PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

B Arnetz

Publications and source records attributed to B Arnetz.

15 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

Suicidal feelings and work environment in psychiatric nursing personnel.

Suicidal feelings, attempted suicide and aspects of work environment and well-being in Swedish psychiatric nursing personnel were studied using a questionnaire. The questionnaire, containing 190 questions, was mailed to all 242 nurses and attendants working in psychiatric care at the department of psychiatry at Karolinska Hospital. Eighty-one percent (n = 197) returned the questionnaire. Suicidal feelings "last year" were lower than in the general population, but suicidal feeling and attempted suicide "earlier than last year" were much more common, and 13% reported that they had attempted suicide earlier in life. In order to study the possible association between work environment and suicide, a factor analysis was performed. Four factors were extracted and labelled: suicidality, quality of work, negative work environment and burn out/depression. The correlation between the factors suggests that negative work environment is associated with burn out/depression, which in turn is related to suicidality. No direct link was demonstrated between suicidality and work environment, and completed suicide was not investigated. The study provides some indirect evidence that a negative work environment may increase suicidal feelings.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Psychophysiological concomitants of organizational change in health care personnel: effects of a controlled intervention study.

BACKGROUND: To assess possible psychophysiological changes in personnel being exposed to organizational change and to assess the effects of a structured empowerment programme. METHODS: A randomized, prospective, controlled, and non-blinded intervention was carried out in two wards within a geriatric hospital. The I-ward (intervention) was offered a structured intervention programme with a trained, registered psychologist during 20 weekly 1-hour sessions before and after the organizational change. The C-ward (control) was passively attended by the same psychologist during equal time conditions. Blood pressure as well as pulse rate were taken and blood samples were drawn from all participants before (0 weeks), immediately after the intervention (20 weeks) and after another 10 weeks' follow-up (30 weeks). RESULTS: There was a significant time x group interaction with increasing prolactin levels on the C-ward as compared to decreasing levels on the I-ward during the intervention. CONCLUSIONS: Our study results suggest a picture of differentiated changes in stress hormone levels. The I-ward exhibited less psychoendocrine stress compared to the C-ward, probably due to the intervention and the possibility for personnel to influence the programme. We suggest that psychosocial empowerment programmes are beneficial when organizational changes are enacted in health care settings.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Perceived relevance of psychosocial work site interventions for improved quality of health care work environment.

Changes due to reorganization of Swedish health care would have greater impact if the measures taken were strongly supported by the occupational groups involved. In a representative study of Swedish nurses, 90% considered psychosocial issues of great importance to their work environment. No differences were found between male and female nurses. 78% of the physicians in a large hospital study stated that their psychosocial work environment could be improved. Responses to an open-ended question to nurses and physicians showed differences in prioritized suggestions for an improved psychosocial work environment. Work climate, work load, competence development and organization appeared as the most important areas of changes to both nurses and physicians. Almost 40% of the total responses from the nurses compared to 20% from the physicians had to do with work climate interventions. Increased feedback and information, better means of communication and group relations were mentioned. Work load had higher priority according to the physicians. Other potential interventions were organizational issues like management, clarity of goals as well as competence development. In particular, there was a need for supervision and new competence in coping with critical incidents.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Restructuring the working schedule for Swedish physicians. Method for improving individual wellbeing and organizational conditions].

A growing number of studies have been focused on the health and well-being of physicians, and on such professional factors as self-perceived stress, influence over working procedures, professional skills and skills development, and scope for professional advancement. The rapid transition in the structure of health care has underlined the importance of involving physicians in the restructuring process. It is also imperative that of their own accord physicians involve themselves in issues concerning the work environment and organisational enhancement. The article outlines means by which physicians' work conditions may be assessed and the process of change facilitated. An instrument for internal and external auditing of skills, working conditions and quality is also briefly discussed.

Efficiency↗
PubMed1994

Impact on health care consumption of an experimental daycare intervention.

The purpose of the present study was to assess the impact on health care utilization of a controlled intervention programme for geriatric daycare patients. Sixty-five patients referred to daycare were allocated to an intervention and control group respectively. The 12-week programme was added to the ordinary daycare agenda and was designed in active collaboration with the patients in order to counteract passivity and enhance active patient involvement. Evaluations were made before and after 6 and 12 weeks of intervention, as well as 3 and 9 months after the conclusion of the programme. No extra resources were allocated to either the intervention or the control group. During the intervention period there were no changes in the utilization of home care for either group during the whole study period. Noticeably, there was a significant difference in the number of patients readmitted to hospital between the intervention and control groups (13/33 and 21/32 respectively). There was also a significant difference in favour of the intervention group concerning mean length of hospital stay (22.1 and 61.9 days respectively). The mean corresponding saving for each 12-week intervention patient during a one-year follow-up was calculated at 57,500 SEK. Even if our calculations are tentative and do not cover all aspects of the total cost, they indicate the importance of further studies of elderly patients discharged from daycare units and institutional settings.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1993

Physiological effects on patients following temporary closing of a geriatric day care unit.

Geriatric day care is an essential part of modern geriatric care providing rehabilitation and social support. During a 5 week summer closure of a geriatric day care unit, 24 long attenders (defined as patients having day care > 26 weeks), were non-electively discharged and included in this study. Blood samples were drawn one week before the closure (0 week), at the reopening (7 weeks) and 7 weeks after the reopening (14 weeks). The results show a longitudinal tendency of rising plasma prolactin levels during the whole study period. There was non-significant increase in cortisol during the closure followed by a significant decrease 7 weeks after the reopening. All other measures were unaffected. The study indicates that geriatric patients submitted to longterm day care have a measurable psychophysiological response as a result of a non-controllable closure of a day care unit. The changes in plasma prolactin and cortisol levels are part of a general adaptation pattern. The study shows that elderly have a functional physiological response and chronically sick patients react selectively with regard to the hormone response. Thus, the results indicate that the support during minor life events induced by the closure of the day care ward should be improved.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1993

[Computer screen allergy--a Swedish problem?].

Since autumn 1985 many Swedish employees with skin problems have attributed them to their work with visual display units (VDUs). However, studies have shown the prevalence of skin signs and skin diseases among people exposed to VDUs to be comparable with that among controls; and provocation studies of subjects exposed to electromagnetic fields have failed to show any relationship to exist between the occurrence of such symptoms and work with VDUs. On the other hand, there are studies showing that the symptoms might be due to work-related stress. Occasional cases of symptoms among people working with VDUs have been reported from other countries, but not with the same order of epidemiological prevalence. Outside Sweden the occurrence of the same types of skin symptoms is attributed to other causes than exposure to VDUs or other electromagnetic sources.

Data Display↗
PubMed1991

Mortality and morbidity rates of discharged elderly day care patients. A one-year follow-up of an experimental day care programme.

The purpose of this study was to assess possible long-term effects of a focused psychosocial complementary programme added to a 3-month day care rehabilitation programme for elderly patients. Sixty-five referred elderly patients of a day care unit were randomly allocated to an experimental or control group. The experimental group was offered the chance to participate in the psychosocial addition aimed at enhancing personal control. Perceived health, autonomy, life satisfaction and psychophysiological state were shown to benefit from the psychosocial programme during the intervention period. A one-year follow-up of the patients showed no differences in mortality rates between the experimental (2/33) and control (2/32) groups. However, significantly fewer patients were readmitted to hospital from the experimental group (13/33, compared with 21/32, p = 0.02). Length of stay in hospital was significantly shorter in the experimental group (22.1 days, compared with 61.9 days in the control group, p = 0.03). The results indicate that patients benefit not only psychologically from the psychosocial intervention programme during the treatment period, but also in a longer time perspective. This programme also resulted in a reduction in in-patient health care costs.

Aftercare↗
PubMed1991

Physiological concomitants of an "autonomous day programme" in geriatric day care.

Sixty-five geriatric patients with a mean age of 74 years (range 61-90) who were referred to the day care unit of a geriatric hospital were randomly allocated to an experimental and a control group in groups of 5-8 patients, respectively. Controls were cared for according to usual routines. Patients in the experimental groups were subject to a new organizational routine. These patient groups constituted a forum for discussion and definition of individual treatment goals. Patients in the experimental and control conditions were observed before as well as 6, 12 and 24 weeks after the start of the treatment, which lasted for twelve weeks. Patients in the intervention programme had significantly lower plasma prolactin levels following the initiation of the programme than patients in the control group. According to literature, an absence of a plasma prolactin elevation during a crisis period may indicate active coping. Such a conclusion was supported by other observations in the study which indicated a progressively more internalized locus of control in the experimental group.

Aged↗