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Background: Research indicates that good organizational and psychosocial environments are vital to well-functioning workplaces and employee health. Working in the municipal sector and in the rural context may contribute to more health problems, poorer organizational and psychosocial work environments, and higher sick-leave rates.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore organizational and psychosocial environmental work factors among municipal employees with or without self-rated exhaustion disorder (s-ED) in rural northern Sweden.

Methods: The Modern Work Life Questionnaire and the Self-Rated Exhaustion Disorder Scale were used among 1093 municipal employees.

Results: The results showed that there were significant differences between the s-ED and the non-s-ED group in all but one of the organizational and psychosocial environmental work factors. Various demands, i.e. quantitative, emotional, intellectual, and IT demands were some factors associated with the s-ED group. Social support, resources, and time for work and reflection were some factors associated with the non-s-ED group. Both the s-ED and the non-s-ED groups assessed significantly higher emotional demands and less resources compared to national reference values.

Conclusion: Findings from this study are relevant to a better understanding what organizational and psychosocial work environmental work factor the employer need to pay extra attention to. Addressing risk and protective factors in the work environment could tribute to promote occupational well-being, preventing exhaustion disorder and long-term sick leave among municipal employees in rural northern Sweden.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to describe experiences of being a manager in the municipal sector in rural northern Sweden.

METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were performed with 15 managers working in the municipal sector. The interviews were subjected to inductive qualitative content analysis.

RESULTS: The managers' experiences were interpreted in the main theme, Striving for stability on shaky ground. They struggled within slimmed-down organizations with substitute shortages and reduced means. They expressed being burdened by conflicting demands, a work overload, work conflicts and a requirement to be present. They had to endure the negative consequences of working in small municipalities, and handling health and family life impairments. The managers expressed the importance of being strengthened by inner and outer resources, such as being motivated, having social support and finding strategies to cope. They also expressed benefits of working in small municipalities, such as great opportunities to influence and efficiency in decision-making.

CONCLUSION: This study illuminates managers' adverse psychosocial working conditions, insights into working in a small municipality in the rural context and also the importance of organizational support. Future studies could focus on applying adapted workplace support interventions among managers in the municipal sector in rural northern Sweden.

PURPOSE: The aim of this qualitative study was to describe experiences of work-related stress among highly stressed municipal employees in rural northern Sweden. METHODS: We interviewed 15 employees in the municipal sector in rural northern Sweden using a semi-structured guide and subjected the interviews to qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: Under the main theme of Suffering Through Endless Chaos, we summarized four themes: facing incompatible interests and high demands due to lack of time and resources; feeling powerless, trapped, and ignored due to lack of control; feeling insufficient, insecure, and guilty due to challenging relations and high expectations; and struggling with consequences such as health problems, spillover effects on family life, and difficulty coping. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study suggest the importance of acknowledging suffering among municipal employees in a stressful work environment. An imbalance between job demands and resources is affecting both health and family lives of employees, and also their ability to work. It seems important to improve the work environment through supportive leadership, job control, and reasonable job demands to prevent stress, reduce suffering, and create a healthy organization.

AIM: To describe perceived needs of support among patients close to discharge from the hospital and at the end of primary curative radiotherapy for breast, colorectal or prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have specifically explored patients' early support needs when ending primary curative treatment.

DESIGN: Qualitative interview study design.

METHODS: A purposive sample of 27 participants with breast, colorectal or prostate cancer aged 33-88 years. The interviews were analysed by qualitative content analysis. Reporting followed the COREQ guidelines.

RESULTS: Personal support to reach a sense of control and Social support for personal growth were two main themes, highlighting that people required adapted support from health care since needs of support could change over time. This support from health care was also relying on that trust-based relationships were developed. Through mutuality with others and engagement in meaningful activities people became enabled and felt further supported. Personal support from health care seems specifically important for the patients' feelings of control and could be a facilitator for patients to identify further support for personal growth in how to manage, on the one hand, illness and insecurity, and on the other, their well-being and everyday life with cancer.

CONCLUSION: To empower patients who are ending primary treatment and being close to discharge from hospital, healthcare professionals should recognise patients' shifting needs and adapt the support. Adapted support is significant for patients' sense of safety. Biomedical information is not sufficient to fully support patients.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: Offering easy access to supportive care when primary treatment is finished could diminish people's stress, insecurity and avoidable use of healthcare services. Even after discharge, nurses preferably should adapt and offer support tailored to patients' needs. Such support may improve patients' sense of control and safety, trust in health care, feelings of community and encourage personal growth.

OBJECTIVE: The aims of this study among municipal employees in rural areas of northern Sweden were to assess the prevalence of self-rated exhaustion disorder (s-ED), describe plausible between-group differences in self-reported health-related factors among employees with or without s-ED, and identify health-related factors associated with s-ED.

METHODS: In a cross-sectional study, data were collected from 1093 municipal employees (76.1% women) in two rural areas using an instrument measuring s-ED and health variables drawn from the Modern Worklife Questionnaire (MWQ), the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), and the National Board of Health and Welfare's questions about physical activity. Comparisons were made between an s-ED and a non-s-ED group. Health-related factors associated with s-ED were identified through a logistic regression.

RESULTS: Self-rated exhaustion disorder was reported by 21.5% of the participants. Health-related factors associated with s-ED were cognitive problems, sleep problems, depressive symptoms, high stress, poor self-rated health, and stomach problems. There was no statistically significant difference in the prevalence of participants who met the criteria of physical activity among s-ED and non-s-ED group.

CONCLUSION: Findings from this study suggest that s-ED is more common among municipal employees in rural areas than in other working populations in Sweden. Several health-related factors were associated with s-ED. Regular use of a self-rated instrument in evaluating the organizational and social work environment can identify people at risk of developing exhaustion disorder and requiring long-term sick leave.

Introduction: Schizophrenia is a common disease with a high risk of comorbidity in both psychiatric and somatic diseases. Physical activity is proven effective in reducing symptoms of schizophrenia and increasing overall health. Still it is not used systematically in the care of persons with schizophrenia.

Aim: The aim of this study is to describe nurses' experience, including personal motivation, in using physical activity as complementary treatment in patients with schizophrenia.

Method: Interviews in three focus groups with 12 participating nurses were conducted. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze data.

Results: Physical activity was commonly used. Although several nurses signaled positive patient response, i.e. less anxiety and better quality of sleep, the overall consensus was an uncertainty regarding the benefits. It was perceived as non-evidence based form of intervention.

Conclusion: The uncertainty of the benefits of physical activity is evident in nursing staff and poses a resistance to implement systematic physical activity as a complementary treatment in schizophrenia. A new awareness of evidence based nursing is suggested to promote a wider and more receptive attitude to reduce patient vulnerability in persons with schizophrenia.

An equal mix of organizational cultures is important for a successful implementation process. The aim of this study was to examine the implementation of a new working method in psychiatric hospital wards, representing different cultural characteristics. Descriptive quantitative data were collected at two hospitals (intervention and control). The results revealed one ward characterized by a mix of organizational cultures. This ward, compared with other intervention wards, showed the best results regarding patient assessed empowerment and participation. The result shows tentatively that organizational culture may have an impact on the implementation processes.

The interaction between people with intellectual disabilities and professional carers is often influenced by communicative difficulties contributing challenging behaviours. The aims of this study were to evaluate to a web-based training program aimed at improving carers' abilities to interact with people with learning disabilities who exhibit challenging behaviours and to explore carers' experiences of participating in such a program. A single-subject experimental design and mixed methods were used to integrate qualitative and quantitative data. Triangulation of questionnaires, interviews with carers, and assessments of one woman's behaviour was performed. The participants were professional carers aged 20 to 55 years. The web-based training program increased carers' abilities to handle challenging behaviours and decreased challenging behaviours in daily care. The program improved the opportunities to offer training to carers who work in community-based accommodations with limited time to receive training.

AIM AND OBJECTIVE: The objective was to explore and describe patients' daily life experiences five years after gastric bypass surgery.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery markedly decreases body weight. Previous studies describe positive consequences, as well as physical, social and emotional challenges during the first few years after surgery. An understanding of how patients adjust to and cope with postsurgical changes in the long term is crucial to help them obtain a successful outcome after bariatric surgery.

METHOD: A qualitative method was employed. In-depth interviews with 10 men and women were conducted five years after bariatric surgery in a Norwegian hospital.

RESULTS: One overarching theme - a multitude of daily life changes following bariatric surgery - was developed based on three main themes: relational aspects related to weight loss, the new body and changes in self-esteem. Six sub-themes are described.

CONCLUSION: Those who undergo gastric bypass surgery experience enormous changes in their daily lives. Their social lives, their relationship to their body and their self-esteem may be altered by the weight loss.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: The results of this study suggest directions for patient education, health staff education and peer education. A patient education programme focusing on changes in daily life experiences when undergoing gastric bypass surgery is suggested due to the changes experienced by the patients involved in this study.

The aim of this study has been to synthesize research on suicidal patients' experiences of the suicide process. A literature search was performed in CINAHL, PubMed, and PsycINFO, and the analysis of the 15 articles covered was based on meta-synthesis. Patients experience a wide variety of feelings regarding their situation during the suicide process, and these exist on two levels: they relate to the different aspects of care that the patients receive and the patients' need to communicate with others and regain hope. The patients in this study described the struggle to maintain hope when life became too difficult and their suffering despite a sense of security, and they sought to achieve emotional balance. A good understanding of how suicidal individuals live with and manage suicidal ideation, while maintaining hope is important for planning effective nursing care. Further research from the patient perspective is needed to further develop psychiatric care for people at risk of suicide.