Group rehabilitation of patients with acquired hearing impairment and their close relatives: Evaluation of short- and long-term effects

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of a two-weeks full-time group-rehabilitation program designed for hearing-impaired patients and their close relatives. Seventy-six consecutive patients in employment age (mean = 51 years; SD = 9 years, R = 22–64 years) with subjective need for audiological rehabilitation were included in the program. Pure tone averages were 46 dB HL and 58 dB HL at the low and high frequencies in the best ear, respectively. The patients responded to visual analogue scales (VAS) and questionnaires, intended to measure “perceived handicap”, “social support”, “perceived negative attitudes”, “acceptance of hearing loss” and “communication strategies”, before and after the last group session. The forms were also sent to the study group by post four and six months after the program was terminated. No significant short-term effects were found after the last group session, except that self-rated handicap in family life (VAS) was increased (p = 0.028), probably due to the participants’ increased awareness of hearing-related problems. Four months later, perceived negative attitudes from others were significantly reduced (p = 0.025), but self-rated handicap in family life was still increased (p = 0.023). Six months later (long-term effects), maladaptive strategies (e.g. guessing, pretending to hear and avoiding interactions) were significantly less often used (p = 0.036) and verbal strategies more frequently adopted (p = 0.018). This change of communication strategies might facilitate social participation and should therefore be seen as positive outcomes of a rehabilitation program

Inkluderande ledarskap idet nya normala: Prefekters strategier : En studie om inkluderande ledarskap, prefekter och distansarbete

Covid-19-pandemin som bröt ut år 2020 tvingade många organisationer att anpassa sig till distansarbete. En betydande institution som påverkades var akademin som traditionellt setts som en plats för gemenskap och utveckling. Förändringen till distansarbete har medfört en omstrukturering av ledarskapet för att hantera de utmaningar som följer med distansarbete. Inom universitet kallas ledaren över en institution för prefekt, denna person har personalansvar och ekonomiskt ansvar för institutionen. I denna magisteruppsats studeras ett antal prefekters upplevda effekter av inkluderande ledarskap i samband med distansarbete vid Umeå universitet. Inkluderande ledarskap är ett relativt nytt begrepp som beskriver ett ledarskap med stort relationsorienterat fokus. Fokuset ligger även på de utmaningar och strategier som tillkommit i följd av Covid-19-pandemin. Prefekten har en betydelsefull roll i sitt ledarskap, för att främja medarbetarnas arbetsprestationer och sociala välbefinnande under distansarbete. Studien har använt sig av semi-strukturerade intervjuer som analyserats genom tematisk analys. Resultatet visar att prefekter arbetar för att deras medarbetare ska arbeta på den fysiska arbetsplatsen. Ett inkluderande ledarskap implementeras främst mot de arbetare som befinner sig på plats, med vissa undantag. Prefekterna upplever distansarbete som svårt i relation till inkluderande ledarskap, särskilt relaterat till ämnen som att ge feedback, säkerställa rättvisa och bygga personliga relationer med dessa medarbetare. Det existerar dock skillnader mellan prefekterna gällande hur de upplever och bemöter dessa svårigheter

The subjective meaning of dentition and oral health : Struggling to optimize one's self-esteem

The aim of this study was to explore what dentition and oral health mean to adult dental care patients' well-being. Qualitative, taped interviews were conducted with 15 participants (over 20 years of age), who were patients at private and public dental health care units in the western part of Sweden. The constant comparative method of grounded theory was used. The interviews were consecutively analyzed in hierarchical coding processes until saturation was achieved. A conceptual model was generated illuminating the meaning of dentition and oral health for the participant's well-being. The core category of the model, struggling to optimize one's self-esteem, was related to four categories, which further described the psychosocial process of increasing one's self-esteem and contributing to well-being. These categories were labelled investing in oneself, being attractive to others, being able to socialize and showing ones social belonging. People who are satisfied with their teeth in terms of function and appearance seem to have developed an optimized self-esteem, which contributes to the well-being in individuals. Consequently, inequalities in oral health according to social belonging may lead to inequalities in self-esteem and well-being