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Multilingual children living in areas with low socioeconomic status (SES) are at an increased risk of having speech, language and communication needs (SLCN). Many multilingual children with SLCN in Sweden have insufficient basic vocabulary knowledge in the majority language, preventing them from achieving the school's learning goals. However, there is a lack of studies of interventions that could improve vocabulary development in this group, and that can be delivered in an everyday educational setting. This pilot study evaluates the effect of a school-based vocabulary group intervention, which combines elements from shared book reading and the Lexicon Pirate method, on vocabulary skills. A non-randomised pretest–posttest control group design was used. Eighteen six- to seven-year-old multilingual children attending preschool class in low SES areas either received intervention (n = 9) or were included in a control group (n = 9). The intervention group participated in 12 intervention sessions over six weeks. Word knowledge, semantic fluency, and comprehension of semantic relations were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Results revealed that children in the intervention group demonstrated significant gains in knowledge of both trained and untrained words, compared to the control group. No effects were found on semantic fluency or comprehension of semantic relations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The "Managing Fatigue" (MF) programme can help people living with Multiple sclerosis (MS) manage fatigue in their everyday lives. The programme has been proven feasible with Swedish occupational therapists, but there is a lack of knowledge of how MS participants experience the programme, and what they learned from participating in the programme. To describe how Swedish MS participants experience the content and structure of the Swedish MF programme, as well as what they learned from participating in the programme. Qualitative interviews were performed with nine MS participants, and data were analysed according to direct content analysis. Participants experienced programme material was relevant, and they valued the structured sessions that utilised different teaching forms. Participants described the group format and the experienced course leader nurtured their learning process. They learned occupational skills to save energy, to re-value daily occupations, and initiated a process of change, but individual support is needed after programme completion. Findings support programme feasibility among MS participants, and show the importance of being able to practice skills to handle fatigue in everyday life. Future studies should consider adding outcome measures focussing on engagement in occupations when evaluating programme effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fatigue is common among people with multiple sclerosis (MS), and significantly influences engagement in occupations. The Managing Fatigue (MF) programme is an evidence-based occupational therapy group-based intervention, utilising self-management science that provides people with tools to manage fatigue. Although the national MS-guidelines in Sweden cite this as best practice, a Swedish version is not available. Aim: To translate and investigate the feasibility of a Swedish MF programme delivered by occupational therapists working with MS clients in Sweden. Material and methods: We used a mixed-methods design. Eight recruited occupational therapists, participated in a workshop prior to delivering the MF programme. Following programme delivery, they completed a questionnaire and participated in focus group interviews. Results: Each therapist conducted one programme with 5–9 MS clients. Overall, therapists were satisfied with programme content, and delivery was followed. Minor improvements were suggested, specifically in relation to how cognitive fatigue can be managed. Therapists acknowledged challenges moving from "expert" to supporting self-management. Conclusion: The MF programme is feasible in Sweden, and its client-centred and occupation focus is consistent with therapists' scope of practice. In the future, acceptability and satisfaction from the perspectives of MS participants should be examined. Larger, more robust intervention studies evaluating effectiveness are also warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: There exist few recovery and occupation-based interventions for mental health service users. Balancing Everyday Life (BEL) is a new occupation-based lifestyle intervention that was created to fill this need. Aim: To gain group leaders' and participants' perspectives of the BEL intervention content and format, including factors that helped, hindered, and could be improved. Methods: A constructivist grounded theory method guided data collection and analysis. Interviews took place with 12 BEL group leaders and 19 BEL participants from out-patient psychiatry settings and community-based day centers in Sweden. Results: BEL's structure and content were appreciated, yet flexibility was desired to adapt to participant needs. BEL could act as a bridge, helping participants connect with others, and to a more engaged and balanced everyday life. Facilitating factors included a person-focused (versus illness-focused) approach, physical and emotional environments, and connection. Barriers included room resources. More sessions were desired for the intervention. Conclusion: Group leaders and participants experienced BEL as a useful tool to instigate meaningful change and connection in the participants' lives. The combination of a positive person-focused approach and group support was appreciated. These results could inform future research, evaluation, and development of occupation-focused lifestyle interventions for mental health service users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: People with mental health issues often experience difficulties with sensory modulation affecting occupational engagement. Research conducted in inpatient units has shown positive effects of individual sensory modulation interventions, however, research on experiences of group-based interventions in outpatient units is limited. Hence, a group-based sensory modulation intervention was adapted and tested within Swedish mental health outpatient units., Aim: To explore the experiences of participating in a group-based sensory modulation intervention for service users in mental health outpatient units., Material and Methods: This qualitative study involved interviews with 25 informants who had participated in the intervention. The interview data were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis., Results: Synthesis of the interviews resulted in one overarching theme of ' Embodied awareness facilitates improved coping and sense of self' organised into four themes: (1) ' Developing embodied awareness and strategies' , (2) ' Taking control of everyday life' , (3) ' Creating a stronger sense of self' , and (4) ' From alienation to belonging'., Conclusion and Significance: The informants experienced the intervention to provide new embodied coping strategies that had previously been neglected. This understanding may enrich occupational therapy practice in new ways to support service users' engagement in occupations.

Abstract: A promising intervention in mental health in‐patient care is behavioural activation (BA). Interventions based on BA can be used by mental health nurses and other staff members. The aim of this study was to evaluate patients’ and staff members’ experiences of a nursing staff‐led behavioural group intervention in mental health in‐patient care. The intervention was implemented at three adult acute general mental health in‐patient wards in a public hospital setting in Sweden. A self‐administrated questionnaire, completed by 84 patients and 34 nurses and nurse assistants, was administered, and nonparametric data analysed using descriptive statistics. Our findings revealed that both patients and nursing staff ranked nursing care and care environment as important aspects in the recovery process. Patients and staff members reported overall positive experiences of the group sessions. Patients with higher frequencies of attendance and patients satisfied with overall care had a more positive attitude towards the intervention. A more positive experience of being a group leader was reported by staff members who had been leading groups more than ten times. The most common impeding factor during implementation, reported by staff members, was a negative attitude to change. Conducive factors were having support from a psychologist and the perception that patients were showing interest. These positive experiences reported by patients and nursing staff, combined with previous research in this field, are taking us one step further in evaluating group sessions based on BA as a meaningful nursing intervention in mental health in‐patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Positive psychological capital is reported to have positive effects on people's well-being and attitudes to their working lives. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate if it is possible to increase the level of positive psychological capital by two group intervention programs. METHODS: The research design was a controlled study with 2x2 experimental groups and two control groups. Two of the experimental groups received intervention I (IG I), the other two experimental groups received intervention II (IG II). Assessments were made before and after the intervention programs, with a follow-up at six months post-intervention. Instruments measuring the fundamentals of psychological capital: self-efficacy, hope, optimism, as well as health and job satisfaction were used. RESULTS: The results show that it is possible to increase the level of positive emotions, self-efficacy and job satisfaction of members of a working team by using group intervention methods. The positive changes observed at the end of the program remained six months after the intervention, with the exception of job satisfaction in IG II. It seems that the intervention had a greater influence on those persons who at the start of the study reported a low level of self-enhancement. The results were more pronounced in intervention group I where reinforcement of the resources and positive aspects of the work place environment were provided. CONCLUSIONS: A 10-week group intervention program that focused on learned optimism proved to be successful in increasing levels of self-efficacy and job satisfaction. While improvement was maintained six months post-intervention the small sample size and the attrition rate are limitations. Results are promising and further research is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent refugee crisis presented a huge challenge for the Swedish mental health workforce. Hence, innovative mental health workforce solutions were needed. Unaccompanied refugee minors (URM) are a particularly vulnerable refugee group. Teaching Recovery Techniques (TRT) was introduced as a community-based intervention utilising trained lay counsellors in a stepped model of care for refugee youth experiencing trauma symptoms. Professionals (e.g., teachers, social workers) can deliver the Cognitive Behavioural Therapy-based intervention after a brief training. A point of debate in this workforce solution is the readiness of trained lay counsellors to deal with potentially demanding situations like disclosure of suicidal ideation. This study aimed to explore the TRT trained lay counsellors' experiences of procedures upon URM's disclosure of suicidal ideation. Individual semi-structured interviews with TRT trained lay counsellors were conducted, then analysed using systemic text condensation. The analysis revealed four themes: "Importance of safety structures", "Collaboration is key", "Let sleeping dogs lie" and "Going the extra mile". Dealing with suicidal ideation is challenging and feelings of helplessness occur. Adding adequate supervision and specific training on suicidal ideation using role play is recommended. Collaboration between agencies and key stakeholders is essential when targeting refugee mental health in a stepped care model.

This study is part of the Promoting Aging Migrants’ Capabilities programme that applied person-centred group meetings and one individual home visit to prolong independence in daily activities among people ≥70 years who had migrated to Sweden from Finland or the Western Balkan region. With the purpose to understand programme outcomes, the study aimed to explore the participants’ everyday experiences of using health-promoting messages exchanged during the programme. Using a grounded theory approach, 12 persons aged 70–83 years were interviewed six months to one year after their participation in the programme. The participants experienced how using health-promoting messages was a dynamic process of how to make decisions on taking action to satisfy health-related needs of oneself or others immediately or deferring action. Five sub-processes were also identified:gaining inner strength, meeting challenges in available resources, being attentive to what is worth knowing, approaching health risks, and identifying opportunities to advocate for others. The results suggest that the programme could develop personal skills to support older people who have migrated to overcome health-related challenges. They further demonstrate the importance of supporting their health literacy before personal resources hinder action, and call for research on programmes to overcome environmental barriers to health. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Balancing Everyday Life (BEL), a new group-based intervention for mental health service users, was implemented in Sweden. Mental health service users often experience group interventions as meaningful, but knowledge of the process of meaning-making in a group is lacking., Aim: To explore participants' perceptions of the group in the Balancing Everyday Life (BEL) lifestyle intervention; specifically, personal experiences of what brings meaning when participating in a group., Methods: This qualitative Grounded Theory study included 26 interviews with 19 BEL participants., Results: A process of meaning-making in a group was constructed: Joining with others: from feeling alone to connected, A sense of belonging: mutual support and understanding, and Re-valuing Self: respect and self-worth. No longer feeling alone contributed to meaning. Peers and group leaders were considered important parts of the group, and participants appreciated feeling understood, respected, and helping others., Conclusion: The proposed process of meaning-making, as well as 'Joining' as a unique step, seems to be new contributions which could help practitioners when organizing groups. Overcoming fear of joining could break a cycle of isolation and lead to connecting and belonging. The value of participants finding purpose through helping others should be further explored.