Posttraumatic Growth After Struggling With the Loss of a Parent in Young Adulthood.

This study aims to examine posttraumatic growth and its associations with parental bereavement among adolescents and young adults. Fifty-five young adults who had lost a parent to cancer at least 2 months earlier and were about to attend a support group at a palliative care service were recruited. Data was collected through questionnaires before support group participation, about 5-8 months after the loss and at a 6-month follow-up, about 14-18 months after the loss.

Higher Self-Esteem Associated With Less Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression Among Young Adults After the Loss of a Parent to Cancer-A Longitudinal Study.

The purpose of the study was to examine associations between self-esteem and symptoms of anxiety and depression among young adults who lost a parent to cancer. Older adolescents and young adults, aged 16 to 28 years, who had lost their parent to cancer and had accepted an invitation to join a support group, completed a questionnaire 5 to 8 months after the loss and a similar questionnaire about 10 months later (follow-up). Of a total of 77 young adults who participated in the study, 56 completed both questionnaires.

Poor Psychosocial Well-Being in the First Year-and-a-Half After Losing a Parent to Cancer - A Longitudinal Study Among Young Adults Participating in Support Groups.

The purpose of this study was to investigate variations in psychosocial well-being over time among young adults who participated in a support group after the death of a parent from cancer. Fifty-five young adults, aged 16-28 years, completed questionnaires that measured self-esteem, anxiety, depression, and life satisfaction at three time-points during the first year-and-one-half after the loss. Results indicated overall poor psychosocial well-being with few increases in psychological health over the study period, despite access to support and social networks.

Bereavement stressors and psychosocial well-being of young adults following the loss of a parent - A cross-sectional survey.

Purpose: The knowledge about young adults who have lost a parent to cancer is limited, and to reach a broader understanding about this group, this study used the Dual Process Model of Coping with Bereavement (Stroebe and Schut, 1999) as a theoretical framework. The purpose of this study was to describe loss- and restoration-oriented bereavement stressors and psychosocial wellbeing of young adults following the loss of a parent to cancer.

Method: This survey used baseline data from a longitudinal study.

Caregiver experience, health-related quality of life and life satisfaction among informal caregivers to patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A cross-sectional study.

Aims And Objectives: This study set out to describe caregiver experience, health-related quality of life and life satisfaction among informal caregivers to patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and to explore factors associated with caregivers' health-related quality of life and life satisfaction.

Background: Knowledge about factors related to caregivers' health-related quality of life and life satisfaction is important for identification of those at risk for ill health and for development of support and care.

Design: A cross-sectional study.

Sickness absence following breast cancer surgery: a two-year follow-up cohort study.

Rationale And Aim: Most women of working ages with limited breast cancer (BC) have returned to work within the first year after diagnosis. However, little is known about what is happening during this year regarding sickness absence and return to work. Also, the knowledge is very limited about the occurrence of part-time sickness absence after BC diagnosis.

Supporting in an existential crisis: A mixed-methods evaluation of a training model in palliative care.

Background: Palliative care staff often report that they lack the skills and confidence to provide support during an existential crisis. Consequently, there is a definite need for a training program in this area.

Objective: Our aim was to investigate whether a training model could give palliative care staff increased knowledge, awareness, and preparedness-all useful tools for providing support.

Psychosocial Well-Being of Young People Who Participated in a Support Group Following the Loss of a Parent to Cancer.

Despite the evidence of unmet support needs among young people who have lost a parent to cancer, only a few support group initiatives have been reported. This observational prospective study explored the psychosocial well-being of young people who participated in support groups at a Swedish specialist palliative care setting. On three occasions, 29 participants, aged 16-28 years, answered questionnaires covering characteristics of the participants, circumstances of the losses, psychosocial well-being of the young people, and their own assessment of the support groups.

Can breast cancer register data on recommended adjuvant treatment be used as a proxy for actually given treatment?

Purposes: To study agreement between recommended adjuvant treatment after primary breast cancer (BC) surgery from the clinical based National Breast Cancer Register and initiated adjuvant treatment from medical records; factors associated with agreement; and reasons for discontinuation or change of planned treatment.

Method: Included were 970 women who had undergone BC surgery, aged 20-63 years, living in Stockholm County, and literate in Swedish.

Exclusion Criteria: Distant metastases, pre-surgical chemotherapy, and/or a previous BC diagnosis.

Parents' Stress and Coping Related to Children's Use of a Cochlear Implant: A Qualitative Study.

The aim was to increase understanding of parents' experiences of having a child with a cochlear implant (CI) and to explore how these related to children's use of CI. Twelve parents of children, full-time users or limited users of CIs, participated in the study. Qualitative content analysis showed that the parents of children who used their CI differed from the parents with limited users in how they handled stressors.

Sense of coherence, social networks, and mental health among children with a cochlear implant.

Objective: The aim of this study was to explore the personal and social resources of children with a cochlear implant from a child's perspective.

Method: This descriptive cross-sectional study included 19 children with cochlear implants, aged 9-12 years. Data was collected, using the children's sense of coherence (CSOC) scale, the Network map, and the strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ).

Patient-centered handovers between hospital and primary health care: an assessment of medical records.

Background: Handovers between hospital and primary healthcare possess a risk for patient care. It has been suggested that the exchange of a comprehensive medical record containing both medical and patient-centered aspects of information can support high quality handovers.

Objective: The objective of this study was to explore patient handovers between primary and secondary care by assessing the levels of patient-centeredness of medical records used for communication between care settings and by assessing continuity of patient care.

Health care professionals' perspectives of the experiences of family caregivers during in-patient cancer care.

Being a family member of a patient who is being treated in an acute care setting for cancer often involves a number of challenges. Our study describes Norwegian cancer care health professionals' perceptions of family members who served as family caregivers (FCs) and their need for support during the in-hospital cancer treatment of their ill family member. Focus group discussions were conducted with a multidisciplinary team of 24 experienced social workers, physicians, and nurses who were closely involved in the patients' in-hospital cancer treatment and care.

Improving patient discharge and reducing hospital readmissions by using Intervention Mapping.

Background: There is a growing impetus to reorganize the hospital discharge process to reduce avoidable readmissions and costs. The aim of this study was to provide insight into hospital discharge problems and underlying causes, and to give an overview of solutions that guide providers and policy-makers in improving hospital discharge.

Methods: The Intervention Mapping framework was used.

Family members' experiences of the impact of the LCP in a palliative care unit and a geriatric ward in Sweden.

Background: The Liverpool Care Pathway for the Dying Patient (LCP) was developed to transfer palliative care standards for the last hours or days of life, including family support, from hospice to other care settings.

Aim: This study sought to explore family members' experiences of end-of-life care in a palliative care unit and in a general geriatric ward in Sweden before and after implementation of the LCP.

Methods: Experiences were evaluated in relation to the goals of the LCP.

Family caregivers of cancer patients: perceived burden and symptoms during the early phases of cancer treatment.

This study investigated levels of symptoms, caregiver burden, and changes over time in 278 family caregivers (FC) of cancer patients. FCs experienced high levels of depressive symptoms and sleep disturbance, low levels of fatigue, and low to moderate levels of caregiver burden, yet these symptoms remained relatively stable over time. Being female and not being employed were factors associated with an increased risk of symptoms and caregiver burden.

Living close to a person with cancer: a review of the international literature and implications for social work practice.

To help family caregivers (FCs), social workers need to understand the complexity of FC's experiences and challenges. For this systematic review, several relevant, multidisciplinary electronic databases were searched. Of 1,643 titles identified, 108 articles met the inclusion criteria and are included in this review.

Evidence-based practice among Swedish medical social workers.

We have explored Swedish medical social workers' attitudes, beliefs, knowledge, and behavior concerning evidence-based practice (EBP) and investigated the properties of a questionnaire to measure EBP. One hundred seventy-four Swedish medical social workers within university hospital care and primary care participated in a cross-sectional survey. Our results showed positive attitudes toward EBP and the use of evidence to support clinical decision making.

The perspectives of bereaved family members on their experiences of support in palliative care.

Aim: To explore family members' supportive interactions in palliative care and the emotional experiences that they associate with these interactions.

Methods: Qualitative individual interviews were performed with bereaved family members recruited from an urban palliative care service in Sweden. The interviews were analysed using inductive qualitative content analysis.

Adjustment and social support at work early after breast cancer surgery and its associations with sickness absence.

Introduction: As half of the women with breast cancer are of working ages and usually survive, knowledge is needed on how to support them early regarding work-related problems caused by treatments. Most previous studies have focused on individual and disease-related factors, whereas few have focused on work-related factors such as work adjustment and social support. The aim of this study was to investigate received and perceived social support from supervisor and colleagues as well as work adjustments, and their associations with sickness absence, among women who recently had had breast cancer surgery.

Students' expectations when entering an interprofessional master's degree program for health professionals: a qualitative study.

Background: Interprofessional education in health care today is a prioritized area. Among many studies on interprofessional learning, few focus on student expectations prior to interprofessional education for health professionals at an advanced level. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe expectations of post-professional graduate students enrolled in an interprofessional master's degree program for health professionals.

Sickness absence in relation to breast and arm symptoms shortly after breast cancer surgery.

Purpose: To determine whether and, to what extent, breast and arm symptoms are associated with sick leave (SL) shortly after breast cancer (BC) surgery, and to investigate the associations of these symptoms and different surgical procedures with SL, adjusting for age and work posture. Women (n = 511), aged 26-63 years, who worked ≥ 75% before a BC diagnosis, were included within 12 weeks of surgery.

Results: 31% reported breast symptoms and 22% arm symptoms; and, of these, 47% reported both.