Is the Thoughts and Health programme feasible in the context of Swedish schools? A quasi-experimental controlled trial study protocol.

Introduction: Clinical depression is a substantial problem among adolescents, increasing significantly at about age 15 years. It causes impairment in social, academic and familial relationships, as well as ongoing cognitive and emotional difficulties for the individual. A study in Iceland demonstrated that a cognitive-behavioural, developmentally based intervention programme, 'Thoughts and Health', prevented initial episodes of depression and/or dysthymia (DYS) (major depressive disorder/DYS) in adolescents for up to 12 months following completion of the programme. We would like to test the feasibility of implementing the Icelandic method in a Swedish context and to evaluate the long-term effects of such a programme. Methods and analysis: A quasi-experimental controlled design, combined with qualitative and quantitative methods, will be used to address the research questions.In this study, 617 children aged ~14 years will be screened for depression, and those "at risk" for development of clinical depression will be offered a 12 week course, 'Thoughts and Health'. This course aims to prevent first depression in adolescents. A comparable group of children will function as controls.Depending on the type of variable, baseline comparisons between the two groups of relevant initial measures will be evaluated with t-tests or χ2 analyses. The effects of the programme on the development of clinical levels of depression will be evaluated using the follow-up data of 6, 12 and 18 months. Index parental depression at baseline will be tested as a moderator in the evaluation of the effects of the prevention programme. Ethics and dissemination: This study is approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Board (reference number 2019-03347) in Gothenburg.We plan to disseminate the knowledge gained from this study by publishing our results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and other scholarly outlets. Trial registration number: NCT04128644; Pre-results. Keywords: child & adolescent psychiatry; depression & mood disorders; public health.Peer reviewe

Is the Thoughts and Health programme feasible in the context of Swedish schools? A quasi-experimental controlled trial study protocol.

To access publisher's full text version of this article, please click on the hyperlink in Additional Links field or click on the hyperlink at the top of the page marked DownloadIntroduction: Clinical depression is a substantial problem among adolescents, increasing significantly at about age 15 years. It causes impairment in social, academic and familial relationships, as well as ongoing cognitive and emotional difficulties for the individual. A study in Iceland demonstrated that a cognitive-behavioural, developmentally based intervention programme, 'Thoughts and Health', prevented initial episodes of depression and/or dysthymia (DYS) (major depressive disorder/DYS) in adolescents for up to 12 months following completion of the programme. We would like to test the feasibility of implementing the Icelandic method in a Swedish context and to evaluate the long-term effects of such a programme. Methods and analysis: A quasi-experimental controlled design, combined with qualitative and quantitative methods, will be used to address the research questions.In this study, 617 children aged ~14 years will be screened for depression, and those "at risk" for development of clinical depression will be offered a 12 week course, 'Thoughts and Health'. This course aims to prevent first depression in adolescents. A comparable group of children will function as controls.Depending on the type of variable, baseline comparisons between the two groups of relevant initial measures will be evaluated with t-tests or χ2 analyses. The effects of the programme on the development of clinical levels of depression will be evaluated using the follow-up data of 6, 12 and 18 months. Index parental depression at baseline will be tested as a moderator in the evaluation of the effects of the prevention programme. Ethics and dissemination: This study is approved by the Swedish Ethical Review Board (reference number 2019-03347) in Gothenburg.We plan to disseminate the knowledge gained from this study by publishing our results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and other scholarly outlets. Trial registration number: NCT04128644; Pre-results. Keywords: child & adolescent psychiatry; depression & mood disorders; public health.Region Vastra Gotaland, Swede

- use of a self-assessment instrument

Aim: The general aim of this thesis was to evaluate effects of recurrent use of a self-assessment instrument in general practitioner (GP) consultations with the patient with depression in the primary care clinical context. Does the use of self-assessment instruments have an effect on depression course, as well as quality of life, well-being, anti-depressant medication use, sick leave, work ability, and health care use in a long-term perspective? Introduction: Depression is a common mental disorder and leading cause of disability and is among the most common reasons for sick leave. Primary health care is the first line of care, and where 70% of all patients with depression are managed without referral to specialist psychiatry. As a tool to enhance accuracy and enable the GP to diagnose suspected depressions, there are recommendations to use some kind of structured interview. Self-assessment instruments such as MADRS-S (Montgomery Asberg Depression Rating Scale- Self rating) are well known in Swedish primary care, but not regularly used. MADRS-S is especially sensitive to change and is therefore suitable for measuring the effect of depression treatment. There are today no recommendations in guidelines to use MADRS-S or any other assessment tool on a regular basis; there are too few studies of good quality to provide enough evidence to defend its use. More studies are needed that evaluate structured use of such instruments and where outcomes are measured in long-term follow-up. Methods: Paper I (n=258) was a randomized controlled study, evaluating the effects of recurrent use of MADRS-S in the depressed patient during regular GP consultations. Outcomes were measured by BDI-II, EQ-5D, GHQ-12, and medication use. Paper II used results from self-assessments from patients with depression in 2 RCT studies (PRI-SMA and PRIM-NET), where the patients assessed their symptoms with both MADRS-S and BDI-II. The total scores were compared between MADRS-S and BDI-II. Paper III (n=9) invited patients with depression who had assessed their symptoms with MADRS-S to discuss their perceptions of such use in focus group discussions. The collected data were then analyzed with Malterud’s systematic text condensation. Paper IV (n=183) evaluated the effects of recurrent use of MADRS-S in the depressed patient during regular GP consultations on work ability, job strain, sick leave, quality of life, and social support. Results: Paper I showed no significant differences between the intervention and control group in depression severity reduction or remission rate, change in quality of life, psychological well-being, sedative prescriptions, or sick leave during the entire 12-month follow-up. However, significantly more patients in the intervention group continued anti-depressants until the 6 month follow-up (86/125 vs 78/133, p < 0.05). Paper II showed a good correlation between the two instruments (MADRS-S and BDI-II): 0.66 and 0.62. The reliability was also good for both MADRS-S (Cronbach α: 0.76 for both cohorts) and BDI-II items (Cronbach α: 0.88 and 0.85). Paper III showed that three categories emerged from the analysis: (i) confirmation; MADRS-S shows that I have depression and how serious it is, (ii) centeredness; the most important thing is for the GP to listen to and take me seriously and (iii) clarification; MADRS-S helps me understand why I need treatment for depression. Paper IV showed a significantly steeper increase of WAI at 3 months in the intervention group, although this levelled off at 6 and 12 months. In both groups approximately 20% showed decreased job strain with no significant difference between intervention and control groups. Sick leave did not show any significant difference. Social support was perceived as positive in a significantly higher frequency at 12 months in the intervention group compared to the control group (p= 0.009). Conclusion: The studies in this thesis have expanded knowledge of use of self-assessment instruments in the management of depression in primary care with regard to a number of aspects. Using a self-assessment instrument in recurrent consultations can strengthen the patient’s perceptions concerning confirmation, centeredness, and clarification. The use of a self-assessment instrument increases the adherence to anti-depressant medication, WAI, and the perception of positive social support. However, the use does not reinforce beneficial effects concerning depression course, quality of life, or sick-leave. Implication: It is important for GPs and nurses in primary care to have knowledge of the possible effects of the use of a self-assessment instrument and to explore during contact with the individual with depression, whether the individual is positive to the use of a self-assessment instrument. Further, the MADRS-S instrument corresponds well to the BDI-II instrument in all domains and could be used as a reliable instrument to follow a person’s course of depression with the knowledge that it yields indications comparable to the BDI-II. The use of depression self-rating scales should perhaps not be mandatory in primary health care but rather left to the discretion of the GP and the patient

"Att inkludera pappan, utan att exkludera mamman". En pilotstudie - Pappans upplevelse av bemötande av sjuksköterskan på barnavårdscentralen

Inledning: Det är en unik händelse att bli förälder. Pappan har mindre kontakt än mamman med BVC de första månaderna. Pappor tar inte ut sin föräldraledighet i samma utsträckning som mammor. Det är av stor vikt och betydelse för pappan att bli bemött av sjuksköterskan som unik individ med egna specifika behov. Syfte: Att beskriva pappans upplevelse av sjuksköterskans bemötande på BVC. Metod: Pilotstudie, intervjuer med kvalitativ ansats. Innehållsanalys enligt Graneheim och Lundman (2004) användes. Resultat: Vi har kommit fram till temat KASAM och kategorier: 1) Meningsfullhet 2) Bekräftelse känsla av tilltro/tagen på allvar och 3) Individanpassning/ begriplighet. Diskussion: Syftet med studien har uppnåtts genom att beskriva två pappors upplevelser av bemötandet från sjuksköterskan på BVC. Papporna upplevde överlag ett gott bemötande från BVC sjuksköterskan. KASAM som övergripande tema med kategorier speglar väl den beskrivning av pappornas upplevelse som resultatet visade. Slutsats: Pilotstudien kan ses som ett startskott för en intressant och viktig forskning kring pappans upplevelse av sjuksköterskans bemötande på BVC. Sjuksköterskan ska inkludera pappan utan att exkludera mamman

Miljökontroverser och dess påverkan på företags marknadsvärde : En kvantitativ studie

Titel: Miljökontroverser och dess påverkan på företags marknadsvärde   Nivå: Examensarbete på Grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi   Författare: Carl Tangfelt och Olivia Wikberg   Handledare: Jan Svanberg   Datum: 2021 - juni     Syfte: I dagens samhälle debatteras hållbarhet och klimat i stor utsträckning. Detta påverkar också företagen. Allt större krav från omvärlden att som företag verka hållbart föreligger, samtidigt som förekomsten av företagsskandaler successivt ökar. Hur företag bör förebygga och agera vid företagsskandaler kopplade till hållbarhet är därför en essentiell fråga. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om miljökontroverser påverkar företags marknadsvärde genom att svara på om företagens marknadsvärde påverkas negativt. Studien undersöker också om företagens synlighet har en inverkan på en eventuell effekt mellan marknadsvärde och miljökontroverser.    Metod: Studiens metod bygger på en positivistisk forskningsfilosofi med en hypotetisk-deduktiv forskningsansats. Studien karaktäriseras av en kvantitativ metod med en longitudinell design då studiens data sträcker sig mellan åren 2010–2020. Sekundärdata är insamlad från databasen Refinitiv Eikon och omfattar 133 publika företag. Data har därefter behandlats i SPSS.   Resultat &amp; slutsats: Studiens resultat visar ett överraskande signifikant positivt samband mellan miljökontroverser och företags marknadsvärde. Resultatet tyder också på att detta samband påverkas av graden synlighet i företaget. Resultaten indikerar i och med detta att all publicitet är god publicitet gällande miljökontroverser sett ur ett marknadsvärdesperspektiv.   Examensarbetets bidrag: Studien bidrar till att fylla ett forskningsgap inom området företagskontroverser och dess finansiella påverkan på företag då marknadsvärde i förhållande till miljöskandaler inte tidigare studerats. Studien bidrar också till en ökad kunskap om hur företags förebyggande hållbarhetsarbete påverkar den finansiella prestationen och således medför insikter till företagare i det fortsatta hållbarhetsarbetet. Slutligen bidrar studien praktiskt till intressenter som har ett intresse kring företags hållbarhetsprestationer och dess finansiella påverkan på företaget.   Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Intressanta riktlinjer för fortsatt forskning i ämnet utgörs av de sociala- och styrningsmässiga ESG-dimensionerna. Framtida forskning skulle också kunna ta mer hänsyn till endogenitet samt studera den miljömässiga prestationen i förhållande till miljökontroverser och marknadsvärde.   Nyckelord: CSR, ESG-betyg, Miljökontroverser, CSP-poäng, företagsskandaler, marknadsvärde, synlighet.Title: Environmental controversies and their impact on companies' market value   Level: Student thesis, final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration   Author: Carl Tangfelt och Olivia Wikberg   Supervisor: Jan Svanberg   Date: 2021 – June     Aim: In today's society, sustainability and climate are widely debated. This also affects companies. There are increasing demands from the outside world to operate in a sustainable way as a company, at the same time as the incidence of corporate scandals is gradually increasing. How companies should prevent and act in corporate scandals linked to sustainability is therefore an essential issue. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether environmental controversies affect companies' market value by answering whether companies' market value is negatively affected. The study also examines whether companies' visibility has an impact on a possible effect between market value and environmental controversies.   Method: The study method is based on a positivistic research philosophy with a hypothetical-deductive research approach. The study is characterized by a quantitative method with a longitudinal design as the study data extend between the years 2010–2020. Secondary data is collected from the Refinitiv Eikon database and comprises 133 public companies. Data were then processed in SPSS.   Result &amp; Conclusions: The results of the study show a surprisingly significant positive relationship between environmental controversies and companies' market value. The results also indicate that this relationship is affected by the degree of visibility the company has. The results thus indicate that all publicity is good publicity regarding environmental controversies from a market value perspective.   Contribution of the thesis: The study contributes to fill a research gap in the area of corporate controversies and its financial impact on companies since market value in relation to environmental scandals has not been studied before. The study also contributes to an increased knowledge of how companies' preventive sustainability work affects financial performance and thus brings insights to entrepreneurs in the continued sustainability work. Finally, the study contributes practically to stakeholders who have an interest in companies' sustainability performance and its financial impact on the company.   Suggestions for future research: Interesting guidelines for further research in the subject consist of the social and governance ESG dimensions. Future research could also consider more endogenicity and study the environmental performance in relation to environmental controversies and market value.   Key words: CSR, ESG-score, Environmental controversies, CSP-score, corporate scandals, market value, visibilit

Miljökontroverser och dess påverkan på företags marknadsvärde : En kvantitativ studie

Titel: Miljökontroverser och dess påverkan på företags marknadsvärde   Nivå: Examensarbete på Grundnivå (kandidatexamen) i ämnet företagsekonomi   Författare: Carl Tangfelt och Olivia Wikberg   Handledare: Jan Svanberg   Datum: 2021 - juni     Syfte: I dagens samhälle debatteras hållbarhet och klimat i stor utsträckning. Detta påverkar också företagen. Allt större krav från omvärlden att som företag verka hållbart föreligger, samtidigt som förekomsten av företagsskandaler successivt ökar. Hur företag bör förebygga och agera vid företagsskandaler kopplade till hållbarhet är därför en essentiell fråga. Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka om miljökontroverser påverkar företags marknadsvärde genom att svara på om företagens marknadsvärde påverkas negativt. Studien undersöker också om företagens synlighet har en inverkan på en eventuell effekt mellan marknadsvärde och miljökontroverser.    Metod: Studiens metod bygger på en positivistisk forskningsfilosofi med en hypotetisk-deduktiv forskningsansats. Studien karaktäriseras av en kvantitativ metod med en longitudinell design då studiens data sträcker sig mellan åren 2010–2020. Sekundärdata är insamlad från databasen Refinitiv Eikon och omfattar 133 publika företag. Data har därefter behandlats i SPSS.   Resultat &amp; slutsats: Studiens resultat visar ett överraskande signifikant positivt samband mellan miljökontroverser och företags marknadsvärde. Resultatet tyder också på att detta samband påverkas av graden synlighet i företaget. Resultaten indikerar i och med detta att all publicitet är god publicitet gällande miljökontroverser sett ur ett marknadsvärdesperspektiv.   Examensarbetets bidrag: Studien bidrar till att fylla ett forskningsgap inom området företagskontroverser och dess finansiella påverkan på företag då marknadsvärde i förhållande till miljöskandaler inte tidigare studerats. Studien bidrar också till en ökad kunskap om hur företags förebyggande hållbarhetsarbete påverkar den finansiella prestationen och således medför insikter till företagare i det fortsatta hållbarhetsarbetet. Slutligen bidrar studien praktiskt till intressenter som har ett intresse kring företags hållbarhetsprestationer och dess finansiella påverkan på företaget.   Förslag till fortsatt forskning: Intressanta riktlinjer för fortsatt forskning i ämnet utgörs av de sociala- och styrningsmässiga ESG-dimensionerna. Framtida forskning skulle också kunna ta mer hänsyn till endogenitet samt studera den miljömässiga prestationen i förhållande till miljökontroverser och marknadsvärde.   Nyckelord: CSR, ESG-betyg, Miljökontroverser, CSP-poäng, företagsskandaler, marknadsvärde, synlighet.Title: Environmental controversies and their impact on companies' market value   Level: Student thesis, final assignment for Bachelor Degree in Business Administration   Author: Carl Tangfelt och Olivia Wikberg   Supervisor: Jan Svanberg   Date: 2021 – June     Aim: In today's society, sustainability and climate are widely debated. This also affects companies. There are increasing demands from the outside world to operate in a sustainable way as a company, at the same time as the incidence of corporate scandals is gradually increasing. How companies should prevent and act in corporate scandals linked to sustainability is therefore an essential issue. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether environmental controversies affect companies' market value by answering whether companies' market value is negatively affected. The study also examines whether companies' visibility has an impact on a possible effect between market value and environmental controversies.   Method: The study method is based on a positivistic research philosophy with a hypothetical-deductive research approach. The study is characterized by a quantitative method with a longitudinal design as the study data extend between the years 2010–2020. Secondary data is collected from the Refinitiv Eikon database and comprises 133 public companies. Data were then processed in SPSS.   Result &amp; Conclusions: The results of the study show a surprisingly significant positive relationship between environmental controversies and companies' market value. The results also indicate that this relationship is affected by the degree of visibility the company has. The results thus indicate that all publicity is good publicity regarding environmental controversies from a market value perspective.   Contribution of the thesis: The study contributes to fill a research gap in the area of corporate controversies and its financial impact on companies since market value in relation to environmental scandals has not been studied before. The study also contributes to an increased knowledge of how companies' preventive sustainability work affects financial performance and thus brings insights to entrepreneurs in the continued sustainability work. Finally, the study contributes practically to stakeholders who have an interest in companies' sustainability performance and its financial impact on the company.   Suggestions for future research: Interesting guidelines for further research in the subject consist of the social and governance ESG dimensions. Future research could also consider more endogenicity and study the environmental performance in relation to environmental controversies and market value.   Key words: CSR, ESG-score, Environmental controversies, CSP-score, corporate scandals, market value, visibilit

Referensram för utvärdering av SYO i grund- och gymnasieskola

Syftet med denna rapport är att beskriva en referensram för SYO-projektets utvärderingsarbete. Referensramen byggs upp dels utifrån vår utvärderingsinriktning dels utifrån vår syn på syo. Vår utvärderingsansats präglas bl a av en helhetssyn där det problem som studeras får en stark anknytning till det samhälle som omger skolan. Syons roll diskuteras utifrån makro- medium och mikronivå. På samhällelig nivå kopplas t ex skolans och syons roll främst till en sorterande funktion. Avslutningsvis diskuteras intressanta problemområden att belysa i utvärderingen samt några metodiska överväganden.The purpose of this report is to describe a frame of reference concerning evaluation of SYO (educational and vocational guidance). The frame of reference is built up partly from our direction of evaluation partly from how we look at SYO. Our view of evaluation is among other things characterized by a comprehensive view, where the problem that you study gets a strong connection to the surrounding society. The role of SYO is discussed from a macro- medium and micro level. It is for example supposed that the most obvious function of education and SYO in our society is to sort people. Finally, some interesting issues concerning the evaluation and some methodological problems are discussed.digitalisering@um

HealthCloud : Participatory design of user interfaces for senior people's active aging

The aim of the HealthCloud project has been twofold: to develop knowledge of user needs for interface design specifically for an ageing population, and also to develop a user interface design specially designed for senior persons with sensory decline to promote healthy living through five Core Health Projects. A participatory approach was chosen to investigate the aim of the project and data was collected and analysed in three sequential steps. A reference-group with senior citizens recruited from retirement organizations interactively evolved data for the project during three workshops. The continuous interaction with the reference group resulted in a conceptual user interface design aimed for the digital HealthCloud service. In the design of the conceptual user interface, the identified core factors were a strive for simplicity: to reduce, organize, and make it enjoyable to use. Participants in the reference-group found the developed interface easy to use regardless of previous computer skills and they were also motivated and stimulated by the interface to start using the computer for promoting their health om a daily basis. Participants also wanted to display and recommend this interface to other members of retirement organizations.Enabling IC