This research is aimed at studying and describing the psychosocial effects of infertility on couples. Infertility is a reasonably new field of specialization in Medical Social Work, with a limited amount of research findings and literature available. A definite need for research therefore exists in this field. The stages and procedures of research used in this study are firstly described, as well as the problems experienced with the study and definitions of terms used. Subsequently, infertility is described in detail to provide the necessary knowledge of and insight into the problem and also to understand what infertile couples have to endure during the whole treatment period. This includes the initial interview, the medical investigations, the causes of infertility, the treatment procedures av.ailable and the psycho-social effects of infertility. The roles, tasks, skills and knowledge of the medical social worker in a multi-professional health setting are described next, followed by a guideline for medical social workers as regards the infertile couple at an Infertility Clinic. This guideline describes the roles and tasks of the medical social worker regarding each step of the entire infertility treatment plan. Hereafter the research findings and graphical representations of this exploratory and descriptive study of the psycho-social effects of infertility on couples, are presented and discussed. The hypothesis for this study: "Infertility has various psychosocial effects on a couple" is accordingly supported. Finally the general summary, conclusions and recommendations arising from this study are provided. / Dissertation (MA)--University of Pretoria, 1989. / gm2014 / Social Work and Criminology / Unrestricted

Kuratorer inom hälso- och sjukvården har länge kämpat för en legitimering. I Socialstyrelsens rapport (2014) anses nu att en yrkeslegitimation är nödvändigt för att stärka patientsäkerheten samt att höja yrkeskompetensen. Denna studie är en pilotstudie i Kuratorsklinikens forskningsprojekt som handlar om evidensbaserad praktik. Studien handlar om vilka insatser samt arbetsmetoder som kuratorer arbetar efter då de genomför stödsamtal. Vidare är syftet att få en ökad förståelse om kuratorers praktik är mer evidensbaserad eller erfarenhetsbaserad. För att ta redan på detta har jag gjorde en kvalitativ innehållsanalys av nio avidentifierade journaler. Resultatet visade på att de insatser som kuratorer arbetar med är följande: kartlägga, medvetenhetsgöra, förändra, meningsfullhet samt samordna. De arbetsmetoder som jag fann var motiverande samtal (MI) samt kognitiv beteendeterapi (KBT). För att förstå materialet har jag använt mig av systemteori samt evidensbaserade metoder och olika kunskapsområden dit erfarenhetsbaserad kunskap hör till. Utifrån materialet är det svårt att säga om kuratorer arbetar mer utifrån erfarenhet än evidens dock kan man hävda att de använder båda arbetssätten i deras praktik. / Swedish medical counselors have for many years strived to get a professional certificate without any result. The Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare has now stated in a report (2014) that a professional certificate is necessary to strengthen patient safety and to improve professional skills. This study is a pilot study done in collaboration with Kuratorsklinikens research about evidence-based practice. The studies aim is to get a wider understanding in what methods and efforts counselors use when conducting a supportive session. Furthermore, the aim is to get a better understanding if their practice is based mostly on evidence or experience. The study contains nine anonymous medical patient journals and qualitative content analysis was used. The result showed that the efforts counselors work with are the following: mapping, awareness, change, meaningfulness and coordination. The methods found was motivational interviewing (MI) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). To understand the material system theory was used as well as evidence-based methods and experience-based knowledge.

(in English): The work deals with issue of social worker's role in hospital from point of view of medical social workers working with senior citizens. In theoretical part is presented profession of medical social worker and its specifics in Czech Republic: history, legislation, education, competences and a role of medical social worker in multidisciplinary team. It is focused also on health care and social services provided to the target group of senior citizens in our country. Practical part is focused on presentation and interpretation of data gained from qualitative research which was realized by semi-structural interviews with medical social workers in chosen faculty hospitals in Prague. Keywords (in English): social work in health care, medical social worker, senior citizens, social services, health care services

This study aimed to investigate the role, possibilities, challenges and emotional labor of Healthcare Counselors in pediatric palliative care. Through semi-structured interviews with five counselors, a thematic analysis was conducted. The findings reveal a broad and dynamic role, partially unclear, allowing individual shaping. Additionally, the study highlights counselors' capacity to support families during severe crises and discussions about end-of-life matters. The work is both meaningful and emotionally challenging, and coping theory illustrates how counselors manage their emotions using problem-focused and emotional coping strategies. The conclusions emphasize the relevance for counselors, collaboratingprofessions and management in pediatric palliative care.

Annotation: The purpose of this Master's thesis is to describe objectively topic of medical social workers' communication in centers of post-acute care, to highlight importance and difficulty of social work with senior citizens and to propose eventual changes leading to eventual communication improvement. Social work here is complicated because senior citizens are often lonely or may have problematic family relationships or may suffer from dementia and quite often are polymorbid patients. For the thesis were used statistics from The Centre of Postacute Care - Motol University Hospital, then method of questionnaire realized with medical social workers from centers of post-acute care in Czech Republic, and method of structured interview with patients in Center of Postacute Care - Motol University Hospital.