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The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) is one of the most commonly used assessment tools for measuring psychotic symptoms. The Psychotic Symptom Rating Scales (PSYRATS) is another instrument created specifically to assess delusions and auditory hallucinations. However, research on the concurrent validity of PSYRATS with PANSS is limited. There are also inconsistent findings regarding the association between the PSYRATS scales and the PANSS positive scale. The present study aims to add to the understanding of the concurrent validity of these measures, while also incorporating a broader measure of psychiatric symptoms (the symptom scale from the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale – split version, GAF-S). Spearman's Rank Order Correlations (rho) were calculated for scores from the PANSS positive scale, PSYRATS and GAF-S in a sample of 148 participants with psychotic disorders at three time points. The findings indicate concurrent validity between PSYRATS and PANSS, while the PSYRATS scales were not consistently correlated with GAF-S. PSYRATS may be a valid assessment tool for evaluating psychotic symptoms. The utility of PSYRATS in research and clinical practice should be investigated further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deaf and hard-of-hearing persons are at risk for experiencing traumatic events and such experiences are associated with symptoms of mental disorder. We investigated the prevalence of traumatic events and subsequent traumatization in adults referred to specialized psychiatric outpatient units for deaf and hard-of-hearing patients. Sixty-two patients were diagnosed with mental disorders and assessed for potential traumatic experiences in their preferred language and mode of communication using instruments translated into Norwegian Sign Language. All patients reported traumatic events, with a mean of 6.2 different types; 85% reported subsequent traumatization not significantly associated with either residential school setting or communicative competence of childhood caregivers. Traumatization patterns in both sexes were similar to those in hearing clinical samples. Findings indicate that psychiatric intake interviews should routinely assess potentially traumatic events and their impacts, and that mental health professionals working with deaf and hard-of-hearing patients should be able to treat trauma-related disorders.

The aim of this study was twofold. The first intention was to examine the factorial validity of a work/family interaction in terms of the direction of influence (work-to-family vs. family-to-work) and type of effect (conflict vs. facilitation). Second, gender differences along these four dimensions of work/family interaction were explored. Data were obtained from eight different occupational groups in Norway: lawyers, physicians, nurses, teachers, church ministers, bus drivers, and people working in advertising and information technology (IT; N = 3,313). Multigroup analysis indicated that the hypothesized four-factor model clearly has a better fit than the alternative one-factor and two-factor models. Latent mean comparisons revealed significant gender differences along all the dimensions. Women reported more conflict and facilitation in both directions compared to men. Although there were some occupational differences, this was indicative of a more fluid boundary between work and family among women. The findings are discussed in an identity perspective. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

The Maslach Burnout Inventory--General Survey (MBI-GS) is designed to measure the three subdimensions (exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy) of burnout in a wide range of occupations. This article examines the factorial validity of the MBI-GS across eight different occupational groups in Norway: lawyers, physicians, nurses, teachers, church ministers, bus drivers, and people working within advertising and information technology (N = 5,024). Separate confirmatory factor analyses using LISREL showed that the hypothesized three-factor model had sufficient fit in all occupational groups except for the group of people working in advertising. In a multigroup analysis including all occupations but the latter one and in an analysis of all individuals combined into one sample, the three-factor model had a clearly better fit than the alternative one-factor and two-factor models. The results support that MBI-GS provides a suitable measurement to assess burnout across a diversity of professions. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)

Although employment is an important part of recovery for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, the employment rate for this group remains low. Increasing evidence supports the use of augmented vocational rehabilitation (VR) programs to improve occupational outcome. The aim of this study is to explore 5-year follow-up registry data from the JUMP study, a VR program for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders, specifically with regard to competitive employment outcome and predictors of competitive employment. The VR was augmented with either cognitive remediation (CR) or elements from cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). One hundred and forty eight participants with schizophrenia spectrum disorders from six Norwegian counties received 10 months VR augmented with either CR (n = 64) or CBT (n = 84). Both competitive and sheltered workplaces were used. Assessments were conducted at baseline, at post intervention and at 2-year follow-up. Data on employment status at 5-year follow-up was obtained by registry. At 5-year follow-up 55.4% were engaged in working activity, of which 22.3% had obtained competitive employment. A further 18.2% had work placements in competitive workplaces. Number of received intervention hours and competitive employment at 2-year follow-up emerged as significant predictors of competitive employment. IQ and intervention type in marginal favor of CBT were predictors on trend level. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study investigating competitive employment at 5-year follow-up for individuals with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. The results add to existing evidence that competitive employment is attainable for this group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The DSM-5 presents two competing diagnostic frameworks for personality disorders: the standard categorical model and the Alternative Model of Personality Disorders (AMPD). The AMPD was initially criticized for being too complex and theory laden for clinical implementation. Though inter-rater reliability studies have contested initial claims of the model's complexity, little attention has been paid to how clinicians experience the usability and learnability of either model. We interviewed twenty Norwegian clinicians about their experiences with either the SCID-II/5-PD (n = 9), SCID-5-AMPD-I (n = 8), or both (n = 3). Separate thematic analyses were conducted for SCID-II/5-PD and SCID-5-AMPD-I groups, and group themes were compared. We identified four themes for each group, relating to required skills, training, challenges and information gained through the interview. We found that training and clinical experience were considered to be important for both interviews. Moreover, the SCID-5-AMPD-I was considered to rely more explicitly on theory specific to the development and content of the AMPD model in general and the LPFS specifically We also identified shared and unique challenges and shortcomings of each interview. We comment on how our findings relate to the debate surrounding the AMPD, and recommend development of clear training guidelines for both interviews. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extensive research program has been undertaken in Norway on physician health, sickness, working conditions and quality of life. Data are collected from cross-sectional and longitudinal prospective and retrospective surveys, qualitative studies, and vital statistics. This paper presents findings on subjectively experienced health problems, emotional distress, experienced job stress and job satisfaction, based on an extensive cross-sectional postal questionnaire study in 1993. An overlapping questionnaire design was used to allow many relationships to be estimated without exhausting the recipients. 9266 active physicians were included, which comprises close to the total Norwegian physician work-force minus a representative sample of 2100, used for other studies. The primary questionnaire was returned by 6652 (71.8%), the great majority of which also returned three secondary questionnaires. The results indicate that health complaints were significantly more frequent in female physicians and decreased with age. Low job satisfaction, high job stress, and emotional distress were all found to be significant predictors of subjective health complaints, as measured by the Ursin Health Inventory. Key words - physician health, Job stress, Overlapping questionnaire design

The ethical guidelines of the Norwegian Medical Association strongly condemn physician participation in euthanasia and assisted suicide. A previous study on attitudes towards euthanasia in the Norwegian population, however, indicates that a substantial part of the population is quite liberal. This study explores Norwegian physicians' attitudes towards and experience with end of life dilemmas. Sixty-six percent of a representative sample of 1476 who received postal questionnaires responded. They confirmed that Norwegian physicians actually seem to hold quite restrictive attitudes towards euthanasia. Seventeen percent answered yes to a question of whether a physician should have the opportunity to actively end the life of a terminal patient in great pain who requests this help, while 4% agreed that the same could be done to a chronically ill patient with great pain and a poor quality of life who otherwise would have several more years to live. Six percent of the physicians had performed actions intended to hasten a patient's death, while 76% said that they at least once had treated patients even if they had felt that treatment should have been discontinued. A multiple logistic regression analysis showed that internal medicine specialists, surgeons and psychiatrists were significantly more restrictive than their colleagues in laboratory specialties, and that physicians educated abroad and those with negative attitudes towards patient autonomy had more liberal attitudes towards euthanasia, when gender and time since graduation from medical school were controlled for. Key words - euthanasia, physicians, patient autonomy

Open and supportive communication is probably one of the most important promotors of learning, coping and satisfaction at the workplace. The aim of this paper is to describe and predict the communication atmosphere between Norwegian physicians. Twenty statements describing communication, as perceived by the physicians themselves, were presented to a random sample of the members of the Norwegian Medical Association of which more than 90% of the physicians in the country are members (N = 2628). In general, this investigation indicates that the communication atmosphere among Norwegian physicians is characterised by support and mutual respect. More than half of the respondents fully agreed that communication between colleagues in the workplace is marked by solidarity, and that experienced colleagues show respect for the less experienced in both personal and professional matters. Physicians working in hospitals described the communication atmosphere as substantially more selfish and competitive than non-hospital physicians, whilst general practitioners considered the atmosphere between colleagues to be more supportive than non-specialists. In addition, high perceived stress was associated with the perception of a less supportive atmosphere. However, the strongest predictor of the communication atmosphere was clearly the physician's perceived autonomy. The comprehensive retrenchment programmes implemented in Norwegian hospitals during recent years have increased stress and restricted professional autonomy among both physicians and other occupational groups. Our findings indicate that the communication atmosphere necessary to secure continuity of knowledge within the medical profession may have been jeopardised by this process. In the long term, this may prove hazardous to the quality of medical care. Key words - communication atmosphere, physician, supportive dialogue, learning