Sweden is often seen as a welfare state where children can grow up in safe circumstances. However, social support for children who are at risk of social exclusion has been shown to be lacking. Animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is an alternative intervention within the field of social work, though it is still in its infancy. Existing research evidence suggests that AAT can generate positive results, especially for individuals who have low engagement in other types of treatment. This study examines how AAT is used within the field of social work with children and young people. Seven professionals who employ AAT in their work with children and young people were interviewed. The interviews were interpreted through Antonovsky’s theory Sense of Coherence (SOC). Results show that the animal is seen to increase motivation for the child to partake in the treatment. The therapeutic alliance that is created through the presence of the animal can be helpful in increasing the child’s SOC and the surrounding environment can also play a significant part.

Studiens syfte var att klargöra och redovisa för de främjande och försämrande faktorer som är betydelsefulla för asylsökande barns psykosociala välmående. Enligt vår förförståelse som vi erhållit genom arbetslivserfarenhet och utbildning lever de asylsökande barnen under svåra omständigheter och vi ansåg det viktigt att undersöka de påverkande faktorerna. Den metod som användes var en kunskapsöversikt som tolkades hermeneutiskt. Kunskapsöversikten baserades på 10 primärstudier och resultaten visade på följande främjande faktorer; skola, föräldrar/familj, adekvat information gällande beslutsprocessen, en väl fungerande barnpsykiatrisk vård, sociala nätverk och fritidsaktiviteter. De försämrande faktorerna var; bristfällig information och lång väntan under asylprocessen, föräldrars ohälsa, okunskap hos professionella om barnens lagstadgade rättigheter samt osäkra boendevillkor. Studiens resultat analyserades utifrån teorin Känsla av sammanhang. Resultatet ligger i linje med tidigare forskning. / "Outside I´m smiling, but inside I´m crying" - A litterary review of factors affecting the asylum seeking children´s psychosocial health. The study´s purpose was to examine the promoting and detoriating factors that are of importance for the psychosocial well-being of children seeking asylum. According to our prior understanding which we have acquired through working experience and education the asylum seeking children lives under difficult circumstances. We therefor considered it important to investigate the factors that are influencing the children. The method used was a review of the litterature which was interpreted hermeneutically. The review was based on 10 primary studies and results showed promoting factors as; school, parents/family, adequate information regarding the decision-making, a well-functioning child mental health service, social networks and leisure activities. The deteriorative factors were; lack of information and delays during the asylum process, parents´illness, ignorance among professionals about children´s legal rights and unsafe housing conditions. Our results were analysed based on the theory Sense of coherence. The results are in line with previous research.

Exploration of job satisfaction - cognitive, affective and behavioral components (With focus on personality aspects) PhD theses abstract Charles University in Prague Faculty of Arts Department of psychology Author Ivo Půda MA Supervisor PhDr. David Michalík PhD. February 2016 Abstract Dissertation examines the cognitive, affective and behavioral components of job satisfaction with emphasis on the psychological characteristics of personality. It monitors important trends in relation to this issue (economic cycles, emergence of new generations, pressure on performance and innovation, introduction of technology and data analytics, defending of his/her own position, changes in organization of work), provides an overview of the theories of job satisfaction and reflects the historical development of various theoretical and practical approaches trying to describe the complex relationship of personality, work and experience. For better orientation it monitors the development of two strong paradigms (dispositional and situational), which gradually merges into an interactive approach. Mapping psychological characteristics, which undeniably moderating job satisfaction (neuroticism, extroversion, conscientiousness, positive and negative affectivity, locus of control, emotional stability, defensive tendencies,...

Seniorer är en utsatt grupp under covid-19-pandemin då de riskerar att drabbas av allvarlig sjukdom eller död till följd av covid-19. Samtidigt innebär de restriktioner som har införts för att skydda mot covid-19 stora förändringar i människors vardag och riskerar att påverka den psykiska likväl som den fysiska hälsan negativt. Naturen påverkar däremot hälsan positivt på en rad olika sätt och människan tenderar att återhämta sig mer gynnsamt i kontakt med naturen. Naturen kan även utgöra en resurs för att hantera stress under en kris på ett bättre sätt. Den salutogena teorin känsla av sammanhang (KASAM) med delarna begriplighet, hanterbarhet och meningsfullhet, Attention Restoration Theory samt Supportive Environment Theory har använts som teoretiska ramverk i studien. Träffpunkten flyttar ut var en intervention med syfte att öka förekomsten av enkla friluftsaktiviteter i närnatur bland seniorer med mål att främja hälsan. I studien har tolv seniorer som deltog i träffpunkter förlagda utomhus deltagit i en semistrukturerad intervju. Materialet har analyserats med en kvalitativ innehållsanalys med induktiv ansats. Resultatet visar att seniorerna påverkades positivt socialt, fysiskt och psykiskt på ett holistiskt sätt genom interventionen, att naturen hade en gynnsam effekt för välmående och slutligen att seniorerna hade olika förhållningssätt i pandemin. Förhållningssätten utgjordes av inre och yttre strategier där samhörighet och sysselsättning framkom som yttre strategier där träffpunkten hade en betydande roll. Implikationen är att interventioner som använder naturen som arena kan utgöra en preventiv och hälsofrämjande åtgärd för seniorer som är betydelsefull för att främja folkhälsan i en kris såsom covid-19-pandemin. / Seniors are a vulnerable group during the COVID-19 pandemic as they are at risk of suffering from serious illness or death from COVID-19. At the same time, the restrictions that have been introduced to protect against COVID-19 have implied major changes in people's everyday lives and risk affecting the mental as well as the physical health negatively. Nature has a positive effect on health in various ways and humans tend to recover more favorably in contact with nature. Nature can also be a resource for dealing with stress during a crisis. The salutogenic theory Sense of Coherence (SOC) including the aspects of comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness, has been used as a theoretical framework in the study. Twelve semi-structured interviews have been carried out with seniors who participated in meeting places outdoors. The material has been analyzed with a qualitative content analysis with an inductive approach. The results show that the seniors were influenced positively socially, physically, and mentally in a holistic way through the intervention. Furthermore, it emerged that nature has a beneficial effect for well-being and that different attitudes emerged in the pandemic among the seniors. The attitudes consisted of internal and external strategies where cohesion and carrying out activities emerged as external strategies where the meeting point had a significant role. The implication is that interventions using nature as an arena can constitute a preventive and health-promoting measure for seniors that is important for improving public health in a crisis such as COVID-19 pandemic.

Bland undersköterskor inom äldreomsorgen kan arbete utifrån ett hälsofrämjande perspektiv vara att föredra för att kunna minska risken för en dålig psykosocial arbetsmiljö. Tidigare studier visade att motivationen ökade när både trivsel och arbetsglädje fanns på arbetsplatsen.  Syftet med denna studie var att utifrån ett hälsofrämjande perspektiv undersöka hur undersköterskor inom äldreomsorgen upplever sin psykosociala arbetsmiljö. Studien hade en kvalitativ ansats med fokusgrupper som metod. Sammanlagt utfördes tre fokusgruppsintervjuer på två olika äldreboenden. Totalt deltog 19 undersköterskor i studien. I analysen framkom tre teman som belyste viktiga aspekter av den psykosociala arbetsmiljön. Dessa kategorier var motivation till arbetet, ett engagerat ledarskap och arbetsglädje. Resultatet visade att studiens deltagare överlag ansåg sig vara nöjda med sin arbetsmiljö. De upplevde en bra gemenskap på arbetet och balans mellan de krav som ställdes på dem och de resurser som fanns att tillgå. Resultatet visade också att ledningen i en arbetsgrupp fick stor betydelse för personalens välbefinnande. Flertalet undersköterskor uppgav även att omvårdnadsarbetet med vårdtagarna var meningsfullt och att motivation fanns för att hjälpa andra människor. Då vården är en arbetsplats som ständigt möts av sparkrav genom hårt pressade budgetar och organisationsförändringar, så behövs mer fokus på undersköterskornas arbetsmiljö. Inför framtida hälsofrämjande interventioner inom äldreomsorgen är det viktigt att öka välbefinnandet hos personalen samt fortsättningsvis finna lösningar för en hållbar vårdkvalité. / Among assistant nurses in the elderly care setting, the health-promoting perspective may be preferable to reduce the risk of a poor psychosocial work environment. Previous studies showed that work motivation increase if both well-being and job satisfaction exist. The aim of this study was to investigate how assistant nurses experience their psychosocial work environment from a health promoting perspective. The study had a qualitative approach with focus group interviews as a method. In total, three focus group interviews were performed with assistant nurses at two different elderly homes. There were 19 participants in the study. The analysis showed three themes that illustrated important aspects of the psychosocial environment. The categories were work motivation, a committed leadership and job satisfaction. The assistants nurses were generally satisfied with their working environment. They described a good fellowship at work and experienced a balance between the demands placed on them and the available resources. The results also showed that the workplace leadership was of great importance for the well-being of the staff. Most assistant nurses considered the nursing work with caretakers meaningful and that it felt motivating to help others. Since their workplaces are constantly being met by saving demands through hard-pressed budgets and organizational changes, a focus on the work environment of assistent nurses is recommended. Prior to future health promotion interventions in the elderly care, it is important to increase the well-being of the staff and to continue to find solutions for a sustainable quality of care.

Hybridarbete har medfört fördelar och utmaningar som arbetsgivare behöver uppmärksamma för att främja ett hälsosamt arbete. En hybrid arbetsform kan bidra med det bästa från två världar, distans- och kontorsarbete, förutsatt att arbetsgivare och arbetstagare samverkar för att utveckla nya färdigheter för att anpassa sig till det nya arbetssättet. Denna studie syftar till att skapa en djupare förståelse för den organisatoriska och sociala arbetsmiljön vid hybridarbete. Studien är genomförd med en kvalitativ ansats och materialet har samlats in med hjälp av tio semistrukturerade intervjuer med både medarbetare och chefer inom en svensk offentlig organisation. Studiens metodval är inspirerad av empirisk fenomenologi med ett hermeneutiskt förhållningssätt som syftar till att skapa förståelse. Empirin har tematiserats och analyserats med hjälp av tematisk analys. Studiens resultat visar att den främsta fördelen med hybridarbete är flexibiliteten till att påverka balansen mellan arbete och fritid. Till följd av den hybrida arbetsformen visar resultatet utmaningar i egenskap av minskade fysiska interaktioner med kollegor, digital trötthet, uteblivna pauser samt svårigheter med gränsdragningen mellan arbete och fritid. Resultatet visar att tydliga riktlinjer för hybridarbete får betydelse för hur individen upplever den organisatoriska och sociala arbetsmiljön. Studien konstaterar att tillgång till socialt stöd, delaktighet, dialog, autonomi samt explicita riktlinjer och rutiner som kan anpassas efter individuella behov främjar en god arbetsmiljö. Avslutningsvis presenteras en modell som kan användas av praktikersamhället för att bidra med kunskap om hur känslan av sammanhang (KASAM) främjas i den hybrida arbetsmodellen. / Hybrid work has brought benefits and challenges that employers must observe to promote healthy work among employees. Hybrid working can create the best of both worlds, remote and office work, if employers and workers work together to develop new skills to adapt to the new way of working. This study aims to create a deeper understanding of the organizational and social work environment in hybrid work. The study is conducted with a qualitative approach and the material has been collected using ten semi-structured interviews with employees and managers within a Swedish public organization. The study's choice of method is inspired by empirical phenomenology with a subjective hermeneutic approach that aims to create understanding. The empiricism has been thematized and analyzed using thematic analysis.The results of the study show that the main advantage of hybrid work is increased flexibility regarding the ability to influence the balance between work and leisure. The results also show some possible disadvantages of the hybrid working form, such as reduced physical interactions with colleagues, digital fatigue, missed breaks and difficulties with drawing the line between working time and free time. The results shows that clear guidelines for hybrid work are important for how the individual experiences the organizational and social work environment. The study states that access to social support, participation, dialogue, autonomy and explicit guidelines and routines that can be adapted to individual needs promote a good work environment. Finally, a model is presented that can be used by the practitioner community to contribute knowledge about how the sense of coherence (SOC) is promoted in the hybrid work model.

Kunskap tolkas olika beroende på vilken kunskap individen besitter, mottaglighet för ny kunskap samt grad av motivation. Hur lär sig en grupp individer? Det handlar om att individer besitter samma förutsättningar och delar av lärsituationen. God psykosocial arbetsmiljö handlar om de krav som ställs på individens resurser. Syftet med denna studie var att belysa hur medarbetare med administrativa arbeten på olika arbetsplatser arbetar med hälsofrämjande insatser för att främja kollektivt lärande och en god psykosocial arbetsmiljö. Det insamlade datamaterialet gjordes genom intervjuer av åtta medarbetare på olika arbetsplatser med administrativa arbetsuppgifter. Vid bearbetningen av datamaterialet utgick vi från kvalitativ innehållsanalys, MBE (meningsbärande enheter). Dessa MBE utvecklade koder som omvandlades till kategorier. Kategorier för kollektivt lärande var kollektivt lärande genom kompetens och erfarenhetsutbyte, kollektivt lärande genom aktivitet och kollektivt lärande genom fortbildningar och kurser. För psykosocial arbetsmiljö fick vi kategorier god psykosocial arbetsmiljö genom diskussionstillfälle, god arbetsmiljö genom öppenhet, ytor och god arbetsmiljö genom olika aktiviteter. Tolkning av resultatet utgick ifrån kollektivt lärande, KASAM (känsla av sammanhang) och psykosocial arbetsmiljö. Resultatet visade en positiv inställning och konkreta psykosociala arbetsmiljöinsatser. En förutsättning till att uppfylla en god psykosocial arbetsmiljö är sammanhållningen mellan medarbetare. Med ett gemensamt lärande och inflytande i varandras arbetsuppgifter skapas förutsättningar till framgång inom arbetsmiljö på arbetsplatsen. / Knowledge is interpreted differently depending on what knowledge the individual possesses, receptivity to new knowledge and degree of motivation. How does a group of individuals learn? It is about individuals possessing the same conditions and parts of the learning situation. A good psychosocial work environment is about the demands placed on the individual's resources. The purpose of this study was to shed light on how employees with administrative work in different workplaces work with health-promoting initiatives to promote collective learning and a good psychosocial work environment. The collected data material was made through interviews of eight employees at different workplaces with administrative tasks. When processing the data material, we started from a qualitative content analysis, MBE (meaningful units). These MBEs developed codes that were converted into categories. Categories for collective learning were collective learning through competence and exchange of experience, collective learning through activity and collective learning through continuing education and courses. For psychosocial work environment, we received categories good psychosocial work environment through discussion, good work environment through openness, surfaces and good work environment through various activities. Interpretation of the results was based on collective learning, Sense Of Coherence (SOC) and psychosocial work environment. The results showed a positive attitude and concrete psychosocial work environment initiatives. A prerequisite for fulfilling a good psychosocial work environment is the cohesion between employees. With joint learning and influence in each other's work tasks, conditions are created for success within the work environment in the workplace.

There is concern about the indoor environment in aircraft but few stud-ies exist on self-rated health (SRH) and respiratory symptoms among pilots. Occupational and non-occupational risk factors for SRH, respira-tory symptoms and other symptoms among commercial pilots were investigated in this thesis. One cohort study and one prevalence study were performed among pilots in one Scandinavian airline company. Fungal DNA, furry pet allergens and volatile organic compounds of microbial origin (MVOC) were measured on board. Cat (fel d1), dog (Can f1) and horse (Ecu cx) allergens were found in all dust samples and allergen levels were 27-75 times higher in aircraft with textile seats as compared to leather surfaces. The sum of MVOCs in the cabin air was 3.7 times higher than in homes in Uppsala and 2-methyl-1-butanol and 3-methyl-1-butanol concentrations were 15-17 times higher. Asper-gillus/Penicillium DNA and Aspergillus versicolor DNA were more common in aircraft with textile seats. One fifth reported SRH as poor or fair, 62% had fatigue, 46% overweight/obesity and 71% insomnia. Poor or fair SRH was associated with overweight/obesity, lack of exercise, insomnia, low sense of coherence (SOC) and high work demand. Re-covery from work was worse among those with insomnia and low social support at work. Fatigue was more common among young or female pilots and related to insomnia and high work demand. Pilots flying MD80 or Saab 2000 aircraft had less fatigue. Pilots exposed to environmental tobacco (ETS) on board had more eye symptoms and fatigue which were reduced after the ban of smoking (in 1997). Pilots with increased work demand developed more rhinitis, dermal symptoms and fartigue and those with decreased work control developed more eye symptoms. The incidence of doctors’ diagnosed asthma and atopy were 2.4 and 16.6 per 1000 person years, respectively. Pilots changing type of flight got more airway infections. Those reporting decreased work control had a higher incidence of atopy. Risk factors in the home environment included ETS, dampness or mould, window pane condensation in winter and living in houses built after 1975. In conclusion, SRH and respiratory health among pilots are associated with specific occupational and non-occupational risk factors.