Studien syftar till att leda till en bättre förståelse för utsattas erfarenheter av mobbning och att öka kunskapen om vad som kan göras för att motverka mobbning samt hur de utsatta kan hjälpas och stöttas. I studien har fyra kvinnor och fyra män deltagit, som alla har upplevt mobbning under skolgången, men som inte längre är utsatta. Metoden som använts är en innehålls analys. Resultatet av intervjuerna tyder på att det upplevda stödet från skola och hem inte var tillräckligt. Att mobbningen pågick under en längre period utan ingripande från vuxna i omgivningen. Samtliga deltagare upplevde mobbningen som jobbig då den pågick men är i efterhand tacksamma för den erfarenhet det har givit. I studien har vi dragit slutsatsen att skolans åtgärder fungerat i praktiken, men satts in försent. Det är viktigt att öka medvetenheten hos både skola och familjer för olika tecken på mobbning samt hantering av den.

Despite a rise in the number of studies looking at the relationship of psychosocial factors (coping style, personality type, and social support) on HIV/AIDS severity, there remains a lack of conclusive answers about the specific association between these factors. This study used a meta-analytic method of analysis to address these issues in the post anti-retroviral treatment modality world. A systematic search of major psychology and medical computerized databases led to 110 studies used in the meta-analysis. Social support was found to have the strongest relationship with HIV progression. Structural social support had greater protective effect on HIV progression than functional social support. A significant relationship between coping type and HIV severity was found, with a greater protective benefit seen in studies that utilized CD4 count as the outcome variable. Positive coping had a beneficial effect on HIV progression while passive and negative coping had a detrimental effect on disease progression. Among studies of personality, a weak relationship was found between personality type and HIV severity. In conclusion, the meta-analytical review found significant associations between psychosocial factors and HIV severity that could be used to refine individual treatment plans for people living with HIV/AIDS.

Migrant and Seasonal Farm Workers (MSFWs) in the United States live and work within ever changing contexts, which require researchers to take into account multiple environmental and psychosocial stressors influencing mental health. The current study examined factors of social support and social isolation for MSFWs in South Georgia. Social isolation and support characteristics were identified and examined in association with depression among 120 Latino, male, MSFWs in South Georgia. Several protective and risk factors for depression were identified. Depression symptoms varied based on MSFWs household composition, perceived social isolation stressors, the frequency in which they called home and having socially supportive relationships in the local area. Results highlight the importance of examining social support in the context of cultural and community fit.

Patienter med hjärtsvikt är en stor patientgrupp som har ökat i antal då hjärtsjukvården förbättrats samt att medellivslängden har ökat i Sverige. Hjärtsvikt karaktäriseras av påfrestande symtom och påverkar både patient och anhöriga i deras vardag. För att individen ska kunna hantera sin livssituation behövs stöd ifrån både omgivningen och vården. Syftet med studien var att belysa betydelsen av stöd till patienter med hjärtsvikt. Metoden var en litteraturstudie innehållande totalt 13 vetenskapliga artiklar. Artiklarna var både av kvalitativ och kvantitativ ansats. Två övergripande teman framkom i resultatet, Stöd gav kontroll och trygghet och Stöd gav förbättrat självförtroende och egenvård. Hjärtsvikt medförde känslor som ångest och osäkerhet. Stöd i form av information gav bättre kontroll och känsla av trygghet. Stöd från anhöriga och vänner gav ett förbättrat självförtroende och en förbättrad egenvård. Slutsatsen är att stöd från hälso- och sjukvårdspersonal, anhöriga och vänner har stor betydelse för att patienter med hjärtsvikt ska kunna hantera sin livssituation och kunna uppleva trygghet och säkerhet trots livet med en oförutsägbar sjukdom. Mer forskning behövs för att få fram fler stödjande omvårdnadsåtgärder som kan användas i den praktiska vårdverksamheten. För att främja en god omvårdnad som ger trygghet och säkerhet bör även stöd belysas mer i sjuksköterskeutbildningen. / Patients with heart failure is a large group of patients which has increased in numbers as cardiac care has improved and the average life has increased in Sweden. Heart failure is characterized by distressing symptoms and influence the daily life of both the patient and their family. For the individual to manage their life, support is needed from both the environment and the health care. The aim of the study was to illuminate the support for patients with heart failure. The method was a literature review containing a total of 13 scientific papers. The articles were of both qualitative and quantitative method. Two main themes were found, Support gave control and safety and Support gave improved self- confidence and self- care. Heart failure caused feelings of anxiety and uncertainty. Support in form of evident information led to better control and feelings of security. Support from family members and friends showed improved self- confidence and self-care. The conclusion is that support from health- care providers, family and friends is of great importance in patients with heart failure to manage their lives and be able to experience safety and security despite life with an unpredictable disease. More research is needed to develop more supportive care measures that can be used in practice. In order to provide good care that provides safety and security, support should be highlighted more in the nurse education.

I denna studie har prestationsångest undersökts i relation till tre olika typer av socialt stöd och två faktorer inom tidspress. Tidigare forskning pekar på att socialt stöd spelar en betydande roll för minskad prestationsångest i studier, samt att tidspress ger en ökad effekt. Undersökningen hade 151 manliga studenter från två olika program på en högskola. Mätningen av socialt stöd och tidspress skedde genom en tvåvägs variansanalys för oberoende mätningar för att få fram om hur dessa huvudeffekter har en inverkan på prestationsångest. Resultatet visade att högt socialt stöd och lite tidspress minskar prestationsångest samtidigt som lågt socialt stöd och mycket tidspress leder till ökad prestationsångest. En åtgärd för ökat socialt stöd kan vara att aktivt arbeta för en större sammanhållning mellan studenterna. Vi valde att endast undersöka män för att tidigare forskning kring detta ämne har haft stor fokus på endast kvinnor.

Background: Symptomatic heart failure is a chronic and disabling condition that affects over 350 000 Canadians and is characterized by inevitable progression. Historically, research on the ways to increase survival has focused on biomedical factors. However, the continued poor prognosis of heart failure has prompted the search for other ways to improve the lives of these patients. Research in other chronic conditions demonstrates that social circumstances, described collectively as individual social interactions (e.g. social support, social participation) and community social factors (e.g. social capital, social norms), can influence health outcomes. Purpose: The purpose of this research was to describe and assess the impact of selected social circumstances potentially related to heart failure outcomes. Methods: Two literature reviews and one empirical study were performed. Conceptual models were proposed to describe the hypothesized pathways between selected social circumstances and heart failure outcomes. The first review was a systematic review of quantitative studies evaluating the relationship between social support and both rehospitalization and death. The review included a critical analysis of the methods employed by previous studies. The second review integrated the qualitative and quantitative literature describing the relationship between individual social interactions (including support, roles and participation) and the quality of life of patients or experience of living with heart failure. A narrative summary was provided and an integration of findings from both qualitative and quantitative study designs was performed. In the empirical study, patients‘ demographic and clinical information was examined simultaneously with selected community factors in a multilevel analysis. Outcomes of interest included rehospitalization or death of heart failure patients. Results: The systematic review shows that previous quantitative research has linked social support to reduced rehospitalization, but there is little evidence to link it with prolonged survival. The critique of the methods describes an inadequate conceptualization and inconsistent measurement of social support. A conceptual model showing how social support can influence rehospitalization is proposed. The integrative review presents qualitative research that identified the following social interactions as important components of the heart failure experience: social support, social participation and role fulfillment. However, no quantitative relationship between social support and quality of life was found. The potential reasons for the discrepant findings between the qualitative and quantitative studies include: the focus on social support as the only component of social interactions assessed in the quantitative literature; and the inconsistent measurement of social support. A conceptual model is presented to describe the multiple components of social interactions and the theoretical basis for their effects. The multilevel analysis demonstrates that individual factors exerted the strongest effect on heart failure outcomes in most models. Community characteristics had little influence on rehospitalization or death. Study design and analysis issues are proposed to explain these findings. Conclusion: The literature reviews and the empirical study provide a contribution to the population health literature, offering a broad approach to assessing the determinants of disease progression in heart failure patients. This thesis research advances the discussion about which social circumstances may influence heart failure outcomes and their pathways. The use of the proposed conceptual models in future research will help clarify the role of social circumstances in the prognosis of heart failure.

Objectives: Advancements in womens reproductive technology have resulted in women having to face the decision whether to undergo prenatal testing (PNT). This study explored the factors involved in womens decisions around PNT and assessed the extent to which the decision making process differed between women that chose not to have PNT and those that chose to have PNT. The Self-Determination Theory (Deci & Ryan, 1985) was used as the theoretical framework. <p>Study Methods: 30 pregnant or recently pregnant women over the age of 35 participated in semi-structured interviews and completed a brief survey. Content analyses were completed on the interview transcripts, and correlational analyses were performed on the survey data. Results: Womens personal values, feelings of social support, and perceived competence played major roles in the decision process. Some women in this study indicated the PNT choice gave them a feeling of control and offered feelings of reassurance, while some said having to make the choice was a burden that they found difficult to bear. Women in the testing group appeared to place a great importance on the need for information, while women in the no testing group placed greater importance on the need for social support. Each testing group also appeared to differ in facets of their personal values, such as religiosity (only women in the no testing group discussed this issue) and need for a sense of control (only women in the testing group discussed this issue). The women in the no testing group showed higher levels of uncertainty and decisional conflict, and lower levels of decisional self-efficacy than women in the testing group. <p>Conclusions: Each testing group appears to be individual in their needs during PNT decision making. The study findings suggest women should be counseled differently depending on their supports, values, and need for knowledge regarding testing. The findings suggest that women opting against PNT experience elevated decisional distress, and perceive themselves to be less competent and more conflicted over the decision than women choosing PNT. Special attention to these women during the PNT decision may improve their feelings of being socially supported during the decision.

Background: In this study, we enhanced a diagnostic questionnaire which had been previously developed to measure stress and social support. Methods: 101 patients with chronic periodontitis and 50 healthy control subjects completed our questionnaire package after which we analyzed the data for trends and associations. Results: Our enhanced questionnaire provided a valid and reliable measure of stress and social support in patients with chronic periodontitis. Conclusion: Our enhanced questionnaire provided both a valid and a reliable measure of stress and social support in patients with chronic periodontitis however requires further refinement to predict periodontal disease experience and severity.

The present study explored the influence of social support and psychological resources on depression in people living with HIV/AIDS. The mediating role of mastery and self-esteem was examined. Factor analysis of the MOS-SSS supported three dimensions of social support. Findings from a predominantly gay male sample of unemployed individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the Toronto-area indicated high levels of depressive symptomatology, which were negatively related to emotional/informational support, tangible support, and affectionate/interpersonal support. Mediation analyses indicated partial support of the Cognitive Adaptation Model, revealing significant mediating effects of mastery on the relationship between social support and depressive symptomatology. Self-esteem was not found to be a significant mediator of this relationship. Findings suggest the need for social support interventions that help to strengthen mastery in individuals living with HIV/AIDS in order to reduce depression. Attention should be paid to self-esteem and its relationship with gender and employment status in this population.

The present study explored the influence of social support and psychological resources on depression in people living with HIV/AIDS. The mediating role of mastery and self-esteem was examined. Factor analysis of the MOS-SSS supported three dimensions of social support. Findings from a predominantly gay male sample of unemployed individuals living with HIV/AIDS in the Toronto-area indicated high levels of depressive symptomatology, which were negatively related to emotional/informational support, tangible support, and affectionate/interpersonal support. Mediation analyses indicated partial support of the Cognitive Adaptation Model, revealing significant mediating effects of mastery on the relationship between social support and depressive symptomatology. Self-esteem was not found to be a significant mediator of this relationship. Findings suggest the need for social support interventions that help to strengthen mastery in individuals living with HIV/AIDS in order to reduce depression. Attention should be paid to self-esteem and its relationship with gender and employment status in this population.