Currently, I teach on the basic, advanced and research levels, on topics relating to work, stress and health but I am also, as one of the examiners of master theses, involved in courses on critical thinking, scientific writing and research ethics. Other teaching activities include being part of the steering committee of a research level course on research ethics. I have also taught at CHESS where I have been involved in launching a master's program in Population health: Societal and individual perspectives. More recently, I have been involved in developing a PhD program within the interdisciplinary area of work, stress, health and performance at Stockholm Stress Center, a FORTE center of excellence.

Over the years,  I have co-ordinated different research projects including a number of follow-up studies within the longitudinal IDA Research Program and together with Ulf Lundberg studied work conditions, work/life balance, stress and health in middle-aged women. Together with Ulf Lundberg and Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz I have been involved in the research project Work scheduling, stress and psychological well-being in municipal settings. Thanks to grants from AFA Insurance, this project was continued and included collaboration with Henna Hasson. AFA Insurance has also provided funds for other projects, including one where Magnus Sverke, Gunnar Aronsson and I, among others, investigated effects of organizational interventions focusing on healthy work practices. Over the past 10 years, I have been involved in research projects within the Stockholm Stress Center, a FORTE center of excellence, where I am part of the steering committee.

My current research focuses on working conditions, stress, health and well-being in academia in Sweden, stress and health in students in compulsory school and allostatic load and health in parents living in different socioeconomic areas, work/life balance, recovery from work, stress and health in working women and men which includes the 2011 follow-up of panel studies from 1991 and 2001. Other research includes positive psychological functioning in terms of happiness and well-being. More recent research projects focus on teaching and learning in higher education.

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

• Approaching retirement

  2022. Marta Sousa-Ribeiro (et al.). Journal of Aging Studies 60

  Article

  In many countries, eldercare workers are approaching retirement. To remain attractive to older and experienced workers, organizations need to understand how employees nearing retirement think about and experience theirwork situation. This qualitative study investigated how older nursing assistants within residential care for older people experienced aging at work, their psychosocial work environment, and their late-career planning. Semistructured interviews with eight nursing assistants (aged 55–61 years) in Sweden were analyzed using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach. The results show that the psychosocial work environment was perceived as stressful and considered a long-term health risk, and that (future) health and work ability were key factors determining nursing assistants' late-career planning. Moreover, personal resources and social support from colleagues seemed protective against job demands. Aspects considered in late-career planning also included personal finances and meaningfulness of work. While these findings may be sample-specific, they still provide insights into the experiences of an important occupational group. This means that the findings can be useful for organizations aiming at promoting successful and sustainable aging-in-workplace and encouraging extended working lives.

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• Compliance with recommendations limiting COVID-19 contagion among university students in Sweden

  2022. Anne H. Berman (et al.). Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 50 (1), 70-84

  Article

  Aims: The COVID-19 containment strategy in Sweden uses public health recommendations relying on personal responsibility for compliance. Universities were one of few public institutions subject to strict closure, meaning that students had to adapt overnight to online teaching. This study investigates the prevalence of self-reported recommendation compliance and associations with self-reported symptoms of contagion, self-experienced effects on mental health and academic self-efficacy among university students in Sweden in May–June 2020. Methods: This was a cross-sectional 23 question online survey in which data were analysed by multinomial regression, taking a Bayesian analysis approach complemented by null hypothesis testing. Results: A total of 4495 students consented to respond. Recommendation compliance ranged between 70% and 96%. Women and older students reported higher compliance than did men and younger students. Mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms were reported by 30%, severe symptoms by fewer than 2%; 15% reported being uncertain and half of the participants reported no symptoms. Mental health effects were reported by over 80%, and changes in academic self-efficacy were reported by over 85%; in both these areas negative effects predominated. Self-reported symptoms and uncertainty about contagion were associated with non-compliance, negative mental health effects, and impaired academic self-efficacy. Conclusions: Students generally followed public health recommendations during strict closure of universities, but many reported considerable negative consequences related to mental health and academic self-efficacy. Digital interventions should be developed and evaluated to boost coping skills, build resilience and alleviate student suffering during the pandemic and future similar crises.

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• Compliance with recommendations limiting COVID-19 contagion among university students in Sweden

  2022. Anne H. Berman (et al.). Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 50 (1), 70-84

  Article

  Aims: The COVID-19 containment strategy in Sweden uses public health recommendations relying on personal responsibility for compliance. Universities were one of few public institutions subject to strict closure, meaning that students had to adapt overnight to online teaching. This study investigates the prevalence of self-reported recommendation compliance and associations with self-reported symptoms of contagion, self-experienced effects on mental health and academic self-efficacy among university students in Sweden in May–June 2020.

  Methods: This was a cross-sectional 23 question online survey in which data were analysed by multinomial regression, taking a Bayesian analysis approach complemented by null hypothesis testing.

  Results: A total of 4495 students consented to respond. Recommendation compliance ranged between 70% and 96%. Women and older students reported higher compliance than did men and younger students. Mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms were reported by 30%, severe symptoms by fewer than 2%; 15% reported being uncertain and half of the participants reported no symptoms. Mental health effects were reported by over 80%, and changes in academic self-efficacy were reported by over 85%; in both these areas negative effects predominated. Self-reported symptoms and uncertainty about contagion were associated with non-compliance, negative mental health effects, and impaired academic self-efficacy.

  Conclusions: Students generally followed public health recommendations during strict closure of universities, but many reported considerable negative consequences related to mental health and academic self-efficacy. Digital interventions should be developed and evaluated to boost coping skills, build resilience and alleviate student suffering during the pandemic and future similar crises.

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• Experiences of physical activity and exercise among women with obstructive pulmonary disease

  2022. Marian E. Papp (et al.). Physiotherapy Theory and Practice

  Article

  Background: With more women being diagnosed with obstructive pulmonary disease, it is important to know how women experience non-pharmacological rehabilitation including different types of physical activity and exercise.

  Objective: This study aimed to explore how women with obstructive pulmonary disease experienced participating in pulmonary rehabilitation including yoga or strength- and endurance training to promote physical activity. A second aim included exploring experiences of physical activity and exercise through life.

  Methods: Fifteen women with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease were interviewed about their experiences of participating in an exercise intervention and about their experiences of physical activity and exercise in their lives. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using qualitative content analysis.

  Results: An overall theme, “Wishing to succeed in attending physical activity and exercise,” emerged. Three categories were identified: 1) strategies to overcome insecurity; 2) a life situation which enables and hinders; and 3) an inner drive and focus on myself.

  Conclusions: The women’s wishes to be physically activity and exercise involved hindering and enabling factors. Specifically, their gender roles as women were described as a hinder. This suggests a need to include a gender perspective when promoting physical activity and exercise to women with obstructive pulmonary disease.

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• Anställningsformer och anställningsotrygghet i ett föränderligt arbetsliv

  2021. Petra Lindfors, Claudia Bernhard-Oettel. Konferensbok FALF 14-16 juni 2021, 20-21

  Conference

  Bakgrund och syfte

  Även om arbetsmarknaden i Sverige fortfarande domineras av tillsvidareanställningar har många yrkesarbetande tidsbegränsade anställningskontrakt som varierar i längd och garanterad arbetstid. Senare års omstruktureringar visar också att tillsvidareanställningar kan upphöra. Sammantaget kan det här bidra till ökad osäkerhet och otrygghet oberoende av anställningskontrakt vilket i sin tur reser frågor om hur fackets roll, arbetsvillkor, arbetsrelaterade attityder, arbetsrelaterad hälsa och välbefinnande varierar bland kvinnor och män med olika anställningskontrakt och varierande upplevelser av anställningsotrygghet. Det här symposiet för samman fyra konferensbidrag som gemensamt syftar till att diskutera ochproblematisera 1) hur vi kan beskriva och undersöka anställningsformer ochanställningsotrygghet i dagens arbetsliv, 2) kopplingar mellan anställningsotrygghet ochprestation, 3) olika sätt att analysera kopplingar mellan anställningsotrygghet ochhälsorelaterade konsekvenser, och 4) fackets roll i det föränderliga arbetslivet.

  Upplägg

  Det här symposiet utgår från följande fyra konferensbidrag nämligen 1) Hur kan anställningsformer och anställningsotrygghet i dagens arbetsliv beskrivas och undersökas? Claudia Bernhard-Oettel

  2) Anställningsotrygghet och prestation: resultat från en meta-analys. Lena Låstad med medarbetare

  3) Variabler eller individer: kan individfokus ge profilerad kunskap? Petra Lindfors med medarbetare

  4) Vad vet vi om fackets roll i ett föränderligt arbetsliv? Johnny Hellgren med medarbetare

  Utöver att presentatörerna inom ramen för sina respektive presentationer bidrar med problematiserande diskussion kommer de som bevistar symposiet att ombes bidra med reflektioner, råd och framåtblickande inspel. Därmed är förhoppningen att det här interaktiva symposiet resulterar i att alla deltagare gemensamt bidrar till att identifiera olika typer av utmaningar och hinder inom området med fokus på trender och tendenser, praktiska tips och råd på såväl mikro- som makronivå inför den kommande 5-årsperioden. Det här upplägget hänger samman med att symposiet avser samla kunskap av relevans för insatser avseende framtidens arbetsliv med fokus på anställningsvillkor och otrygghet. Därmed är förhoppningen att symposiet utgör ett led i att på sikt kunna klargöra betydelsen av anställningsvillkor och otrygghet för kvinnor och män i olika skeden av livet, i olika yrken, branscher och sektorer för att på sikt kunna bidra till långsiktig hållbarhet i arbetslivet.

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• Associations between compliance with covid-19 public health recommendations and perceived contagion in others

  2021. Claes Andersson (et al.). BMC Research Notes 14 (1)

  Article

  Objective: During the COVID pandemic, government authorities worldwide have tried to limit the spread of the virus. Sweden's distinctive feature was the use of voluntary public health recommendations. Few studies have evaluated the effectiveness of this strategy. Based on data collected in the spring of 2020, this study explored associations between compliance with recommendations and observed symptoms of contagion in others, using self-report data from university students.

  Results: Compliance with recommendations ranged between 69.7 and 95.7 percent. Observations of moderate symptoms of contagion in Someone else I have had contact with and Another person were markedly associated with reported self-quarantine, which is the most restrictive recommendation, complied with by 81.2% of participants. Uncertainty regarding the incidence and severity of contagion in cohabitants was markedly associated with the recommendation to avoid public transportation, a recommendation being followed by 69.7%. It is concluded that students largely followed the voluntary recommendations implemented in Sweden, suggesting that coercive measures were not necessary. Compliance with recommendations were associated with the symptoms students saw in others, and with the perceived risk of contagion in the student's immediate vicinity. It is recommended that voluntary recommendations should stress personal relevance, and that close relatives are at risk.

  Read more about Associations between compliance with covid-19 public health recommendations and perceived contagion in others

• Does the management of personal integrity information lead to differing participation rates and response patterns in mental health surveys with young adults? A three-armed methodological experiment

  2021. Claes Andersson (et al.). International Journal of Methods in Psychiatric Research 30 (4)

  Article

  Objectives: This study evaluates whether initiation rates, completion rates, response patterns and prevalence of psychiatric conditions differ by level of personal integrity information given to prospective participants in an online mental health self-report survey.

  Methods: A three-arm, parallel-group, single-blind experiment was conducted among students from two Swedish universities. Consenting participants following e-mail invitation answered the World Health Organization (WHO) World Mental Health-International College Student (WMH-ICS) mental health self-report survey, screening for eight psychiatric conditions. Random allocation meant consenting to respond (1) anonymously; (2) confidentially, or (3) confidentially, where the respondent also gave consent for collection of register data.

  Results: No evidence was found for overall between-group differences with respect to (1) pressing a hyperlink to the survey in the invitation email; and (2) abandoning the questionnaire before completion. However, participation consent and self-reported depression were in the direction of higher levels for the anonymous group compared to the two confidential groups.

  Conclusions: Consent to participate is marginally affected by different levels of personal integrity information. Current standard participant information procedures may not engage participants to read the information thoroughly, and online self-report mental health surveys may reduce stigma and thus be less subject to social desirability bias.

  Read more about Does the management of personal integrity information lead to differing participation rates and response patterns in mental health surveys with young adults? A three-armed methodological experiment

• Exploring Lived Experiences of Parents of Youth and Youth with a Foreign Background in Sweden

  2021. Laura Ferrer-Wreder (et al.). Child and Youth Care Forum 50, 453-470

  Article

  Background: Sweden is in transition when it comes to the immigrant experience. More research is needed to document the life circumstances and adjustment of those with foreign background living in Sweden.

  Objective: This study investigated the lived experiences of parents of youths and young people themselves who have an Iraqi or Syrian background and are living in Sweden.

  Method: This cross-sectional qualitative interview study focused on a sample of parents of youth and youth (N = 26) with a foreign background. Participants were either born in Syria or Iraq or had one or both parents born in these countries and had migrated to Sweden. Participant interviews were analyzed using thematic analysis.

  Results: In relation to the study aim, the analysis indicated three main themes in participants’ responses which concerned life in Sweden, feeling at home, and coping.

  Conclusions: Overall, these themes reflected how the perception of everyday experiences relates to adjustment within a multi-cultural urban Swedish context. This study showed how participants with a foreign background are rich in their own diversity of experiences and viewpoints. Results also pointed towards the promise of social policy and services aimed at benefiting those with a foreign background if such efforts are situated in the microsystems that provide life daily structure, as well as in contexts that offer socialization and networking opportunities (e.g., training, education, work, and school). Further, such action should consider the importance of the extended family as part of family-focused initiatives.

  Read more about Exploring Lived Experiences of Parents of Youth and Youth with a Foreign Background in Sweden

• Fatigue, Stress, and Performance during Alternating Physical and Cognitive Tasks - Effects of the Temporal Pattern of Alternations

  2021. Susanna Mixter (et al.). Annals of Work Exposures and Health 65 (9), 1107-1122

  Article

  In occupational life, performing cognitive work tasks in between fatiguing physical work tasks may allow recovery and reduce stress without losing productive working time. The temporal pattern of such alternations is likely a determinant of the recovery effect, influencing both stress and fatigue; the difficulty of the cognitive task (CT) would also be a likely determinant. The aim of this study was to determine to what extent the temporal pattern of alternations between a repetitive physical task and a CT of different difficulties influenced perceived fatigability, performance fatigability, stress-related outcomes, and performance. Fifteen women performed four work sessions comprising 110 min of repeated bouts of a repetitive physical task (pipetting), alternating with a CT (n-back). Sessions differed in bout cycle time (short: 7 + 3 min versus long: 14 + 6 min) and CT difficulty (CTdiff; easy versus difficult). Fatigue was assessed from recordings of maximal voluntary contraction force in shoulder elevations and handgrip pre- and post-work, electromyography (EMG) from the right trapezius and right forearm extensors during work, and repeated self-ratings of fatigue and pain throughout the session. Stress was assessed using electrocardiography (heart rate variability), salivary alpha-amylase, and self-reports. Perceived fatigue increased significantly over time for all protocols and more in long-cycle than short-cycle conditions. EMG activity did not increase markedly over time in any condition. Neither objective nor subjective indicators suggested that stress increased over time, regardless of the temporal pattern. Pipetting performance remained stable in all conditions. Cognitive performance, measured by the proportions of correct positive and false positive answers, differed between CTdiff levels but remained stable over time, with no significant difference between temporal patterns. In summary, temporal patterns of alternating tasks influenced fatigue to some extent but had no obvious influence on stress indicators or performance. Thus, designing job rotation with alternating physical and cognitive work should consider the temporal patterns of alternations to minimize fatigue.

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• How do job insecurity profiles correspond to employee experiences of work-home interference, self-rated health, and psychological well-being?

  2021. Lena Låstad, Anna Sofia Tanimoto, Petra Lindfors. Journal of Occupational Health 63 (1)

  Article

  Objectives: Traditional variable-oriented research has shown that employee perceptions of job insecurity (JI) are associated with negative consequences, including more work-home interference, poorer health, and impaired well-being. Besides the negative consequences of high JI, particular combinations of JI perceptions may also be associated with different consequences. Taking a person-oriented approach, this study aimed to investigate (1) whether it is possible to distinguish different combinations of JI perceptions among working women and men and (2) whether such JI profiles involve different experiences of work-home interference, health, and well-being.

  Methods: Self-reports in questionnaires of JI, including both quantitative and qualitative threats of perceived job loss, work-home interference (WHI), health, and psychological well-being came from 1169 white-collar workers (52.4% women) in Sweden. Latent profile analysis was performed to identify JI profiles. Subsequent analyses included comparing profiles with respect to WHI, health, and well-being.

  Results: Four distinct JI profiles were identified: (1) Secure; quality-concerned, (2) Insecure: employment-concerned, (3) Insecure, and (4) Secure. Comparisons of cluster profiles showed significant differences in work-home interference (family-work conflict), self-rated health, and psychological well-being.

  Conclusions: Findings suggest that the Insecure profile may be most vulnerable to adverse consequences of perceived JI. Taken together, different JI profiles may be associated with differential experiences of work-home interference, health, and psychological well-being among working women and men.

  Read more about How do job insecurity profiles correspond to employee experiences of work-home interference, self-rated health, and psychological well-being?

• How leaders can help employees back to the office

  2021. Petra Lindfors. The Link (357), 34-34

  Article

  Returning to the office after having worked remotely from home during the pandemic may involve challenges. While some have been successful in working from home, others have had to overcome a number of challanges. Regardless of whether a post-pandemic working life will involve more flexibility or not, organisational leadership and management need to find ways to navigate through the potentially challenging process of going back to the office.

  Read more about How leaders can help employees back to the office

• National assessment and e-health interventions for mental health problems among university students

  2021. Anne H Berman (et al.). International journal of behavioral medicine : official journal of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine, S101-S101

  Conference

  Background: The life transition between late adolescence and emerg- ing adulthood is often troubled, with one in three university students showing symptoms of depression and anxiety. Help-seeking behavior is low due to emotional and practical barriers, generating a treatment gap. The purpose of this project is to map Swedish university stu- dents’ mental health problems and deliver e-health interventions to those at risk, thus reducing the treatment gap. The project is the first in a Swedish partnership with the WHO WMH-ICS 20-country international consortium.

  Methods: The project is organized in four work packages (WPs) over four years, beginning in 2020. An annual epidemiological survey targeting first-year students will map mental health problems and disor- ders, including suicidal thoughts and behaviors (WP1), and annual follow-up surveys will track participants’ developmental trajectories in terms of persisting problems and help-seeking behavior (WP2). Students identified as at-risk will be offered participation in a three-arm random- ized controlled trial (RCT), delivering guided or unguided transdiagnostic e-treatment, or treatment as usual in a control group (WP3). At 5-week follow-up, participants at higher risk of failing treatment according to a precision treatment algorithm will be randomized to personally adapted e- treatment or continued WP3 treatment in a secondary trial-within-trial (WP4). WP1 will begin in the spring of 2020 with a pilot survey at selected Swedish universities

  Results: We anticipate being able to present preliminary pilot survey results.Conclusions and implications: We envisage high potential for reducing mental health problems among Swedish university students, improving academic performance and reducing dropout.

  Read more about National assessment and e-health interventions for mental health problems among university students

• Political skill in higher military staff

  2021. Alicia Ohlsson (et al.). Scandinavian Journal of Psychology

  Article

  Social effectiveness, including political skill, reflects individuals' ways of handling interpersonal processes at work. Most research has used a variable-oriented approach to investigate associations between political skill and key organizational factors, including performance, in civil settings. Thus, little is known of whether political skill transfers to a military context and whether there are specific profiles of political skill. Combining variable-oriented and person-oriented approaches, this study used self-reports from two samples of military student officers to: (1) investigate measurement properties of the 18-item political skill inventory; (2) explore whether it is possible to identify different profiles of political skill; and (3) investigate whether such profiles differ in demographics, personality, and job performance. Exploratory (sample 1: n = 185) and confirmatory (sample 2: n = 183) factor analyses supported a four-dimensional representation of political skill including networking ability, apparent sincerity, social astuteness, and interpersonal influence. Latent profile analysis (samples 1 and 2: N = 368) identified four distinct combinations of these dimensions, namely: (1) weak political skill; (2) weak political skill with strong sincerity; (3) moderate political skill; and (4) strong political skill. Importantly, profiles differed consistently in networking ability. Subsequent comparisons suggested potentially important differences in demographics, personality, and job performance. Despite needing additional research of how profiles of political skill develop over time, these findings may have practical implications for recruitment and training in organizational settings where social effectiveness is important.

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• Variabler eller individer

  2021. Petra Lindfors, Anna Sofia Tanimoto, Lena Låstad. Konferensbok FALF 14-16 juni 2021., 87-87

  Conference

  Forskning har visat att upplevelser av anställningsotrygghet bland arbetstagare är förenade med negativa konsekvenser i form av exempelvis sämre hälsa och lägre välbefinnande. Merparten av den tidigare forskningen utgår från en så kallat variabel-orienterad ansats. Det betyder att fokus ligger på att undersöka samband, prediktorer och konsekvenser av anställningsotrygghet. Den här ansatsen medför vissa begränsningar i och med att den inte tar tillräcklig hänsyn till det faktum att samband kan se olika ut i olika grupper av individer. Det hänger samman med att olika grupper av individer kan uppfatta anställningsotrygghet på olika sätt. Sådana variationer kan i sin tur ha olika konsekvenser för hälsa och välbefinnande. Istället för en variabel-orienterad ansats kan en person-orienterad ansats användas för att beskriva variationer mellan olika grupper av individer. För att klargöra om en person orienterad ansats kan tillföra något behöver upplevelser i anställningsotrygghet undersökas utifrån en sådan ansats. Den här empiriska studien syftade till att 1) undersöka om det är möjligt att urskilja olika kombinationer av upplevd anställningsotrygghet bland yrkesarbetande kvinnor och män och 2) om olika sådana kombinationer är kopplade till olika upplevelser av hälsa och välbefinnande. Självrapporterad anställningsotrygghet, inkluderande såväl kvantitativa som kvalitativa aspekter, samt hälsa och välbefinnande samlades in genom enkäter som besvarades av ungefär 1300 yrkesarbetande kvinnor och män. Person-orienterade analyser genomfördes med utgångspunkt i kvantitativ respektive kvalitativ anställningsotrygghet. Ytterligare analyser inkluderade gruppjämförelser avseende hälsa och välbefinnande för att undersöka variationer kopplade till olika kombinationer av anställningsotrygghet.De person-orienterade analyserna visade att det är möjligt att särskilja grupper med olika kombinationer av anställningsotrygghet. Det går alltså att identifiera olika profiler. Dessa profiler förekommer i olika utsträckning. Vidare jämförelser visade också på variationer i hälsa och välbefinnande. Sammantaget visar resultaten alltså att en person-orienterad ansats kan tillföra värdefull kunskap om olika grupper av individer. Det kan vara viktigt för att förstå och kunna möta olika grupper i arbetslivet med profilerade insatser.

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• Do gender and socioeconomic status matter when combining work and family

  2020. Helena Falkenberg (et al.). Economic and Industrial Democracy 41 (1), 29-54

  Article

  Work and family are sources of both satisfaction and conflicting demands. A challenge is to identify individuals at risk for conflict and factors that potentially reduce conflict. This study investigated how gender and socioeconomic status (SES) were associated with work-family interference (WFI) and family-work interference (FWI) and how control at work and at home related to WFI and FWI. Data from 1991-1993 and 1997-1999 of the Whitehall II study of British civil servants, including 3484 (827 women and 2657 men) employees in three SES-levels, were analysed. Women reported a higher risk for WFI and FWI. High SES employees reported higher WFI. Less control at home increased risks for WFI and FWI as did low control at work but only for WFI. This suggests that high SES women are especially at risk for conflict and that aspects from the spheres of both work and home should be considered in further research and practice.

  Read more about Do gender and socioeconomic status matter when combining work and family

• Effects of hatha yoga on self-reported health outcomes in a randomized controlled trial of patients with obstructive pulmonary disorders

  2020. Marian E. Papp (et al.). Nordic Psychology 72 (1), 65-79

  Article

  Yoga is gaining popularity as an alternative treatment but knowledge of its effects remains limited, particularly among patients with chronic conditions. This randomized controlled pilot-study investigated immediate and long-term effects of a hatha yogic exercises (YE) program as compared to a conventional training program (CTP) on health-related outcomes including anxiety, depression, stress, sleep quality, insomnia, and subjective health complaints (SHC). Patients with obstructive pulmonary disorders (N = 36) were randomized into YE (n = 19) or CTP (n = 17). The YE included a newly developed 12-week program, adapted to the patient group, with two weekly classes delivered by experienced certified instructors. CTP training involved an individually tailored CTP. Questionnaire data were collected at baseline, at 12 weeks, and at a 6-month follow-up. ANOVAs comparing YE and CTP showed statistically significant interaction effects for anxiety and stress. In both groups, effects on anxiety were weak. Decreased stress was found in the CTP only. Separate analyses of each intervention showed consistently and increasing sleep quality in the YE-group between baseline and the 6-month follow-up, and decreasing SHC between baseline and the 12-week follow-up. For CTP, statistically significant effects emerged for both stress and SHC between baseline and the two follow-ups. Overall, comparisons showed more consistent effects of CTP, but for stress only. The findings suggest that YE and CTP effect different outcomes. This points at the importance of deciding which outcome to target when choosing between treatment alternatives.

  Read more about Effects of hatha yoga on self-reported health outcomes in a randomized controlled trial of patients with obstructive pulmonary disorders

• Organiserad psykosocial arbetsmiljö

  2020. Petra Lindfors, Helena Falkenberg, Magnus Sverke. Att synliggöra och motverka ojämställdhet i arbetslivet

  Chapter

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• Sickness absence and disability pension in relation to first childbirth and in nulliparous women according to occupational groups

  2020. Charlotte Björkenstam (et al.). BMC Public Health 20 (1)

  Article

  Background: Childbirth has been suggested to increase sickness absence (SA) and disability pension (DP). This may vary by occupation; however, knowledge in this field remains limited. We explored SA and DP in the years before and after childbirth among women in four occupational groups and those without occupation.

  Methods: We studied nulliparous women aged 18–39 years, living in Sweden on December 31, 2004 (n = 492,504). Women were categorized into five skill-level based occupational groups and three childbirth groups; no childbirths within 3 years (B0), first childbirth in 2005 with no childbirth within 3 years (B1), and first childbirth in 2005 with at least one more birth within 3 years (B1+). We compared crude and standardized annual mean SA (in spells> 14 days) and DP net days in the 3 years before and 3 years after first childbirth date.

  Results: Women in the highest skill level occupations and managers, had less mean SA/DP days during most study years than women in the lowest skill level occupations group. In B1 and B1+, absolute differences in mean SA/DP, particularly in SA, among occupational groups were highest during the year before childbirth. DP was most common in B0, regardless of group and year.

  Conclusions: We found that women’s mean SA/DP days before and after first childbirth was higher with decreasing skill-level of the occupational group and these differences were most pronounced in the year before childbirth. DP was most common among women not giving birth, regardless of occupational group.

  Read more about Sickness absence and disability pension in relation to first childbirth and in nulliparous women according to occupational groups

• Stress-Related Responses to Alternations between Repetitive Physical Work and Cognitive Tasks of Different Difficulties

  2020. Susanna Mixter (et al.). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 17 (22)

  Article

  Alternating between physical and cognitive tasks has been proposed as an alternative in job rotation, allowing workers to recover from the physical work while still being productive. However, effects of such alternations on stress have not been investigated. This controlled experiment aimed at determining the extent to which stress-related responses develop during alternating physical and cognitive work, and to determine the extent to which cognitive task (CT) difficulty influences these responses. Fifteen women performed three sessions of 10 consecutive work bouts each including a seven-minute repetitive physical task (pipetting) and a three-minute CT (n-back) at one of three difficulty levels. Stress was assessed in terms of changes in heart rate variability, blood pressure, salivary alpha-amylase, salivary cortisol, perceived stress, and cognitive performance. The work session did not result in any marked stress response, and CT difficulty did not significantly influence stress, apart from alpha-amylase being higher at the easiest CT (F = 5.34, p = 0.02). Thus, according to our results, alternating between repetitive physical tasks and cognitive tasks may be a feasible alternative to classic job rotation between physical tasks only, even if the cognitive task is quite difficult. Future studies should address possible effects of the temporal pattern of alternations, and combine even other occupationally relevant tasks, preferably for extended periods of time.

  Read more about Stress-Related Responses to Alternations between Repetitive Physical Work and Cognitive Tasks of Different Difficulties

Show all publications by Petra Lindfors at Stockholm University