| 1. |
- Andersson, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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Cultivating Compassion and Reducing Stress and Mental Ill-Health in Employees : A Randomized Controlled Study
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-1078. ; 12
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Stress and mental ill-health carry considerable costs for both individuals and organizations. Although interventions targeting compassion and self-compassion have been shown to reduce stress and benefit mental health, related research in organizational settings is limited. We investigated the effects of a 6-week psychological intervention utilizing compassion training on stress, mental health, and self-compassion. Forty-nine employees of two organizations were randomly assigned to either the intervention (n = 25) or a physical exercise control condition (n = 24). Multilevel growth models showed that stress (p = 0.04) and mental ill-health (p = 0.02) decreased over 3 months in both groups (pre-intervention to follow-up: Cohen’s d = −0.46 and d = 0.33, respectively), while self-compassion only increased in the intervention group (p = 0.03, between group d = 0.53). There were no significant effects on life satisfaction in any of the groups (p > 0.53). The findings show promising results regarding the ability of compassion training within organizations to decrease stress and mental ill-health and increase self-compassion.
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| 2. |
- Costache, Madalina Elena, et al.
(författare)
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Higher- and lower-order personality traits and cluster subtypes in social anxiety disorder
- 2020
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : PUBLIC LIBRARY SCIENCE. - 1932-6203. ; 15:4
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Social anxiety disorder (SAD) can come in different forms, presenting problems for diagnostic classification. Here, we examined personality traits in a large sample of patients (N = 265) diagnosed with SAD in comparison to healthy controls (N = 164) by use of the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and Karolinska Scales of Personality (KSP). In addition, we identified subtypes of SAD based on cluster analysis of the NEO-PI-R Big Five personality dimensions. Significant group differences in personality traits between patients and controls were noted on all Big Five dimensions except agreeableness. Group differences were further noted on most lower-order facets of NEO-PI-R, and nearly all KSP variables. A logistic regression analysis showed, however, that only neuroticism and extraversion remained significant independent predictors of patient/control group when controlling for the effects of the other Big Five dimensions. Also, only neuroticism and extraversion yielded large effect sizes when SAD patients were compared to Swedish normative data for the NEO-PI-R. A two-step cluster analysis resulted in three separate clusters labelled Prototypical (33%), Introvert-Conscientious (29%), and Instable-Open (38%) SAD. Individuals in the Prototypical cluster deviated most on the Big Five dimensions and they were at the most severe end in profile analyses of social anxiety, self-rated fear during public speaking, trait anxiety, and anxiety-related KSP variables. While additional studies are needed to determine if personality subtypes in SAD differ in etiological and treatment-related factors, the present results demonstrate considerable personality heterogeneity in socially anxious individuals, further underscoring that SAD is a multidimensional disorder.
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| 3. |
- Johansson, Maria, et al.
(författare)
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Wildlife and public perceptions of opportunities for psychological restoration in local natural settings
- 2024
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Ingår i: People and Nature. - : Wiley. - 2575-8314. ; 6:2, s. 800-817
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Wildlife might be important to psychologically restorative values and disvalues of nature, as interactions with wildlife could trigger both positive and negative feelings. Research on positive experiences of human-wildlife interactions has largely involved participants who voluntarily sought out wildlife experiences or it has addressed encounters with non-threatening animals in urban green spaces. Less is known about the opportunities for psychological restoration in landscapes shared with mammals that are perceived to pose a threat to human activities and health. This study provides a nuanced understanding of the role of wildlife in public perceptions of the restorative potential and experience of psychological restoration in local natural settings. Twenty-eight participants (15 women, 13 men, 18-75 years) took part in focus group interviews subject to a reflexive thematic analysis. As an analytical framework, we used a theoretical model for how people appraise the relevance, implications, coping potential and norm congruence of human-wildlife interactions and how such appraisals may support or hinder the restoration experienced in local natural settings. Relevance appraisals revealed shifts in consideration of the presence of wildlife from an integrated part of the natural scenery (background) to a distinct figure (foreground). Implication appraisals revealed that wildlife encounters would hinder the experienced psychological restoration if the animal was appraised as dangerous, disgusting, causing a nuisance or destructive. Wildlife encounters would promote restoration if the animal displayed attractive traits, features or fascinating behaviour or movements, and if it opened engaging interaction situations. Coping strategies perceived as feasible to deal with negative implications of wildlife involved avoidance of the local natural setting, preparatory behaviour displayed before a visit and precautionary behaviour displayed during the visit. Important public health effects might be gained if wildlife policy and management explicitly consider what animals mean to the perceived restorative potential of local natural settings.Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. Forekomst av vilt levande djur kan ha betydelse for manniskors mojlighet till mental aterhamtning i naturen eftersom djurlivet kan ge upphov till bade positiva och negativa kanslor. Tidigare forskning om positiva upplevelser av vilt har foretradesvis handlat om situationer dar manniskor medvetet har sokt sig till en plats for att se djur, fokuserat djurarter som vanligtvis inte betraktas som farliga for manniskor, eller varit begransade till smavilt i urbana gronomraden. Daremot saknas kunskap om mojligheter till mental aterhamtning i naturomraden med storre daggdjur som ocksa kan upplevas utgora ett hot mot manniskors aktiviteter och halsa. Den har studien bidrar till en nyanserad forstaelse av viltets betydelse for allmanhetens upplevda mojligheter till mental aterhamtning i lokala naturomraden. Vi intervjuade 28 deltagare (15 kvinnor, 13 man, 18-75 ar) i fokusgrupper. Intervjuerna analyserades med sk reflexiv tematisk analys. I analyserna utgick vi ifran en teoretisk modell for manniskors bedomning av relevans och konsekvenser av interaktioner mellan manniska och vilt samt tillgang till strategier for att hantera sadana interaktioner och samstammighet med normer i dessa situationer. Modellen beskriver ocksa hur bedomningar kan stodja eller hindra upplevelsen av mental aterhamtning. Deltagarnas bedomning av viltets relevans for mental aterhamtning varierade avseende om djuren betraktades som en integrerad eller en unik framtradande del av naturlandskapet. Bedomningen av konsekvenser visade att moten med vilt levande djur upplevdes hindra den mentala aterhamtningen om djuret ansags vara farligt eller ackligt, orsaka olagenhet eller forstora for manniskor. Moten med vilt upplevdes stodja aterhamtning om djuret ansags ha ett attraktivt utseende eller positiva egenskaper, fascinerande beteenden eller rorelsemonster, eller om djuret skapade sarskilt engagerande situationer. De strategier som deltagarna bedomde som mojliga och tillgangliga for att hantera negativa konsekvenser av vilt var undvikande av lokala naturomraden, forberedelser som vidtogs innan ett eventuellt besok i naturomradet och forsiktighetsatgarder under tiden deltagarna vistades i naturomradet. Det kan finnas positiva effekter for folkhalsan om viltpolicy och forvaltning explicit beaktar betydelsen av vilt for manniskors upplevda mojlighet till mental aterhamtning i lokala naturomraden. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.
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| 4. |
- Malmrud, Sofia, et al.
(författare)
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Just What I See? Implications of Congruence Between Supervisors’ and Employees’ Perceptions of Pay Justice for Employees’ Work-Related Attitudes and Behaviors
- 2020
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-1078. ; 11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Perceiving a pay system as just has been suggested to be a precondition for individualized pay to have a motivating effect for employees. Supervisors’ enacted justice is central for understanding the effects that pay setting can have on employee attitudes and behavior. Yet, enacted justice has received little research attention, in regard to both organizational justice and pay-related topics. This study examines the effects of employees’ perceived pay justice and supervisors’ enacted justice, as well as the degree of congruence, on employees’ work-related attitudes and behaviors. Questionnaire data from employees (N = 566) matched with data from their pay-setting supervisors (N = 208), employed in a Swedish manufacturing company, were analyzed. Results of polynomial regression with response surface analysis show that employees’ perceptions of pay justice were important for their work-related attitudes and behaviors and that supervisor–employee congruence regarding pay justice was positively related to employees’ attitudes and behavior, particularly when the ratings concerned high levels of justice. The results not only highlight the importance of developing a pay system that is perceived as just by employees but also emphasize the importance of reaching a congruence between supervisors’ and employees’ perceptions of high fairness, as this has positive implications for employees’ attitudes and behaviors.
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| 5. |
- Rozental, Alexander, 1985-, et al.
(författare)
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Procrastination Among University Students : Differentiating Severe Cases in Need of Support From Less Severe Cases
- 2022
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Ingår i: Frontiers in Psychology. - : Frontiers Media SA. - 1664-1078. ; 13
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Procrastination refers to voluntarily postponing an intended course of action despite expecting to be worse off for this delay, and students are considered to be especially negatively affected. According to estimates in the literature, at least half of the students believe procrastination impacts their academic achievements and well-being. As of yet, evidence-based ideas on how to differentiate severe from less severe cases of procrastination in this population do not exist, but are important in order to identify those students in need of support. The current study recruited participants from different universities in Sweden to participate in an anonymous online survey investigating self-rated levels of procrastination, impulsivity, perfectionism, anxiety, depression, stress, and quality of life. Furthermore, diagnostic criteria for pathological delay (PDC) as well as self-report items and open-ended questions were used to determine the severity of their procrastination and its associated physical and psychological issues. In total, 732 participants completed the survey. A median-split on the Pure Procrastination Scale (PPS) and the responses to the PDC were used to differentiate two groups; “less severe procrastination” (PPS ≤ 2.99; n = 344; 67.7% female; M age = 30.03; SD age = 9.35), and “severe procrastination” (PPS ≥ 3.00; n = 388; 66.2% female; M age = 27.76; SD age = 7.08). For participants in the severe group, 96–97% considered procrastination to a problem, compared to 42–48% in the less severe group. The two groups also differed with regard to considering seeking help for procrastination, 35–38% compared to 5–7%. Participants in the severe group also reported more problems of procrastination in different life domains, greater symptoms of psychological issues, and lower quality of life. A thematic analysis of the responses on what physical issues were related to procrastination revealed that these were characterized by stress and anxiety, e.g., tension, pain, and sleep and rest, while the psychological issues were related to stress and anxiety, but also depression, e.g., self-criticism, remorse, and self-esteem. The current study recommends the PPS to be used as an initial screening tool, while the PDC can more accurately determine the severity level of procrastination for a specific individual.
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| 6. |
- Sundstrom, C., et al.
(författare)
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High-intensity therapist-guided internet-based cognitive behavior therapy for alcohol use disorder: a pilot study
- 2017
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Ingår i: Bmc Psychiatry. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1471-244X. ; 17
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: A large proportion of individuals with alcohol problems do not seek psychological treatment, but access to such treatment could potentially be increased by delivering it over the Internet. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is widely recognized as one of the psychological treatments for alcohol problems for which evidence is most robust. This study evaluated a new, therapist-guided internet-based CBT program (entitled ePlus) for individuals with alcohol use disorders. Methods: Participants in the study (n = 13) were recruited through an alcohol self-help web site (www.alkoholhjalpen.se) and, after initial internet screening, were diagnostically assessed by telephone. Eligible participants were offered access to the therapist-guided 12-week program. The main outcomes were treatment usage data (module completion, treatment satisfaction) as well as glasses of alcohol consumed the preceding week, measured with the self-rated Timeline Followback (TLFB). Participant data were collected at screening (T0), immediately pre-treatment (T1), post-treatment (T2) and 3 months post-treatment (T3). Results: Most participants were active throughout the treatment and found it highly acceptable. Significant reductions in alcohol consumption with a large within-group effect size were found at the three-month follow-up. Secondary outcome measures of craving and self-efficacy, as well as depression and quality of life, also showed significant improvements with moderate to large within-group effect sizes. Conclusions: Therapist-guided internet-based CBT may be a feasible and effective alternative for people with alcohol use disorders. In view of the high acceptability and the large within-group effect sizes found in this small pilot, a randomized controlled trial investigating treatment efficacy is warranted.
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| 7. |
- Bujacz, Aleksandra, et al.
(författare)
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Not All Are Equal : A Latent Profile Analysis of Well-Being Among the Self-Employed
- 2020
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Ingår i: Journal of Happiness Studies. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1389-4978 .- 1573-7780. ; 21:5, s. 1661-1680
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- This study uses a person-centered approach to distinguish between subpopulations of self-employed individuals using multidimensional well-being indicators. Data were obtained from European Social Survey including a sample of 3461 self-employed individuals from 29 European countries. The analysis has empirically identified six distinct profiles named 'unhappy', 'languishing', 'happy', 'satisfied', 'passionate', and 'flourishing'. The profiles were associated with significant differences in well-being, health and work-related variables. The results highlight the heterogeneity of the self-employed population, and describe the complex-both hedonic and eudaimonic-character of the well-being concept in this population.
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| 8. |
- Andersson, Claes, et al.
(författare)
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Academic self-efficacy : Associations with self-reported COVID-19 symptoms, mental health, and trust in universities' management of the pandemic-induced university lockdown
- 2022
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Ingår i: Journal of American College Health. - : Informa UK Limited. - 0744-8481 .- 1940-3208.
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate perceived changes in academic self-efficacy associated with self-reported symptoms of COVID-19, changes in mental health, and trust in universities’ management of the pandemic and transition to remote education during lockdown of Swedish universities in the spring of 2020. Methods: 4495 participated and 3638 responded to self-efficacy questions. Associations were investigated using multinomial regression. Results: Most students reported self-experienced effects on self-efficacy. Lowered self-efficacy was associated with symptoms of contagion, perceived worsening of mental health and low trust in universities’ capacity to successfully manage the lockdown and transition to emergency remote education. Increased self-efficacy was associated with better perceived mental health and high trust in universities. Conclusion: The initial phase of the pandemic was associated with a larger proportion of students reporting self-experienced negative effects on academic self-efficacy. Since self-efficacy is a predictor of academic performance, it is likely that students’ academic performance will be adversely affected.
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| 9. |
- Andersson, Christina, et al.
(författare)
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The effectiveness of smartphone compassion training on stress among Swedish university students : A pilot randomized trial
- 2021
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Ingår i: Journal of Clinical Psychology. - : John Wiley & Sons. - 0021-9762 .- 1097-4679. ; 77:4, s. 927-945
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Objective: To investigate the effects of a 6-week smartphone compassion training intervention on mental health.Method: Fifty-seven Swedish university students (mean age = 25, SD = 5) reporting high levels of stress were randomized to compassion training (n = 23), mindfulness (n = 19), or waitlist (n = 15).Result: Multilevel models indicated that both compassion and mindfulness training increased self-compassion compared to the waitlist, while only compassion significantly reduced stress. Between-group effect sizes for compassion compared to waitlist were large for both self-compassion (d = 1.61) and stress (d = 0.94). Compassion and mindfulness did not differ significantly, but effect sizes were in favor of compassion. Secondary outcomes indicated positive effects on emotional awareness, while no effect was found for global psychological distress.Conclusions: Our results suggest that compassion training via a smartphone application can improve self-compassion and reduce stress among university students. Future studies in larger clinical samples are warranted.
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| 10. |
- Aucouturier, Jean-Julien, et al.
(författare)
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Covert digital manipulation of vocal emotion alter speakers' emotional states in a congruent direction
- 2016
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Ingår i: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. - : Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. - 0027-8424 .- 1091-6490. ; 113:4, s. 948-953
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research has shown that people often exert control over their emotions. By modulating expressions, reappraising feelings, and redirecting attention, they can regulate their emotional experience. These findings have contributed to a blurring of the traditional boundaries between cognitive and emotional processes, and it has been suggested that emotional signals are produced in a goal-directed way and monitored for errors like other intentional actions. However, this interesting possibility has never been experimentally tested. To this end, we created a digital audio platform to covertly modify the emotional tone of participants' voices while they talked in the direction of happiness, sadness, or fear. The result showed that the audio transformations were being perceived as natural examples of the intended emotions, but the great majority of the participants, nevertheless, remained unaware that their own voices were being manipulated. This finding indicates that people are not continuously monitoring their own voice to make sure that it meets a predetermined emotional target. Instead, as a consequence of listening to their altered voices, the emotional state of the participants changed in congruence with the emotion portrayed, which was measured by both self-report and skin conductance level. This change is the first evidence, to our knowledge, of peripheral feedback effects on emotional experience in the auditory domain. As such, our result reinforces the wider framework of self-perception theory: that we often use the same inferential strategies to understand ourselves as those that we use to understand others.
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