Spatial and temporal occurrence of bats in the southern North Sea area

Since a few years it is known that bats migrate over sea on a regular basis. As numerous land-based studies have shown that wind turbines can cause high fatality rates amongst bats Rijkswaterstaat started a bat monitoring programme for 2015 and 2016 in order to reduce uncertainties about possible impacts. At the same time Eneco commissioned a bat monitoring programme for 2015 and 2016 as part of the Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (MEP) for the offshore windfarm Luchterduinen. In 2016 Gemini conducted a bat monitoring campaign in windfarm Buitengaats and Wageningen Marine Research executed a bat monitoring programme at Wintershall platform P6-A and offshore research station FINO3 in the same year. The joint monitoring effort included 12 different offshore locations and 5 locations at the coast. The specific aims of these monitoring programmes are an assessment of : 1. The species composition at sea and at the coast. 2. The spatiotemporal pattern of occurrence, including the flight height. 3. The relation between environmental conditions and the occurrence of bats. 4. The function of the Dutch Territorial Sea for bats. The monitoring results at the coast showed that Nathusius’ pipistrelle is very common during both spring and autumn migration, but is also regular throughout the summer. It is also the most frequently recorded species at sea, albeit much less frequently recorded in comparison to the coast. At sea it was recorded from late August until late October (and one observation in November), and –to a lesser extent- from early April until the end of June. There were no records in July until mid-August. The observed pattern of occurrence matches previous offshore monitoring studies in the German and Dutch North Sea

Interventions to improve work outcomes in work-related PTSD: a systematic review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Posttraumatic stress disorder acquired at work can be debilitating both for workers and their employers. The disorder can result in increased sick leave, reduced productivity, and even unemployment. Furthermore, workers are especially unlikely to return to their previous place of employment after a traumatic incident at work because of the traumatic memories and symptoms of avoidance that typically accompany the disorder. Therefore, intervening in work-related PTSD becomes especially important in order to get workers back to the workplace.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic literature search was conducted using Medline, PsycINFO, Embase, and Web of Science. The articles were independently screened based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, followed by a quality assessment of all included articles.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The systematic search identified seven articles for inclusion in the review. These consisted of six research articles and one systematic review. The review focused specifically on interventions using real exposure techniques for anxiety disorders in the workplace. In the research articles addressed in the current review, study populations included police officers, public transportation workers, and employees injured at work. The studies examined the effectiveness of EMDR, cognitive-behavioural techniques, and an integrative therapy approach called brief eclectic psychotherapy. Interestingly, 2 of the 6 research articles addressed add-on treatments for workplace PTSD, which were designed to treat workers with PTSD who failed to respond to traditional evidence-based psychotherapy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Results of the current review suggest that work-related interventions show promise as effective strategies for promoting return to work in employees who acquired PTSD in the workplace. Further research is needed in this area to determine how different occupational groups with specific types of traumatic exposure might respond differently to work-tailored treatments.</p

What Facilitates Return to Work? Patients Experiences 3 Years After Occupational Rehabilitation

Objective We have limited knowledge about the specific elements in an occupational rehabilitation programme that facilitate the process leading to return to work (RTW) as perceived by the patients. The aim of the study was to explore individual experiences regarding contributing factors to a successful RTW, 3 years after a resident occupational rehabilitation programme. Methods The study is based on interviews of 20 individuals who attended an occupational rehabilitation programme 3 years earlier. Ten informants had returned to work (RTW) and ten were receiving disability pension (DP). Data were analysed by systematic text condensation inspired by Giorgi’s phenomenological analysis. Results The core categories describing a successful RTW process included positive encounters, increased self-understanding and support from the surroundings. While the informants on DP emphasized being seen, heard and taken seriously by the professionals, the RTW group highlighted being challenged to increase self-understanding that promoted new acting in every-day life. Being challenged on self-understanding implied increased awareness of own identity, values and resources. Support from the surroundings included support from peer participants, employer and social welfare system. Conclusion Successful RTW processes seem to comprise positive encounters, opportunities for increased self-understanding and support from significant others. An explicit focus on topics like identity, own values and resources might improve the outcome of the rehabilitation process

Factors Associated with Work Participation and Work Functioning in Depressed Workers: A Systematic Review

Background Depression is associated with negative work outcomes such as reduced work participation (WP) (e.g., sick leave duration, work status) and work functioning (WF) (e.g., loss of productivity, work limitations). For the development of evidence-based interventions to improve these work outcomes, factors predicting WP and WF have to be identified. Methods This paper presents a systematic literature review of studies identifying factors associated with WP and WF of currently depressed workers. Results A total of 30 studies were found that addressed factors associated with WP (N = 19) or WF (N = 11). For both outcomes, studies reported most often on the relationship with disorder-related factors, whereas personal factors and work-related factors were less frequently addressed. For WP, the following relationships were supported: strong evidence was found for the association between a long duration of the depressive episode and work disability. Moderate evidence was found for the associations between more severe types of depressive disorder, presence of co-morbid mental or physical disorders, older age, a history of previous sick leave, and work disability. For WF, severe depressive symptoms were associated with work limitations, and clinical improvement was related to work productivity (moderate evidence). Due to the cross-sectional nature of about half of the studies, only few true prospective associations could be identified. Conclusion Our study identifies gaps in knowledge regarding factors predictive of WP and WF in depressed workers and can be used for the design of future research and evidence-based interventions. We recommend undertaking more longitudinal studies to identify modifiable factors predictive of WP and WF, especially work-related and personal factors

Effectiviteit van vroegtijdige verzuimanalyse op duur van claim bij zelfstandigen met psychische klachten

Om terugkeer naar werk te bewerkstelligen bij psychische klachten zijn vele interventies ontworpen en onderzocht, maar veelal in een werknemerspopulatie. In deze studie is onderzocht of een vroegtijdige diagnostische interventie (Psyon Verzuimanalyse, PVA) een positief effect heeft op de duur tot eerste vermindering van het arbeidsongeschiktheidspercentage en op de duur van een arbeidsongeschiktheidsclaim bij zelfstandigen met een arbeidsongeschiktheidsverzekering die zich ziekmelden vanwege psychische klachten. Design van de studie was een randomised-controlled-trial met een follow-up duur van 12 maanden en met een interventiegroep (N=41) en een controlegroep (N=47). De duur tot eerste vermindering in arbeidsongeschiktheid is gemiddeld 49.3 dagen eerder in de interventiegroep (p=0.009). Het gemiddeld verschil in duur tot sluiting van de arbeidsongeschiktheidsclaim is 63.2 dagen (p=0.056), in het voordeel van de interventiegroep. De diagnostische PVA-interventie draagt mogelijk bij aan een vroegtijdige start van behandeling en levert aldus een positieve bijdrage aan verkorting van de duur van de arbeidsongeschiktheidsclaim