Bibliotek

Man kan urskilja två ursprung till bildsemiotiken, dels ur försöker att avleda en modell ur studiet av enskilda bilder, som växer fram ur kritiken av Barthes första, enligt allakompetenta bedömare ganska misslyckade försök med utgångspunkt i en reklambild; och dels ur kritiken av Peirces ikonicitetsbegrepp hos Bierman, Lindekens och Eco och av det vardagliga bildbegreppet grundat på likhet hos Goodman, som också bygger påmånga missförstånd. I denna artikel diskuteras i viss mån den första traditionen, men huvuddelen ägnas åt den andra. En ny teori på fenomenologisk grundval angående den speciella form av ikonicitet som förekommer i bilder lägges fram, och denna ikonicitetkontrasteras med andra typer. En allmän indelning i primär och sekundär ikonicitet föreslages.

Man kan urskilja två ursprung till bildsemiotiken, dels ur försöker att avleda en modell ur studiet av enskilda bilder, som växer fram ur kritiken av Barthes första, enligt allakompetenta bedömare ganska misslyckade försök med utgångspunkt i en reklambild; och dels ur kritiken av Peirces ikonicitetsbegrepp hos Bierman, Lindekens och Eco och av det vardagliga bildbegreppet grundat på likhet hos Goodman, som också bygger påmånga missförstånd. I denna artikel diskuteras i viss mån den första traditionen, men huvuddelen ägnas åt den andra. En ny teori på fenomenologisk grundval angående den speciella form av ikonicitet som förekommer i bilder lägges fram, och denna ikonicitetkontrasteras med andra typer. En allmän indelning i primär och sekundär ikonicitet föreslages.

Aim: The overall aim was to create knowledge about what it means to live with bipolar
disorder from an existential perspective, both for individuals with the diagnosis and for
their close relatives.
Method: An existential perspective in this context entails that it is explored and
described from a lifeworld perspective of individuals who in various ways experience
that which is termed as bipolar disorder. The lifeworld phenomenological approach
Reflective Lifeworld Research (RLR) was used in the four empirical studies. Meaningoriented
interviews and analysis were conducted following the leading methodological
principles of the chosen scientific approach. A synthesis, based on lifeworld
hermeneutic existential philosophy, then presents how it is possible to understand the
perspective of individuals with bipolar disorder and their close relatives as a coherent
whole.
Findings and conclusions: A magnitude and complexity of experiencing, which means
that life with bipolar disorder is characterized by extra dimensions, specific tension and
contradictions, has been elucidated. Knowledge of the meaning of these aspects
enables for the persons with the illness and for their close relatives to understand, to
put words to, and to communicate how their life is and what they need, which in turn
enhances their ability to influence their lives. It also increases the opportunities for
professional caregivers to develop care, both in content and organization, so that it can
meet the actual needs of those concerned in an adequate way.
Living with bipolar disorder means so much more than the usual description with
changes between episodes of depression and mania. The diagnosis "bipolar disorder"
thus appears to be an inadequate label that only reflects the more obvious and visible
dimensions of the illness, while those that characterize life in its entirety remain
hidden.
The thesis also shows that the importance of the common everyday life of persons with
bipolar disorder and their close relatives should be highlighted as the most important
factor in a liveable existence. A change in the view of mental health care is thus
needed; a change that is characterized by consensus, collaboration and transparent
communication between the person with the illness, their close relatives and mental
health care. The common goal should be about meeting actual needs, and to
strengthen a profound connectedness in order to make everyday life more liveable.

Metoden blandade lärande nätverk har provats och utvärderats inom Nationellt kompetenscentrum Anhöriga. Rapport från Teknik för äldre.

Purpose: This article describes an innovative practice called Blended Learning Networks (BLNs) whose aim is to enable older people, their families, and care providers to exchange knowledge, learn together, and support each other in local development work so that care is improved for older people. BLNs were established in 31 municipalities, headed up by a local facilitator. They were supported by a national themed network consisting of virtual meetings between local facilitators and national facilitators at the Swedish National Family Care Competence Centre. Design and Methods: An evaluation was conducted to explore the utility of the BLNs so that any improvements to the model could be instigated. Focus group interviews were conducted with members of 9 BLNs, and self-evaluation questions were discussed in 16 BLNs. Limitations are that not all BLN members participated in the evaluation, and local facilitators conducting self-evaluations were not trained in focus group dynamics. Virtual focus groups were carried out with 26 of the 31 local facilitators and with the national facilitators. Results: Participants reported an increased understanding of caregiver issues and of each group's roles. Of particular value were the stories shared by caregivers and the potential for change locally due to the involvement of decision makers. The practice demanded considerable skills of the local facilitators. An initial education for new local facilitators was deemed necessary. Implications: BLNs is a unique practice of community communications and knowledge transfer as it creates partnerships among all key stakeholder groups that act as a catalyst for improving care for older people.

Purpose: This article describes an innovative practice called Blended Learning Networks (BLNs) whose aim is to enable older people, their families, and care providers to exchange knowledge, learn together, and support each other in local development work so that care is improved for older people. BLNs were established in 31 municipalities, headed up by a local facilitator. They were supported by a national themed network consisting of virtual meetings between local facilitators and national facilitators at the Swedish National Family Care Competence Centre. Design and Methods: An evaluation was conducted to explore the utility of the BLNs so that any improvements to the model could be instigated. Focus group interviews were conducted with members of 9 BLNs, and self-evaluation questions were discussed in 16 BLNs. Limitations are that not all BLN members participated in the evaluation, and local facilitators conducting self-evaluations were not trained in focus group dynamics. Virtual focus groups were carried out with 26 of the 31 local facilitators and with the national facilitators. Results: Participants reported an increased understanding of caregiver issues and of each group's roles. Of particular value were the stories shared by caregivers and the potential for change locally due to the involvement of decision makers. The practice demanded considerable skills of the local facilitators. An initial education for new local facilitators was deemed necessary. Implications: BLNs is a unique practice of community communications and knowledge transfer as it creates partnerships among all key stakeholder groups that act as a catalyst for improving care for older people.

In the wake of recent conflicts in Russia and the former Yugoslavia, ethnic terrorism and ethnic cleansing have become household words. Yet we are at a loss to find solutions to such struggles. In Bloodlines, Vamik Volkan, a world-renowned psychiatrist specializing in international relations, explores ethnic violence by examining history and diplomacy through a psycho-analytic lens.Dr. Volkan leads the reader on investigative tours of battlegrounds in the Middle East, Russia, Turkey, Cyprus, the Baltics, and the Balkans. In Serbia, he discovers that the Battle of Kosovo, fought in 1389, is the rallying cry for modern nationalists, who view the past as prophecy. In Turkey, PKK terrorist leader Apo reveals that he still considers himself an unloved child and orders his army of Kurdish women to remain virgins because of his own disgust with "unclean" adult behavior. In Latvia, after the dissolution of the USSR, Dr. Volkan learns that ethnic Latvians plan to disinter corpses and segregate cemeteries in an attempt to establish a national identity separate from that of Russia. Drawing on a variety of disciplines, Dr. Volkan analyzes these issues of identity formation, perceived versus real threats, the persistence of past traumas, and the desire for revenge.The result is a work that lays the foundation for understanding the differences between ethnic groups as well as the common ground they share. Timely, brilliant, and gripping, Bloodlines gives fascinating insights into how personal identity intertwines with nationality, and why hatred of others becomes a part of our sense of self.

Sammanfattning:
Boken berör ämnen som är högaktuella 2021, inte minst i relation till den ökning av postvirala sjukdomar vi lär få se i covids kölvatten. Berättelsen tar sin start i den pandemi som nu rasar kring oss.
Redan innan vår nya samtid drabbade oss fick dottern Linnea ett virus som inte släppte sitt grepp. Snart fick hon nya märkliga symtom. Ändå slog hennes läkare lugnt fast att barn kunde råka ut för postviral trötthet, något som skulle gå över med tiden. Men Linnea blev bara sämre. Likt en inkräktare trängde sig en okänd sjukdom in i familjens trygga liv på Gotland. Sjukdomen visade sig vara lika svår att göra sig av med som att lära känna - mardrömmen blev verklighet.

I boken får vi följa föräldrarnas kamp för att rädda dottern. Samtidigt faller de som anhörigvårdare genom revorna i välfärdens redan grovmaskiga nät. Med ett särpräglat språk som når ända in i själen skildras utmaningar och sorger vi alla kan drabbas av när någon vi älskar blir allvarligt sjuk.

Regeringen beslutade den 12 juli 2012 att tillkalla en särskild utredare med uppdrag att göra en översyn av lagen (1990:52) med särskilda bestämmelser om vård av unga (LVU). Av direktiven framgår att även vissa frågor som rör socialtjänstlagen (2001:453, SoL) ingår i uppdraget (dir. 2012:79). Syftet är att ytterligare stärka barnrättsperspektivet och rättssäkerheten för barn och unga.

Genom tilläggsdirektiv, beslutade den 19 juni 2013, har utredningen dessutom fått uppdraget att se över olika placeringsalternativ för barns och ungas boende, vård och fostran enligt SoL och LVU och att lämna förslag till flera alternativ än vad som finns i dag.

Detta delbetänkande innehåller förslag i enlighet med tilläggsdirektiven. Därutöver behandlas vissa frågor som ingår i utredningens ursprungliga direktiv.

Children of alcoholics (COA's) are at increased risk for behavioral and emotional problems, including alcoholism. Research has helped guide the design of prevention and intervention programs aimed at reducing this risk. Currently, most such programs for COA's use a short-term, small-group format, often conducted within schools. Broad-based community programs are another promising option, but have not been sufficiently studied. Generally, interventions include alcoholism education, training in coping skills and social competence, social support, and healthy alternative activities. Increased interaction between basic research and intervention may lead to improved services for COA's.

BASICS, Brief Alcohol Screening and Intervention of College Students: A Harm Reduction Approach, is a preventive intervention for college students 18 to 24 years old. It targets students who drink alcohol heavily and have experienced or are at risk for alcohol-related problems such as poor class attendance, missed assignments, accidents, sexual assault, and violence. BASICS is designed to help students make better alcohol-use decisions based on a clear understanding of the genuine risks associated with problem drinking. The program is conducted over the course of two brief interviews that prompt students to change their drinking patterns. The first interview focuses on introducing the student to the program, assessing the student's level of risk of alcohol-related problems, and obtaining the commitment to monitor drinking in the interval between the two sessions. The second interview is a feedback interview in which the student is given a personalized feedback sheet containing information on the frequency of drinking, quantity of alcohol consumed, estimates of typical and highest-reported blood-alcohol content, and comparisons with student drinking norms. In addition, the student is provided with information about risks associated with drinking and myths about alcohol use, and receives advice on how to drink safely. The program's style is empathetic, not confrontational or judgmental, and aims to (1) reduce alcohol consumption and its adverse consequences, (2) promote healthier choices among young adults, and (3) provide important information and coping skills for risk reduction.

OUTCOMES
Participants at the University of Washington who received BASICS demonstrated a significantly greater deceleration of drinking rates and problems over time in comparison with control participants. These results were sustained at the 2- and 4-year follow-ups.
In an introductory psychology class study of binge drinking, at the 6-week follow-up, the treatment group drank significantly less than the control group on all three indices (number of drinks consumed per week, number of times consuming alcohol in the past month, and frequency of binge drinking in the past month).
Heavier drinking BASICS participants at Auburn University showed significantly greater 3-month decreases in drinking measures and maintained the reduction at 9 months, but other participants showed no improvement.
Fraternity pledges in the treatment condition in a West Coast university showed greater decreases in total weekly alcohol consumption and typical peak blood alcohol concentrations than did pledges in the control condition, but no significant treatment effects were found for quantity of drinks per occasion, frequency of alcohol consumption, or alcohol problems.
Among a sample of athletes enrolled in a public northeastern and northwestern university, BASICS significantly lowered the levels of peak blood alcohol concentration as well as the numbers of drinks consumed on a typical weekend during the first year of college. The program appeared to work somewhat better in combination with a parent-based intervention.
Significant Program Effects on Risk and Protective Factors:

Perceptions of typical student drinking was found to mediate the treatment effect on drinking outcomes (number of drinks consumed per week, number of times consuming alcohol past month, and past month frequency of binge drinking) (Borsari and Carey, 2000).
RACE/ETHNICITY/GENDER DETAILS
The program applies to all youth, but the samples of college students likely include few minorities. The program is equally effective for both genders.

This instructive manual presents a pragmatic and clinically proven approach to the prevention and treatment of undergraduate alcohol abuse. The BASICS model is a nonconfrontational harm reduction approach that helps students reduce their alcohol consumption and decrease the behavioral and health risks associated with heavy drinking. Including numerous reproducible handouts and assessment forms, the book takes readers step by step through conducting BASICS assessment and feedback sessions. Special topics include the use of DSM-IV criteria to evaluate alcohol abuse, ways to counter student defensiveness about drinking, and obtaining additional treatment for students with severe alcohol dependency.

This study examines the effects of 2 brief family-focused interventions on the trajectories of substance initiation over a period of 6 years following a baseline assessment. The 2 interventions, designed for general-population families of adolescents, were the 7-session Iowa Strengthening Families Program (ISFP) (Molgaard & Spoth, 2001) and the 5-session Preparing for the Drug Free Years Program (PDFY) (Catalano, Kosterman, Haggerty, Hawkins, & Spoth, 1999). Thirty-three rural public schools were randomly assigned to the ISFP, the PDFY, or a minimal-contact control condition. The authors evaluated the curvilinear growth observed in school-level measures of initiation using a logistic growth curve analysis. Alcohol and tobacco composite use indices--as well as lifetime use of alcohol, cigarettes, and marijuana--and lifetime drunkenness, were examined. Significant intervention-control differences were observed, indicating favorable delays in initiation in the intervention groups.

Existing research studies have shown mixed results relating to the impact upon children of having a sibling with a disability. However, siblings of children with autism may be more at risk than siblings of children with other disabilities. In the present study, data were gathered on 22 siblings of children with autism. These children were rated by their mothers as having more behavior problems and fewer prosocial behaviors than a normative sample. Analysis of variables predicting sibling behavioral adjustment revealed that boys with siblings who have autism, and also those younger than their sibling with autism, engaged in fewer prosocial behaviors. Psychological adjustment of mothers (stress) and the child with autism (behavior problems) were not predictive of sibling behavioral adjustment.

Objective To evaluate the impact of a family-based group intervention for young siblings of children with chronic illness and developmental disability (CI/DD). Methods Forty-three healthy siblings (ages 4–7 years) of children with CI/DD and their parents participated in an intervention designed to address sibling challenges that cut across types of diagnostic conditions. The intervention consisted of six sessions of collateral and integrated sibling-parent groups. Measures of sibling knowledge, sibling sense of connectedness with other children in similar family circumstances, and sibling global functioning were collected before and after intervention. A subsample of 17 families completed a 3-month follow-up. Results Siblings' knowledge of the child's disorder and sibling connectedness increased significantly from pre- to posttreatment for both boys and girls, regardless of the nature of the brother or sister's condition. Sibling perceptions of self-competence increased from pre- to posttreatment, whereas parent reports of sibling behavioral functioning remained within the normal range. Improvements in sibling knowledge and connectedness maintained at follow-up. Parent satisfaction with the program was high. Conclusions Results support more controlled evaluations of family-based intervention to improve young sibling adaptation to CI/DD.

This study extends a program of research investigating the effectiveness of Brief Strategic Family Therapy to engage and retain families and/or youth in treatment. The study contrasted Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) with a Community Comparison (CC) condition selected to represent the common engagement and treatment practices of the community; 104 families were randomly assigned to BSFT or CC. Results indicate that families assigned to BSFT had significantly higher rates of engagement (81% vs. 61%), and retention (71% vs. 42%). BSFT was also more effective than CC in retaining more severe cases. Post hoc analyses of treatment effectiveness suggest that BSFT was able to achieve comparable treatment effects despite retaining more difficult cases. We discuss these results from a public health perspective, and highlight the study's contribution to a small but growing body of literature that suggests the benefits of a family-systems paradigm for engagement and retention in treatment.

This study extends a program of research investigating the effectiveness of Brief Strategic Family Therapy to engage and retain families and/or youth in treatment. The study contrasted Brief Strategic Family Therapy (BSFT) with a Community Comparison (CC) condition selected to represent the common engagement and treatment practices of the community; 104 families were randomly assigned to BSFT or CC. Results indicate that families assigned to BSFT had significantly higher rates of engagement (81% vs. 61%), and retention (71% vs. 42%). BSFT was also more effective than CC in retaining more severe cases. Post hoc analyses of treatment effectiveness suggest that BSFT was able to achieve comparable treatment effects despite retaining more difficult cases. We discuss these results from a public health perspective, and highlight the study's contribution to a small but growing body of literature that suggests the benefits of a family-systems paradigm for engagement and retention in treatment.

OBJECTIVES:
Maternal postpartum depression is a prevalent health disorder with important consequences to the family and child development. Research evidence demonstrates that fathers can also suffer from psychological distress in the postpartum period and that paternal depression has a detrimental effect on the child's behavioral and emotional development. This study aims to review the current literature available about birth-related paternal depression.
METHOD:
A literature search from 1980 to 2007 was conducted through Medline electronic database, using the following Mesh terms: postpartum, postnatal, depression, fathers and paternal. Studies on maternal postpartum depression that examined issues related to paternal depression were also selected.
RESULTS:
Understanding about paternal depressive disorders during the postnatal period has advanced considerably in the last decade. Various studies demonstrate that birth-related paternal depression is a significant problem and closely associated with maternal depressive symptoms. Children of depressive fathers are also at risk for emotional and behavioral problems.
CONCLUSIONS:
Men may suffer from psychological distress after childbirth and birth-related paternal depression is not a rare phenomenon. Since this disorder, also called 'paternal postpartum depression', presents potential deleterious effects for the child, an increased level of public health awareness and scientific interest is warranted. In addition, a more detailed assessment of fathers during the postnatal period is recommended, especially when their partners are also depressed, so that the condition will be promptly recognized and treated.

Brukarmakt i teori och praktik fördjupar, problematiserar och breddar diskussionen om brukarnas inflytande i människovårdande verksamheter. Utgångspunkten är det socialpsykiatriska området, men boken ger redskap för att förstå brukarmakt i vidare mening inom socialtjänst, vård och omsorg.

Brukarnas makt och delaktighet diskuteras i relation till begrepp som demokrati, medborgarskap och sociala rättigheter, liksom till evidensbaserat socialt arbete. Historiska beskrivningar och teori kompletteras med exempel från praktiken. Även brukarorganisationernas roll analyseras.

Boken är avsedd som kurslitteratur vid utbildningar med inriktning mot vård, omsorg och socialt arbete, men kan också användas av anställda inom offentlig sektor och engagerade i ideella organisationer och föreningar.

A large number of people die from stroke every year, many of them suddenly and unexpectedly as a result of acute stroke. Sudden and unexpected death influences the next of kin and carers as well as the care given to the patients but has not previous been studied within the context of stroke. Aim: The overall aim of the thesis was to describe how carers and next of kin experience patients' death when the patient has been afflicted by stroke. Methods: In the thesis an interpretive qualitative approach has mainly been used. The studies (I-V) have emerged from one another as in a hermeneutic design. An inductive design (I, II, IV, V) and a deductive design (III) have been used. Data were collected with individual interviews (I, III, IV) and individual interviews together with a form (III). Focus group interviews have also been used (II). Participants have been carers on stroke units; ten registered nurses (I) and nineteen respective fifteen members of stroke teams; physicians, registered nurses and enrolled nurses (II, III) together with twelve next of kin to eight patients (IV, V). For analysis of data mainly interpretive methods were utilized; hermeneutic textual interpretation (I), interpretive content analysis (II) and a combined qualitative and quantitative content analysis (III). In addition narrative thematic analysis (IV) and narrative structural analysis (V) were also used. Results: Unexpected sudden death when the patient has been afflicted by stroke can be understood as the unexpected force that intervenes without the patient, the next of kin or the carers being prepared (I). The sudden onset puts the carers in ethically demanding situations through the demands of immediate caring for the patient and also the support the next of kin needs, required by the urgent incident (I - III). The ethical problems became most evident in information, decisions about care and caring, together with support for the next of kin (II). The carers did not use ways of handling ethically problematic situations in the same way as they would have preferred. Mutual trust, both within the teams and with the next of kin constitutes the core for the carers ways of handling the urgent situation and the ethical problems guided by putting what's best for the patients first (III). The studies with the next of kin reveal how complex and elusive the situation might be perceived. The next of kin's experiences of the unexpected sudden death were marked by the uncertainty in the situation and to be left to the mercy of the unexpected (IV). The attention of the next of kin was clearly directed to the patient to the extent that they even forgot themselves and their own needs. The urgency shows itself as influencing the way the next of kin experienced time, how their attention was directed during vigil but it also affected their memory so it behaved in a betraying and contradictory way (IV). Conclusion: Through the results death caused by acute stroke emerge as unexpected sudden death. Unexpected sudden death shows as death calling for urgent actions, brings a potential power to violate the dignity of the afflicted, creating ethical problems that the carers have to deal with and have the power to completely invade the next of kin's present life. The unexpected sudden death brings with it an element of uncertainty that all involved in the situation, the patient, their next of kin and the carers have to address themselves to. Bereavement counselling could be a way to support the next of kin. The methods of this thesis have given knowledge of narrative structure and how it can be utilized to develop stories could be used as a tool for caregivers support the next of kin. Keywords: carers, combined qualitative and quantitative content analysis, content analysis, dignity, hermeneutic textual analysis, narratives, next of kin, qualitative methods, sudden and unexpected death, uncertainty, stroke, stroke team

Nangijala, där det ännu är lägereldarna och sagornas tid, det är dit man kommer när man dör. Det berättar Jonatan för sin bror Skorpan som ligger hemma i köket och hostar och är rädd för att dö. Men Jonatan säger att han inte behöver vara rädd, för de kommer att ses i Nangijala. Astrid Lindgrens saga om bröderna Lejonhjärta är en klassisk berättelse om liv och död, syskonkärlek och mod. Kapitelbok från 6 år.

Sammanfattning
Mamma är sig inte lik. Hon fräser, blir lätt arg och är alltid trött. Hon har blivit sjuk och behöver vila. Det är liksom huller om buller i huvudet på henne. I berättelsen får vi följa barnen Maxi och Lilla Lo som försöker förhålla sig till sin mammas mående. Är det deras fel att mamma är sjuk? Ska klumpen i magen någonsin försvinna? Det här är en berättelse som börjar i grått, men hur slutar det?

Family caregivers of persons with schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders experience high levels of burden. Although a number of patient and caregiver predictors of burden have been identified, little research has investigated the contributions of patient depression, suicidal ideation, and substance abuse. In addition, family psychoeducation interventions have reduced patient symptoms, as well as inpatient treatment utilization; however, it is not known whether or not these interventions reduce family burden. This study- investigated predictors of family burden and tested to what degree multiple family group treatment (MFGT), relative to a standard-care condition, was associated with reduced family burden. Participants were 90 outpatients with a diagnosis of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, and their caregivers who were enrolled in a 2 year psychoeducation intervention. The best set of predictors of burden, identified by stepwise linear regression, was young patient age, awareness of patient's suicidal ideation, and family resources. These variables accounted for 32% of the total variance in burden. Findings suggest that caregiver's awareness of patient's suicidal ideation; not patient's report of suicidal ideation; and that patient age not duration of the illness, were significant, independent predictors of burden. When compared to a standard-care condition over 2 years, MFGT did not reduce family caregiver burden. Discussions focus on the relationship between burden and its predictors, and possible reasons why MFGT did not decrease burden. Modifications are proposed that may increase the impact of MFGT.

Thirty-two problem-oriented interviews with caregivers of patients with bipolar affective disorders were analyzed using content analysis. The 722 statements of caregivers about their experiences of subjective burden because of the illness of their family members were summarized in 49 global statements and correlated by factor analysis to 10 types of burden. In particular, patients' noncompliance as well as the helplessness of the caregivers in interaction with the (changing) depressive and manic symptoms of the ill family members emerged as serious burdens on the caregivers. Whereas female caregivers suffered more from problems regarding quality of relationship with the patient, male caregivers experienced more constraints on their own autonomy, uncertainty concerning their judgment of patients' capacity, and uncertainty because of the changing symptoms of illness. The findings of this study highlight that an appreciation of caregivers' own consternation and information about how best to handle the (uncooperative) behavior of the patient should be taken into account in psychoeducational groups as well as in the daily work routine of professionals.

Background:

There is a lack of studies of the size of burden associated with informal care giving in psychosis.

Aims:

To evaluate the objective and subjective burden of informal care giving to patients with psychoses, and to compare a diary and recall method for assessments of objective burden.

Method:

Patients and their informal caregivers were recruited from nine Swedish psychiatric outpatient centres. Subjective burden was assessed at inclusion using the CarerQoL and COPE index scales. The objective burden (time and money spent) was assessed by the caregivers daily using diaries over four weeks and by recall at the end of weeks 1 and 2.

Results:

One-hundred and seven patients (53% females; mean age 43 ± 11) and 118 informal caregivers (67%; 58 ± 15 years) were recruited. Informal caregivers spent 22.5 hours/week and about 14% of their gross income on care-related activities. The time spent was underestimated by two to 20 hours when assessed by recall than by daily diary records. The most prominent aspects of the subjective burden were mental problems.

Conclusion:

Despite a substantial amount of time and money spent on care giving, the informal caregivers perceived the mental aspects of burden as the most troublesome. The informal caregiver burden is considerable and should be taken into account when evaluating effects of health care provided to patients with psychoses.

Keywords: Informal care giving, schizophrenia, subjective burden, objective burden, diary method, recall method

Aim: The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the burdens and difficulties associated with the experience of caring for youth with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders. Methods: Ten caregivers participated in a modified version of the Knowledge about Schizophrenia Illness interview. Results: The most common areas of general difficulties reported by caregivers were emotional burdens and the everyday practical demands and sacrifices required in caring for their dependents. Results also suggested high levels of burden for caregivers concerning difficulties with mental health services. Conclusion: Additional work is needed to learn more about the challenges that caregivers of youth with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders are facing, as well as to develop empirically based strategies for helping these caregivers and their dependents.

Aim: The purpose of this qualitative study was to investigate the burdens and difficulties associated with the experience of caring for youth with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Methods: Ten caregivers participated in a modified version of the Knowledge about Schizophrenia Illness interview.

Results: The most common areas of general difficulties reported by caregivers were emotional burdens and the everyday practical demands and sacrifices required in caring for their dependents. Results also suggested high levels of burden for caregivers concerning difficulties with mental health services.

Conclusion: Additional work is needed to learn more about the challenges that caregivers of youth with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders are facing, as well as to develop empirically based strategies for helping these caregivers and their dependents.

Self-harm in adolescents is an increasingly recognized problem, and there is growing awareness of the important role schools and health services can play in detecting and supporting those at risk. By Their Own Young Hand explores the findings of the first large-scale survey of deliberate self-harm and suicidal thinking in adolescents in the UK, and draws out the implications for prevention strategies and mental health promotion.

Six thousand young people were asked about their experiences of self-harm, the coping methods they use, and their attitudes to the help and support available. The authors identify the risk and protective factors for self-harm, exploring why some adolescents with suicidal thoughts go on to harm themselves while others do not, what motivates some young people to seek help, and whether distressed teenagers feel they receive the support they need. By Their Own Young Hand offers practical advice on how schools can detect young people at risk, cope with the aftermath of self-harm or attempted suicide, and develop training programmes for teachers. It also examines the roles of self-help, telephone helplines, email counselling, and walk-in crisis centres.

Packed with adolescents' own personal accounts and perspectives, this accessible overview will be essential reading for teachers, social workers and mental health professionals.