To understand the role of culture on the use of the meaning-making coping among people who have been struck by cancer, qualitative and quantitative studies have been conducted in several countries like Sweden, China, Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, and Turkey. This article reports on a quantitative study carried out in Turkey. The aim of the study has been to answer the following question: “Which meaning-making coping method (even nonreligious or spiritual coping methods) is used by informants?” The sample consists of 95 persons, 18+ who had been struck by cancer. The questionnaire was distributed to former/current cancer patients via a web address as an electronic survey through the media page of Cancer Survivors Association. The results of the study show that the most important coping methods used by cancer patients in Turkey are the religious coping (RCOPE) methods, particularly spiritual connection, active religious surrender, passive religious deferral, and pleading for direct intercession. Several RCOPE methods such as spiritual discontent, seeking support from clergy or members, punishing God reappraisal, and demonic reappraisal or self-directing religious coping are not used by the Turkish informants. Nor are non-RCOPE methods highly prevalent among informants.

Gerotranscendence is a culture-dependent concept involving growth and excellence in old age. While it has been studied in various cultural contexts, little is known about Iranian older adults. This study aims to uncover novel aspects of Iranian older adults’ psychological and transcendental capacities using their lived experiences. A qualitative research approach with a descriptive phenomenological design was employed. Semi-structured and in-depth interviews were conducted with eight older adults (aged 65+) in Tehran, Iran, using a purposive sampling technique. Gerotranscendence among Iranian older adults encompasses four dimensions: self-transcendence, communicative transcendence, worldview transcendence, and harmony of experiences. While sharing commonalities with existing theories, these dimensions exhibit differences that underscore the importance of a culturally sensitive understanding. This study offers unique insights into the development of gerotranscendence in Iranian older adults, highlighting the cultural context of this multifaceted concept. By considering these dimensions in diverse cultural settings, future research can inform tailored interventions and support systems for older adults. 

Introduction: Meaning-making coping is used by people with cancer to help them deal with the stress and emotional turmoil associated with their diagnosis. It is a multifaceted approach that can be influenced by cultural, existential, and personal factors. Research on meaning-making coping among Filipinos diagnosed with cancer is sparse. This study examines how a sample of Filipino people with cancer cope with their illnesses.

Methods: We employed a qualitative approach. The study involved 20 participants with various types of cancer in the Philippines who were selected through purposive sampling and agreed to be interviewed.

Results: The thematic analysis of the interviews revealed the application of both religious and secular meaning-making coping by participants. The study also confirmed the potential influence of culture on coping strategies.

Discussion: The results indicate that religion plays a significant role in Filipino coping mechanisms, given that the Philippines is predominantly a Christian nation. Additionally, the findings highlight the importance of close family ties in Filipino culture and how it contributes to coping with cancer.

Honour-related violence and oppression constitute a serious societal issue requiring urgent action, with social services playing a central role in this endeavor. The purpose of this study was to investigate how social services work with honour-related violence and oppression in Sweden, focusing on perceptions and approaches. The study also aimed to identify needs for changes in current practices. A qualitative study with a phenomenological-hermeneutic approach and a deductive perspective was deemed most appropriate, leading to semi-structured interviews with social workers. An analysis was conducted from an intersectional theoretical framework to provide a deeper understanding of the violence. The results highlight the collective nature of the violence, where multiple perpetrators contribute to the complexity and challenges for social services. Preventive measures and integration were identified as necessary components in combating honour-related violence. There are complex factors to consider, but if left unchecked, many women risks continuing to live under oppression.

The mental health of children and adolescents’ is a debated topic and constitutes a large part of social work in Sweden. The purpose of this study was to investigate how social workers perceive the importance of children and adolescents’ social networks in relation to their mental health and what role social work has in this. The qualitative method used was semi-structured interviews, that was processed through a thematic analysis. The results of this inductive study show that various aspects of the social network are important for the mental wellbeing of children and adolescents’ and that there are differences in how the social workers perceive their role in the child's social network. There are differences in what previous research believes is important for the child and how the social workers' working methods are designed. This study contributes to a deeper understanding of the importance of children and adolescents’ social networks. 

Social media is gaining increased use among adolescents, the following study will address the effects of social media amongst the youth. The purpose of this study is to explore how norms and values on social media affect adolescents' perceptions, behaviors and the risk of adopting a criminal lifestyle. Through a literature study in which eight articles were selected from two databases (Scopus and Hig Discovery) the following study was able to give a summary of the current evidence which were in turn studied and analyzed through two theories, norm theory and systems theory. The study reveals three main factors that play a crucial role regarding how adolescents are affected by social media usage, family factors, upbringing conditions, and the normalization of deviant behaviors. These are factors that can make young people more susceptible to the influence of social media and the various risk behaviors that are glorified. 

Det övergripande syftet med denna kunskapsöversikt har varit att sammanställa forskning om återvändande och (åter)integration för barn i familj, med fokus på utbildning, sociokulturell (åter)integration och hälsa, samt möjligheter och hinder för en framgångsrik återvändande- och (åter)integrationsprocess. Målet med kunskapsöversikten är att bidra till ökad beredskap för samhällsaktörer i Sverige som är involverade i återvändandeprocessen för barn i familj. En sådan beredskap kan öka barn och familjers möjligheter att förbereda sig och mobilisera sina resurser inför ett återvändande, och ge barnen bättre förutsättningar till anpassning efter återvändandet.

Att upprätthålla en ordnad och säker migration samt förmå individer som har ett av- eller utvisningsbeslut att återvända är en viktig fråga för många europeiska länder idag, inklusive Sverige. Men asyl- och återvändandeprocessen behöver också genomsyras av ett barnrättsperspektiv, vilket svenska myndigheter som är involverade i denna process har uppmärksammat och arbetat med under en längre tid. I detta avseende har barn i familj, det vill säga barn som ansökt om uppehållstillstånd tillsammans med sina vårdnadshavare, identifierats som en särskilt sårbar grupp. Forskning visar att barn i familj ofta känner sig oinformerade, och de beskriver sin egen delaktighet i asyl- och återvändandeprocessen som låg. Det kan leda till känslor av chock och uppryckthet i samband med återvändandet, vilket kan påverka barnens psykosociala hälsa på både kort och på lång sikt. 

Forskning inom området visar även på stora utmaningar för barn att integreras i skolan efter ett återvändande. Översikten visar att språksvårigheter, en ny utbildningskontext, bristen på kompetens hos skolpersonal samt administrativa och ekonomiska hinder kan hämma barnens möjligheter att tillgodogöra sig utbildning i återvändarlandet. Barn i familj kan även utsättas för mobbing och utanförskap av både jämnåriga och vuxna på grund av sin status som återvändare, en brist på sociokulturell kunskap eller bristande språkkunskaper. Sociala nätverk kan i detta avseende fungera som ett skydd, till exempel i form av jämnåriga släktingar i återvändarlandet som kan vägleda och släppa in de återvändande barnen i den sociala gemenskapen.

Kunskapsöversikten har identifierat ett antal kunskapsluckor. Det råder till exempel en stor brist på forskning som följer barnen, och som undersöker hur barnens situation utvecklar sig över tid. Den begränsade forskning som finns på detta område indikerar att några av de problem som observeras initialt vad gäller bristen på sociokulturell tillhörighet och social integration kan försvinna eller mildras över tid. Det går emellertid inte att dra några slutsatser om hur en utveckling över tid påverkas av andra faktorer, såsom levnadsförhållanden och tillgången till resurser. Det finns också otillräcklig kunskap om hur olika bakgrundsfaktorer, såsom kön, ålder och socioekonomisk bakgrund inverkar på barnens (åter)integration efter ett återvändande. De fåtal studier som finns i området pekar på att vissa grupper kan vara särskilt utsatta innan och efter ett återvändande, till exempel flickor samt barn i yngre och övre tonåren.

Med utgångspunkt i de resultat som presenteras ges en rad rekommendationer. Ett exempel på förslag är att det föreligger ett behov av att utveckla och förtydliga roll- och ansvarsfördelningen för olika myndighetsaktörer i asyl- och återvändarprocessen för barn i familj, och att det bör övervägas huruvida en myndighet kan ges ett helhetsansvar för denna grupp. Ett annat förslag är att kvalitativa riktlinjer samt metod- och arbetsstöd för myndighetspersonal som kommer i kontakt med barn i familj under återvändandeprocessen utformas. Information och delaktighetsarbetet med barn i familj behöver också utvecklas, samt vara barnanpassat och individualiseras, eftersom barns situation kan se olika ut beroende på faktorer som vistelsetid i mottagarlandet, kön, ålder, socioekonomisk bakgrund samt familjens nätverk och resurser efter återvändandet.

The overall aim of this literature review is to summarise and synthesiseresearch on the return and (re)integration of children in migrant families,focusing on their education, integration and health, as well as the opportunitiesand obstacles for a successful return and (re)integration process. The ultimategoal of the review is to contribute with knowledge to the creation of moretools for public officials involved in this process, thereby providing children inmigrant families with better opportunities to prepare and mobilise resourcesprior to return. This could also facilitate their long-term adjustment in thecountry of return.

Maintaining regular migration and increasing the return of migrants who aredenied residence in the host country is a high priority for many Europeancountries, including Sweden. However, it is also crucial that the asylum andreturn process is permeated by a child rights approach, which manyauthorities in Sweden have recognised and worked towards. In this respect,children in migrant families are considered to be a particularly vulnerablegroup. Research shows that they often feel uninformed and their level ofparticipation in the return process is described as low. This can lead tofeelings of shock and uprootedness upon return, which can affect children'spsychosocial health.

Research also highlights the challenges of integrating children from migrantfamilies into new education systems upon return. Difficulties in speaking andwriting their mother tongue, a new and unfamiliar educational context, lack ofcompetence of school staff, as well as administrative and economic barrierscan all contribute to limiting children's educational opportunities. In addition,children in families returning to their country of origin are often subject tobullying and social exclusion due to their status as returnees, lack of socio-cultural knowledge or language difficulties. In this context, social networkscan be important resources and peer relatives can act as guides andfacilitators of integration.

The review identified several knowledge gaps. For example, there is a lack ofstudies using longitudinal data to show how children's situations develop overtime. The few studies that do exist suggest that some initial problems, such asa lack of socio-cultural belonging and social integration, tend to disappear ordiminish over time. However, it is not possible to deduce how other factors,such as living conditions and access to resources, might affect their9adjustment over time. There is also a lack of studies that examine the impactof other background factors relevant to children, such as age, gender andsocio-economic background. The few studies that do examine these factorssuggest that some groups, such as girls and adolescents, may be morevulnerable than others.

Based on the findings of this review, a number of recommendations are made. One suggestion is that there should be a clearer and more developed divisionof responsibilities between the public agencies involved in the return process.It should also be considered whether a single agency could be given a moreholistic role for children in migrant families during this process. In addition,there is a need for more qualitative guidelines and methods for public officialswho are involved in the return process of migrant families or who regularlymeet with children in migrant families prior to return. Information andparticipatory work on children in migrant families during the return processneeds to be developed in a more child-friendly and individualised way, as achild's situation may differ depending on factors such as length of stay in thehost country, gender, age and socio-economic background.

The aim of this systematic review was to summarize and synthesize research results focusing on the work environment of employees with an immigrant background in Sweden. We focus on the main conditions identified in the working environment of immigrant employees and how these conditions may affect their health and well-being. The concept of “minority stress” and the attachment theory are used to understand and interpret the findings. We systematically searched for literature published between the years of 1990 and 2020 in four databases, Web of Science, PubMed, SocIndex, and Academic Search Elite. We started the selection process by reading title and abstracts, then proceeded to read a selection of full-text studies and eliminated those that did not fulfil the inclusion criteria. We did a quality assessment on the full-text studies based on the MMAT-tool, and then performed a narrative synthesis of the results. The results show that immigrants experience several stressors in their work environment, including physical, psychological, and social risks. These risks are, among other things, associated with the nature of the jobs that immigrants are overrepresented in, with minority-related stressors such as discrimination, harassment, and threats on the basis of ethnic background, and with the lack of social support from managers and colleagues. Results also highlight beneficial factors in the immigrants’ working environment and show the importance of a supportive, inclusive, and empowering management. Our main conclusion is that Swedish workplaces need to introduce more active measures to raise awareness of and combat workplace discrimination, work harder to promote inclusion at the workplace, and eliminate physical, psychological, and social health hazards specific to immigrant employees. The leadership and management have an important role to play here, as does the employees’ trade unions and its special functions.

När det gäller bedömning av umgänge i familjer där det förekommer fall av våld i nära relation ska rätten grunda sitt beslut på vad som är barnets bästa. Syftet med denna studie var att få en ökad förståelse för socialsekreterares perspektiv gällande vad som är viktigt vid bedömning och utredning av umgänge med hänsyn till barnets bästa samt hur deras professionella handlingsutrymme ser ut. En kvalitativ metod med fyra semistrukturerade intervjuer användes i studien. Den tematiska analysen visade att när det kommer till barnets bästa vid utredning av umgänge är det viktigt att utreda omfattning och hur grovt våldet är, att barnet har rätt till en god relation med den våldsutövande föräldern och att det är viktigt att barnet får komma till tals. Resultaten visar att socialsekreterare har ett stort handlingsutrymme dock inom smala ramar, och att deras arbete ofta kantas av komplexitet.

The importance of knowledge for social workers is consistently described in the previous research to enable participation in society for people with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). The purpose of this study was to investigate social workers' perceived knowledge about NDD and their experience of the importance of knowledge for contact with adultclients with NDD. The research method for the study was qualitative semi-structured interviews in which six informants participated. Based on the results, the themes of knowledge acquisition, adaptations and limitations were identified, which were analyzed based on knowledge theory and then discussed in relation to previous research. The results show that the social workers feel that knowledge is important in order to be able to individually adapt the contact. Furthermore, there was a variation regarding how they experienced their own knowledge, where some informants experienced sufficient knowledge while others expressed it as limited.

Neurodivergent individuals, including a range of conditions impacting neurological function, are at an increased likelihood of poor life outcomes, such as in functional adaptation, mental health, and well-being. Yet, many live meaningful and fulfilling lives. Resilience may provide some explanation for the heterogeneity in outcomes observed in neurodivergent populations. We conducted a scoping review embedded in a neurodiversity-affirmative approach to provide an understanding of resilience in neurodivergent populations. A total of 176 articles were included in this review and were synthesized using a two-phased process. First, findings were synthesized narratively to examine how resilience has been conceptualized and explored in neurodivergent populations. Second, to identify the bio-psycho-social factors important for resilience in neurodivergent individuals, we converted concepts identified in articles to the nomenclature of the World Health Organizations' International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) using a standardized linking process. We find considerable variability in how resilience is conceptualized and measured in neurodivergent populations. We identified 83 unique ICF categories representing resilience factors, of which only 20 appeared in more than 5% of the articles. Identified ICF categories highlight the importance of support systems such as families and friends, community participation and acceptance, and individual capabilities for resilience.

Research has shown gender differences between how girls and boys exhibit  ADHD-symptoms and that girls are less likely to be noticed. The process leading up to a diagnosis is also longer for girls. The purpose of this study was to examine the conditions for girls with ADHD to get the accurate diagnosis as well as what might benefit their conditions. The study was conducted through semistructured interviews with seven individuals working in child and adolescent psychiatry. The material was analyzed using a thematic analysis focusing on patterns in the participants' reports. The result showed that there are gender differences regarding how society perceives ADHD-symptoms which is caused due to lack of knowledge in school, parents and society as a whole. Factors that might strengthen girls' conditions to get the accurate diagnosis is better knowledge, more research and cooperation between different instances that are part of the mapping and diagnostic process.

The issue of terrorism has cost Nigeria as a nation a lot and is calling for serious attention; such that insistent attacks on the Nigerian populace by terrorist groups are threatening the security of the country, among others. Hence, this study attempts to explore the viewpoints of employees of NGOs on the social issues that have fueled the increase and effects of terrorism in Nigeria as well as the possible consequences the findings have regarding international social work in Nigerian local communities. The Qualitative research method was used, which involved the use of in-depth interviews for data collection, and the relative deprivation theory served as the theoretical base for the data analysis. It was revealed from the findings that social issues like unemployment, poverty, illiteracy, corruption, religious extremism, and ethnicity problems, among others, could be attributed to terrorism increase; while poverty, internal displacement, and high rate of citizen deaths were some of its main effects in Nigeria. Furthermore, the study indicated that there is an urgent need for the competency of international social workers to combat the root causes of terrorism and its calamitous impacts in Nigeria. However, the study recommends that international social workers who intend to work in Nigeria must collaborate with the Nigerian government or its agencies and understand and learn about the social and cultural intricacies of working in Nigeria for effective practice.

This paper aims to emphasize the need for enhancing inclusivity and accessibility within smart-city societies. It represents the first attempt to apply Amartya Sen’s capability approach by exploring the implications of digital divides for promoting inclusive and climate-friendly cities that prioritize well-being, equity, and societal participation. Sen’s framework recognizes individual variations in converting resources into valuable ‘functionings’, and herein emphasizes the importance of aligning personal, social, and environmental conversion factors for individuals to fully navigate, participate in, and enjoy the benefits provided by smart cities. Adopting the capability approach and employing a cross-disciplinary analysis of the scientific literature, the primary objective is to broaden understanding of how to improve inclusivity and accessibility within smart-city societies, with a specific focus on marginalized community members facing first- and second-level digital divides. This paper underscores the importance of adopting a systemic perspective on climate-smart city navigation and stresses the importance of establishing a unified governing body responsible for monitoring, evaluating, and enhancing smart-city functionality. The paper concludes by summarizing some policy recommendations to boost social inclusion and address climate change in smart cities, such as creating capability-enhancing institutions, safeguarding redundancy in public-choice options, empowering citizens, and leveraging academic knowledge in smart-city policy formulation.

This qualitative case study aimed to explore the skills, possibilities, and barriers to animal-assisted social work interventions in health-promoting work-life for people with disabilities through companion animals in Mauritius. The study employed Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and semi-structured interviews and applied reflexive thematic analysis within the framework of social support theory, supported by the software program ATLAS.ti v24. 

Findings reveal that participants believe in the potential benefits of companion animals in the workplace, despite cultural and practical challenges. Particularly, the training of companion animals emerged as an important factor influencing the effectiveness of promoting them as contributors to workplace health. The study underscores the necessity for tailored interventions and policies that account for cultural beliefs and practical considerations, with social workers playing an important role in advocating for inclusive policies, educating stakeholders, and facilitating the integration of companion animals into the workplace environment. 

The study acknowledges its limitations such as resources and time constraints. Future research could include a more diverse population, longitudinal studies, and cross-cultural comparisons to provide a deeper understanding of the longterm effects and cultural factors influencing the possibility of companion animals in professional settings both for social workers and at the workplace. 

In conclusion, this study offers valuable insights into the potential of companion animals to enhance the health of individuals with disabilities in their work-life and emphasizes the importance of comprehensive policies and advocacy efforts by social workers in fostering inclusive, health-promoting workplaces in Mauritius.

The purpose of the study was to explore social workers' perspectives on children'sparticipation in investigations at child and youth units within Social Services in Sweden, aswell as to investigate the challenges associated with children's participation. This is adeductive qualitative study utilizing thematic content analysis conducted throughsemi-structured interviews with social workers. By utilizing Hart's theoretical framework, thefollowing themes emerged: the conditions for children's participation, different ways in whichchildren participate, and the utilization of children's participation. The results indicated thatall social workers consider children's participation crucial, but the lack of resources,particularly high workloads, results in the deprioritization of child interviews. The conclusionis that there is a need for more child interviews, and while there are opportunities for childrento have greater involvement in child welfare investigations, the responsibility for change doesnot solely rest with social workers, but also with higher authorities.

Children and adolescents' mental health benefits from meaningful leisure activities. This study aimed to explore social workers' experiences of how meaningful leisure impacts the mental health of children and adolescents, and to highlight how social workers integrate meaningful leisure into their daily work with these groups. The method used in this study was qualitative semi-structured interviews with six social workers. Using directed qualitative content analysis, themes were identified based on the theory of salutogenesis and the concepts of Sense of Coherence and empowerment to compare collected data with previous research. The results indicate that meaningful leisure is crucial for the mental health of children and adolescents, but what constitutes meaningful leisure is individual. The informants emphasized socioeconomic barriers and societal opportunities for children and adolescents to engage in meaningful leisure activities. The findings also show that social workers provide tools for children and adolescents to manage their mental health independently.

This study examined how individuals and groups in social vulnerability were portrayed in the course literature for the social work program at the University of Gävle. Through a discourse analysis of the books Social Exclusion and Intersectionality in Social Work, the study utilised Boréus (2022) and Winther Jørgensen and Phillips (2000) and identified underlying discourses and assumptions. Findings revealed that these portrayals were characterised by a "us vs. them" perspective, where societal actors were ascribed excluding agency through discipline, norms, and categories. Individuals were often depicted as passive objects rather than active participants, limiting their perceived ability to affect their own situations. This language choice reinforced the dichotomy and obscured broader issues, created a perceived conflict between the ”norm-bearing middle class” and marginalised groups. The study underscored the need for reflexivity in social work to critically evaluate how language and discourses shape professional practice and societal attitudes.

The purpose of the study was to examine how the media portrays social work with children and the resulting impacts on social work. The design of the study resembles a systematic literature review where a combination of 12 national and international scholarly articles has been reviewed using narrative synthesis and analyzed based on the theory of symbolic interactionism. The result of the review is presented based on the occurrence of negative, positive, and neutral portrayals of social workers in the media. The negative portrayal was the most prominent, with criticism mainly directed towards social workers related to cases where children have been harmed. Positive portrayal of social work was something that rarely occurred. The portrayal has resulted in both positive and negative consequences that have affected both the social worker and the general public.

This qualitative document study aimed to examine how the district court has judged the visitation rights for children subjected to violence at home; in accordance with the Children and Parents Code chapter 6, section 2a and 2b. Therefore a qualitative content analysis was used to analyse cases of visitation in 14 district court sentences. The sociology of childhood constituted the study's theoretical perspective. The research identified weaknesses in how the district court interpreted and applied the principles of the child's best interest and participation. The need for close and quality contact seemed apparent to the district court, while the need of protection was assessed with more flexibility and contextuality. The result also found that the violence was occasionally disregarded and the consideration of children's opinions varied. Additionally, the child's participation was limited to consultation alone. These shortcomings could lead to children being forced to undergo visitations with a violent parent. 

Barn och unga vuxnas anslutning till gatugäng har ökat under de senaste åren. Individer ansluter sig till gatugäng i allt yngre åldrar och flickor är mer aktiva. Syftet med denna litteraturstudie var att identifiera riskfaktorer som hade samband med barn och unga vuxnas anslutning till gatugäng samt undersöka eventuella skillnader för flickor och pojkars riskfaktorer. Litteratursökningen resulterade i elva artiklar i vår allmänna litteraturstudie och en syntes följde. Resultatet i vår studie visade att bostadsområden med social desorganisation, gängkriminella kamrater, familjemedlemmar i gäng och individuell kriminalitet hade samband med barn och ungdomars anslutning till gatugäng. Avslutningsvis visade vårt resultat att flickor och pojkars riskfaktorer var mer lika än olika. Identifiering av riskfaktorer i förebyggande syfte är betydelsefullt för att säkerställa varje barn och unga vuxnas rätt till en trygg uppväxt, utveckling och liv. 

The exercise of self-determination is a human right; however, for people with dementia (PWD), progressive physical and cognitive impairment negatively affects their decision-making processes. For PWD, it is often relatives who make such decisions. This qualitative study included interviews with sixteen relatives of PWD who live in nursing homes. Research questions are as follows: How do relatives understand the participation of PWD who live in nursing homes? How do co-researchers understand participation and the role of relatives? A co-researcher was consulted when the questions were designed. During the interviews with relatives, photos were used to stimulate discussion. Critical situations in nursing homes were discussed with relatives and later interpreted together with a co-researcher. The findings included an understanding of how relatives played a key role in PWD; however, relatives were concerned that PWD were unable to take part in decisions. In addition, relatives named ways that nursing homes opposed human rights, and the co-researchers also highlighted situations that conflicted with human rights. Classifying dementia as a disability at the policy level could strengthen the rights issues of PWD. The key findings of the study are essential for social workers arranging for placement of PWD in nursing homes. 

People living in nursing homes have the right to self-determination, and difficulty in accommodating this right can create moral distress in staff. This study aimed to explore experiences of situations of moral distress and to identify nursing home staffs’ needs to act with moral agency. Six group interviews were conducted with nursing home staff. Content analysis of the interview responses showed that moral distress can be rooted in both concrete situations with residents and factors related to the work environment and policy requirements. Personnel can address moral distress through both active and passive means. Staff acted to address moral distress mainly in situations with residents and sometimes in relation to co-workers, but they did not try to influence the policy level. 

The purpose of this study was to conduct a systematic literature review with a narrative synthesis to evaluate current knowledge of female-perpetrated sexual offenses against children. It examined public and professional perceptions of these offenders and explored the characteristics attributed to these women. The findings were analyzed through a genderperspective, social cognition theory and cognitive dissonance theory. The results of reviewedarticles indicate that these offenses are a significant social issue due to their convert nature and the societal and professional biases that perceive women as nurturing and safe. These biases, rooted in the sociocultural gender views, hinder the detection of management of suchcrimes. Female offenders are often seen as less severe compared to male offenders, who is considered the typical image of child sexual abuse perpetrators. Despite difficulties in categorizing these women, common factors such as histories of violence, mental health issues, and substance abuse were identified. The study highlights a significant research gap. It calls for an examination of organizational and governmental guidelines and training to improve awareness and understanding, which can enhance protection for vulnerable children and support the development of effective preventive measures. 

The study explored school counselors' perceptions of suicide prevention work in secondary schools. The aim was to identify effective methods and challenges. Through qualitative interviews with six school counselors, it was found that relationship building, collaboration, and knowledge are crucial for effective suicide prevention. The respondents emphasized the importance of strong relationships with students and cooperation with school staff for early interventions. The biggest challenges were resource shortages, lack of knowledge, and parental involvement. Sense of Coherence was used as the theoretical framework to analyze how school counselors manage their work. The results showed that a high degree of comprehensibility, manageability, and meaningfulness among the school counselors enhances their suicide prevention efforts. The study concluded with suggestions on how schools can improve their efforts by strengthening staff competence and increasing resources for student health services.

För många migranter från utomeuropeiska länder tar det lång tid att etablera sig i Sverige. Det gäller i synnerhet personer med låg utbildning, och särskilt kvinnor som saknar erfarenhet av lönearbete i hemlandet. Denna rapport handlar om migranter i Gävleborgs län, som fått asyl i Sverige, avslutat etableringsperioden och stod utanför den reguljära arbetsmarknaden år 2020. Under 2020 genomfördes intervjuer med 23 personer i tre kommuner som gick på SFI. Knappt tre år senare (2023) kontaktade vi deltagarna igen för att ta reda på om de kommit närmare arbetsmarknadsetablering och hur de såg på sin livssituation och framtid. Vi fick kontakt med 13 personer varav 8 medverkade i en ny intervju. För att öka förståelsen för migranternas perspektiv har vi dessutom intervjuat 10 personer från andra kommuner med liknande bakgrund och livssituation som de ursprungliga deltagarna. Resultaten visar att nästan alla respondenter hade kommit närmare arbetsmarknaden och såg ljusare på tillvaron än under 2020. Samtliga hade kommit ut på arbetsplatser genom praktik och anställningar, och många hade gått eller gick på yrkesutbildningar. Att behärska svenska språket upplevdes centralt. Det betraktades som nyckeln till att kunna få ett arbete, samtidigt som arbetet sågs som det bästa sättet att utveckla språket. Det förefaller vara ganska stora skillnader mellan vilket stöd migranter i olika kommuner får. Migranterna uttryckte också stora variationer avseende behov av stöd, vilka hinder de mötte, och i vilken utsträckning de kunde styra sin tillvaro och bestämma en väg framåt. Alla var motiverade till att arbeta och skapa en bättre framtid för sig och sina barn, men det var tydligt att myndigheterna behöver anpassa sina insatser till varje persons individuella förutsättningar för att kunna realisera detta. 

Objective: Research on the association of empathy and burnout within professional health care workers has shown that the work is posing a risk for burnout. Empathy and compassion abilities are essential to understand others and when working with caring for others. Research from social neuroscience and psychology has forwarded findings indicating the risk of a negative side of empathy – empathic distress being associated with ill health such as burnout. Contrary, compassion has been shown to be associated with health benefits. Research integrating knowledge from social neuroscience and psychology is needed to inform evidence-based health promotion in the workplace arena.

Aim: The aim is to investigate if empathic distress among professional health care workers is associated with burnout, and if compassion has a buffering effect on burnout.

Design: A cross-sectional, within-group survey study is employed, using a quantitative explorative approach. 105 participants identified as professional health care workers was included. The bio-psychosocial model was used as a theoretical analysing tool.

Results: Results showed a significant positive association between empathic distress and client-related burnout. Compassion was found to be negatively associated with client-related burnout, however, not significant. Multiple regression analysis showed no significant effect of empathic distress, compassion or theory of mind to predict burnout.

Conclusion: Empathic distress was found to be significantly associated with client-related burnout. The study integrated social neuroscience and psychology theories, which can inform health promotion programs within social workplace settings especially for a vulnerable group in risk of burnout such as professional health care workers.

The aim was to investigate care workers’ and first-line managers’ (FLMs) psychosocial work environment and well-being across public, outsourced, and private residential care homes. A mixed-methods approach was used, including a systematic review and qualitative and quantitative data. Data included 11 procurement and tender documents, 19 semi-structured interviews with FLMs, and a survey with 253 care workers from three Swedish municipalities. The results did not indicate clear advantages regarding the psychosocial work environment and well-being for any provider type. Internationally, results favoured nonprofit settings for care workers’ well-being concerning commitment, stress, and turnover intentions. The Swedish context had mixed results. FLMs in outsourced and private settings felt they had more influence and better managerial support than in public settings. Care workers in outsourced settings rated emotional demands and burnout higher, while FLMs faced additional stress and demands due to the outsourcing process. Public care workers reported fewer work–life conflicts than private ones. Most care workers reported good job satisfaction, yet about one in four considered leaving their jobs. Marketisation has brought procurement processes that overlook care worker empowerment, with documents emphasising care users while imposing demands on the workforce. There were municipal variations in the documents, FLMs’ work structure, and care workers’ burnout ratings, challenging equality ambitions. The dissertation highlights persistent issues in the psychosocial work environment with high workloads, recruitment challenges, inadequate organisational support, conflicting care logics and a disconnect between political ambitions and the realities of residential care homes. Political decisions do not come with corresponding resources. To address these issues, care workers and FLMs must be prioritised in decisions and policy documents, which could also improve care quality.

BACKGROUND: Marketisation trends have introduced new elements in residential care homes, potentially related to the psychosocial work environment and well-being of care workers. OBJECTIVE: This study examines differences in job demands and resources across public, outsourced, and private residential care home providers and their associations with care workers’ burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover intentions. METHODS: Data from 253 care workers across 19 residential care homes in three municipalities were analysed using a cross-sectional design, with a 45.3% response rate. We applied the Job Demands-Resources theory and the Copenhagen psychosocial questionnaire, conducting analyses of variance to assess differences and multiple regressions using Generalised Estimating Equations, accounting for the nested structure of the data. RESULTS: Our findings were mixed, with job demands and resources differing across provider types. Outsourced care workers reported higher emotional demands than public sector ones, while private providers offered greater autonomy and supervisor support than public ones. Outsourced workers rated higher levels of burnout than those in public settings, although this difference was non-significant after adding other factors to the model. Statistically significant differences in burnout levels were observed between municipalities. Private care workers reported higher job satisfaction than public ones. About 60% of respondents sometimes or more frequently considered leaving their jobs. Public care workers reported higher turnover intentions than those working for for-profit providers. CONCLUSIONS: This study contributes to understanding how provider type, job demands, and resources relate to care workers' well-being. Further comparative research could help clarify the impact of municipal differences versus provider types.

Arbetslöshet är ett centralt ämne i den politiska debatten som förs i landet och föratt motverka arbetslöshet finns det olika politiska verktyg i form av arbetsmarknadspolitiskainsatser. Exempel på denna typ av insatser kan vara arbetsintegrerande insatser som arbetsträningen.Syftet med studien var att studera hur handledare på Stockholm Stadsmissionsarbetsträning ser på sitt uppdrag i relation till deltagarnas anställningsbarhet och social exkludering.Fem ansvariga för arbetsträning intervjuades genom målstyrda semistrukturerade kvalitativaintervjuer och data analyserades med en kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Studiens resultatvisar att de uppfattade kortsiktiga effekterna av arbetsträningen på anställningsbarhet var förhållandevissvaga. Samt att de mest relevanta effekterna var i form av förbättrat självförtroende,konstruktion av rutiner och förbättrat välmående.

The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze how immigrants were portrayed in newspaper articles published in Aftonbladet and Dagens Nyheter during the period 2020–2023. The study is grounded in a critical discourse analysis, where the empirical material consisted of 16 news articles analyzed using the social constructionist perspective along with the concepts of stereotypes and categorization. The results of the study showed a predominantly negative portrayal of immigrants, and three prominent discourses were identified in the analyzed material: "us" and "them", the criminal and violent immigrant, and immigrants as an economic and cultural burden. The results indicated a clear differentiation between immigrants and Swedes, with immigrants portrayed as deviating from the normative "Swedish" society. The results also showed a consistent categorization of immigrants in a negative light, with an expectation for them to assimilate into Swedish society and adopt "Swedish" norms and values.

Aim: To investigate children's experiences of the intervention Me and my Family. Me and my Family is an intervention, for families with parental substance use problems (SUP) provided by Swedish social services outpatient care, includes eight weekly sessions where family members communicate how the SUP affects the family. Method: Data consists of 17 qualitative interviews with children, 7 to 19 years old. The qualitative data were analysed using a thematic approach, initially inductively and then discussed by adding salutogenic perspective. Results: The results are presented in three themes. Regardless of the children's varying ages, the results indicate that participating in the intervention has helped the family break the taboo surrounding parental substance use and enabled the young participants to communicate with their family members differently. The intervention also contributed to stronger bonds between children and their parents.

The purpose of this study was to investigate high school counselors' experiences of domestic violence in adolescents' relationships and how they implement their knowledge of this subject in their daily work. The empirical data was collected through interviews with five school counselors in Sweden. The analysis was done by using the method thematic analysis and the theoretical perspectives consisted of the general systems theory and sense of coherence. Results revealed that domestic violence in adolescents' relationships rarely being reported. As a result of adolescents' ignorance regarding violence it's difficult to identify. Adolescents also tend to magnify behaviors amongst each other and neglect the violence that occurs due to their lack of knowledge. Results revealed that the school counselors' work methods seemed to depend on their own interest in the subject because they don´t have any evidence-based methodological support to identifying domestic violence and supporting students exposed to it.

The purpose of this study was to explore social secretaries’ perception of collaborating with both family and company when working with consulted foster care. The study was conducted through qualitative, semi-structured interviews with social secretaries who were, or had been, collaborating with consulted foster care. The results of the study show that social secretaries’ perception of collaborating with consulted family homes seems to contain challenges and a higher level of workload because of complex communication routs with the family homes. The challenging aspects contained difficulties in relationship building between socials services and family homes, not accepted families get suggested by the consults as if they were approved for the assignment and conflicts of interest between the private and the public operators. In this study the discussion will be based on possible arguments the agencies intentions with the collaboration through organizational culture that shapes both the family homes, the counsellors and social secretaries’ perception of their role during the collaboration.

The study investigated how social workers in domestic violence teams and child units define and detect post-separation violence, and how their collaboration affects support for victims. Group interviews with six social workers revealed that post-separation violence is seen as subtle continuation of previous abuse, often involving physiological control and manipulation of shared children. Domestic violence teams use tools like FREDA to identify violence, whereas child units rarely discuss it in specific terms, potentially mistaking it for spousal conflicts. The study highlights differences in collaboration between two municipalities: in the smaller municipality, physical proximity enhances collaboration, while a shared reception unit in the larger municipality has improved coordination. Challenges include a lack of transparency and coordination during case transfers, resulting in fragmented processes and difficulties in providing comprehensive support. The study emphasizes the importance of regular follow-up meetings and professional development to strengthen collaboration and improve support for domestic violence victims.

The concept of social sustainability has long been a subject of discussion within academic literature and practitioners. However, there remains a lack of clarity in its definition and scholars argue that this can impacting the legitimacy of addressing social sustainability challenges. Through a systematic literature review and a content analysis, we shed light on the multifaceted discourse surrounding the concept of social sustainability, elucidating its diverse applications and meanings portrayed and defined within scholarly discourse. Our findings show that the concept predominantly revolves around four prevalent categories: “Equity,” “Well-being,” “Participation and Influence,” and ‘Social Capital. Based on results, we develop and present a novel analytical framework of the four pillars of social sustainability, referred to as the “SoSuCompass,” representing a conceptual framework to clarify the concept's multifaceted nature. The framework can serve as a tool for a fuller comprehension of the definition of social sustainability.

About 14 percent of children and young people witness relational violence of various kinds between close relatives. Violence in intimate relationships affects children's mental and physical health as well as social relationships. When and how their need for help is met is important for their vulnerability and ability to recover. Unlike violence by unknown perpetrators that occurs in the public space, intimate partner violence is most often perpetrated in the home, which should be a protected place, by a person who should be one of the victim's most secure relationships. The purpose of this study was to compile existing research on how witnessing violence in close relationships affects children's health, education and future career life, and to identify health-promoting factors that can contribute to benefiting the health of children exposed to partner-related violence in the home. The results showed that children who witness intimate partner violence (IPV) suffer short- and long-term consequences in the form of physical and mental health problems as well as challenges in their social relationships, academic performance and future career possibiliti

This systematic review synthesized prior quantitative research on individual, family, job, and organizational factors associated with retirement intentions (RI) among older long-term care (LTC) workers. Seven databases were searched for peer-reviewed studies. RI were defined as early (<65 years) or late (>65 years). To assess the methodological quality, we used JBI's checklists. The PRISMA statement guided this review. After duplicates were removed, 4 489 records were identified. A final sample of six articles was selected as eligible for inclusion. Current findings show weak social support, high physical job demands, and type of LTC occupation as important determinants for early RI. Strong social support and good job resources are important determinants fore late RI. In contrast to earlier research on other groups of older workers, this review shows no statistically associations between health nor emotional job demands and early RI for LTC workers. The results are discussed using the JD-R theory.