The thesis consists of an introductory part and three self-contained papers. Paper [I] studies the determinants of the differences in expenditure on services for functionally impaired individuals among municipalities in Sweden. A spatial autoregressive model is used in order to test whether the decisions on the expenditure level in a neighboring municipality affect the municipality’s own expenditure. The results show of spatial interaction among neighbors, possible due to mimicking. However, when controlling for differences among counties there is no evidence of spatial interaction. Therefore, the positive interaction first found can be interpreted either as a result of differences in the way county councils diagnose individuals or due to interaction among the neighbors in the same county. Paper [II] takes advantage of a new intergovernmental grant in two ways. First, the grant is used to study the effect on municipal spending related to the grant. Second, the grant is used to test a hypothesis of spatial interaction among municipalities due to mimicking behavior. The data used pertains to the periods before and after the introduction of the grant. A fixed-effects spatial lag model is used to study the spatial interactions among municipalities. The results show that before the grant, municipalities interact with their neighbors when setting the expenditure level, while there is no evidence of interaction in the second period. This would support the hypothesis that the grants provide information to the municipalities and the need for mimicking diminishes with the grant. Paper [III] examines whether local public expenditures on services to functionally impaired individuals crowd out other local public expenditures in Sweden. The hypothesis is tested on five different spending areas using a two-stage least squares (2SLS) fixed-effects model. While the results give no support for crowding out in the areas of social assistance, culture & leisure, and childcare & preschool, a negative relationship on spending for elderly & disabled care and on spending for education is found, suggesting that crowding out indeed occurs within the municipal sector. The negative relationships are significant both in a statistical and an economic sense.

The purpose of this paper is to examine in which ways animal-assisted work can be used within elderly care and with people that are included in support and service for persons with certain functional impairments (in Sweden called LSS). Through qualitative, semi-structured interviews we wanted to see what kind of experiences the professionals had and if there are any advantages and disadvantages with this type of work. Our selection consisted of six people from various institutions that practice social work in the south of Sweden, equally divided between LSS and elderly care, who together with five dogs and one horse implement animal-assisted social work in their institutions. Six different themes were identified in the empirical data we gathered throughout our interviews. With the help from our themes, previous research on the subject and our theories the biophilia hypothesis, SOC and symbolic interactionism we managed to analyse our empirical data. To sum up, our result indicates that the animal-assisted work gives very positive results for the clients. We have been given examples on how the animal-assisted social work helps breaking the client’s isolation, how it can contribute to an increased well-being physically as well as mentally. We have also seen how the animals can be used to work as a motivational factor and how they can teach the clients accountability. Furthermore, we discuss our results and future research we are interested in seeing to ease the animal-assisted social work progress in the Swedish social work.

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Objetivos: Avaliar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes com Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica após a alta da UTI baseado na GOLD. Método: Coorte prospectiva multicêntrica, onde foram coletados dados referentes à internação na UTI, intervenções e desfechos após a alta hospitalar (pós-alta imediato, após 3 e 6 meses). A qualidade de vida foi avaliada através do questionário SF12v2, a independência funcional através do índice de Barthel; e a presença de ansiedade e depressão através da Escala Hospitalar de ansiedade e depressão (HADS). Resultados: Houve uma redução significativa nos escores de Limitação por Aspectos Emocionais (57,4±7,2; p<0,046), Saúde Mental (49,4±2,4; p<0,004) e Componente Mental (40,8±2,4; p<0,008) do SF-12 após 6 meses da alta hospitalar. Quanto ao componente mental, a interação com GOLD foi significativa (p=0,013). Quando avaliadas as diferenças ao longo do tempo conforme GOLD, observa-se que houve diferença significativa entre o índice de Barthel (p=0,012), sendo o grupo de GOLD C/D os que reduziram significativamente o índice de Barthel do basal para os 3m e 6m (que não diferiram entre si). A probabilidade de sobrevida ao longo do tempo na amostra total de 77 pacientes foi em 15 dias (93,5%), em um mês (90,9%), em três meses (77,9%) e em seis meses (72,7%). Conclusão: Os scores de limitação por aspectos emocionais, saúde mental e componente mental do questionário SF-12 apresentaram redução significativa após seis meses da alta hospitalar. O índice de barthel avaliado ao longo do tempo conforme a GOLD apresentou diferença significativa, sendo o GOLD C/D o que mais apresentou redução. / Objective: To evaluate the quality of life of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease after discharge from the ICU based on GOLD. Methods: A multicenter prospective study, which were collected data on ICU admission, interventions and outcomes after hospital discharge (Post-discharge immediately after 3 and 6 months). Quality of life was assessed using the SF12v2 questionnaire, the functional independence through Barthel index; and the presence of anxiety and depression by anxiety and depression scale HADS. Results: There was a significant reduction in the Limitations for Emotional Aspects (57.4 ± 7.2, p <0.046), Mental Health (49.4 ± 2.4, p <0.004) and Mental Component (40.8 ± 2, 4, p <0.008) of SF-12 after 6 months of hospital discharge. Regarding the mental component, there was a reduction significant Gold (p = 0.013). When assessing the differences over time according to Gold, it was observed that there was a significant interaction between the Barthel index (p = 0.012), and the Gold C / D group significantly reduced the Barthel index from baseline to 3m and 6m (which did not differ from each other). The probability of survival over time in the 77 patients was 15 days (93.5%), one month (90.9%), three months (77.9%) and six months (72,7%). Conclusion: The limitation scores for emotional aspects, mental health and mental component of the SF-12 questionnaire presented a significant reduction after six months of hospital discharge. The barthel index evaluated over time according to Gold presented significant interaction, with Gold C / D the one that presented the most reduction.

Objetivos: Avaliar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes com Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica após a alta da UTI baseado na GOLD. Método: Coorte prospectiva multicêntrica, onde foram coletados dados referentes à internação na UTI, intervenções e desfechos após a alta hospitalar (pós-alta imediato, após 3 e 6 meses). A qualidade de vida foi avaliada através do questionário SF12v2, a independência funcional através do índice de Barthel; e a presença de ansiedade e depressão através da Escala Hospitalar de ansiedade e depressão (HADS). Resultados: Houve uma redução significativa nos escores de Limitação por Aspectos Emocionais (57,4±7,2; p<0,046), Saúde Mental (49,4±2,4; p<0,004) e Componente Mental (40,8±2,4; p<0,008) do SF-12 após 6 meses da alta hospitalar. Quanto ao componente mental, a interação com GOLD foi significativa (p=0,013). Quando avaliadas as diferenças ao longo do tempo conforme GOLD, observa-se que houve diferença significativa entre o índice de Barthel (p=0,012), sendo o grupo de GOLD C/D os que reduziram significativamente o índice de Barthel do basal para os 3m e 6m (que não diferiram entre si). A probabilidade de sobrevida ao longo do tempo na amostra total de 77 pacientes foi em 15 dias (93,5%), em um mês (90,9%), em três meses (77,9%) e em seis meses (72,7%). Conclusão: Os scores de limitação por aspectos emocionais, saúde mental e componente mental do questionário SF-12 apresentaram redução significativa após seis meses da alta hospitalar. O índice de barthel avaliado ao longo do tempo conforme a GOLD apresentou diferença significativa, sendo o GOLD C/D o que mais apresentou redução. / Objective: To evaluate the quality of life of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease after discharge from the ICU based on GOLD. Methods: A multicenter prospective study, which were collected data on ICU admission, interventions and outcomes after hospital discharge (Post-discharge immediately after 3 and 6 months). Quality of life was assessed using the SF12v2 questionnaire, the functional independence through Barthel index; and the presence of anxiety and depression by anxiety and depression scale HADS. Results: There was a significant reduction in the Limitations for Emotional Aspects (57.4 ± 7.2, p <0.046), Mental Health (49.4 ± 2.4, p <0.004) and Mental Component (40.8 ± 2, 4, p <0.008) of SF-12 after 6 months of hospital discharge. Regarding the mental component, there was a reduction significant Gold (p = 0.013). When assessing the differences over time according to Gold, it was observed that there was a significant interaction between the Barthel index (p = 0.012), and the Gold C / D group significantly reduced the Barthel index from baseline to 3m and 6m (which did not differ from each other). The probability of survival over time in the 77 patients was 15 days (93.5%), one month (90.9%), three months (77.9%) and six months (72,7%). Conclusion: The limitation scores for emotional aspects, mental health and mental component of the SF-12 questionnaire presented a significant reduction after six months of hospital discharge. The barthel index evaluated over time according to Gold presented significant interaction, with Gold C / D the one that presented the most reduction.

Objetivos: Avaliar a qualidade de vida dos pacientes com Doença Pulmonar Obstrutiva Crônica após a alta da UTI baseado na GOLD. Método: Coorte prospectiva multicêntrica, onde foram coletados dados referentes à internação na UTI, intervenções e desfechos após a alta hospitalar (pós-alta imediato, após 3 e 6 meses). A qualidade de vida foi avaliada através do questionário SF12v2, a independência funcional através do índice de Barthel; e a presença de ansiedade e depressão através da Escala Hospitalar de ansiedade e depressão (HADS). Resultados: Houve uma redução significativa nos escores de Limitação por Aspectos Emocionais (57,4±7,2; p<0,046), Saúde Mental (49,4±2,4; p<0,004) e Componente Mental (40,8±2,4; p<0,008) do SF-12 após 6 meses da alta hospitalar. Quanto ao componente mental, a interação com GOLD foi significativa (p=0,013). Quando avaliadas as diferenças ao longo do tempo conforme GOLD, observa-se que houve diferença significativa entre o índice de Barthel (p=0,012), sendo o grupo de GOLD C/D os que reduziram significativamente o índice de Barthel do basal para os 3m e 6m (que não diferiram entre si). A probabilidade de sobrevida ao longo do tempo na amostra total de 77 pacientes foi em 15 dias (93,5%), em um mês (90,9%), em três meses (77,9%) e em seis meses (72,7%). Conclusão: Os scores de limitação por aspectos emocionais, saúde mental e componente mental do questionário SF-12 apresentaram redução significativa após seis meses da alta hospitalar. O índice de barthel avaliado ao longo do tempo conforme a GOLD apresentou diferença significativa, sendo o GOLD C/D o que mais apresentou redução. / Objective: To evaluate the quality of life of patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease after discharge from the ICU based on GOLD. Methods: A multicenter prospective study, which were collected data on ICU admission, interventions and outcomes after hospital discharge (Post-discharge immediately after 3 and 6 months). Quality of life was assessed using the SF12v2 questionnaire, the functional independence through Barthel index; and the presence of anxiety and depression by anxiety and depression scale HADS. Results: There was a significant reduction in the Limitations for Emotional Aspects (57.4 ± 7.2, p <0.046), Mental Health (49.4 ± 2.4, p <0.004) and Mental Component (40.8 ± 2, 4, p <0.008) of SF-12 after 6 months of hospital discharge. Regarding the mental component, there was a reduction significant Gold (p = 0.013). When assessing the differences over time according to Gold, it was observed that there was a significant interaction between the Barthel index (p = 0.012), and the Gold C / D group significantly reduced the Barthel index from baseline to 3m and 6m (which did not differ from each other). The probability of survival over time in the 77 patients was 15 days (93.5%), one month (90.9%), three months (77.9%) and six months (72,7%). Conclusion: The limitation scores for emotional aspects, mental health and mental component of the SF-12 questionnaire presented a significant reduction after six months of hospital discharge. The barthel index evaluated over time according to Gold presented significant interaction, with Gold C / D the one that presented the most reduction.