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This paper explores the intersection of gender and class concerning welfare clients with medically unexplained symptoms. The study is conducted in Denmark using qualitative interviews with welfare officers and clients. The paper's focus is on how issues of gender and class intersect in the negotiation of illness among welfare officers and clients. The particular client group in question consists of individuals that are defined by their lack of a bio-medical diagnosis. Their 'lack' of identity accentuates how gender and class become central in the categorisation practices, constructing the ill person as either bio-medically sick or as a person who may be suffering but only from diffuse psychological problems. The paper shows that it is predominantly poorly educated women without a bio-medical diagnosis that welfare officers describe as suffering from psychological problems despite the fact that the women themselves focus on physical ailments in their illness stories. Men and better-educated women are described by the welfare officers as tired and exhausted or truly stressed after a long working life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) are the most common of traumatic brain injuries and patients often experience a wide range of symptoms such as headache, fatigue, dizziness, sleep problems and subjective cognitive deficits. Whilemost symptomatic patients recover quickly, a sub-group of ~ 10-20% of patients experience prolonged symptoms. There is currently a lack of evidence-based treatment for these patients. Objective: The objective of the present paper was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on psychotherapeutic interventions specifically for patients with prolonged symptoms (> 3 months after injury) after mTBI. Methods: With a more precise definition of psychotherapy than previous reviews, an extensive literature search was conducted that yielded 2332 hits, of which five were considered to meet the criteria. Only two of the studies were randomized controlled trials. Results and conclusions: Results revealed several methodological limitations in the included studies, leading to the conclusion that it is premature to make any strong recommendations on psychotherapeutic treatment of prolonged symptoms after mTBI. With in-depth methodological analyses of the included studies and comprehensive recommendations for future research, the present review aims to inform clinicians and to encourage scientists to engage in collaborative effort towards increasing the number of methodologically sound clinical trials in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stress and burnout among general practitioners (GPs) is a serious problem. Some authors suggest supervision groups or Balint groups as a means of preventing burnout and others address how to treat the condition. This paper reports a case study of a supervision group for Danish GPs which, as well as training reflective practice, focuses specifically on the prevention of burnout. The concept of compassion fatigue is extended to cover the circumstances reported by some practitioners in supervision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with inflammatory arthritis (IA) often experience low work ability, and up to 38% lose their jobs during the initial years after the diagnosis of IA. We explore the perceived challenges at work and identify the need for professional support among Danish people with IA. Individual explorative interviews based on a hermeneutic approach. We used Graneheim and Lundman's qualitative content analysis. Eleven women and four men with IA (aged 36–68 years) who worked full or part time, or were on short-term sick leave, participated. The analysis revealed one main theme, Balancing work as part of everyday life, and four sub-themes: 1) Working despite challenges, 2) Prioritising energy for work, 3) Fatigue leading to lack of control, and 4) Need for flexibility and recognition. People with IA prioritise staying at work despite experiencing challenges with fatigue and balancing their work and energy in everyday life. They need recognition, support and flexibility at work to be able to continue in their jobs. The study highlights the need to be aware of occupational balance and, thus, to include other aspects in life apart from just work. It points at occupational therapists as relevant partners in vocational rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate caregiver burden and factors associated with caregiver burden among family members of patients with severe brain injury in the chronic phase. Additionally, the study aimed at investigating differences in burden between parents and spouses. Methods: Forty-four Danish caregivers of patients with severe brain injury were contacted 3–6 years post-injury and asked to complete a measure of caregiver burden. Results: Medium, high and low levels of burden were observed in 45%, 16% and 39% of family members, respectively. Higher burden was seen in caregivers of patients with more severe injuries, who spent more time on caregiving and reported more unmet needs. Overall, spouses spent significantly more time taking care of their family member than parents and reported higher levels of burden. Conclusions: The findings emphasized the continuing consequences of brain injury on not only the individual with the brain injury, but also on the surrounding family. Spouses, caregivers of patients with more severe injuries, who spent more time on caregiving and reported more unmet needs experienced higher levels of burden in the chronic phase. Future intervention programmes should target such specific caregivers, who might need more support and long-lasting help. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]