O estudo sustenta a tese que as características individuais e laborais e a suspeição de distúrbios psiquiátricos menores influenciam no absenteísmo ao trabalho. Trata-se de um estudo de coorte prospectivo, com abordagem quantitativa, cujo objetivo geral foi analisar as características individuais, o estresse laboral e os distúrbios psiquiátricos menores como preditores de absenteísmo em trabalhadores de enfermagem de um hospital universitário, em um intervalo de dois anos. Foram entrevistados 254 trabalhadores de enfermagem (amostra por conveniência e não probabilística) no início e no final de dois anos: a primeira entrevista ocorreu entre novembro de 2008 e maio de 2009 e a segunda entre janeiro e maio de 2011. O desfecho foi o absenteísmo ao trabalho no período de dois anos. Para a coleta de dados foram utilizados o Índice de Capacidade para o Trabalho, o Self-Report Questionaire, a Job Stress Scale e um instrumento para caracterização da amostra. O absenteísmo foi coletado por meio da base de dados eletrônica do hospital. Os dados foram analisados por estatística descritiva e analítica, considerando estatisticamente significativos aqueles com valor de p bicaudal menor a 0,05 ou com intervalo de confiança de 95%. Para o cálculo do Risco Relativo (RR), os trabalhadores foram divididos entre aqueles com ou sem absenteísmo, assim como aqueles com absenteísmo elevado (pertencentes ao quartil 75%) versus os outros. O projeto foi aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa do Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. No período de dois anos, 83,9% dos trabalhadores apresentaram pelo menos um dia de falta ao trabalho e a mediana da taxa de absenteísmo foi de 1,7%, sendo que metade da amostra faltou até 60,8 horas e 25% faltaram acima de 139,6 horas nesse período. Evidenciou-se maior taxa de absenteísmo nos trabalhadores de enfermagem com menor escolaridade, com filho(s); sem tempo para lazer; com doenças osteomusculares com Diagnóstico Médico (DM); com suspeição de distúrbios psiquiátricos menores (DPM); com cargo de técnico/auxiliar de enfermagem; que possuíam outro emprego; insatisfeitos com o local de trabalho e com baixo Apoio Social no trabalho. O RR para absenteísmo em dois anos foi maior nos trabalhadores: sem tempo para lazer (RR=1,15 e IC95%=1,0-1,2); com doença com DM (RR=1,19, IC95%=1,0-1,3); com doença osteomuscular com DM (RR=1,11 e IC95%=1,0-1,2); com suspeição de DPM (RR=1,21 e IC95%=1,1-1,2); de Unidades de Alta Complexidade (RR=1,10 e IC95%=1,0-1,2) e insatisfeitos com o local de trabalho (RR=1,20 e IC95%=1,1- 1,2). No que tange ao RR para absenteísmo elevado em dois anos, foi maior nos trabalhadores de enfermagem com menor escolaridade (RR=1,64 e IC95%=1-2,6); sem tempo para lazer (RR=2,48, IC95%=1,5-3,8); com suspeição de DPM (RR=2,11 e IC95%=1,2-3,4); com cargo de técnico/auxiliar de enfermagem (RR=2,67 e IC95%=1,2-5,8); com outro emprego (RR=2,27 e IC95%=1,3-3,8); insatisfeitos com o local de trabalho (RR=2,29 e IC95%=1,2- 4,2) e com baixo Apoio Social no trabalho (RR=1,56 e IC95%=1,0-2,6). Na análise multivariada, verificou-se que a taxa de absenteísmo em dois anos foi significativamente influenciada pelas variáveis: tempo para lazer, número de doenças com DM, suspeição de DPM e turno de trabalho. Os resultados contribuem para reflexões a ações em saúde do trabalhador e para os gestores hospitalares, pois indicam as variáveis que influenciam o absenteísmo no trabalho de enfermagem e fornecem subsídios para a proposição de estratégias de prevenção e promoção da saúde e da qualidade de vida dos trabalhadores. / This study defends that individual and work-related features, and the suspicion of minor psychiatric disorders influence absenteeism from work. This is a prospective cohort study with a quantitative approach. Its general objective was to analyze individual features, work stress and minor psychiatric disorders as predictors of absenteeism in nursing workers from a university hospital in a two-year interval. 254 nurses were interviewed (non-probability, convenience sample) in the beginning and the end of two years: the first set of interviews took place from November, 2008, to May, 2009, and the second from January to May, 2011. The outcome was absenteeism from work in the two-year period. To collect the data the instruments used were the Work Ability Index, the Self-Report Questionnaire, the Job Stress Scale and an instrument to characterize the sample. Absenteeism was collected through the hospital's electronic database. The data were analyzed through descriptive and analytical statistics, considering as statistically significant those with a bicaudal p of less than 0.05 or with a confidence interval (CI) of 95%. To calculate the Relative Risk (RR), workers were divided between those with or without absenteeism, as well as between those with high absenteeism (those belonging to the 75% quartile) and the others. The project was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. In the two-year interval, 83.9% of workers were absent from work for at least one day and the median rate of absenteeism was 1.7%. Half the sample was absent from work for up to 60.8 hours and 25% was absent for more than 139.6 hours in this interval. A higher rate of absenteeism was observed in less educated nursing workers, with child or children; with no leisure time; with musculoskeletal diseases with Medical Diagnosis (MD); with suspicion of Minor Psychiatric Disorders (MPD); working as nursing technician or nursing assistant; who had another job; who were unsatisfied with the workplace and had low Social Support at work. RR for absenteeism in two years was higher in workers: with no leisure time (RR=1.15 and CI95%=1.0-1.2); with diseases with MD (RR=1.19 and CI95%=1.0-1.3); with musculoskeletal diseases with MD (RR=1.11 and CI95%=1.0-1.2); with suspicion of MPD (RR=1.21 and CI95%=1.1-1.2); working in High Complexity Units (RR=1.10 and CI95%=1.0-1.2) and unsatisfied with the workplace (RR=1.20 and CI95%=1.1). RR for high absenteeism in two years was higher in less educated nursing workers (RR=1.64 and CI95%=1-2.6); with no leisure time (RR=2.48 and CI95%=1.5-3.8); with suspicion of MPD (RR=2.11 and CI95%=1.2-3.4); working as nursing technician or nursing assistant (RR=2.67 and CI95%=1.2-5.8); with another job (RR=2.27 and CI95%=1.3-3.8); unsatisfied with the workplace (RR=2.29 and CI95%=1.2-4.2) and with low Social Support at work (RR=1.56 and CI95%=1.0-2.6). The multivariate analysis showed that the rate of absenteeism in two years was significantly influenced by the variables: leisure time, number of diseases with MD, suspicion of MPD and work shift. Results contribute to thoughts and actions towards the worker's health and also help health managers, for they indicate the variables that influence absenteeism in the nursing work and aid the proposal of strategies for prevention and the promotion of health, and for the workers' quality of life. / El estudio defiende la tesis de que las características individuales y laborales y la sospecha de disturbios psiquiátricos menores influyen en el absentismo laboral. Se trata de un estudio de cohorte prospectivo, con análisis cuantitativo, cuyo objetivo general fue examinar las características individuales, el estrés laboral y los disturbios psiquiátricos menores como predictores de absentismo en trabajadores de enfermería de un hospital universitario, en un periodo de dos años. Se entrevistaron 254 trabajadores de enfermería (muestra por conveniencia y no probabilística) en el inicio y al final de dos años: la primera entrevista se realizó entre noviembre de 2008 y mayo de 2009, y la segunda entre enero y mayo de 2011. El desenlace fue el absentismo laboral en el periodo de dos años. Para colectar los datos se utilizaron el Índice de Capacidad Laboral, el Self Report Questionaire, la Job Stress Scale y un instrumento para la caracterización de la muestra. El absentismo fue colectado a través de la base de datos electrónica del hospital. Los datos fueron analizados por estadística descriptiva y analítica, considerando estadísticamente significativos los de valor p de dos colas menor a 0,05 o con intervalo de confianza de 95%. Para el cálculo del Riesgo Relativo (RR) se dividieron los trabajadores entre los clasificados como con o sin absentismo, y también los que mostraban absentismo elevado (pertenecientes al cuartil 75%) versus los otros. El proyecto fue aprobado por el Comité de Ética en Investigación del Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre. En el periodo de dos años, el 83,9% de los trabajadores presentaron por lo menos un día de falta en el trabajo y el promedio de porcentaje de absentismo fue de 1,7%, siendo que la mitad de la muestra faltó hasta 60,8 horas y el 25% faltó más de 139,6 horas en ese periodo. Se evidenció un mayor porcentaje de absentismo laboral en los enfermeros con menor escolaridad, con hijo(s); sin tiempo para ocio; con enfermedades osteomusculares con Diagnóstico Médico (DM); con sospecha de Disturbios Psíquicos Menores (DPM); con cargo de técnico/auxiliar de enfermería; con otra ocupación; insatisfechos con el local de trabajo y con bajo Apoyo social en el trabajo. El RR para absentismo en dos años fue más alto en los trabajadores: sin tiempo de ocio (RR=1,15 y IC95%=1,0-1,2); con enfermedad con DM (RR=1,19, IC95%=1,0-1,3); con enfermedad osteomuscular con DM (RR=1,11 y IC95%=1,0-1,2); con sospecha de DPM (RR=1,21 y IC95%=1,1-1,2); de Unidades de Alta Complejidad (RR=1,10 y IC95%=1,0-1,2) e insatisfechos con el local de trabajo (RR=1,20 y IC95%=1,1-1,2). En lo que respecta al RR para absentismo elevado en dos años, fue más alto en los trabajadores de enfermería con menor escolaridad (RR=1,64 y IC95%=1-2,6); sin tiempo para ocio (RR=2,48, IC95%=1,5- 3,8); con sospecha de DPM (RR=2,11 y IC95%=1,2-3,4); con cargo de técnico/auxiliar de enfermería (RR=2,67 y IC95%=1,2-5,8); con otro empleo (RR=2,27 y IC95%=1,3-3,8); insatisfechos con el local de trabajo (RR=2,29 y IC95%=1,2-4,2) y con bajo Apoyo Social en el trabajo (RR=1,56 e IC95%=1,0-2,6). En el análisis multivariado se verificó que el porcentaje de absentismo en dos años fue significativamente influenciado por las variables: tiempo para ocio, número de enfermedades con DM, sospecha de DPM y turno de trabajo. Los resultados contribuyen a los reflexiones y acciones la salud del trabajador y para los gestores hospitalarios, pues indican las variables que influyen en el absentismo laboral de enfermería y proveen subsidios para proponer estrategias de prevención y promoción de la salud y de la calidad de vida de los trabajadores.

Magister Psychologiae - MPsych / The aim of the study was to establish what the perceptions and attitudes are of employees at different levels of the organisation with regard to HIV/AIDS testing. A further aim was to identify possible reasons for the poor employee response to voluntary HIV/AIDS testing. It was thus important for this research to gauge employee knowledge, attitude and behaviour toward HIV/AIDS in order for organisations to develop strategies for effective HIV/AIDS counselling and testing programmes.

The purpose of this research is to conduct an evaluation of the return on investment value of Employee Assistance Programmes within the South African context. Assistance to employees originated from the 19th century. The term Employee Assistance Programmes was however formulated in the 1970’s in the United States. The Employee Assistance field has since seen a paradigm shift in its focus, significant growth in its market value (amount of corporate clients internationally investing in EAPs for their employees), the establishment of a regulatory and ethical body through EAPA and its formalization as an academic discipline. This study takes the concept of return on investment value of EAPs further than the ratio of benefit-to-cost. The utilization of different data sources, inclusive of quantitative and qualitative instruments creates an opportunity to explore areas of value perception of different role players in the field. It furthermore maps the subjective and objective experience of behaviour change resulting from personal problems and the journey of change as a result of focused interventions. The consistency of views across different datasources as well as between different industries strengthens the value add claims of EAPs as contributing to the financial bottom line of companies. This study advocates for the importance of programme evaluation as a central part of EAP contracting. It furthermore also highlights the importance of documentation of employee performance for evaluation purposes. It illustrates a journey that can be complicated by the failure to agree to evaluative terms at program inception as well as unstructured data-capturing within companies. Employee behaviour consists of both computable and incomputable elements. Generally the focus of a return on investment study would be the computable components of human behaviour. This investigation however highlights significant elements of risk relating to employee performance challenges that is not easy to include in a ROI but holds significant financial and reputational risks for corporate clients. The influence of individual performance challenges on teams and the challenges it holds for line managers is also highlighted through the qualitative journey of this study. Employee behaviour seems vulnerable to internal and external forces and as a result companies’ productivity can be affected by how individual employees respond to these forces. It could be accepted that interventions that is aimed at stabilising and improving employee behaviour, will inevitably impact work performance and as a result the financial bottom-line of the company. Employee Assistance Programmes often operates in an arena where other programmes aimed at impacting employee behaviour are also present. It is thus difficult to isolate it’s intervention as being one of the main behaviour changing facilitators of the company. This study acknowledges this challenge and changes focus to different data-sources reporting on employee behaviour before and after EAP intervention. The consistency of data across these different data-sources becomes one of the main reporting areas for this study. Eventually the challenges encountered in this study guides the advocacy in the recommendations for a thorough agreement of programme evaluation at inception, the areas that will be included in such evaluations, the availability of Human Resource data to ensure effective evaluation inclusive of ROI assessments, targeted assessments at service provider level with effective software support. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2010. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

Cette recherche se compose de trois études. La première, qualitative, met en exergue la transition culturelle qu’a connue le groupe La Poste durant cette dernière décennie. Ainsi, les effets de l’intégration progressive d’une culture de marché sont investigués à travers le discours de cadres, d’encadrants et de facteurs. La transformation de la culture organisationnelle est mise en avant ainsi que les répercussions de cette évolution sur le travail, la dimension axiologique et la santé des employés. La deuxième étude transpose dans le domaine de l’organisation des modèles d’intégrations identitaires habituellement associés à la santé et utilisés le plus souvent pour mettre en perspective le processus acculturatif de migrants avec des dimensions liées à la santé psychologique. Ainsi, le modèle de l’acculturation (Berry, 1990), le modèle de l’intégration biculturelle (Benet-Martinez & Haritatos, 2005) et le modèle cognitivo-développemental de l’intégration des identités sociales (Amiot et al., 2007) permettent d’expliquer, en partie, le bien-être et la détresse psychologique au travail ainsi que l’absentéisme des employés du groupe La Poste. Un pan de l’étude est consacré à expliquer les différentes identifications par le biais des motivations identitaires, de la menace perçue et des valeurs. Ces trois dimensions jouent un rôle prépondérant dans l’intégration culturelle des employés. Enfin, une dernière étude, utilisant des méthodes d’évaluations implicites, est réalisée dans le but de mettre à jour de potentielles dissonances cognitives, pouvant impacter la santé des individus, en mesurant des différences significatives entre l’identification implicite et l’identification autodéclarée. Cette étude montre des résultats contrastés ne pouvant être retenus, l’efficacité de la manipulation n’ayant pu être validée. Toutefois, certains indicateurs poussent à poursuivre les recherches en ce sens. / This research consists of three studies. The first study is qualitative. It highlights the cultural transition within the La Poste Group during the last decade. The effects of the gradual integration of a market culture are investigated through the speeches of executives, supervisors and postmen. The transformation of the corporate culture is highlighted as well as its impact on the work, the axiological dimension and the employees’ health. The second study transposes into the field of the organization of identity integration’s models. These models, usually associated with health, are often used to put into perspective the acculturative process of migrants with psychological health’s dimensions. Thus, the acculturation model (Berry, 1990), the bi-cultural integration model (Benet-Martinez & Haritatos, 2005) and the cognitive developmental model of social identities’ integration (Amiot et al. 2007 ) may explain, partly, the well-being and the psychological distress at work as well as the absenteeism of employees of La Poste Group. A section of the study focuses to explain the different identifications through identity motivations, perceived threat and values. These three dimensions play a major role in the cultural integration of employees. At last, a final study using methods of implicit assessment is performed in order to update potential cognitive dissonance which could affect the health of individuals. It measures significant differences between the implicit identification and self-declared identification. This study shows contrasting results that won’t hold because the effectiveness of the manipulation has not been proven. However, some indicators urge to continue research in this direction.

Low back pain has become one of the most influential musculoskeletal diseases of modern society. It is one of most expensive diseases in terms of medical costs and increased worker absenteeism, which can lead to permanent disability and places strain on the economy as a whole. Pain has been recognised as a disease in itself, which has certain consequences when it becomes chronic. Many kinds of treatment options exist with varying degrees of success. The question is thus which treatment option is the most favourable and cost-effective. Conservative treatment is the most recommended form of treatment when no serious underlying diseases are present. Exercise has been shown to be very effective in the treatment of chronic low back pain but there are still questions regarding the use of exercise therapy. The predetermined goal of the study was to ascertain whether an aggressiveprogressive exercise programme, and specifically what kind of exercises, would be more effective in the treatment of chronic low back pain. This was achieved through a number of steps, which included an extensive literature review, the identification of an appropriate test battery with related minimum physical requirements and cut scores, subject recruitment and screening of subjects, the implementation of the intervention and the subsequent re-testing of the subjects. Once the data was completed, the next step was to make use of two case studies to assist in illustrating the effectiveness of individual patients compared to the sample as a whole. These case studies were of patients who completed the entire programme but one took longer to complete the programme. This assists in illustrating the value of maintaining exercise protocol. The results from the present study are extremely positive. The two case studies provided a glimpse of the potential value that could be added through the implementation of more aggressive-progressive exercise interventions in the treatment of chronic low back pain. The final product will greatly assist exercise therapists concerned with the treatment of chronic low back pain along with cognitive-behavioural techniques. Hopefully this study will provide insight into managing chronic low back pain in South Africa from an exercise standpoint. Secondly the study will provide practical techniques to implement in an era in which economic difficulties are rife.AFRIKAANS: Laerugpyn het een van die invloedrykste muskuloskeletale siektes van die moderne samelewing geword. Dit is een van die duurste siektes in terme van mediese koste en verhoogde siekverlof deur werkers, wat kan lei tot permanente ongeskiktheid en ’n verhoogde las plaas op die ekonomie as ’n geheel. Pyn word erken as ’n siekte op sy eie wat sekere gevolge het wanneer dit chronies begin raak. Verskeie soorte behandelingsopsies is beskikbaar met variërende grade van sukses. Die vraag is dus watter behandelingsopsie is die bruikbaarste en koste-doeltreffendste. Konserwatiewe behandeling is die mees aanbevole metode van behandeling wanneer daar geen ernstige onderliggende siektetoestande teenwoordig is nie. Dit is reeds bewys dat oefening baie doeltreffend is in die behandeling van chroniese laerugpyn. Daar bestaan egter steeds vrae rondom die gebruik van oefening as terapie.Die vooropgestelde doelwit van die studie was om te bepaal of ’n aggressiewe-progressiewe inoefeningsprogram doeltreffend sal wees in die behandeling van chroniese laerugpyn, en meer spesifiek watter tipe oefening die doeltreffendste sal wees. Die navorsing het bestaan uit ’n paar stappe wat ingesluit het ’n intensiewe literatuursoektog, die identifisering van ’n gepaste toetsbattery met verwante minimum fisieke vereistes en afsnytellings, die verkryging en evaluering van proefpersone, die implementering van die intervensieprogram en die daaropvolgende hertoetsing van die proefpersone.Nadat die invordering van die data en die gepaardgaande analise van die data voltooi is, was die volgende stap om gebruik te maak van twee gevallestudies ten einde die doeltreffendheid van die intervensieprogram vir individuele proefpersone te ilustreer deur dit te vergelyk met die groep as ’n geheel. Die twee gevallestudies was van proefpersone wat die intervensieprogram volledig voltooi het, alhoewel die een proefpersoon langer geneem het om die intervensieprogram te voltooi. Dit help om die navolgingswaarde van ’n inoefeningsprotokol te illustreer. Die resultate van die huidige studie is uiters positief. Die twee gevallestudies gee ’n mate van insig wat betref die potensiële waarde wat verkry kan word deur die implementering van ’n meer aggressiewe-progressiewe inoefeningsintervensie vir die behandeling van chroniese lae rugpyn. Die finale produk sal die nodige ondersteuning aan oefeningsterapeute bied wat onseker is oor die behandeling van chroniese laerugpyn deur middel van aggressiewe-progressiewe inoefeningsintervensies en kognitiewe gedragstegnieke. Hierdie studie sal dus die begrip en insig van die behandeling van chroniese laerugpyn in Suid-Afrika verhoog vanuit ’n oefeningsuitgangspunt. Tweedens sal die studie die gebruik van praktiese oefentegnieke aanmoedig in ’n era waarin ekonomiese tye moeilik is. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2011. / Biokinetics, Sport and Leisure Sciences / unrestricted

É reconhecida a importância da atividade física e do estilo de vida na prevenção das doenças cardiovasculares. Programas corporativos de condicionamento físico têm sido utilizados por empresas na tentativa de melhorar a saúde de seus funcionários. O objetivo deste trabalho foi verificar se existe relação entre atividade física e morbidade cardiovascular referidas por gerentes e diretores de uma indústria automobilística. Como objetivos secundários avaliar a associação entre atividade física e outras variáveis relacionadas com o estilo de vida, com a utilização de serviços de saúde, absenteísmo e presenteísmo. Por último, avaliar se a participação em um programa de condicionamento físico supervisionado influenciou a atividade física habitual dessa população. Para tanto, foram estudados 376 indivíduos ativos ou inativos, participantes ou não do programa de condicionamento físico. A atividade física habitual, que foi avaliada por meio do Escore de Baecke, e outras variáveis relacionadas com o estilo de vida, como consumo alimentar de gorduras, frutas e vegetais, hábito de fumar e consumo de bebidas alcoólicas foram levantadas por meio de questionário. O escore de atividade física apresentou associação negativa tanto com relação ao absenteísmo como quanto em relação ao indivíduo que executa trabalho quando doente. Não houve associação estatisticamente significativa com morbidade cardiovascular referida, procura por atendimento médico e presenteísmo. Os indivíduos que relataram morbidade cardiovascular apresentam média de idade mais alta e índice de massa corpórea mais elevada. O presenteísmo se associou positivamente com o maior consumo de frutas e vegetais . E o inverso foi observado nos indivíduos com maior absenteísmo, que consumiram menor quantidade de frutas e vegetais. Verificou-se que os participantes regulares do programa de condicionamento físico supervisionado, por um lado, apresentaram escore mais elevado de atividade física, e por outro referiram maior proporção de morbidade cardiovascular. Esta última característica também foi observada entre os que procuraram e participaram do programa mas não foram aderentes. / There is no doubt that the fitness activity together with a sound life style has a strong impact on preventing cardiovascular diseases. Corporate fitness programs have been utilized by most companies in an attempt to improve the overall health of their employees. The primary objective of this study was to verify if there is any relation between physical activity and cardiovascular morbidity as referred by a group of managers and directors of automotive industry. As a secondary objective we intended to evaluate the relationship between physical activity and other variants directly related to some issues, such as life style, utilization of health services, absenteeism and presenteeism. At last, evaluate if the attendance to a under supervision physical activity program has influenced the habitual physical activity of this mentioned population. In order to accomplish that, we have studied 376 individuals, actives or not, attending or not to a physical activity program. The habitual physical activity, which has been evaluated by the \"Escore de Baecke\" and some other variants related to life style, such as intake of fat, fruits and vegetables, smoking habits as well as alcohol intake. These data have collected by the application of a questionnaire. The physical activity score has shown a negative association either with regards to absenteeism or with regards to the individual who performs his or her job when sick. There has not been any significant statistic association among the referred cardiovascular morbidity, search for medical assistance and presenteeism. The individuals who reported cardiovascular morbidity showed a higher age average and also higher body mass. The presenteeism was positively associated with the higher intake of fruits and vegetables. And the opposite was also observed in individuals with higher absenteeism with a less intake of fruits and vegetables. It was also observed that the regular attendees of under supervision physical activity program, at one side, show higher physical activity score and by the other side showed a higher proportion of cardiovascular morbidity. This last characteristic was also observed among those individuals who looked for and participated in a physical activity program but did not have the opportunity to attend it.

No description available.

People in Sweden are living longer than ever before, as research and improvements in medical care become progressively more advanced. Yet, absenteeism related to stress and clinical burnout has increased dramatically in the past decade. The purpose of this study is to investigate employers’ support functions regarding rehabilitation from clinical burnout, from the perspective of social workers. The research was conducted using qualitative, semi-structured interview sessions with 16 social workers that either have been or are suffering from clinical burnout. The main theory used was House’s theory on different types of social support, which classifies social support into four categories. The results show that the interviewees describe emotional support in ways that do not entirely correlate with House’s theory. The interviewees emphasised the importance of the support from family and friends, that they never stopped calling or texting. This especially entails the importance of someone recognizing the person’s needs without being asked to do so, being willing to listen, assisting in understanding and processing the anxiety, as well as offering a sense of emotional security and community. The majority of respondents stressed the crucial role of managers in their return to work, for example through continuous monitoring, follow-ups and adaptation of tasks. Relatedly, most respondents meant that they lacked a way of fully recovering. The absolute majority of those claiming to lack different kinds of support from managers. Roughly half of said respondents also experienced the lack of an insufficient sense of influence and autonomy in the process of returning to work. This study shows that emotional support from the employer has great positive effects on rehabilitation and the possibility for social workers to return to work following clinical burnout. / I Sverige idag så lever människor längre än tidigare, forskning och vård är så utvecklade att vi kan hjälpa och stötta människor bättre än någonsin. Trots detta har antalet sjukskrivningar på grund av stress och utmattningssyndrom ökat explosionsartat de senaste tio åren. Syftet med denna studie är att få ta del av socionomers egna upplevelser av vilken betydelse emotionellt stöd från arbetsgivaren har för rehabiliteringsprocessen från utmattningssyndrom. Genom en kvalitativ undersökning genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer med 16 socionomer som är eller har varit sjukskrivna.  Den teori som används är Houses teori om olika former av socialt stöd, den delar upp socialt stöd i fyra olika former. Resultatet visar att informanterna beskriver emotionellt stöd på flera olika sätt som inte helt stämmer överens med Houses uppdelning. Informanterna lyfter fram vikten av att familj och vänner fanns där, att de inte slutade att ringa eller skicka sms. Vikten av att någon ser vad som behöver göras och bara göra, att inte behöva be om hjälp. De flesta informanterna lyfte fram vikten av att bli lyssnad på samt att få hjälp och stöd med att bearbeta och kartlägga ångesten. Att öppna sig för någon och känna sig trygg, bli sedd och vara i ett sammanhang. De flesta informanterna svarade att chefen hade en avgörande roll för deras återgång i arbete efter utmattningssyndrom bland annat genom täta avstämningar och arbetsanpassningar. Samtidigt berättade mer än hälften av informanterna att de saknade något för att komma åter på bästa sätt. Nästan alla av de som saknade något saknade olika former av chefsstöd. Drygt hälften av de informanter som saknade något, saknade känslan av delaktighet och självbestämmande i processen för återgång i arbetet. Denna studie visar att emotionellt stöd från arbetsgivaren har stor positiv effekt på rehabiliteringsprocessen och möjligheten för socionomer att komma åter i arbete efter sjukskrivning på grund av utmattningssyndrom.

De centrala stödteamen som studerats i denna studie är ett komplement till den lagstadgade verksamheten i sina respektive kommuner i arbetet med elever som utmanar i skolan och /eller är i problematisk skolfrånvaro. De studerade teamen arbetar på uppdrag av socialförvaltningen, Barn och ungdomsförvaltningen eller en kombination av de båda. Studien är gjord med den grundade teorin som metod och med ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv då både metod och teori lyfter informanternas upplevelse av sin verklighet. Syftet med denna studie är att analysera de framgångsfaktorer men även hinder som några studerade centrala stödteam upplever i arbetet med elever i problematisk skolfrånvaro. Det som framkommer i studien är att de studerade stödteamens konstruktion och centrala styrning där genom att verka på alla skolor i en kommun gör det möjligt att använda sig av både de bemötanden och förutsättningar som presenteras i studiens resultat.De framgångsfaktorer som framkommit i studien som också är studiens main concern är uppdelade i två huvudgrupper. Den ena är Framgångsrika Bemötanden där några nyckelkategorier blivit centrala. Dessa nyckelkategorier är; Icke-dömande, Respekterande, Inlyssnande, Förstående, Icke kravsättande, Avlastande, Samarbetande, Samordnande samt Relationsskapande. De studerade teamen menar att det inte går att prioritera dessa kategorier, men att Icke-dömandet är en förutsättning för de övriga. Den andra huvudgruppen är Gynnsamma Förutsättningar. Denna huvudgrupp delas in i: Tid, Kompetens och erfarenhet, Likvärdighet, Upparbetade relationer, Intensivvarande samt organisation. I studien har också framkommit hinder i de studerade teamens verksamhet. Dessa framkommer i olika grad samt på olika sätt för de studerade teamen, men har sammanfattats i några faktorer; Sekretess, Bedömda/dömda pedagoger-ledning, Dömande personal, Komma in i “slutna hem” samt Ekonomi. Dessa hinder menar de studerade teamen kan bromsa upp effektiviteten i både tid och insats i ett ärende de verkar i. Den organisatoriska lösningen där både socialtjänst och skola samverkar är den konstellation som enligt de studerade stödteamen är den bästa och då i kombination med att det i teamet finns både lärare som kan tala skolans språk och även tala med skolan utan att upplevas okunnig eller oförstående. Detsamma gäller anledningen till att socialtjänsten är representerad med en socionom som kan möta socialtjänsten på samma sätt. / The central support team in this study are a complement to the ordinary work with students that is challenging the school or/ and are in problematic school absenteeism. The study uses the grounded theory as method and a social constructive perspective when both method and theory explain the informers experience of their own reality.  Studien är gjord med den grundade teorin som metod och med ett socialkonstruktionistiskt perspektiv då både metod och teori lyfter informanternas upplevelse av sin verklighet. The teams that been studied are initiated by the social department, the school department and some by a mix of them both. The mix are de model that all teams meant was the most successful and best suited constellation with a teacher and a social worker, working together. The reason with this opinion is that the team in the study explains it with the credibility that teacher are better suited to talk with the school and the social worker are better suited to run the communication with the social services. The purpose with this study is to reveal the factors of success in some central support teams work with students in problematic school absenteeism, and also unveil the obstacles that the studied support team could meet in their work with these students. What the study shaws is that how the studied team were constructed with their professions and the fact that they are under a central control and not are tied to one separate school or area were the main factor that allows both the factors of success and the favourable prerequisite that is the two main concerns with this study to work.The factors of success that appeared in the study are represented by two main concerns, the first one is the Personal treatment meeting with people. Some key categories that construct this factor of success are None-judging, Respecting, In-listening, Understanding, Not demanding, to unburden, Cooperating, Coworking and Relation construction. The teams in the study point out that there is impossible to prioritize these categories, but the None-judging behaviour is the prerequisite for the others.The second main concern is the favourable prerequisite for the teams to work. This main consern is divided in; Time, competence and experience, comparability, already done relations, intensity being and organization. The team in the study have an agreement in that it is these categories that divide them from the ordinary work whit students in problematic school absenteeism in their municipalities and that is their strikingness that is the key to make the factors of success to work.In this study there also appeared some obstacles in the work for the teams. These obstacles appear in different grade and different ways for the team in the study, but are concluded in the key categories, Confidentiality, judged/ condemned school personnel, Judgemental personnel, to enter closed homes and economy. These categories the team in the study are factors that can inhibit their work and make it less efficient over time and in effort and also are results presented in the study.

This Master's thesis focuses on the cooperation between school and the Authority for Social and Legal Protection of Children (OSPOD) with the emphasis on neglecting school attendance in primary school. Cooperation of OSPOD with other authorities is a significant part of OSPOD employee's job description. At school, especially primary school, the undesirable effects of dysfunctional family environment or other socially pathological effects can be manifested on a child. Teachers also play a very important role because they can bring attention to potentially undesirable display of children's behaviour, such as neglecting school attendance. The quality of the cooperation between school teachers when dealing with the neglect of school attendance may have a significantly positive effect on a child's life. The thesis is divided into theoretical and empirical parts. The first part consists of the theoretical conceptualization of the problem. In the empirical part, qualitative data were collected through a case study which was focused on the cooperation between OSPOD and a selected primary school. Key words: OSPOD, school, absenteeism school attendance, primary school, cooperation, dysfunctional family environment, socio-pathological effects, teacher, social worker