Background: Creating a new meaning of the illness, changing values and expectations due to the illness are seen as important factors in recovery from mental illness.

Aims: In this study, conducted in Sweden, male and female meaning making of severe mental illness is explored and how these meanings compass the recovery process.

Method: Through 30 in-depth interviews male and female meaning of mental illness are explored through a grounded theory analysis. Results: In the process of making meaning illness reason emerged as the core category. But the reasons differed both in relation to gender and within the two genders. Four patterns of response were found in the analysis of the material. These four patterns influenced how the recovery process was encompassed. Three of the four groups were restructing the meaning of the illness in a more favorable way contributing to a redirection of life towards authenticity.

Conclusions: The results underline a demand for further research on recovery achievements connected to meaning making and changes in attitude. One such area is to create a meaning in one’s life where gender is reconsidered in relation to the individual’s capacity and life situation.

The overall aim with this thesis is to describe and analyze women’s and men’s recovery processes. More specifically, the aim is to determine what women and men with experience of mental illness describe as contributing to the personal recovery process. The point of departure for the studies was 30 in-depth interviews conducted with 15 men and 15 women. The selection of interview subjects was limited to individuals who had been treated in 24-hour psychiatric care and diagnosed as having schizophrenia, psychosis, a personality disorder, or a bipolar disorder.

Four studies have been carried.  Study 1 was a baseline article that examined what people in recovery from mental illness outline as facilitating factors to their recovery. The results that emerged from that study indicated areas for further analysis to condense the understanding of the recovery process. In study 2 the similarities and the differences in recovery described by women and men were examined. In Study 3 women’s and men’s meaning-making with reference to severe mental illness facilitate the recovery process were studied. The forth study explored how peer-support contribute to women’s and men’s recovery from mental illness.

The results emphasize recovery from mental illness as a social process in which relationships play a key role in creating new identities beside the mental illness. For a majority of the participants meeting peers facilitated the recovery process. The participants described how peer support meant an end to isolation and became an arena for identification, connection, and being important to others. Throughout these recovery processes the impact of gender has been emphasized. The results from this thesis provide new insight into gender as an important factor in understanding the recovery processes. The results from the four studies emphasize the mental patient, the psychiatric interventions and the individual recovery strategies as being influenced by gender constructions.

Background and research objectives: Recovery from mental illness is an individual process characterized by regaining a positive sense of self and developing a new meaning. Knowledge concerning differences between male and female recovery processes is, however, limited. The objective of this study was to determine gender diversity in what individuals described as decisive factors for their recovery.

Subjects and methods:  In this qualitative study based on grounded theory 30 first-person accounts of recovery from mental illness are examined. After informed consent data were collected through in-depth interviews with people in recovery from psychosis, bipolar disorders or personality disorders.

Results: The results show that in spite of structural gender inequalities, female gender norms seem to be an advantage in the recovery process. The female participants were focused on making sense and meaning in their recovery process, while the male participants were focused on control over symptoms and reinforcement of traditional roles such as occupation and independence. Another result showed psychiatric hospitalization to mainly contribute to male recovery processes.

Conclusion: These results provide new insights into gender as an important factor in understanding recovery processes and in providing care to facilitate these processes.

Background: Research on recovery from mental illness and the influence of compulsory psychiatric institutional care has revealed the complexity of this concept. There is also limited knowledge regarding the impact of gender-role expectations in these contexts, and how such expectations may influence both the care and individuals’ recovery processes.

Aim: To explore women’s and men’s perceptions of the impact of compulsory inpatient care on recovery from severe mental illness.

Method: Grounded theory was used to analyse 30 first-person accounts of recovery from mental illness, elicited via interviews with individuals who had been compulsorily treated in hospital and diagnosed with a severe mental illness.

Results: Inpatient care at an early stage was crucial for the informants’ recovery. However, there was ambivalence in their perceptions of the impact of compulsory inpatient care. The narratives confirmed gender differences as well as gender stereotypes.

Conclusions: The results have implications for recovery research, in that they emphasise the importance of understanding recovery as a gender-influenced process.

Abstract: Peer support has been described as facilitating individuals’ recovery from mental illness and offer useful support, hope and encouragement. The aim of this study was to explore how individuals with experience of severe mental illness in Sweden perceived peer support facilitating their recovery.

The results from the grounded theory analysis of 24 in depth interviews illustrated that despite diagnoses of severe mental illness, often described in terms of an inability to interact with other people, the identification when meeting others with similar experiences was powerful. The participants described how peer support meant an end to isolation and became an arena for identification, normalization, connection and being important to others. Involvement in the peer support group was related to time and recovery stage, the participants pay attention to their own achievements in relation to peers and their recovery progress, comparing their level of wellness with that of their peers.

In many countries, user involvement in social work (SW) education is common practice, while in other countries, initiatives for inclusion are currently expanding. No matter how far the progress of user involvement in education has come, issues on clarity, sustainability and accountability need to be addressed. In this paper, users’ reasons for wanting to participate in SW education and the way they define their potential contribution are explored. These experiences can provide important information contributing to sustainable, meaningful, and accountable collaborations between users, university staff and students. Participants (n = 33) answered a questionnaire including demographic data and four open-ended questions about their expectations of participation in a SW programme at the University of Dalarna in Sweden. The results from the open-ended questions were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Results show that users’ main reasons for wanting to get involved were to contribute through sharing their lived experience of SW education, to help improve services and also to obtain respect for their own personal knowledge and experience. The respondents described themselves both as carriers of valuable knowledge and as accountable experts on the subject.

The increase in user involvement in social work practice and education can be explained by incentives toward an evidence-based practice, such as those offered by legislation and from the user movement, and those related to professional development. Still, the clients' involvement in research and practice is highlighted as a gap that needs to be filled. The aim of the author in this article is to study the presence of user involvement in social work practice, research, and education, and the level of influence of users and carers within these activities. The results reflect an expanding user involvement in social work practice. Still, projects of user involvement in social work practice are often developed on an ad hoc and inconsistent basis, and knowledge about the effects of these efforts is still limited. User involvement is not to be understood as something that is self-evidently good. On the contrary, the results present a rather complex concept that is bound up with changing and contested understandings of the role of the social worker, academia, and the users themselves.

Background: Recovery research often describes recovery from mental illness as a complex individual process. In this article a social perspective on recovery is developed.

Aims: To ascertain which factors people regard as decisive to their own recovery and what makes them beneficial.

Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 58 persons in Sweden who had recovered from severe mental illness. Interviews were qualitatively analyzed using grounded theory.

Results: Three dimensions of contributing recovery factors were identified. Social relationships emerged as the core category throughout these dimensions.

Conclusions: The results show that recovery processes are social processes in which social relationships play a key role.

Background: Recovery research often describes recovery from mental illness as a complex individual process. In this article a social perspective on recovery is developed.

Aims: To ascertain which factors people regard as decisive to their own recovery and what makes them beneficial.

Methods: In-depth interviews were conducted with 58 persons in Sweden who had recovered from severe mental illness. Interviews were qualitatively analyzed using grounded theory.

Results: Three dimensions of contributing recovery factors were identified. Social relationships emerged as the core category throughout these dimensions.

Conclusions: The results show that recovery processes are social processes in which social relationships play a key role.

Background: The conceptual framework which describes recovery from mental illness is based primarily on studies conducted in English-speaking countries. Knowledge and development of recovery orientation within other cultures and mental health systems is still limited.

Aim: The aim of this study was to compile, describe, and discuss the research on personal recovery and recovery-oriented practice within the psychiatric and social fields in the Nordic countries.   

Method: A systematic literature review of Nordic research on recovery from mental illness.

Results: The research literature is limited, and primarily replicates designs and confirms findings first presented in studies conducted in the USA and Great Britain.

The majority of the studies are qualitative, and point to the importance of social relations, environmental factors, and peer support.

Conclusions: There is a need to identify and describe factors in Nordic mental health systems that may influence the recovery process. A corresponding challenge will be to translate and further develop outcome indicators that can promote a recovery-oriented health system.

Ett samband har påvisats mellan våld mot djur och våld i nära relation. Forskning

betonar därför vikten av att yrkesverksamma besitter kunskap om detta samband som

en del i att förebygga, identifiera och motverka våld i nära relation. Syftet med detta

arbete var att undersöka socialtjänstens organisatoriska förutsättningar till att inta ett

sällskapsdjursinkluderande förhållningsätt i arbetet med våld i nära relation. Med

hänvisningar till bandet mellan människa och djur samt teorin om socialt stöd betonas

den vinst som står att finna i ett förhållningssätt av detta slag. Som

datainsamlingsmetod hölls semi-strukturerade intervjuer med sex socialarbetare

verksamma inom området våld i nära relation i sex kommuner i Mellansverige.

Framkommen data behandlades med kvalitativ innehållsanalys, och resultaten visar

att om än vissa socialarbetare eftersträvar att inkludera djur, tenderar djur överlag stå

lågt ner på socialtjänstens agenda. Genom nationella riktlinjer skulle därför ett

enhetligare och mer metodiskt tillhandahållande av stöd kunna åstadkommas.

Återhämtning är en individuell process som handlar om att skapa hopp, mening och

identitet. Betydelsefullt är tillgång till stödjande relationer och nätverk. Detta

synsätt genomsyrar och är utgångspunkt för denna studie. Studiens syfte är att

studera den individuella återhämtningsprocessen från missbruk och kriminalitet.

Återhämtningsprocessen studerades utifrån sju aktuella självbiografiska

verk som analyserades med hjälp av tematisk analys och kopplades till tidigare

forskning samt teorin Den individuella återhämtningsprocessens fyra grundpelare.

Teorins grundpelare innefattar omdefiniering av sig själv, betydelsen av stöd,

hantera symptom samt involvering i meningsfull aktivitet.

Studiens resultat visar att det utöver faktorerna i teorin är viktigt för

huvudpersonernas återhämtning att utföra symboliska handlingar som visar att en

förändringsprocess påbörjats, samt att bryta med icke-stödjande relationer. Studien

visar att huvudpersonernas återhämtning från missbruk och kriminalitet kan

betraktas som en enda process.

The purpose of this study is to illuminate the changeover process experienced by people with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and increases the understanding of social recognition occurring after injury. Fifteen persons, ageds 28-56, with TBI have been in-depth interviewed. Data were first analysed by latent-content analysis using a hermeneutic approach, and later re-contextualised within a matrix constructed from theories of social recognition. Results were initially structured into six themes and then re-described in terms of recognition, i.e. the individual dimension, the legal dimension and the value dimension. The conclusions suggest that people with TBI experience both recognition and non-recognition during the recovery process and later in life, living in society with the sequel of TBI. Such experiences are described on all dimensions.

The purpose of this study is to illuminate the changeover process, support and consequences experienced by adults who acquired traumatic brain injury (TBI). Fifteen persons were in-depth interviewed using a semi-structured interview guide. Data were analysed by latent-content analysis and structured into six themes.

Consequences were negative as well as positive. Significant others were important as a driving force for training and life-situation. The informants were initially satisfied with social supports but in the longer term became more critical regarding accessibility to such supports. The majority had difficulties in returning to working-life after injury. The outcomes seemed to be a prolonged process, probably never-ending, which gradually became integrated as a part of life.

Att förvärva en hjärnskada i vuxen ålder innebär en livsomställning som för de allra flesta medför behov av stöd i form av rehabiliteringsinsatser för att kunna återgå till ett fungerande vardagsliv. Rehabiliteringen kan utformas på många olika sätt och det finns ingen naturlig samordning av rehabiliteringsinsatser. På senare år har vi dock kunnat se att samhället rest krav på att rehabiliteringsaktörer måste samordna sina insatser. Det har bland annat uttryckts i Samordnad individuell plan (SIP) och i Individuell plan (IP) och är lagstadgat, samt i författningen om Samordning av insatser för habilitering och rehabilitering (SOSFS 2007:10). Inom rehabiliteringen för personer med förvärvad hjärnskada har även behovet av en samordnad vårdkedja artikulerats inom det akuta, det subakuta såväl som det sena skedet. Enligt Socialstyrelsen (2012) finns särskilda samordningsresurser endast i ett fåtal landsting/regioner. Detta kapitel kommer att fokusera på en stöd- och samordningsfunktion, case management, för personer som i vuxen ålder förvärvat en hjärnskada.

Inom hjärnskaderehabiliteringen har det under den senaste tiden införts case managers, eller i Sverige så kallade hjärnskadekoordinatorer, i syfte att vara en oberoende stöd- och resursperson för den som förvärvat en hjärnskada och dennes anhöriga. En övergripande målsättning med denna stödform är att tillsammans med den skadade och dennes anhöriga samordna och koordinera samhällets olika vård- och omsorgsinsatser. Syftet med kapitlet är att beskriva denna stödform med särskilt fokus på relationsarbetet mellan case managern och klienten med förvärvad hjärnskada eller dennes anhöriga.

Approximately 70 000 acquire a brain injury yearly in Sweden which often result in disabilities. Acquired brain injury (ABI) can be caused by trauma, stroke or disease. The rehabilitation process is divided into acute and subacute phase and the late stage. Studies shows that clients with moderate and severe injuries have difficulties in coordinating rehabilitation and societal support. Rehabilitation can be a long-term process and clients with ABI are often referred to next of kin for coordinating societal support, e.g. rehabilitation and social services. Case-management have since 1980’s been a rehabilitation support in an international perspective, but in a Swedish context it is a relatively new form of support.

The aim is to describe, based on a book chapter (Strandberg 2018), how this form of support has been developed in Sweden, as well as putting the form of support in relation to the client’s empowerment.

The results show that there are different theoretical models for how Case-management can be organized, the support is designed differently in different countries and context. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the support may be helpful to the client as well as the next of kin in terms of participation.

Although, Case-management has been known since 1980s, the scientific studies are limited and there is no evidence for the clinical significance using this support. Research is therefore necessary to demonstrate its clinical significance.

Approximately 70 000 acquire a brain injury yearly in Sweden which often result in disabilities. Acquired brain injury (ABI) can be caused by trauma, stroke or disease. The rehabilitation process is divided into acute and subacute phase and the late stage. Studies shows that clients with moderate and severe injuries have difficulties in coordinating rehabilitation and societal support. Rehabilitation can be a long-term process and clients with ABI are often referred to next of kin for coordinating societal support, e.g. rehabilitation and social services. Case-management have since 1980’s been a rehabilitation support in an international perspective, but in a Swedish context it is a relatively new form of support.

The aim is to describe, based on a book chapter (Strandberg 2018), how this form of support has been developed in Sweden, as well as putting the form of support in relation to the client’s empowerment.

The results show that there are different theoretical models for how Case-management can be organized, the support is designed differently in different countries and context. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the support may be helpful to the client as well as the next of kin in terms of participation.

Although, Case-management has been known since 1980s, the scientific studies are limited and there is no evidence for the clinical significance using this support. Research is therefore necessary to demonstrate its clinical significance.

Background: Disability research as an academic field was established in 1960s and 1970s in the Nordic countries as in the Anglo-Saxon world. Disability research was studied within the medical model, e.g. in medical and rehabilitation studies, while disability studies became a part of the social model, e.g. in social and psychological studies. According to a Nordic context disability was mainly studied within medicine, social science and special education (Roulstone, 2013).

It has been a lack of theoretical perspective in disability research and according to that a discussion of theoretical approaches in disability studies has been raised during the recent years (see e.g. Gustavsson, 2004; Bhaskar & Danermark, 2006; Söder, 2013).

Aim: The aim of this paper is conceptually to describe and illustrate how vertical and horizontal knowledge integration appears in disability research, with an example from a study within brain injury.

Results: Vertical integration is an understanding between different levels on a biological, psychological and social level. Horizontal integration is an understanding across varying disabilities. The study indicates that vertical and horizontal integration in disability research are useful for a broader and deeper understanding of the phenomena. It also indicates that different theoretical perspectives has been more common in disability research during last years and fill an important need in the development of disability research as an academic field.

Disability research as an academic field was established in1960s and 1970s in the Nordic countries as in the Anglo-Saxon world. Disability research was studied within the medical model, e.g. in medical and rehabilitation studies, while disability studies became a part of the social model, e.g. in social and psychological studies. According to a Nordic context disability was mainly studied within medicine, social science and special education (Roulstone, 2013).

It has been a lack of theoretical perspective in disability research and according to that a discussion of theoretical approaches in disability studies has been raised during the recent years (see e.g. Gustavsson, 2004; Bhaskar & Danermark, 2006; Söder, 2013).

The aim of this paper is conceptually to describe and illustrate how vertical and horizontal knowledge integration appears in disability research, with an example from a study within brain injury.

Vertical integration is an understanding between different levels on a biological, psychological and social level. Horizontal integration is an understanding across varying disabilities. Beside those concepts a bio-psycho-social perspective is mentioned and two theoretical approaches within disability research are described: human functioning sciences and interdisciplinary research. 

The study indicates that vertical and horizontal knowledge-integration in disability research are useful for a broader and deeper understanding of the phenomena. It also indicates that different theoretical perspectives has been more common in disability research during last years and fill an important need in the development of disability research as an academic field.

Syftet med artikel är att konceptuellt beskriva och illustrera hur vertikal och horisontell kunskapsintegration använts inom handikappforskningen. Vid sidan av det omnämns även ett bio-psyko-socialt perspektiv samt två teoretiska perspektiv inom handikappforskningen: human functioning och tvärvetenskap. Vertikal integration kan förstås som en stratifiering mellan olika nivåer; biologiskt, psykologiskt och socialt. Horisontell integration kan förstås på bredden tvärsöver olika funktionsnedsättningar. Studien tyder på att vertikal och horisontell integration inom handikappforskning är användbara för en bredare och djupare förståelse av funktionsnedsättning och funktionshinder, varinom olika teoretiska perspektiv blivit allt vanligare under de senaste åren.

The overall purpose of this study is to illuminate the changeover process experienced by individuals who as adults acquired a traumatic brain injury (TBI), to increase the knowledge and the understanding of this process, and describe the meaning of support in every day life.

Persons who acquired a TBI as adults were administered a semi-structured interview covering six areas: consequences of TBI, family and social networks, working life and occupation, life-changes, support from society and everyday life. The interviews were qualitative and in-depth. A total of 15 informants participated, aged between 19-53 years when injured. Data were structured and underwent two phases of analysis. In the first phase, data underwent latent content analysis, underpinned by a hermeneutic approach, and in the subsequent phase, reanalysed within a framework derived from the theory of social recognition.

Findings from the first phase of inductive analysis elicited key themes: (i) the meaning of care, a question of formal and/or informal support; (ii) the meaning of action, a question of activity versus inactivity; (iii) autonomy, a question of dependence versus independence; (iv) social interaction, a question of encounter and/or treatment; (v) the theme of changes, a question of process versus stagnation; and (vi) emotions, an oscillation between hope versus hopelessness. After the construction of the six themes each of them were, through a discursive analysis, connected with theories, earlier studies in the field of brain injuries and important interview quotations from the empirical material. During this phase, an interest developed to study the material from a new theoretical point of view. The second phase of analysis therefore involved the development of a framework derived from Honneth’s (1995) theory of social recognition. The central construct of ‘recognition’ was analysed from three different dimensions proposed by Honneth: the individual dimension, the legal dimension, the value dimension. Using this framework, the data were reanalysed. The scientific term for this process of re-contextualisation and re-description of data is abduction inference.

Reported consequences were negative as well as positive. Significant others (e.g. next of kin) had an important function as a driving force for training and preparation for life-situation after injury. A majority of the informants were satisfied with support from society, such as hospital-care, rehabilitation and community support. Such support, initially, proceeded without problems but as time passed, the responsibility shifted to the person with TBI to take the initiative in arranging longer-term services. Long-term support which addresses physical, cognitive as well as psychosocial consequences of the TBI is important for outcomes. The majority of the informants had difficulties in returning to working life after the injury. The outcomes and recovery seemed to be a prolonged process, probably never ending, but which gradually over time becomes integrated as a part of life. The informants gave varying accounts of the extent to which they experienced social recognition.

This study examined the nature of literature reviews published in Australian Social Work between 2007 and 2017. An audit was conducted to determine the number of reviews; types of reviews (systematic, meta-analysis, metasynthesis, scoping, narrative, conceptual, critical); and elements that were commonly reported (based on items drawn from the PRISMA checklist) including quality appraisal. A total of 21 reviews were identified. Results showed the overall number of reviews published remained relatively consistent across the decade. In relation to review types, systematic and scoping reviews appeared with greater frequency in more recent years. Most reviews reported significant proportions of the elements consistent with the type of review undertaken, although a minority did not report the search strategies and only one review included a quality appraisal. In conclusion, the reviews published over the last decade provide a strong foundation upon which further advances in the diversity and quality of reviews can be built.

IMPLICATIONS

• Literature reviews are an indispensable tool for accessingknowledge to inform social work practice.
• This first audit of literature reviews in Australian Social Work found a growing sophistication in the reviews published over the pastdecade.
• Continued improvements in the design, conduct, and reporting of literature reviews will be an invaluable resource in equipping the profession to respond successfully to the growing complexity of demands placed on social work practice in the 21st century.

Syftet med studien är att undersöka vilka copingstrategier barn till missbrukande föräldrar använder sig av för att hantera detta missbruk. En kvalitativ ansats och metod har använts för att besvara syftet. Datainsamlingen gjordes genom kvalitativa semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex socialarbetare med yrkeserfarenhet av att möta barn till missbrukande föräldrar. Materialet analyserades tematiskt och därefter applicerades Lazarus och Folkmans (1984) teori om coping på resultaten. Studiens slutsats är att barn har olika typer av copingstrategier för att hantera sina föräldrars missbruk och att copingstrategierna skiljer sig åt beroende på barnens ålder och kön.

The purpose of the study was to investigate how foster parents experience support from social services when a long term placement of a child ceases, and to find out what kind of support the foster parents wishes from Social Services after the placement termination. Qualitative interviews with five foster parents was performed and the results showed that a clear majority wished to receive support from the social services in connection with and after the placement had ended. The reason for this seems to be the strong feelings of sadness and loss that occurs when losing contact with a beloved child. All participants were unwilling to foster again, based on their experiences. Support requested was counseling, as well as continued insight into the child's life during the transition period after the child has moved. Our study indicates that there is a need for further research regarding support to foster care parents.

Background

Participation is a central aspect of quality of life, and it is indicative of high‐quality outcomes for people with intellectual disabilities. However, participation is difficult to achieve for adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Aim

To describe staff members’ perceptions of what participation means for adults with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities.

Method

Using a phenomenographic approach, 27 interviews were analysed resulting in variations in the conditions for participation.

Results

The interviews revealed conditions for participation at individual, staff and organisational levels.

Conclusion

Participation appears to be an un‐reflected phenomenon, and several conditions must be met to achieve it. The conditions are experienced being fundamental for adults within the target group to achieve any kind of participation. The staff members and managers’ perceptions of participation as conditional can make it more difficult for adults within the target group to achieve the Swedish disability policy goal of participation.

Det finns flickor som under sin barndom blir utsatta för sexuella övergrepp. Syftet med studien var att få kunskap om hur dessa flickor påverkas känslomässigt efter att pappan utsatt dem för sexuella övergrepp men även hur flickorna påverkats av föräldrarnas inställning till övergreppen. Materialet består av fyra självbiografier och metoden som används är kvalitativ. Teorier om skam, skuld och sociala band är studiens teoretiska utgångspunkt och det empiriska materialet har analyserats utifrån tematisk analys. Resultatet av studien visar att flickorna i självbiografierna påverkades känslomässigt negativt och upplevde svek, skuld och skam.

Tidigare forskning gällande barn som vuxit upp med föräldrar med psykisk sjukdom/ohälsa eller missbruksproblematik har till stor del fokuserat på negativa aspekter. Syftet med denna studie var att genom fyra självbiografier undersöka individuella faktorer som kan bidra till en positiv utveckling, hos barn som vuxit upp med någon vuxen med psykisk sjukdom och/eller alkoholmissbruk. Studiens frågeställningar rörde vilka individuella egenskaper som bidragit till välmående i vuxenlivet, om några av dessa är gemensamma mellan författarna samt minnen från barndomen som kan relateras till anknytning. Studiens teoretiska grund bestod av anknytningsteori samt resiliens, för att undersöka anknytningens betydelse för dessa barn samt hur motståndskraft kan utvecklas hos dessa barn enligt teori och forskning. Studiens resultat visade på flertalet individuella och gemensamma faktorer hos författarna samt de minnen som kunde relateras till anknytning. Resultatet analyserades genom tematisk analys, vilket härledde 4 teman: skyddsnät, anknytning, individens karaktär samt strategier för att överleva.

Syftet med studien var att undersöka hur hemtjänstpersonal verksamma i en kom-mun med Sveriges högsta sjukfrånvaro, upplever den psykosociala arbetsmiljön ut-ifrån aspekterna rollkonflikt, socialt stöd och samvetsstress samt upplevda hinder och möjligheter inom området. Metoden var kvalitativa enskilda semistrukturerade intervjuer med fem hemtjänstpersonal. Resultatet visade att respondenterna hade upplevelser av rollkonflikter, bristande socialt stöd och samvetsstress. Vidare visade resultaten att upplevda hinder för en god psykosocial arbetsmiljö var stress, bris-tande kommunikation och information. Möjligheter för en god psykosocial arbets-miljö upplevdes vara god kommunikation och gott samarbete med andra profess-ioner samt möjlighet att vårda relationen till brukaren för att bättre möta dennes behov. Studien visade att respondenternas upplevelser av psykosocial arbetsmiljö och de undersökta aspekterna rollkonflikt, socialt stöd och samvetsstress till stor del var orsakade av äldreomsorgens och hemtjänstens förändringar. Studien visade även att respondenterna arbetar under de psykosociala arbetsförhållanden som kan ge mest negativa hälsoeffekter.

Syftet med denna studie var att undersöka vilken betydelse verksamheten Pink Gloves Boxing haft för enskilda deltagares psykosociala livssituation, som öppenvårdsinsats i Borlänge kommun. Dessutom har syftet varit att undersöka vilka komponenter i verksamheten som bidragit till en eventuell förändring avseende psykosocial livssituation.

Då studien ämnat fånga deltagares subjektiva upplevelser av Pink Gloves Boxing har det empiriska materialet insamlats genom semistrukturerade intervjuer med sex deltagare. Genom en tematisk analys av det insamlade materialet framkom centrala teman och subteman, vilka utgjort grunden i studiens resultatdel. För att analysera resultatet har en teoretisk tolkningsram tillämpats, vilken innefattat teorier om empowerment och genus.

Samtliga informanter pekar på bättre fysik och ökad psykisk hälsa, av sitt deltagande i verksamheten. Stresshantering, aggressionskontroll och grupptillhörighet är exempel på förtjänster av ett deltagande, som informanterna framhållit. Gynnande komponenter som framträder i verksamheten är tränarnas roll, gruppen, träningsformen och verksamhetens upplägg, som exempelvis endast kvinnliga deltagare och gruppsamtal.

Background and aim: With the intention to do more good than harm, it is important to rely on practice that is rooted in evidence-based guidelines so that clients are given the exact care they need. Thus, from a client safety perspective, the social worker needs to apply evidence-based practice (EBP). Learning more about the medical social workers’ perceptions of EBP has the potential to contribute to an increased understanding of how best available knowledge can be implemented in medical social work settings to provide high quality and safe practice to clients. Therefore the aim of this study was to explore medical social workers’ perceptions of evidence-based practice (EBP), including factors relevant for the successful implementation of evidence into medical social work practice.

Methods: This is a qualitative study. Eight focus group interviews were conducted that included 27 medical social workers. Data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

Results: Analysis resulted in two categories: “knowledge in practice” and “challenges in relation to the implementation of EBP” and four subcategories: “practice based on research evidence or experience”, “obtaining new evidence of practice”, “research and the social work context”, and “barriers and facilitating factors”. Participants tended to perceive EBP as theoretical and positivistic while perceiving their own knowledge as eclectic and experience-based. Although they perceived the relevance of research findings to their practice, they expressed a need for support to translate research into policy and practice. They also reported that studies about their specific work were scarce.

Conclusion and implications: The facilitating factors suggested by the medical social workers which concerned, e.g., a specially designated person responsible for supporting the increased use of research findings, support for prioritization of time, increased opportunities for the sharing of knowledge, and time for consultations, need to be considered when promoting the implementation of EBP within medical social work settings. The medical social workers’ suggestion for the facilitation of knowledge exchange needs further investigation.