Læknablaðið : fylgirit - 01.08.2003, Page 46

I ABSTRACTS / 27TH NORDIC PSYCHIATRIC CONGRESS
the work is the prevention of children’s disorders and it includes
implementing the Beardslee Preventive Family Intervention.
Although parental mental illness is a risk for children, not all
children succumb to psychopathology. These resilient children are
known to have an understanding of their parents' problems and to
have abilities to keep up with their own social relationships and
activities outside the family. The Preventive Family Intervention
developed by Prof. Beardslee in the US is designed to foster these
protective qualities in children and in their families. The interven-
tion includes separate sessions with parents and children and a joint
family meeting (approximately 6-8 sessions). The Family Interven-
tion has been studied in a randomized design with good results in
American families.
S - XX /1 Saturday 16/8,11:00-12:30
Psychosocial work environment - changes during the last
decade?
Odd StefTen Dalgard, Professor, University of Oslo, PO Box 1130, Blindern, 0318 Oslo,
Norway
o.s. dalgard@samfunnsmed. uio.no
Objective: To investigate if there has been any change in how
people perceive their psychosocial work environment during the
last 10 years, and if there has been any change in factors related to
mental health.
Methods: Compare data from the first and second Oslo/Lofoten
survey with respect to psychosocial work environment and mental
health. Mental health is measured by Hopkins Symptom Checklist
25 items. Psychosocial work environment is measured by: Need for
concentration, tempo, self-direction, challenge at work, balance
between effort and reward, possibility to change work.
Kcsults: Tlie first Oslo/Lofoten survey shows that the most im-
portant psychosocial factors related to mental health are: Need for
concentration, difficulties with work changes, lack of self-direction
and lack of challenge at work. Each of these factors is indepen-
dently associated with mental health problems when controlling for
age, sex and level of education. The results from the second Oslo/
Lofoten survey will be reported and compared with the results from
the first survey.
S-XX/2 Saturday 16/8,11:00-12:30
Effect of social support on mental health in a longitudinal
perspective
Tom Sorcnscn. Ullevaal Hospital, 0407 Oslo. Inger Sandanger MD Ph.D., Jan Nygárd,
Odd Steffen Dalgard MD, PhD.
lom.sorensen@psykiatri.uio.no
Background: The buffering effect of social support, with regard to
mental health problems, is seen in some, but not all studies. How
social support is defined, how mental health is measured, and
characteristics of the population influence the results.
Aims: We will here study in which part of the general population,
stratified according to their previous mental health, the buffering
effect is the case in presence of stress.
Method: A cohort from 1990 (N=2015) was re-interviewed in 2001-
02 wilh the same instruments. Social support was measured as the
subjective experience of getting support if needed, with four items
relating to Cobb’s (1976) definition. Mental health was measured as
the last week symptoms of distress (HSCL-25). Stress was
measured as life-events, both last year and in the total observation
period (10 year). The population is stratified into those with high
and those with no (low) symptoms at Tl.
Results: The modification of social support on the relationship
between symptoms at T2 and life events is presented. Both the
social support reported at T1 and at T2 will be used.
S-XX/3 Saturday 16/8,11:00-12:30
The effects of migration on mental health
Robert Kleiner, Professor Emeritus, PhD, Department of Sociology, Temple University,
700 Elkins Avenue, Elkins Park, PA 19027, USA. Tom S0rensen MD PhD, Inger
Sandanger MD PhD, Jan Nygárd, Odd Steffen Dalgard, MD PhD.
RKlei26436@aol. com
Background: The effects of migration on mental health are complex
and vary with the context of the migration process.
Aims: We wili here look at change in mental health, measured as
the subjective experience of well-being, for people who in a ten-
year period have either had a stable domicile or rnoved.
Method: A cohort from 1990 (N=2015) is re-interviewed in 2001-02.
The cohort originated from one rural and one urban site. At T2 we
will have four groups; a) stable rural (N=494), b) out-migrated from
rural (N=156), c) stable urban (308), and d) out-migrated from
urban (N=156). The influence of place of upbringing, rural or
urban, and earlier migration experience (before Tl) will also be
taken into account.
Kcsults: Mental health problems in groups of stability and change
of domicile will be given.
S - XX / 4 Saturday 16/8, 11:00-12:30
Changes in help-seeking for mental health problems
during the last decade
Plutou WS, Institute Group of Psychiatry, University of Oslo. S0rensen T, Sandanger I.
wplatou@online.no
Background: Only a small percentage of people with mental health
problems ever receive formal treatment, and specialized mental
health professionals treat even fewer. The health services have
experienced a gross increase of demands for services for mental
health problems during later years.
Aims: Have there been changes in prospective professional help-
seeking for mental health problems; is the expectation for help
increased? If faced with future mental health problems, to whom
would people turn for help during the period 1990 to 2001?
Method: The study has analysed two sets of data based on the same
questionnaire presented to a cohort of randomly chosen individual
Norwegians (n=2015) in 1990 and 2001. Expected assistance for
mental health problems was studied with regard to rnental health,
social support and the urban/rural dimension.
46 LÆKNABLAÐIÐ / FYLGIRIT 48 2003/89