoring evidence, and Australian decolonising scholarship, I propose a culturally situated responsive calibration model. The model reframes the therapist’s continuous, feedback-informed adjustment of relational and technical elements, made within the client’s cultural frame of wellbeing, as a proposed proximal mechanism of change. Calibration is not a new observation about good practice. Building on established responsiveness theory, the proposed contribution is to organise testable episodes of clinical judgement around feedback, action, and the client’s definition of wellbeing. Four testable propositions are advanced, including tests of whether calibration adds explanatory value beyond established process and treatment measures. Implications for practice, training, and measurement are outlined. The model is offered as a conceptual framework awaiting empirical testing, not as an established finding.

The WHO Adolescent Well-being Framework identifies agency and resilience as a central domain of adolescent well-being, yet its expression from a health promotion perspective remains insufficiently understood. Although previous research has often focused on specific behaviours or isolated factors, less attention has been given to how interconnected personal and relational resources coexist as patterns reflecting the WHO domain of agency and resilience. This study explored such patterns among young Swedish persons aged 15–18 years and examined gender differences across these patterns. A cross-sectional survey was conducted among 419 students in Swedish upper secondary schools. Agency and resilience were operationalised through measures of salutogenic health, positive youth development (PYD), playfulness, goal orientation, and physical activity. A person-oriented cluster analysis was used to identify patterns of interconnected resources, and gender differences between patterns. Three distinct resource patterns were identified: a low-resource group (26%), a high-resource group (28%), and an asymmetric-resource group (47%), characterised by relatively favourable intrapersonal resources alongside lower relational PYD resources. Girls were significantly overrepresented in both the low-resource and asymmetric-resource groups. Together, these findings suggest that young persons with seemingly favourable individual resources may nevertheless exhibit underlying vulnerabilities when resources are considered as interconnected patterns rather than isolated characteristics. This perspective contributes to the empirical understanding of the WHO domain of agency and resilience and may inform person-centred, relational approaches to promoting young persons’ well-being.

Reflective Practice (RP) is widely regarded as a cornerstone of psychotherapy training, supervision, and continuing professional development. Yet, despite its prominence across psychotherapeutic traditions, it remains conceptually vague and empirically contested. Recent critiques from basic psychological science (e.g., Lilienfeld & Basterfield, 2020) have argued that reflection may amplify cognitive bias and foster illusions of insight rather than improve clinical judgment. We argue that these criticisms carry weight precisely because the field has often failed to clearly define what RP is, how it functions, and under what conditions it becomes beneficial or harmful. Drawing on developmental models of therapist learning, we conceptualize RP as a multidimensional construct encompassing reflexivity as a capacity, reflective stance as an attitude, and reflection as activity. We propose that RP is most likely to support development when relationally scaffolded, informed by external feedback, and oriented toward testing and revising interpretations rather than confirming them. Reviewing developmental, quantitative, qualitative, and process-oriented evidence, we further argue that RP operates primarily as a probabilistic, context-dependent contributor to therapist development rather than as a discrete intervention with predictable outcomes. We conclude that RP is neither a panacea nor an illusion. Rather, when relationally scaffolded, theoretically informed, and oriented toward learning rather than certainty, it may provide a central mechanism through which therapists learn from clinical experience. Effective psychotherapy depends not only on therapeutic concepts and techniques but also on therapists’ ability to reflect on their clinical work, relationships, and decision-making. This paper conceptualizes Reflective Practice as a developmental process through which therapists may learn from experience, adapt to complex clinical situations, and develop their understanding and skills throughout their professional careers.

This article addresses Deaf Literature in relation to Multimodality within the context of Deaf Education, considering the linguistic, cultural, and visual specificities of this population. It investigates how the multimodal resources present in a literary work addressing Deaf-related themes may offer possibilities for reading practices. The study aims to analyze the multimodal resources in the literary work A pílula de Tábata and discuss the possibilities for reading and pedagogical mediation arising from its multimodal organization. This is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach and documentary research design, based on the analysis of a literary work that combines different semiotic modes and resources, such as drawings, colors, written Portuguese, Libras, and SignWriting. The results demonstrate the presence of resources related to representational, interactive, and compositional meanings, such as narrative and mental processes, offer gaze, framing, and salience. The analysis also highlights the centrality of visuality and the complementary distribution of information among written Portuguese, SignWriting, and other visual elements. It is concluded that the work presents potential for the development of multimodal reading practices and pedagogical mediation in Deaf Education, particularly through the articulation of different modes of linguistic and visual representation. However, these potentialities were not empirically investigated with students, and further research involving reception data and concrete reading situations is therefore needed.

Abstract Background Borderline personality disorder (BPD) is a severe mental illness associated with emotional and functional impairment, elevated suicide risk, and high individual and societal costs. BPD is under-researched in the general population, especially among males, and from a developmental perspective. We examined the prevalence and development of BPD symptoms in young men and explored the longitudinal associations with risk-taking behaviors. Methods Data came from the prospective-longitudinal Cohort Study on Substance Use Risk Factors (C-SURF), a population sample of young men. Participants were screened for BPD risk using the McLean Screening Instrument (MSI-BPD) at mean age 25 (2016–2018; n = 5,516) and again at mean age 28 (2019–2020; n = 5,367). Risk-taking behaviors (e.g., interpersonal violence, gambling, substance use) were self-reported at both time points. Multilevel regression models examined within-person changes in BPD symptoms, including self-harm, and risk-taking behaviors over time. Results 7.4% of participants had a high risk of BPD, defined by endorsing 7 + MSI-BPD items at least once. Among those with 7 + items endorsed at the first assessment, 29.5% still endorsed 7 + items three years later. Despite a general within-person decline in BPD symptoms with age, participants at initially high risk for BPD continued to exhibit elevated levels of risk-taking behaviors after three years. Conclusion BPD symptomatology affects a substantial proportion of young men. Despite its modest stability over time, it is associated with persistent engagement in various risk-taking behaviors. Interventions targeting BPD symptoms in male populations may offer a promising avenue towards mitigating substantial psychosocial burden associated with these behaviors.

This article examines the process of developing the diagnostic and consultative competence of speech and language therapists. The issue is particularly relevant at the present stage of special education development in Ukraine, where competency-based approaches have become central to the professional preparation of future specialists. The study establishes that diagnostic and consultative competence begins to develop during pre-service professional training at higher education institutions and continues to evolve throughout a specialist's professional career. Furthermore, each type of professional activity is accompanied by corresponding emotional responses, which are considered important indicators of successful professional development. The study employed the following research methods: theoretical analysis and synthesis, a sociological survey (questionnaire), and mathematical methods for data processing. The concepts of phase, period, and stage are theoretically distinguished. Four stages in the development of a specialist's diagnostic and consultative competence are identified. Stage I marks the initial development of this competence during professional training. Stage II involves the foundational development of diagnostic and consultative competence in novice practitioners. Stage III is characterized by the formation of an individual professional style of diagnostic and consultative practice. Stage IV represents mastery in both speech and language therapy practice and diagnostic and consultative competence. The article describes the principal characteristics of professional activity and the corresponding changes in specialists' emotional responses throughout each period of every developmental stage. A sociological survey of speech and language therapists with varying lengths of professional experience was conducted to clarify the duration of the developmental periods for diagnostic and consultative competence, as well as the characteristics of their professional activities and the associated emotional states. Physicians with different levels of professional experience also participated in the survey, as diagnostic and consultative competence is similarly essential in medical practice. A pilot study based on interviews with 18 respondents demonstrated that the development of diagnostic and consultative competence follows a sequence of stages throughout the professional careers of speech and language therapists. Each stage encompasses different forms of both cognitive and professional speech therapy activities. The study also describes changes in specialists' emotional responses—from unpleasant emotions to positive feelings of enthusiasm, satisfaction, and psychological comfort—that accompany different types of professional activity at each stage of the development of diagnostic and consultative competence.

Mothers often manage everyday discipline while also carrying the strain and worry that come with raising a child, yet these experiences are rarely studied together in Indian samples. This study examined the relationship between parenting attitude, parental stress, and anxiety in mothers. A quantitative, cross-sectional correlational design was used with 59 mothers selected through convenience sampling. Participants completed a 30-item questionnaire rated on a five-point Likert scale, in which parenting attitude was assessed through three dimensions (laxness, over-reactivity, and verbosity), and parental stress and anxiety were each assessed with ten study-developed items. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach's alpha, and Pearson's correlation, with Spearman's rank correlation as an additional check. Mean scores were 3.30 (SD = 0.54) for parenting attitude, 3.06 (SD = 0.89) for parental stress, and 3.16 (SD = 0.72) for anxiety. Significant positive correlations were found between parenting attitude and parental stress (r = .52, p < .001), parenting attitude and anxiety (r = .44, p < .001), and parental stress and anxiety (r = .51, p < .001), and all three remained significant in a sensitivity analysis. Over-reactivity and verbosity were more strongly related to stress than laxness was. The findings suggest that difficulties in discipline, parenting strain, and worry tend to occur together, and that support for mothers could address emotional strain alongside parenting skills.

The rapid proliferation of generative artificial intelligence in educational contexts has transformed how students encounter academic content, yet a fundamental question remains underexamined: Do English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners possess the critical literacy competencies needed to evaluate AI-generated texts? This study investigated whether students in Morocco’s Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Écoles (CPGE)—one of the nation’s most academically selective post-secondary programs—demonstrate readiness for AI-era literacy demands. We developed a diagnostic assessment instrument, the Critical Reading Diagnostic Assessment (CRDA), designed to mirror common characteristics of AI-generated academic content: a confident, authoritative tone, a logical structure with subtle gaps, claims requiring verification, and culturally embedded assumptions. Thirty first-year CPGE students (M age = 18.6 years) evaluated argumentative passages across five critical dimensions: argument identification, evidence evaluation, assumption recognition, multi-source synthesis, and source criticism. Metacognitive self-assessment data were also collected. Results revealed systematic evaluation failures across all dimensions, with mean accuracy rates of only 18–39% and large effect sizes confirming substantial deficits (d = 1.11–2.25). Metacognitive analysis showed that students overestimated their abilities by 11–38 percentage points across all dimensions, indicating profound self-assessment inaccuracies.

Context and relevance. The study investigates the contributions of Lev Vygotsky's cultural-historical theory to Brazilian special/inclusive education, particularly regarding the constitution of the subject with autism in school contexts. The theoretical framework is grounded in the concepts of drama, freedom and singularity, understanding the schooling process as a privileged pathway of human (trans)formation. Objective. To analyse how pedagogical knowledge impacts the constitution of the child with autism, based on the notion of constitutive singularity. Hypothesis. The schooling process anchored in critical-emancipatory pedagogical knowledge operates as a promoter of the subject's humanisation, in opposition to traditional clinical approaches that reduce the subject to diagnosis and to ableist perspectives that position them in a state of devaluation. Methods and materials. The research, adopting a cultural-historical approach, was configured as intervention-research with an eight-year-old student with autism, enrolled in the second year of primary education. Video recordings, audio recordings, photographs, field diaries and interviews with the teacher, the child and his mother were utilised. Data were analysed through the microgenetic approach. Results. The analysis of two paradigmatic episodes of story retelling through illustration and physical education class evidences that the child, upon inserting personal elements into school tasks, manifests his will and singularises himself, expressing the drama of the social personality as a struggle for existence. Conclusions. Understanding singularity as a dialectical, historical, cultural and dramatic process allows us to overcome pathologising views and to recognise that disability is not a destiny, but a condition that, in relations with others and with culture, can be transformed into potentiality.

Background: Insomnia is an important public health concern and may be particularly relevant among security personnel because of irregular work schedules, occupational demands, sustained vigilance, and inadequate rest. This study was conducted to determine the prevalence of insomnia and its association with selected sociodemographic and health-related factors among security personnel in a tertiary care government hospital in south India. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 100 security personnel. Sociodemographic characteristics, including age, gender, income, education, and marital status, and health-related characteristics, including body mass index, diabetes, and hypertension, were assessed using a structured questionnaire. Insomnia was assessed using the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). Associations between insomnia and selected variables were examined using the chi-square test. Results: Sub-threshold insomnia was present in 32% of participants, while no cases of moderate or severe insomnia were identified. Significant associations were observed between insomnia and gender (p=0.019) and income level (p=0.020). No significant associations were observed with age, education, marital status, or metabolic health status. Self-reported Diabetes and Hypertension were present in 10% and 4% of participants, respectively, while 74% were classified as obese. Conclusions: Although moderate or severe insomnia was not observed, nearly one-third of security personnel had sub-threshold insomnia. Workplace-based sleep hygiene interventions may be beneficial, particularly among women and lower-income employees. Further studies incorporating objective sleep assessments and detailed evaluation of shift schedules are warranted.