Suchergebnisse

Bodens fästning var länge "Låset i norr". Här skulle ryssen stoppas att gå över Lule älv. Under andra världskriget och framförallt början av Kalla Kriget placerades ytterligare över 40 kanoner ut i det som kallades Kalix- och Luleålinjerna efter de älvar som de strategiskt placerades vid. I Nordnorge gjordes samma rustning under den tyska ockupationen och det fria Norge fortsatte skyddet av viktiga hamnar samt förbättrade Frøylinjen, där Sovjets styrkor skulle stoppas på vägen söderut. Detta är historien över Nordkalottens fasta försvar under 100 år, dess uppstart, glansperioder och till sist stängning, samt att i många fall totalt falla i glömska. Förord är skrivet av Peter Englund - historiker, ledamot av Svenska Akademien och tidigare batterichef i Luleålinjen

In recent years it has become increasingly clear that chemical interactions play a fundamental role in aquatic habitats and have far-reaching evolutionary and ecological consequences. This book aims at connecting these intriguing chemical interactions with traditional knowledge of organism interactions. It covers a wide range of studies, both plant and animal, from different geographic regions and habitats - pelagic as well as benthic. Most of the chemical interactions are similar in freshwater and marine habitats and this book therefore strives at integrating work on both systems

This book tells a story of a large lake affected by agricultural and urban activities that have led to severe eutrophication problems with nuisance blue-green algal blooms. Although it is a case study of Lake Ringsjön (southern Sweden), the background, problems and measures are applicable to many lakes throughout the world. From a limnological point of view, the Lake Ringsjön story began more than 100 years ago, and during the last 20 years the sampling program has been intense, providing a unique data set on how a lake responds to human activities. However, the Lake Ringsjön story is not only a case study, but also a historical record of the development of ecological theory and its application. Hence, the lake has been subject both to an extensive nutrient reduction programme and a biomanipulation by means of fish reduction. Here we aim at combining the unique limnological data set with the eutrophication process, the nutrient reduction programme and the biomanipulation in order to apply our empirical knowledge to future lake management measures

Background: Social interaction is crucial for whether a person will successfully accomplish important life tasks. Aim and method: This study investigated the importance of sociodemographic, clinical and self-perceived health-related factors for social interaction among 103 individuals with persistent mental illness, mainly psychoses, visiting an outpatient unit. Results: Bivariate analyses pointed to several relationships, especially between the health-related variables and both quantitative and qualitative aspects of the social network. In multivariate analyses, higher levels of quality of life, self-esteem, being a cohabitant, and living in a house were related to higher ratings on different aspects of the social network. Older age was associated with fewer close relationships but more adequate social integration. Conclusions: The social network appeared to be a function of both self-perceptions and sociodemographic influences. The influence is probably dynamic and, for example, just as a better quality of life may lead to more social interaction, a more developed social network probably promotes better quality of life. Therefore, interventions in mental health care that target social interaction constitute a powerful resource and should be part of the support for people with severe and persistent mental illness.

Background: As a part of a set of reforms launched in 1995, 10 pilot case management services were established in Sweden, which have been subject to an evaluation with regard to outcome and changes in use of services. The present study was designed to provide information about client outcomes over a 6-year follow-up period. Aims: The aim of the study was to investigate changes during the follow-up period with regard to symptoms, needs for care, psychosocial functioning, quality of life and social network. Methods: The study used a time series design with 6-year follow-up of client outcomes. Results: Of the original 176 clients, 92 clients participated in the 6-year follow-up. Improvements were found in a number of clinical aspects, quality of life and social network, and a decrease in use of psychiatric services during the follow-up period. Conclusions: The findings support results from earlier studies showing a decrease in use of psychiatric services and sustained improvements in social functioning. The study also supports the findings that client outcomes change over time and that certain outcomes do not appear in a short-term perspective.

Background: Legislation was passed in Sweden to stimulate the development of different housing solutions for persons suffering from severe mental illness. Among these solutions are small congregate residences built in the community to provide suitable housing and support for those not able or willing to live independently. Aims: The general aim of the present study was to compare the psychosocial environment of two types of residences for the persons with severe mental illness-congregate community residences and psychiatric inpatient settings. A specific aim was to see if the former provided higher levels of autonomy than the latter. Methods: In this cross-sectional study the real version of the Community Oriented Program Environmental Scale (COPES) was administered to residents, patients and staff members. Results: The study showed that the psychosocial environment differs between the two types of settings. Residents and staff in small congregate residences rated higher levels of Autonomy and lower levels of Practical Orientation, Anger and Aggression and Order and Organisation than patients and staff in inpatient settings. Conclusions: The psychosocial environment profiles for psychiatric settings in different phases of the care process may vary in terms of the aforementioned subscales.

Quantitative and qualitative aspects of the social network were investigated in a sample of 120 schizophrenic out-patients. Sociodemographic and clinical factors as well as subjective quality of life were investigated as to their relationship to the social network. The Interview Schedule for Social Integration (ISSI) was used to assess social network and Lancashire Quality of Life Profile was used to assess subjective quality of life. Psychopathology was measured by BPRS and psycho social functioning by GAF. The patients reported a significantly worse social network compared to a normal sample both regarding quantitative and qualitative aspects of the network. Alrnost half of the patients wanted access to more social contacts. Relatives and friends turned out to be the patient's main source of supportive contacts. More severe negative and positive symptoms were related to a worse social network. Support was found for an association between characteristics of the social network, such as satisfaction with social contacts, and quality of life. The results give reason to suggest that the care system should consider the informal caregivers' situation and focus on interventions, which enhance the patient's satisfaction with social contacts.

The changes in fiamily burden and participation in care of relatives to both voluntarily and compulsorily admitted patients were investigated as part of a longitudinal study of the quality of the mental health services in a Swedish county perfiorrned between 1986 and 1997. The relationship between the relative's mental health and family burden, participation in care and need of own support was also investigated. The results showed similar and high levels of burden and a non-sufficient participation in care in both periods investigated despite the ongoing changes in the delivery of psychiatric services and a change in the compulsory legislation in Sweden during the period. More relatives experienced an own need of care and support from the psychiatric services in the 1997 investigation. Relatives who experienced mental health problems of their own more often experienced other forms of burden, experienced less participation in the patient's treatment and also more often had own needs of care and support. It is concluded that interventions in families where relatives experience mental health problems will be useful, since a well-functioning network around the mentally ill person has shown to reduce relapse.

Aims: Studies investigating mental health professionals' attitudes towards people with mental illness are scarce and there is a lack of comparative studies including both patients' and mental health professionals' attitudes. The aim of the present study was to investigate mental health staff's attitudes towards people with mental illness and compare these with the attitudes of patients in contact with mental health services. A further aim was to relate staff attitudes to demographic and work characteristics. Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed including 140 staff and 141 patients. The study included a random sample of outpatients in contact with mental health services in the southern part of Sweden and staff working in these services. Attitudes were investigated using a questionnaire covering beliefs of devaluation and discrimination of people with a mental illness. Results: Negative attitudes were prevalent among staff. Most negative attitudes concerned whether an employer would accept an application for work, willingness to date a person who had been hospitalized, and hiring a patient to take care of children. Staff treating patients with a psychosis or working in inpatient settings had the most negative attitudes. Patient attitudes were overall similar to staff attitudes and there were significant differences in only three out of 12 dimensions. Patients' most negative attitudes were in the same area as the staff's. Conclusions: This study points to the suggestion that mental health care staff may hold negative attitudes and beliefs about people with mental illness with tentative implications for treatment of the patient and development and implementation of evidence-based services. Since patients and staff in most respects share these beliefs, it is essential to develop interventions that have an impact on both patients and staff, enabling a more recovery-oriented staff–patient relationship.

Background: Studies investigating the importance of social network, empowerment and experiences of stigma on subjective quality of life among persons with mental illness are rare. Aim: This study aimed to investigate beliefs of devaluation/discrimination, actual rejection experiences, empowerment, social network and the relationship of these factors to subjective quality of life among subjects with mental illness. Methods: A cross-sectional study assessing beliefs of devaluation/discrimination, actual rejection experiences, empowerment, social network and subjective quality of life was performed on 150 subjects with mental illness. Results: The factors most prominently related to subjective quality of life were overall empowerment and overall social network. For a subgroup of subjects suffering from psychotic disorders there was a significant negative relationship between subjective quality of life and rejection experiences. This group also reported more frequent rejection experiences. Conclusion: The findings indicate that persons with mental illness are a heterogeneous group with regard to the influence of social network, stigma and empowerment on subjective quality of life. The negative impact of actual rejection experiences might express that, in order to increase subjective quality of life, stigma must be addressed as a separate and important factor in its own right.