Millions of dollars are being spent on health care claims. To try and reduce these claims, corporations are implementing worksite health promotion programs. Some success has been associated with these programs. Many programs implement different types of incentives and competitions. Some incentives and competitions are based on individual participation while others are based on team participation. The purpose of the study was to determine the role social support plays in individual and team health promotion programs and discover if social support was the key factor for the differences in such programs. All participants of the study were responsible for keeping a four week activity log that tracked the number of minutes spent exercising each day. In addition, each participant was responsible for completing three social support surveys, which were due at the beginning, middle, and end of the program. Half of the participants competed as individuals while the other half competed as two-person teams. Each participant completed their forms electronically and attached them to an email that was sent to the principle investigator by specified due dates. There were no differences discovered between the two conditions. There were no differences in the number of minutes spent exercising, but there were also no differences in the social support scores. However, this might be due to a number of reasons. First, the majority of the participants were already exercising an average of about 38 minutes per day, which is the recommended amount. Second, there may have been more distinct differences if novel exercisers were paired with regular participants in the team condition. Finally, the provided incentive was small and there may have been greater participation and lower attrition if a bigger incentive was provided. Although there were no significant differences between the conditions, valuable information was still gathered. Worksite wellness centers may provide an element of built-in support, which is part of a healthy corporate culture and ultimately affects health behavior change. Also, there are many opportunities for future research. A follow-up study may show that the team participants maintained their level of exercise because of the relationships created during the program. However, regardless of the type of program, individual or team, incentive programs are an important component of worksite health promotion and both types should be offered throughout the year to encourage participants to keep up or implement a healthy lifestyle.

The overall aim with this thesis is to describe and analyze women’s and men’s recovery processes. More specifically, the aim is to determine what women and men with experience of mental illness describe as contributing to the personal recovery process. The point of departure for the studies was 30 in-depth interviews conducted with 15 men and 15 women. The selection of interview subjects was limited to individuals who had been treated in 24-hour psychiatric care and diagnosed as having schizophrenia, psychosis, a personality disorder, or a bipolar disorder.   Four studies have been carried.  Study 1 was a baseline article that examined what people in recovery from mental illness outline as facilitating factors to their recovery. The results that emerged from that study indicated areas for further analysis to condense the understanding of the recovery process. In study 2 the similarities and the differences in recovery described by women and men were examined. In Study 3 women’s and men’s meaning-making with reference to severe mental illness facilitate the recovery process were studied. The forth study explored how peer-support contribute to women’s and men’s recovery from mental illness.   The results emphasize recovery from mental illness as a social process in which relationships play a key role in creating new identities beside the mental illness. For a majority of the participants meeting peers facilitated the recovery process. The participants described how peer support meant an end to isolation and became an arena for identification, connection, and being important to others. Throughout these recovery processes the impact of gender has been emphasized. The results from this thesis provide new insight into gender as an important factor in understanding the recovery processes. The results from the four studies emphasize the mental patient, the psychiatric interventions and the individual recovery strategies as being influenced by gender constructions.

Arbetet som ambulanspersonal är påfrestande, såväl fysiskt som psykiskt. Att vara fysiskt vältränad är säkerligen en fördel, men kan man vara vältränad även på det psykiska planet? Många studier har gjorts om ambulanspersonalens copingstrategier, men få har gjorts i Sverige. Studier gjorda utomlands har visat att några av de vanligaste copingstrategierna hos ambulanspersonal är socialt stöd, emotionell- och kognitivcoping. Denna studie har gjorts för att belysa relationen mellan socialt stöd och coping angående arbetsmiljöstressorer hos ambulanspersonal i Mellansverige. Författaren genomförde studien genom intervjuer av fyra kamratstödjare inom ambulansen. Resultatet visade att socialt stöd har en stor betydelse för ambulanspersonalen för att lägga upp copingstrategier i hanteringen av arbetsmiljöstressorer. Studien visar samma tendens hos ambulanspersonal utomlands.

This thesis explores young people’s transgenderings through negotiations of language, bodies and experiences of different peer and community-based support spaces in Aotearoa New Zealand. It critically examines what ‘support’ means for young people in relation to developing subjectivities and embodiments shaped by being both young and transgender/ gender non-conforming. While these perspectives are varied, I argue that the production of community and peer-based support for those who are both young and transgender or gender non-conforming has been undergoing a period of significant change, reflecting queer and postmodern shifts which have worked to re-conceptualise the ways queer and transgender communities and peers are imagined, incorporating a greater inclusive focus on diversity. Utilising Sara Ahmed’s concept of queer phenomenology and post-structuralist theory, the thesis thinks beyond binary approaches to gender and support, to consider support and gender non-conformity through the process of ‘disorientation’. Throughout this project both ‘gender’ and ‘support’ are positioned as being subjective, embodied and discursive knowledges and actions, represented in multiple and contradictory ideas, identities and expressions of the different participants. The study utilises in-depth qualitative interviews with participants who are young people (aged 16-30 years) and support providers and developers of transgender/queer based support in Aotearoa New Zealand. Working with young people and support providers, this research provides an analysis of support development for transgender and gender non-conforming young people in Aotearoa New Zealand, arguing that all participants in support (both providers and recipients) are shaping its provision.

Over the last century, peer-support programs have emerged as viable treatment options for individuals in recovery from problematic alcohol use (White, 2009). During this time, researchers have generated a considerable amount of evidence suggesting that peer-support programs promote widespread benefits among group members (e.g., White, 2009). Despite a growing body of research in this area, little is currently known about the processes explaining how peer-support groups help people achieve positive recovery outcomes. The current study adopts a self-determination theory (Ryan & Deci, 2000) framework to explore the means by which peer-support programs promote well-being, group satisfaction, and sustainable behaviour regulation for limiting alcohol use. Eighty-one peer-support attendees responded to a brief web-survey about self-regulation, well-being, and peer-support group experiences. These participants were recruited as part of a larger longitudinal project (entitled “Sober Together”) on peer-support for problematic alcohol use. Preliminary findings indicated that peer-support attendees who perceived group environments as need supportive were more likely to experience psychological need fulfillment, and in turn, greater well-being, group satisfaction, and autonomous regulation for limiting alcohol use. Notably, participants who perceived a congruent “spiritual-fit” with secular or spiritually-based peer-support programs also appeared more likely to experience their group as need supportive, which in turn, bolstered perceptions of psychological need fulfillment. Findings highlight the importance of structuring peer-support environments in a manner that supports psychological needs. / Graduate / 0621 / 0622 / 0451 / tcarey@uvic.ca

The development of clinical peer counselling within BC Schizophrenia Society Victoria (BCSSV) would be an innovation to the local mental health community that could enhance client illness management. This qualitative action research sought to enhance alignment between lived experience of mental illness recovery and professionalism, thereby adding value to the broader field of mental health support programs. Results showed that ethics, disclosure, boundaries, human rights, definitions, readiness, training, supervision, recruitment, liability and strengths need to be further explored prior to program implementation. The conclusions suggested this type of program needs a strong ethical base, a philosophy that supports organizational readiness and change management strategies, understands the complexity of liability and utilizes already existing community resources. The recommendations support community consultation towards a viability assessment, development of an organizational wellness recovery action plan, proper program parameter development such as defining peer support vs. peer counselling, and further research into peer-led services.

Background and Aims Estimates suggest more than three million children and young people (CYP) live with a parent experiencing mental distress (PEMD). It is suggested that CYP are often left to make sense of the uncertain nature of mental distress on their own. Furthermore, the existence of stigma can silence CYP and their families, as they try and hide from the view of others. CYP have voiced their desire for support. However, there are few services available to them in the UK, despite developments in policy highlighting the need for support. As CYP grow up, greater emphasis gets placed on relationships with friends. Therefore, CYP's peer group may provide a valuable source of support. This research aims to explore how CYP living with a PEMD gaining support from their friends. Methodology This research used a qualitative design to explore CYP's lived experiences. A purposive sample of six CYP who were living with a PEMD were recruited. CYP were invited to take part in semi-structured interviews, which were then transcribed. Analysis and Findings The interviews were analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). The analysis revealed three superordinate themes: 'Fitting the puzzle together', 'Finding the experience of talking risky', and 'Coping with the up and down rollercoaster'. The findings support research recognising the importance of understanding mental distress, but CYP's accounts in this study provide further insight into the intricacies of what is meant by understanding. Furthermore, the research brings to light the challenges that CYP face when trying to build trusting relationships, in order to confide in their friends about their parent's experience of mental distress. Clinical implications, including recommendations for possible interventions are discussed and suggestions for future research are made.

Den psykiska ohälsan bland Sveriges befolkning har ökat och i takt med den även internetanvändandet. Den ständiga tillgången till internet har öppnat upp för människor att söka hjälp och publicera egna livsberättelser om sitt mående. På internetbaserade mötesplatser har det skapats en gemenskap och öppnats upp för informella stödgrupper, som vem som helst kan ta del av då behovet uppstår. Internet erbjuder snabba svar på användarnas frågor, och den som använder mötesplatserna kan vara anonym när den kommenterar. Detta har skapat en utmaning för dagens socialarbetare, då klienterna väljer det informella stödet på internet istället för det professionella. För att samla in material till denna studie har den svenska influencern Therese Lindgrens YouTube-kanal använts, där kommentarsfälten till två av hennes filmer använts som empiriskt case. Studiens resultat visar på en kravlös gemenskap vid den digitala mötesplatsen, där användarna själva styr innehållet. Mötesplatsen har visat sig användas som ett ställe dit användarna vänder sig för att ge och ta emot råd, stötta andra och berätta om egna erfarenheter av ångest. Genom att studien synliggör den mediala utvecklingen och de informella stödgrupperna som finns på internet, kan den bidra till en förståelse av den utmaning som socialarbetare står inför. Efter att genomförd studie redogjorts, ges förslag om hur socialarbetare kan anpassa sig till den utveckling som skett. Detta förslag grundar sig i ett samarbete mellan influencers och professionella. Syftet med studien är att ge en inblick i digitala forum och hur dessa nyttjas som informell support av dess användare.

Adolescents need to feel loved and cared for and they need to share their feelings with other people in their environment. As the school plays a significant role in the life of the adolescent, emotional support is an important aspect that has to be part of any educational setting. Unfortunately, adolescents do not always feel comfortable talking to a teacher, a person in authority or even a school psychologist. In many instances they are most comfortable talking to a friend or a peer with whom they can identify. In this study, a literature review explored adolescence as a developmental stage, existing support systems in schools, and the history, key features, definition and nature of peer support groups and supervision of peer supporters. Studies revealed that peer support has potential advantages but also disadvantages for peer supporters but that the former outweigh the latter. The study also looked at research on peer support groups in the South African context. The aims of this study were to explore, in a qualitative way, the experiences, thoughts and feelings of three adolescent peer supporters and provide rich and thick descriptions of their stories. Postmodernism, social constructionism and narrative psychology were combined and identified as a framework for the research. The research material gathered by means of individual interviews, focus groups and journaling reflected the realities co-constructed by the participants and the researcher. The researcher also made use of reflexivity by including a description of her own experience of the research process. The strengths and limitations of this study are evaluated and the findings are summarized. Finally, recommendations are made on supervision, constructing roles and boundaries, training, keeping the momentum of peer support groups going and the usefulness of peer support groups. / Dissertation (MA (Counseling Psychology))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Psychology / unrestricted

The purpose of this doctoral dissertation was to investigate the relationships between mental health and physical activity participation of medical students, as well as their confidence, motivation and frequency in recommending physical activity in future medical practice. Moreover, this thesis involved the implementation and evaluation of a peer support walking intervention aimed at improving the mental health and physical activity participation of medical students. Two separate studies were conducted, including a cross-sectional correlational survey administered to medical students in all four years at three Canadian Universities (Study One; Articles One, Two and Three) and a single-subject study testing the impact of a two-month peer support walking intervention delivered to first and second year medical students at two Canadian universities (Study Two; Articles Four and Five). Article One examined relationships between physical activity, including mild and moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA), and mental health profiles in a sample of Canadian medical students using latent profile analysis. Three distinct mental health profiles emerged (low, moderate and high ratings of mental health) and individuals in the high mental health profile reported engaging in more mild physical activity than MVPA. Article Two investigated the underlying mechanism(s) contributing to frequency in recommending physical activity, to provide insight into how we can increase physical activity recommendations in future practice as physicians. Findings showed positive relationships between medical students’ physical activity levels and their frequency recommending physical activity to patients. Results also revealed that medical students are significantly more motivated than they are confident to recommend physical activity to patients and only 52% of student participants were aware of and accurately able to recall the Canadian physical activity guidelines. Article Three examined demographic differences in medical students’ motivation and confidence to recommend physical activity to future patients. Results revealed differences according to gender, year of study and academic background. For instance, second year students were more motivated to assess a patients’ level of physical activity compared to third and fourth year students. Article Four evaluated the impact of a two-month peer support walking intervention aimed at improving the mental health and physical activity participation of first and second year medical students using the RE-AIM framework. Findings showed that the peer support walking intervention was delivered as intended and may be an important proactive strategy for maintaining mental health and physical activity levels of medical students during stressful situations, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Finally, Article Five offered evidence-based strategies for conducting mental health research in medical professionals to optimize recruitment, engagement and retention. Ten strategies were provided to help inform the planning of future research aiming to support the mental health of medical professionals, including students. Taken altogether, findings from this dissertation show that peer support and incorporating mild physical activity may be an effective strategy to offer within medical student wellness programs. Additionally, results highlight the need to expand the medical curriculum to include physical activity education in order to prepare students to recommend physical activity to patients in future medical practice as an important preventive and therapeutic strategy for several chronic illnesses.