Syftet med föreliggande studie var att genom medieringsanalyser pröva delar av Birrer, Morgan och Röthlin’s (2012) modell, detta genom att vid tre mättillfällen undersöka samband mellan dispositionell mindfulness, emotionsreglering, ältande samt coping. Som underlag för studien användes en enkät som sammanlagt 168 deltagare, varav 107 män och 61 kvinnor besvarade. Medelåldern på deltagarna var 17,73 år (SD=2,16). Resultatet av medieringsanalyserna visade att dispositionell mindfulness hade en signifikant indirekt effekt på coping genom emotionsreglering. Däremot visade resultatet ingen signifikant indirekt effekt mellan dispositionell mindfulness och coping genom mindre ältande. Utifrån föreliggande studiens resultat kan det föreslås att Birrer et al.’s (2012) modell inte är fullständigt funktionell. Föreliggande studie föreslår att emotionsreglering är en medierande variabel i sambandet mellan dispositionell mindfulness och coping bland idrottare. Idrottare med en hög nivå av dispositionell mindfulness kan genom emotionsreglering ha en bättre copingförmåga. Dispositionell mindfulness skapar därmed goda förutsättningar för idrottaren att kunna hantera stress i en idrottskontext. / The purpose of this study was to test parts of the model by Birrer, Morgan and Röthlin (2012) at three separate occasions, and through mediation analyses examine the relationship between trait mindfulness, emotion regulation, rumination and coping. As the basis of the study a survey was used in which 168 participants, 107 men and 61 women, answered. The average age of the participants was 17,73 years (SD=2,16). The result of the mediation analyses showed that trait mindfulness had a significant indirect effect on coping via emotion regulation. However the result did not show a significant indirect effect between trait mindfulness and coping via less rumination. From the result of this study it is suggested that Birrer et al.‘s (2012) model is not entirely functional. This study suggests that emotion regulation is a mediating variable in the relationship between trait mindfulness and coping within athletes. Athletes that have a high level of trait mindfulness can through emotion regulation also have a better coping ability. Trait mindfulness therefore creates good opportunities for the athlete to be able to handle stress in a sport context.

The evidence base for Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) is growing, but there is a lack of experimental validation among populations with acquired brain injuries (ABI). The purpose of this study was to investigate the acceptability and effectiveness of MBCT in fostering psychological recovery among adults with ABI. More specifically, this study was conducted to:(a) extend Finucane and Mercer’s (2006) study by applying MBCT to another population (i.e., adults with ABI); (b) corroborate the Bedard et al. (2008) finding of MBCT’s effectiveness in reducing depression in adults with TBI; (c) establish if empirical findings of the effectiveness of MBCT on depression and anxiety in the general population and in primary care patients with active symptoms of depression and anxiety extended to adults with ABI; and (d) explore the effect of MBCT treatment on measures of locus of control, satisfaction with life, self-awareness, and coping in adults with ABI. A mixed methods design was used and participants were recruited from two community-based brain injury programs. The final sample comprised 12 adults with mild, moderate, and severe injuries. Interview and self-report measures were administered pre- and post-treatment. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured focus groups following MBCT treatment. Depression, denial, and self-awareness among participants showed statistically significant improvements and participants’ demonstrated statistically significant increases in positive reframing and active coping. Focus group data confirmed MBCT as an acceptable and effective approach for adults with ABI, and also speak to implications for the use of MBCT in ABI populations specifically. The need for a larger replication study with a control group is discussed. / Graduate

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Föreliggande arbete har utförts i samarbete med det nystartade företaget Eklundens källa. Syftet med undersökningarna har varit att ta reda på hur en grafisk profil samt en användarvänlig hemsida bör framställas för att spegla företagets vision samt kärnvärden på lämpligast sätt. En semi-strukturerad intervju genomfördes med uppdragsgivaren för att få mer kunskap om företaget. Genom omvärldsanalyser skapades en bättre förståelse för hur konkurrenter profilerar sig, samt hur deras hemsidor är uppbyggda. Genom två olika enkätundersökningar framkom värdefulla åsikter och resultat som låg till grund för framställningen av Eklundens källas nya grafiska utseende. Den grafiska profilen framställdes efter Sless' modell för informationsdesign. Resultatet av arbetet blev ett förslag till en mer användarvänlig hemsida åt företaget samt en ny grafisk profil innehållande riktlinjer för logotyper, färger, typsnitt, grafiska element, korrespondensmaterial och webben. Respondenternas svar visade på att det nya materialet i stor utsträckning förmedlade företagets kärnvärden trygghet och kompetens, samt att det var anpassat till branschen. / This work was conducted in collaboration with the startup company Eklundens källa. The purpose of the studies was to find out how a branding manual and a user-friendly website should be made to reflect the company's vision and core values in the most appropriate manner. A semi-structured interview was conducted with the client to get more knowledge about the company. A visual content analysis was performed to get a better understanding of how competitors are profiled, and how their websites are built. Two separate surveys revealed valuable opinions and results as the basis for the production of Eklundens källas new visual identity. The visual identity was made after Sless’ model measuring information design. The result of this work was a proposal for a more user-friendly website and a new branding manual containing guidelines for logos, colors, fonts, visual identity imagery, correspondence materials and web for the company. The respondents' answers showed that the new material largely conveyed the company's core values of safety and competence, and that it was suited to the industry.

Fokus för studien är danslärares förståelse och bruk av mentala träningsprocesser i dans­undervisningen. Syftet med studien är att beskriva hur danslärare, vid gymnasieprogram och yrkesprogram för dans i dag, arbetar med metoder som indikerar mental träning. Vidare är avsikten att skapa förutsättningar för kunskap om mental träning i danslärares undervisnings­praktik. I studien har jag valt att arbeta med blandade metoder. Detta möjliggör en kom­binerad kvantitativ och kvalitativ studie. Jag har genomfört en enkätundersökning, samt en kombinerad observation och intervjustudie med danslärare på gymnasieskolans estetiska program och på yrkesprogram för dans. I resultatet framkommer att danslärarna helt eller delvis saknar utbildning i mentala tränings­metoder och därmed de teoretiska verktyg som en holistisk undervisning kräver. Detta indikerar att danslärarna saknar teoretiska verktyg för att medvetandegöra vikten av mental träning, men att de aktivt arbetar didaktiskt med danselevens mentalt utmanande tränings­processer. När danslärarna har teoretiska verktyg kan de benämna de mentala träningsmetoder de tillämpar och begreppsliggöra de mentala träningsprocessernas betydelse. På så sätt med­vetandegörs danseleverna om de mentala träningsmetodernas betydelse vilket skapar förut­sätt­­ningar för en hälsosammare dansprofession. / Dance teachers’ practice and understanding of mental training processes in dance teaching is the focus of this study. The aim is to describe how dance teachers, in high school programs and on vocational programs for dance today, work with mental training processes. Dance teachers need theoretical and practical knowledge of mental training, to enable dance students’ awareness of how they can handle stressful situations as dancers. The purpose of this study is to increased knowledge about mental training in dance teachers’ teaching practice. I have conducted a mixed method study, with a survey, and a combined observation and interview study. This enables a combined quantitative and qualitative study. The dance teachers in this study relates to how dance students express mental states. The teachers use didactic working methods that show how mental training methods works. This indicates that dance teachers actively work with mental training processes but lack theoretical tools to raise awareness of the importance and benefits of mental training. Dance teachers that can name the mental training methods they apply and conceptualize the significance of the mental training processes for the dancer. Mental training methods enables a possibility for dancers to reach a healthier dance carrier.

Användningen av mindfulness i psykologisk behandling har vuxit kraftigt de senaste decennierna. Forskningen har dock nästan uteslutande fokuserat på dess positiva effekter. I denna studie genomfördes semistrukturerade intervjuer med tio yrkesverksamma psykologer om deras erfarenheter av svårigheter och problem på området. Intervjumaterialet analyserades med induktiv tematisk analys och visade att utmaningar, fallgropar och risker förekommer. Tre övergripande teman genererades; patientrelaterade egenskaper (bl.a. traumatiska erfarenheter, bristande affektreglering och felaktiga förväntningar på mindfulness), egenskaper hos behandlaren (bl.a. bristande förmåga att bedöma patienters behov och förutsättningar) och den övergripande synen på mindfulness (bl.a. bilden av en kostnadseffektiv ”dos” som kan distribueras i gruppformat istället för en individuell läroprocess liksom tendenser att systemproblem såsom arbetsmiljöfrågor läggs på individnivå). Deltagarna poängterar vikten av personlig erfarenhet, att arbeta individanpassat och ha respekt för metoden. / The use of mindfulness in clinical/therapeutical contexts has increased substantially during the past few decades. Most research in the field however has been solely focused on its positive effects. In this study ten clinical psychologists were interviewed regarding their experiences of difficulties and problems when using mindfulness with patients. The resulting material showed that challenges, pitfalls, and risks exist. Using inductive thematic analysis three major themes were generated: aspects relating to the patient (e.g. traumatic experiences, insufficient capacity in regulating affect and unrealistic expectations), aspects relating to the practitioner (e.g. insufficient capacity to assess the patient´s needs and capacities) and the overall view of mindfulness (e.g. as a cost efficient “dose” which can easily be distributed in a group setting instead of as an individual learning process as well as tendencies to individualize systemic problems such as working environment). The participants emphasize the importance of personal experience, to have respect for the method and to adapt and customize it to the patient.

Achievement motivation theory suggests there are two primary approaches to achievement tasks: to appear competent or to develop a skill. These two different approaches to performance yield different affective and behavioral responses. Athletes holding a performance goal orientation tend to respond to challenges with behaviors exemplifying learned helplessness and increased anxiety. Athletes holding a mastery goal orientation tend to respond to challenges with greater effort and experience less sport-related anxiety. Individual athlete factors, such as grit, mindfulness, and achievement orientation may influence how athletes experience their environment and their levels of sport anxiety, and may interact with athletes' achievement motives to influence performance. I used hierarchical multiple regressions to test the main effects of feedback and mindfulness, and feedback and goal orientation, to determine if either mindfulness or goal orientation moderated the effects of feedback on performance. I also used simple regression to determine the relative predictive strength of mindfulness, grit, and goal orientation on athletes' experience of sport anxiety. Mindfulness, but not goal orientation, was a significant moderator of the feedback-shooting performance relationship, but particularly for athletes low in mindfulness; mastery-goal orientation, independently of feedback, was also a significant predictor of task performance. Mindfulness also emerged as the strongest predictor of reduced sport anxiety. These results suggest that, for athletes low in mindfulness, mastery-involving feedback may be especially helpful. Further, mindfulness may also reduce athlete's sport-related concentration disruption, worry, and somatic anxiety.

Objectives: We meta-Analyzed the effect of meditation on blood pressure (BP), including both transcendental meditation and non-Transcendental meditation interventions. Methods: We identified randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the BP responses to meditation interventions through a systematic literature search of the PubMed, ABI/INFORM, MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, and CINAHL databases (from January 1980 to October 2015). We meta-Analyzed the change in SBP and DBP, stratified by type of meditation (transcendental meditation vs. nontranscendental meditation intervention) and by type of BP measurement [ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM) vs. non-ABPM measurement]. Results: Nineteen studies met the eligibility criteria. Among the studies using the ABPM measurement, the pooled SBP effect estimate was-2.49mmHg [95% confidence interval (CI):-7.51, 2.53] for transcendental meditation intervention (statistically insignificant) and-3.77mmHg (95% CI:-5.33,-2.21) for nontranscendental meditation interventions, whereas the pooled DBP effect estimate was-4.26mmHg (95% CI:-6.21,-2.31) for transcendental meditation interventions and-2.18mmHg (95% CI:-4.28,-0.09) for nontranscendental meditation interventions. Among the studies using the non-ABPM measurement, the pooled SBP effect estimate from transcendental meditation interventions was-5.57mmHg (95% CI:-7.41,-3.73) and was-5.09mmHg with non-Transcendental meditation intervention (95% CI:-6.34,-3.85), whereas the pooled effect size in DBP change for transcendental meditation interventions was-2.86mmHg (95% CI:-4.27,-1.44) and was-2.57mmHg (95% CI:-3.36,-1.79) for nontranscendental meditation interventions. Conclusion: Non-Transcendental meditation may serve as a promising alternative approach for lowering both SBP and DBP. More ABPM-measured transcendental meditation interventions might be needed to examine the benefit of transcendental meditation intervention on SBP reduction.

This study aimed to assess the impact of an Mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) intervention in a program serving women who survived Intimate partner violence (IPV). The biopsychosocial model, formulated by Engel, was the theoretical basis of this study. The impact of the MBSR intervention was assessed by qualitatively evaluating researcher notes and 5 participants' journals and reflections, and quantitatively evaluating 16 participants' self-reported stress, mindfulness, well-being, and optimism before and after the intervention. The themes that emerged from the qualitative data included participants' feelings of relaxation or balance, improved self-awareness, mindfulness exercises becoming easier over time, and improved intentionality. The Kentucky Inventory of Mindfulness Skills (KIMS) self-report inventory was used to assess participants' mindfulness. The KIMS instrument is composed of four subscales: observe, describe, act, and accept. There were significant improvements in the describe and accept dimensions of mindfulness from pretest to posttest, after Bonferroni adjustment. The subscale describe measures how well the participants report being able to describe, identify, or observe mental phenomena in a nonjudgmental manner. There were no significant differences from pre to posttest on stress, well-being, and optimism, a non-equivalent dependent variable not expected to change as a result of the intervention, as optimism is presumed to be a stable personality trait. This study may provide a valuable link to the development of coping and treatment strategies for IPV survivors that can be integrated into therapy programs and individual treatment.