Expressions of vitality affects and basic affects during art therapy and their meaning for inner change

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/bync-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, and is not altered, transformed, or built upon in any way.The aim of this study was to describe the occurrence of vitality affects and basic affects and to shed light on their importance in terms of patients’ inner change through art therapy. In an earlier study, where 17 women were interviewed about inner change through art therapy, a secondary deductive content analysis of images and statements was performed exploring the presence of vitality affects and basic affects. Nine of the 17 interviews contained clear descriptions of vitality affects and basic affects in the intersubjective communication between the patient and the therapist; these affects were also mirrored in the patients’ painted images. Three cases are used to illustrate the result and how affects are related to inner change. These three cases differ from each other in that they describe vitality affects either; arising from the art therapist’s empathetic verbal or non-verbal response, from a particular experience in nature, or from the interpreted symbolic language of the image. The common denominator identified as uniting the three cases was the intersubjective communication with the therapist. This study indicates that image making in art therapy gives rise to vitality affects and basic affects that contribute to inner change. It also indicates the importance of having trust in both the method and the art therapist.publishedVersio

Internalization as a mediator of the relationship between conformity to masculine norms and body image attitudes and behaviors among young men in Sweden, US, UK, and Australia

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. We examined whether internalization of sociocultural body ideals mediated the relationship between conformity to masculine norms and drive for muscularity, leanness, and thinness in a sample of males from Sweden, US, UK, and Australia. Over six hundred young men [n= 142 (Sweden); n= 192 (US); n= 141 (UK); n= 160 (Australia)] completed an online survey that included assessments of masculine role norms, body image, and internalization of sociocultural body ideals. Path analyses confirmed internalization as a mediator between greater conformity to masculine norms and body image measures (drive for thinness, desire for leanness, and desire for muscularity) across the sample. However, significant cross-country differences in the strength of these mediation effects were found. Mediation effects among US, Australian, and Swedish males were comparable, whereas these effects were weaker in the UK sample. Findings confirmed the importance of internalization of sociocultural body ideals in the tested models

Perceived needs and satisfaction with care in people with multiple sclerosis: A two-year prospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Considering the costs of multiple sclerosis (MS), it is crucial that the health-related services supplied are in accordance with needs as they are perceived by people with MS (PwMS). Satisfaction with care is related to quality of care and can provide health care providers with the means for improvement. The aim was to explore the perceived needs and satisfaction with care amongst PwMS over a two-year period, also taking sex and disease severity into consideration.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The sample consisted of 219 outpatients at a MS specialist clinic. Data on perceived needs and satisfaction with care were collected every six months using a questionnaire which included various dimensions of care. The data was analysed for the whole sample and on an individual level, as well as in subgroups with regard to sex and disease severity.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were no statistically significant variations in the proportion of PwMS with perceived needs concerning different health-related services during the study period. However, individual variations were found with regard to both perceived needs and satisfaction with care. Few PwMS perceived a continuous need for a specific service. However, the majority perceived a need for rehabilitation, assistive devices, transportation service for the disabled, psychosocial support/counselling and information on social insurance/vocational rehabilitation at least sometimes. Severe MS was associated with a greater perceived need for almost all the services studied and women experienced a need for psychosocial support/counselling to a greater extent than men. In relation to the different categories of health care staff, PwMS were most satisfied with nurses with regard to all dimensions of care. They were least satisfied with the availability of psychosocial support/counselling; and information about social insurance/vocational rehabilitation.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Despite the large proportion of individuals with mild disease severity in our sample, a considerable number of needs were identified of which many, on an individual level, varied over time. Key services demanded by PwMS were identified. Also the level of satisfaction with care varied and areas with a potential for improvement were identified such as the availability of rehabilitation services including an increase in the supply of psychosocial support and counselling.</p

Media internalization and conformity to traditional masculine norms in relation to body image concerns among men

Previous studies have separately examined conformity to masculine norms and internalization of body ideals in the media in relation to the drive for muscularity (DM). This study was designed to examine these factors together in relation to DM, and further examine how they may differ in relation to drive for thinness (DT) and drive for leanness (DL). Participants were 284 Australian males between ages 18 to 42. They completed validated measures that assessed DM, DT, DL, male gender role norms, and internalization of body ideals. The findings showed that internalization of body ideals mediated the relationship between masculine role norms and body image in the case of both DM and DL. However, masculine norms and internalization were independent predictors of DT. Our findings contribute to further understanding of the roles that the media and masculine norms have in shaping men’s drive for muscularity, leanness, and thinness. Longitudinal research is needed to confirm the nature and direction of these relationships

Body Image in Adolescence: Through the Lenses of Culture, Gender, and Positive Psychology

Adolescents’ body image (i.e., feelings and thoughts about their body and appearance) is central to their health and wellbeing. This thesis, which examined adolescents’ body image, comprised two parts. The first part (including Studies I and II) examined adolescents’ body image from a cultural perspective using questionnaires. Study I was a cross-cultural comparison of 874 Swedish and 358 Argentinean 13-year-old adolescents concerning their body image and body-changing behaviors. The results indicated that Swedish and Argentinean adolescents were similar in their levels of body-esteem, but that dieting and weight loss attempts were more prevalent among Argentinean adolescents, especially among girls. The findings indicate a need to further investigate Argentinean girls’ dieting behavior and to determine whether the low rates of dieting among Swedish adolescents may be due to protective anti-dieting factors embedded in Swedish society. Study II focused on Swedish adolescents and examined the body image of 758 Swedish adolescent girls and boys aged 16 years. Specifically, Study II examined how a set of factors (i.e., BMI, body ideal internalization, pubertal timing, peers’ appearance teasing, and weight loss attempts) was related to Swedish adolescents’ body image. The results indicated that this set of factors predicted the adolescents’ body image, in particular, girls’ feelings about their weight. Body ideal internalization (i.e., the adoption of current body ideals as one’s personal standard of beauty) was the strongest predictive factor. In addition, even in a society as gender egalitarian as that of Sweden, there were well-established gender differences in body image with girls being more dissatisfied than boys. These findings highlight the significance of gender in adolescents’ body image and the importance of understanding the processes by which adolescents internalize media ideals. The second part of this thesis explored adolescents’ body image from a positive psychology perspective, focusing on adolescents’ positive body image. Interviews were conducted with 30 Swedish 14-year-old adolescents with a positive body image recruited from a large longitudinal sample. Study III examined how adolescents with a positive body image reflected on their bodies, their views of exercise, and the influence of family and friends on their body image. The results revealed that the adolescents’ positive body image was characterized by a functional and accepting view of the body. The vast majority of the adolescents were physically active and found exercise joyful and health-promoting. The results indicate the importance of encouraging adolescents to think of their bodies as functional, active, and useful rather than as passive, decorative objects. Study IV investigated how adolescents with a positive body image reflected on the subject of appearance ideals. The results indicated that the adolescents were very critical of current ideals, describing them as unnatural and unrealistic, and criticizing the media for only showing subjects consistent with these ideals and for having ulterior motives for doing so. Instead, the adolescents defined beauty widely and flexibly and stressed the importance of looking like “oneself.” These findings support media literacy interventions and providing adolescents with alternative views of beauty. To conclude, this thesis emphasizes the importance of encouraging adolescents to have functional and accepting views of their bodies, for example, through joyful exercise and media literacy. It is also suggested that the role of culture in weight loss behaviors and gender differences in body image should be further scrutinized

The Role of Shb in Angiogenesis, FGF and VEGF Signalling in Endothelial Cells

Angiogenesis is defined as the formation of new capillary blood vessels from pre-existing ones. This process involves several steps including: migration, proliferation and differentiation of endothelial cells into blood vessels. Angiogenesis is initiated by binding of specific growth factors, such as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF), to their cell surface receptors. Shb is a ubiquitously expressed adaptor protein with the ability to bind several tyrosine kinase receptors. My aim has been to identify the role of Shb in FGF- and VEGF-signalling in endothelial cells. Shb was found to be phosphorylated in a Src-dependent manner upon both FGF- and VEGF-stimulation. This was confirmed using fibroblasts overexpressing temperature sensitive v-Src. Furthermore, Shb-induced cell spreading on collagen of immortalised brain endothelial (IBE) cells was also Src-dependent. FGF stimulation led to a direct association between Shb and FAK, which was mediated by the phosphotyrosine binding domain of Shb. IBE cells overexpressing wild-type or R522K Shb (inactive SH2 domain) displayed increased FAK activation on collagen. The SH2-domain of Shb was found to bind to tyrosine 1175 in the VEGFR-2 in a phosphotyrosine dependent manner using PAE cells expressing VEGFR-2. Furthermore, by use of siRNA, Shb knock-down experiments revealed that Shb regulates FAK activity, cellular migration and stress fiber formation in response to VEGF stimulation of VEGFR-2. In summary, Shb binds to both FGFR-1 and VEGFR-2 and regulates the activity of FAK and thereby stress fiber formation and cellular migration, which are necessary for formation of new blood vessels. IBE cells with an inactive SH2 domain of Shb displayed disorganised formation of tubular structures in the tube formation assay, while overexpression of wild-type Shb led to accelerated tubular morphogenesis. Taken together, my data show that the adaptor protein Shb plays an important role in the process angiogenesis, in response to angiogenic tyrosine kinase receptors, by interacting with FAK and regulating spreading, stress fiber formation and cellular migration

Den nya vårdnadslagen : reformens inverkan på regnbågsfamiljer

Avhandlingen handlar om lagen angående vårdnad om barn och umgängesrätt (361/1983) och reformen av den (190/2019). Den nya vårdnadslagen har trätt i kraft 1 december 2019. Avhandlingens huvudsakliga målsättning är att analysera hur denna reform tjänar regnbågsfamiljer. En stor del av regnbågsfamiljer utgörs av flerföräldrafamiljer eller så kallade klöverfamiljer, vilka kan vara både tre- och fyrklöverfamiljer. Detta betyder att det redan från början finns med flera än två vuxna som startar familjen. I avhandlingen används en fiktiv klöverfamilj för att illustrera juridiska problem de möter i vardagen. Innan reformen var situationen sådan att vårdnadsförfaranden inte direkt stödde regnbågsfamiljer, eftersom det var sällsynt att ha mera än två vårdnadshavare. Tidigare kunde vårdnaden om barnet anförtros någon annan person än föräldrarna endast genom domstolsbeslut. Utgångsläget var att man endast hade föreställt sig situationer med två vårdnadshavare. I avhandlingen tas även ställning till om den nya lagstiftningen orsakat en ändring i hur principen om barnets bästa ses i diskussioner om regnbågsfamiljer. I avhandlingen diskuteras också hur vuxna i regnbågsfamiljer kan förbereda sig för möjliga vårdnadstvister. Avhandlingen innehåller tre huvudteman. I avhandlingens andra kapitel granskas föräldraskap i Finland med hjälp av faderskapslagen (11/2015) och moderskapslagen (253/2018). Moderskapslagen har medfört en möjlighet för kvinnliga par att fastställa moderskapet för dem båda. I detta kapitel framförs även kritik mot den nya föräldraskapslagen som är under beredning. I tredje kapitlet behandlas vårdnad och umgängesrätt. I detta kapitel behandlas särskilt vårdnad vid sidan om enligt 7 § 2 mom. Denna nya bestämmelse har gett avtalsfrihet för regnbågsfamiljer. Enligt 9 c § angående barnets rätt att träffa en annan person än sin förälder har barnet möjligheten i en klöverfamilj att träffa en social förälder. I fjärde kapitlet behandlas regnbågsfamiljers utmaningar i vardagen med fokus på barnets bästa och vårdnadstvister. Således är det mest relevanta att forska i ändringarna i lagen angående vårdnad om barn och umgängesrätt med utgångspunkten i regnbågsfamiljernas ställning i Finland. I avhandlingen behandlas endast sådana teman som har betydelse för regnbågsfamiljer

Pre‑school children’s expressed technological volition during construction play

Technology volition is the will to develop knowledge of, and use, the physical world to design products, processes and systems. The aim of this study was to contribute new knowledge of children’s technology volition when they identify, build and improve technical constructions, and how teachers support this learning. Analysis focused on moments when children’s volition was expressed in a construction activity. In total, eleven preschool teachers and 49 children, aged 4–5 years, from three preschools, participated. Data consists of video-recordings from four activities, two each in preschool A and B, showing children’s expressed technological volition, as well as field notes about the teachers’ preparations. Results show how differences among children’s expressed volition is connected to their imagination of how materials can be combined to construct ‘houses’ and ‘vehicles’ from everyday objects. Building a house resulted in a focus on how to make the building solid and water resistant, and inspired children to learn about materials for different purposes in houses such as the floor, walls and an angled roof. Building a vehicle encouraged children to talk about speed, movements and fuel. Results show how children indicate and express their discernment of how materials are combined to create constructions, and how they discover ways in which materials change during the building process. For some of the children it was difficult to see the potential of a material other than its original use, while others used their imagination to find opportunities to use materials to make new objects

Pre‑school children’s expressed technological volition during construction play

Technology volition is the will to develop knowledge of, and use, the physical world to design products, processes and systems. The aim of this study was to contribute new knowledge of children’s technology volition when they identify, build and improve technical constructions, and how teachers support this learning. Analysis focused on moments when children’s volition was expressed in a construction activity. In total, eleven preschool teachers and 49 children, aged 4–5 years, from three preschools, participated. Data consists of video-recordings from four activities, two each in preschool A and B, showing children’s expressed technological volition, as well as field notes about the teachers’ preparations. Results show how differences among children’s expressed volition is connected to their imagination of how materials can be combined to construct ‘houses’ and ‘vehicles’ from everyday objects. Building a house resulted in a focus on how to make the building solid and water resistant, and inspired children to learn about materials for different purposes in houses such as the floor, walls and an angled roof. Building a vehicle encouraged children to talk about speed, movements and fuel. Results show how children indicate and express their discernment of how materials are combined to create constructions, and how they discover ways in which materials change during the building process. For some of the children it was difficult to see the potential of a material other than its original use, while others used their imagination to find opportunities to use materials to make new objects

Construction Technology in Preschool

The aim of the study is to describe what young children are offered to discern and actually discern through the construction technology in preschool, and in what way different constructions result in different learning affordances. Three different kinds of constructions were studied; house, vehicle and towers. The variety of objects generates functional differences which affect what focus the children have on the constructions. 11 preschool teachers and 49 children aged 4-5 years old from three preschools participated. Data consists of video-recordings of five activities of construction technology and fieldnotes. The results show that differences in constructions implies different expressed focus and learning during the activities. Building a house resulted in a focus on how to make the building solid, water resistant and inspired the children to learn about different kinds of material for different purposes in a house, such as the ground, floor, walls and the importance to tilt the roof to get rid of water and snow. Building a vehicle inspired the children to talk about speed, movements and different kinds of fuel. Finally building towers resulted in a competition where they tried to build the highest tower. The importance to build the tower as straight as possible was found to be important to avoid that the tower collapses, and by that they focused on equilibrium and balance. The results show that different kind of construction activities can be used to create different focus in science learning during play in preschool