Women with advanced ovarian cancer generally have a poor prognosis but there is significant variability in survival despite similar disease characteristics and treatment regimens. The aim of this study was to determine whether psychosocial factors predict survival in women with ovarian cancer, controlling for potential confounders.

Employees have begun to be seen as the most important resource for many companies and, according to researchers, the focus on human capital is expected to be even greater in the future. The purpose of the study was to investigate which organizational psychological factors that had the strongest effect and connection with success. The factors studied were leadership, skills development, freedom, pride and corporate culture. All 79 participants, from five different companies, answered the survey with questions regarding these five factors. Success was studied from four perspectives: financial profitability, staff turnover, employees' experience of focusing on human capital in the company and their experience of success in comparison with other companies in the same industry. Stepwise multiple regression was used as a statistical analysis in the study and the result showed that the factor of corporate culture was the one that consistently had the greatest effect on all of the dependent variables. On a shared second place was the variables competence development and freedom. All correlations were significant except for success based on economic profitability where the effects were too low to become significant. / Medarbetare har börjat ses som den viktigaste resursen på många företag och enligt forskare förväntas fokus på humankapitalet bli än större framöver. Syftet med studien var att undersöka vilka organisationspsykologiska faktorer som hade starkast effekt och samband med framgång. Faktorerna som studerats var ledarskap, kompetensutveckling, frihet, stolthet samt företagskultur. Samtliga 79 deltagare, från fem olika företag, besvarade enkäten med frågor rörande dessa fem faktorerna. Framgång studerades utifrån fyra perspektiv: ekonomisk lönsamhet, personalomsättning, medarbetarnas upplevelse av fokus på humankapitalet i företaget samt deras upplevelse av framgång i jämförelse med andra företag inom samma bransch. Stegvis multipel regression användes som statistik analys i studien och resultatet visade på att faktorn företagskultur var den som genomgående hade störst effekt på samtliga av de beroende variablerna. På en delad andra plats kom variablerna kompetensutveckling och frihet. Alla korrelationer blev signifikanta med undantag för framgång baserat på ekonomisk lönsamhet där effekterna var för låga för att ge utslag.

Research into birth plans has considered women’s experiences of their usefulness as an aid to communicating preferences for childbirth. It has also evaluated implications for post-natal well-being based on the realisation of expressed preferences in labour and delivery. The current study aimed to identify the psychosocial profile of birth planners and to explore the outcomes for these women as compared with non-planners post-natally. It also compared the psychological constructs measured in the sample with a non-pregnant population to see differences between pregnant, post-natal and non-pregnant women on these dimensions. A sample of 140 women who had not been pregnant in the past year completed a questionnaire measuring: Age, occupational group; ethnic group; general health status, health knowledge, attitudes towards doctors and medicines; locus of control; coping style; perceived social support; and beliefs about pain control. A questionnaire was also given to 120 women in four antenatal clinics across a primary care trust in the North West of England. This questionnaire produced data on all of the variables in the comparison questionnaire, plus: Parity; antenatal education; birth plan use; medical conditions; information seeking; and childbirth self-efficacy. Women also described in text their preferences for birth. At least four weeks after delivery these women completed a further questionnaire consisting of the seven measures used in both the previous two questionnaires, plus: experience of birth; usefulness of birth plan; and post-natal depression. They also described in text their experience of birth. Results showed that birth planners were younger and had lower levels of internal health control than non-birth planners. Birth planners tended to use problem focussed coping styles, perceived less support from their significant other and perceived doctors as more powerful in pain control than non-birth planners. More positive psychological post-natal outcomes were experienced by women who valued their birth plans if they had one but overall birth planners experienced more negative psychological post-natal outcomes than non-birth planners. The non-pregnant sample was comparable in demographic terms to the pregnant sample but differed in most subscales across all measures to the pregnant sample pre-natally and to a lesser extent post-natally. The factors implicated in birth planning and psychological post-natal outcomes are discussed both in terms of the literature and possible implications for the training and practice of midwives.

Psychological and contextual factors play an important role in the development and maintenance of chronic spine-related pain, and effective treatment of pain-related conditions requires an understanding of how these factors contribute to pain and disability. The present study examined the relative contributions of spine pathology, psychological complications, and demographic factors to perceived pain intensity and disability in patients with chronic spine-related pain. Because most patients were assessed in the context of a compensable injury, exaggeration of symptoms and disability was systematically controlled for using multiple validity indicators. A high prevalence of psychological complications was observed in the present sample. Analysis indicated that psychological factors were not significantly related to pain intensity, but were significantly related to reported pain-related disability. Further, psychological factors were found to predict pain-related disability beyond demographics, medical findings, and pain intensity. Clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Problematic painkiller use is a large and increasing problem worldwide, leading to serious physical, psychological and social consequences. Existing research indicates that accessibility of painkillers and psychological factors could have a role in problematic painkiller use. To clarify, accessibility refers to ease of obtaining painkillers, whilst psychological factors refer to individual-level processes and meanings that influence mental states (Upton, 2013). However, there have been few studies conducted, and these studies have focused mainly on either clinical samples or women with childbirth pain. Hence, the role among the general population is less clear. The aim of the present thesis was therefore to focus on the role of accessibility and psychological factors in problematic painkiller use among the general population. Three studies were conducted: one study compared the general population of the UK (N = 295) and Egypt (N = 420) regarding the role of accessibility of painkillers and psychological factors, including attitudes and beliefs towards pain, painkillers, self-medication and alternative methods of pain relief; another study was a multi-national comparison of these variables among the general population of more countries including Germany (N = 217), USA (N = 146), Australia (N = 93) and China (N = 76); another study focused on the role of psychological factors over time among the UK general population (N = 529), specifically attitudes and beliefs towards painkillers, as well as pain catastrophising, pain acceptance, pain self-efficacy and alexithymia. In these studies, the role of accessibility and psychological factors was investigated using online surveys, with participants aged 18 years or over, who experienced pain in the last month, used over-the-counter (OTC) or prescription painkillers in the last month, and were residents of the countries concerned. An additional study was conducted to develop 14-item versions of the Survey of Pain Attitudes-Brief (SOPA-B-14) and the Pain Medication Attitudes Questionnaire (PMAQ-14), which also tested the validity of these scales. Results Accessibility of painkillers and psychological factors predicted problematic painkiller use. However, there were several differences between the countries regarding the particular role of these factors. In the longitudinal study of the UK general population, changes in psychological factors were found over time, but attitudes and beliefs about withdrawal from painkillers was the only psychological factor that predicted problematic painkiller use over time. In addition, testing the validity of the SOPA-B-14 and PMAQ-14 showed that these scales were valid. The present research provided understanding regarding the role of accessibility and psychological factors in problematic painkiller use among the general population, and the role of psychological factors over time. Based on this understanding, interventions focusing on accessibility and psychological factors should be developed to reduce problematic painkiller use, but tailored to the particular factors that were predictors for each country. The present research also developed a valid SOPA-B-14 and PMAQ-14, therefore these scales can be used rather than the full versions to make assessment easier.

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.

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Diss. (sammanfattning) Uppsala : Sveriges lantbruksuniv. / Härtill 4 uppsatser.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to assess the feasibility of conducting a prospective cohort study during early pregnancy (<24 weeks gestation) examining the psychological factors associated with excessive pregnancy weight gain. Study Design: Women who had at least 1 prenatal care visit, had a live singleton gestation and were able to read English were eligible to enroll in the study. Women completed the self-administered survey at their prenatal clinics in Hamilton and Brantford, Ontario, Canada. Final pregnancy weight was obtained from women’s clinical charts. Results: All approached clinics agreed to participate in the study (100% clinic agreement). Five hundred thirty women completed the enrolment survey, which was a 90.0% uptake rate. An average of 6 women enrolled each week at less than 24 weeks gestation. Less than 10% of data were missing for all survey questions and outcome data (final pregnancy weight) was available for all but one participant (97.3%). Final pregnancy weights were obtained a median of 1.0 days (interquartile 0.0-3.5 days) prior to delivery. No psychological factors were significantly associated with the odds of gaining above the 2009 IOM/Health Canada guidelines in the exploratory univariate analysis. Conclusion: All feasibility outcomes demonstrated that conducting a full-scale study in Southwestern Ontario would be feasible. Conducting a full-scale study may identify associations between psychological factors and excessive pregnancy weight gain. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc)

yes / Does exercise promote weight loss? One of the key problems with studies assessing the effi cacy of exercise as a method of weight management and obesity is that mean data are presented and the individual variability in response is overlooked. Recent data have highlighted the need to demonstrate and characterise the individual variability in response to exercise. Do people who exerc ise compensate for the increase in energy expenditure via compensatory increases in hunger and food intake? The authors address the physiological, psychological and behavioural factors potentially involved in the relationship between exercise and appetite, and identify the research questions that remain unanswered. A negative consequence of the phenomena of individual variability and compensatory responses has been the focus on those who lose little weight in response to exercise; this has been used unreasonably as evidence to suggest that exercise is a futile method of controlling weight and managing obesity. Most of the evidence suggests that exercise is useful for improving body composition and health. For example, when exercise-induced mean weight loss is <1.0 kg, signifi cant improvements in aerobic capacity (+6.3 ml/kg/min), systolic (¿6.00 mm Hg) and diastolic (¿3.9 mm Hg) blood pressure, waist circumference (¿3.7 cm) and positive mood still occur. However, people will vary in their responses to exercise; understanding and characterising this variability will help tailor weight loss strategies to suit individuals.