Browsing by Subject "uupumus"

There has been increasing research attention on wellbeing of students in higher education both in Finland and internationally. Because of its goal-oriented nature, higher education resembles working in many ways. Thus, research on students´ wellbeing has started utilizing concepts derived from occupational research. Burnout and study engagement are concepts that are being used in research on both lower educational levels and higher education. Burnout describes feelings of exhaustion, cynicism and inadequacy experienced when demands of studying exceed available resources. Engagement on the other hand means feeling vigorous, dedicated and absorbed in studying and arises when demands and resources are better balanced. The goal of this thesis was to increase understanding of social resources that can guard against the negative effects of demands and foster engagement in higher education. It investigated how social support, guidance and counselling from the educational institution and sense of belonging to studying related groups are related to burnout and engagement experienced by students. The data for this study was the Finnish Student Health Service´s Student Health Survey from 2016, which is a representative sample of students in universities and universities of applied sciences in Finland (N=3110). Burnout symptoms were measured using the SBI-9 measure and engagement using the Schoolwork Engagement Scale. The total scores on these two scales were analyzed together with social support, guidance and counselling and sense of belonging to studying related groups. Pearson´s correlation coefficients were obtained to reveal the bivariate associations of these variables followed by two hierarchical regression analyses on burnout and engagement individually. All of the social resources were included as predictors in these models and the stage of studies, gender and feeling of being in the right field of study were controlled for as background variables. The results supported both hypotheses and existing literature. It was found that those students who were able to talk about their matters with someone, had received guidance to their studies and felt like they belong to studying related groups had lower levels of burnout symptoms. Similarly, students with sufficient social resources were more engaged in their studies. The results indicate that social resources are an important factor in wellbeing of higher education students. Future research should continue to further study these resources using more accurate measures incorporating different types of social support or different groups in the educational context.

Objective: Both stress-related exhaustion and depression have previously been associated with a decline in cognitive performance, but there is a lack of evidence on whether these conditions have different associations with different cognitive domains and whether they have additive effects on cognitive performance. Furthermore, very little is known about the cognitive effects of chronic stress-related exhaustion. Consequently, the aims of this study were to 1) examine the associations between current stress-related exhaustion and cognitive performance, 2) investigate whether different developmental trajectories of stress-related exhaustion are differently associated with cognitive performance, 3) compare the association between stress-related exhaustion and cognitive performance to the relationship between depressive symptoms and cognitive performance, 4) examine if individuals with comorbid stress-related exhaustion and depression have lower cognitive performance than individuals with at most one of these conditions (i.e., whether clinical stress-related exhaustion and clinical depression might have additive effects on cognitive performance). Methods: The data used in the study was a Finnish population-based sample of six cohorts born between 1962 and 1977 from the Cardiovascular Risk in Young Finns Study. Stress-related exhaustion was assessed using the Maastricht Questionnaire, depressive symptoms with the Beck Depression Inventory, and cognitive performance with four subtests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, measuring visuospatial associative learning, reaction time, sustained attention, and executive functions. Cognitive performance and depressive symptoms were assessed in 2012, and stress-related exhaustion in 2001, 2007, and 2012. Participants were 35 to 50 years old in 2012. Linear associations between stress-related exhaustion and cognitive performance (N = 905) and depressive symptoms and cognitive performance (N = 904) were examined by conducting multivariate regression analyses. Age, sex, socioeconomic status, and parents’ socioeconomic status were controlled in the regression models. Additionally, multivariate analyses of variance were performed to investigate the different developmental trajectories of stress-related exhaustion and their relation to cognitive performance (N = 541) and the associations of comorbid stress-related exhaustion and depression with cognitive performance (N = 1273). Results and conclusion: The main finding was that high stress-related exhaustion is associated with slower reaction times, but not with performance in spatial working memory, visuospatial associative learning, or executive functions. Ongoing, chronic stress-related exhaustion was more strongly associated with slower reaction times than short-term exhaustion experienced years ago. Compared to depressive symptoms, high stress-related exhaustion was associated with slower reaction times also when subclinical cases were included, whereas only clinical levels of depressive symptoms had an association with slower reaction times. There were no differences in cognitive performance between individuals with only stress-related exhaustion or depression and those with comorbid stress-related exhaustion and depression, which supports the notion that these conditions do not have additive effects on cognitive performance. These findings add to the existing evidence of the cognitive effects of stress-related exhaustion in the general population and have several practical implications. Further research is needed on the topic, preferably with longitudinal designs, more comprehensive cognitive measures, and clinical assessment of the psychiatric symptoms.

The aim of this study was to investigate the connection between teachers' burn-out and professional development. In addition, the study aimed at clarifying teachers' conceptions of the significance of in-service training on work-related well-being. The theoretical starting points of the study were based on a model of burn-out (Kalimo & Toppinen1997) and a model of teachers' professional development (Niemi 1989). Present study can be seen as an independent follow-up study for a working ability project called "Uudistumisen eväät" that was followed through in Kuopio. The study was carried out in two phases. First, the connection between teachers' burn-out and professional development was charted with the help of a quantitative survey study. 131 teachers participated in the survey. Some of them were from schools that participated in the working ability project and the remainder were from other schools in Kuopio. The questionnaire consisted of self-constructed instruments of burn-out and professional development. According to the results, burn-out and professional development were strongly correlated with each other. Burn-out was summed up in three factors: emotional exhaustion, feelings of depersonalization and low feelings of personal accomplishment. Professional development was summed up in four factors: personality and pedagogical skills, learning-orientation, social skills and confronting change. Personality and pedagogical skills and skills of confronting change were correlated strongest with burn-out and its symptoms. A teacher, who has not found his/her own personal way of acting as a teacher and who considers change as something negative, is more likely to become exhausted than a teacher, who has developed his/her own pedagogical identity and who regards change more positively. In the second phase of this study, teachers' conceptions of the significance of in-service training on well-being was investigated with the help of group interviews (n=12). According to the results, the importance of in-service training was significant on the well-being of teachers. It appeared that in-service training promotes well-being by providing teachers with motivation, professional development and the possibility of taking a break from teaching and cooperating with other teachers. It has to be based on teachers' own needs. It has to be offered to teachers frequently and early enough. If teachers are already exhausted, they will neither have enough resources to participate in training, nor will they have the strength to make good use of it in practice. Both professional development and well-being are becoming more and more essential now that society is changing rapidly and the demands set on teachers are growing. Professional development can promote well-being, but are teachers too exhausted to develop themselves? Professional development demands resources and teachers may regard it as a threat and an additional strain. When the demands are so high that teachers cannot cope with them, they are likely to suffer stress and see reduction of commitment to their work and its development as a means to survive. If teachers stop caring about their work and their own development, how can we expect them to promote pupils' learning and development? It should be considered in the planning and implementation of in-service training and in arranging teachers' working conditions, that teachers have enough time and resources to develop themselves.

Tavoitteet: Uupumus on yksilön psyykkistä hyvinvointia ja terveyttä voimakkaasti muokkaava tila. Kirjallisuuskatsauksen tavoitteena oli selvittää, voiko kognitiivinen sulautuminen itsessään olla yhteydessä uupumusoireiluun. Kognitiivista sulautumista on tutkittu esimerkiksi yhtenä osana hyväksymis- ja omistautumisterapiaa. Se on kognitiivinen prosessi, joka tarkoittaa samaistuvaa suhtautumistapaan omia mielenesisäisiä ajatussisältöjä kohtaan. Tutkin tässä kirjallisuuskatsauksessa sitä, onko kognitiivisen sulautumisen yhteyttä uupumusoireilun tutkittu pelkän kognitiivisen sulautumisen näkökulmasta ilman muita siihen läheisesti liittyvistä psyykkisiä prosesseja. Menetelmät: Kirjallisuuskatsausta varten artikkelihaku suoritettiin Helsingin yliopiston Helka- portaalin tarkennetulla haulla hyödyntäen hakusanoja ”cognitive fusion” yhdistettynä hakusanoihin ”exhaustion” ja/tai ”burnout” sekä tarkastelemalla sitä kautta löytyneiden artikkelien lähdeluetteloista löytyvää kirjallisuutta. Tulokset ja johtopäätökset: Kirjallisuuskatsauksen perusteella vaikuttaa siltä, että kognitiivinen sulautuminen voi olla yhteydessä uupumiseen ja esimerkiksi tunne-elämään, energiatasoon ja toimintakykyä haastavaan stressiin. Lisäksi kognitiivinen sulautuminen vaikuttaa olevan transdiagnostinen riskitekijä monenlaiseen muuhun psykiatriseen oireiluun. Tutkimustietoa kognitiivisen sulautumisen ja uupumisoireilun yhteydestä, yhteyttä selittävistä tekijöistä, kausaliteetistä tai pelkkään kognitiiviseen defuusioon tähtäävistä interventioista uupumuksen hoidossa on kuitenkin vielä vähän, ja ilmiötä tulisi tutkia vielä lisää kattavamman ymmärryksen saavuttamiseksi.

Tiivistelmä - Referat - Abstract The aim of this thesis is to study high school students´ experiences with school dog activity, its effects on their well-being and burnout prevention. The focus of this study is the students' views of dog assisted pedagogy. The theoretical part of the thesis addresses both animal assisted and dog-assisted activity. The definition of well being and how it is emphasized in the national curriculum of Finnish high schools are also covered in this section. We end the theoretical part by defining the term burnout and why is it considered an essential part of this study. This study is a case study and the material used in this study was gathered from one high school. Via skype meeting, five high school students were interviewed about their experiences of school dog activity.The results were analyzed based on the theoretical frame of the study and also based on content oriented analysis. School dogs have a clear connection to students' well-being and their strengths during burnout. The school dog activity received positive feedback from all interviewed students. According to the interviewees, school dogs helped them cope with burnout. Burnout was said to include social, physical and mental aspects. The interviewed students told that school dogs gave them support when they found themselves on the verge of a burnout. Dogs had a calming effect on students during burnout and they also raised positive feelings among students. School dogs were seen as an essential part of students' well-being. Working with school dogs reduced anxiety and evoked feelings of pleasure. School dogs also helped the students meet new people and interact with each other. According to the students, dogs had a calming effect on them and they also reduced stress- and anxiety-related symptoms. School dogs were shown to have many beneficial roles. For example, dogs were seen as friends, listeners and also therapists. Having a school dog around during break was shown to evoke positive feelings in students. The attitudes towards school dog activity were also positive among students' families. The interviewed students saw many future opportunities for the school dog activity and gave a lot of ideas on how to expand it. All the students considered the school dog activity as a success in their school.

Det sociala arbetets art kan anses vara både utmanande och belastande. Det har forskats en hel del både i Finland och utomlands gällande hur socialarbetarna upplever sina arbetsförhållanden. Angående hur socialarbetarna ser på sin möjlighet att eventuellt förebygga utmattning i de rådande omständigheterna har inte stått inför forskning i så stor grad. I denna pro gradu- avhandling undersöker jag på vilket sätt socialarbetaren upplever samt utnyttjar sin möjlighet att förebygga arbetsutmattning. Jag granskar även på vilket sätt arbetsförhållandena beskrivs och upplevs samt huruvida socialarbetarens handlingsutrymme eventuellt inverkar på möjligheten att förebygga arbetsutmattning. Socialarbetarens handlingsutrymme står som teoretisk referensram. Handlingsutrymmet innefattar området mellan klientens behov och organisationens målsättning samt lagstadgade krav på vad yrkesrollen innefattar. Detta område förvaltar socialarbetaren självständigt till klientens fördel på basen av sin profession och kunskapsgrund. Handlingsutrymmet innebär faktorer som endera underlättar respektive begränsar utförandet av arbetet. Utrymmet kan således vara stort respektive litet. Materialinsamlingen skedde under åren 2012- 2013. Informanterna bestod av nio formellt behöriga socialarbetare i åldern 26-60. Personerna hade mellan 2-30 års arbetserfarenhet inom barnskyddet. Forskningsmaterialet består av sex socialarbetares öppna berättelser samt tre intervjuer med halvstrukturerade frågor. Mitt material består således av två olika stoff vilka jag analyserar med en tematisk innehållsanalys. Forskningsgreppet är kvalitativt. Enligt de centrala resultaten upplever socialarbetarna att arbetsbördan är möjlig att hantera via olika metoder. Handlingsutrymmet beskrivs som brett och det personliga ansvaret är stort, vilket socialarbetarna upplever som motiverande och viktigt. Individerna uppger sig söka stöd från arbetsparet och arbetsgemenskapen för att minska på belastningen. Denna metod upplevs som en av den mest centrala förebyggande faktorn för arbetsutmattning. Socialarbetarna uppger sig ständigt reflektera över det egna välbefinnande samt sträva till att upprätthålla en balans mellan de olika delområdena i livet. De försöker medvetet åtgärda en obalans ifall den tillfälligt rubbas av för stor belastning i arbetet eller i det privata livet. Att uppvisa flexibelt och positivt förhållningssätt inför arbetsmetoder och de övriga i arbetsgemenskapen är viktigt. Likaså nämns humorn som en viktig förebyggande faktor. Att utveckla sina arbetsmetoder angående prioritering och professionalitet beaktas ständigt för att klara av att bemästra arbetet och förebygga arbetsutmattning. Det kan konstateras att socialarbetarna gav en bild av att det är möjligt som socialarbetare inom barnskyddet att uppleva arbetet som meningsfullt. Likaså att arbetet är möjligt att hantera trots de ökade upplevelserna av för stor belastning inom socialarbetaryrket överlag. Det är även möjligt att påverka en hel del faktorer som förebygger utmattning på längre sikt både på det personliga planet och inom arbetsgemenskapen. Den egna attityden framstod även som betydelsefull och den kan åtminstone alla teoretiskt sätt själv påverka.

Maisterin tutkielma käsittelee uupumuksen yhteyttä oppimisen lähestymistapoihin ja opintomenestykseen. Tutkimus-kohteena ovat bio- ja ympäristötieteellisen tiedekunnan ensimmäisen vuoden opiskelijat vuonna 2018. Tutkimuksen tarkoituksena on hahmottaa uupumuksen, opintomenestyksen ja oppimisen lähestymistapojen välisiä yhteyksiä, sekä muodostaa uupumusprofiileita joiden avulla havaitaan minkälaisia opiskelijoiden joukkoja tiedekunnassamme on. Aineisto on kerätty HowULearn palautejärjestelmän avulla ja tilastolliset testit on tehty SPSS ohjelmalla. Tutkimuksen tuloksena suunnitelmallisella opiskelulla on yhteys hyvään opintomenestykseen, mutta syväsuuntautuneel-la oppimisen lähestymistavalla ei ollut merkitsevää yhteyttä parempaan opintomenestykseen. Pintasuuntautunut op-pimisen lähestymistapa on yhteydessä uupuneisuuteen. Uupumusprofiilit (jotka on toteutettu ANOVA: lla) jakavat vastaajat neljään eri ryhmään. Uupumusprofiilit ovat aiemman tutkimuksen kanssa samankaltaisia, mutta uupuneisuus on bio- ja ympäristötieteellisessä tiedekunnassa yleisempää muihin oppilaitoksiin verrattuna. Uupumusprofiilit eroavat merkitsevästi toisistaan oppimisen lähestymistapojen suhteen. Oppimisympäristö liittyy uupuneisuuteen, sekä oppimisen lähestymistapoihin. Yliopistot, lukiot ja peruskoulut voivat pyrkiä lisäämään opiskelijoiden hyvinvointia suuntaamalla oppimisen lähestymistapoja kohti suunnitelmallisempaa ja syvällisempää oppimista. Pedagogista tutkimusta oppimisen lähestymistapoihin vaikuttamisesta tulisi kuitenkin ensin tehdä enemmän, jotta syy-seuraussuhteet ymmärretään paremmin.

Tiivistelmä - Referat - Abstract Mental problems are an increasing challenge among university students. Research and development of interventions that aim to enhance well-being is important, because challenges in students' well-being easily effect the study progress and success. Mental problems and symptoms can also follow into working life, so the prevention of challenges is also important in the light of the students' later ability to work and be well. Psychological flexibility has been found to promote well-being in many ways. Several intervention studies have confirmed that psychological flexibility can also be promoted by using acceptance and commitment therapy’s (ACT) methods. The purpose of the study was to determine the effects of an internet-based intervention on university students’ well-being and study skills. The aim of the intervention was to enhance student’s psychological flexibility and organised studying skills. The research questions were: How are psychological flexibility, well-being, experienced stress, study-related burnout and organised studying skills related to each other, what kind of effects does the intervention have on the above-mentioned scales and how is the burnout risk divided before and after intervention. 74 university students participated in an intervention study conducted with an experimental control setting. Students’ psychological flexibility, well-being, experiences of stress, study-related burnout and organised studying were measured with questionnaires. The data of this study consist of the questionnaires conducted at the beginning and end of the intervention. Connections between the variables were observed by correlations and the change by repeated measures t-test, repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA), and frequency table. The results showed that students’ psychological flexibility, well-being, and organised learning skills increased as perceived stress and study-related burnout decreased. The effects of the intervention suggest that the well-being of university students can be supported by online intervention course combining ACT practices and study skills. More research is needed on the individual-level changes and the long-term effects of the intervention on well-being and study-related burnout.

Objective of the study. Dissertation researchers work on their dissertations, while simultaneously completing the studies required for their doctoral degree at the university. Previous research has shown that dissertation researchers often experience stress and exhaustion during their doctoral studies. In the light of previous research, some is already known about the well-being of dissertation researchers, but the link between burnout and social support has not been studied much. The aim of this study was to investigate the prevalence of burnout symptoms and stress, as well as the experienced social support from the supervisor and the scientific community within dissertation researchers at the University of Helsinki. As a follow-up question, it was examined whether a) part-time and full-time dissertation researchers, b) dissertation researchers within different fields of study, and c) dissertation researchers working in a group or alone differ in terms of perceived burnout and social support. Third, the relation between social support received from the supervisor and the scientific community, and the experience of exhaustion, cynicism and stress was studied. Methods. The material of the study was collected from all dissertation researchers at the University of Helsinki in the spring of 2021, using an electronic form. The material comprises the answers of 768 dissertation researchers. The incidence of burnout symptoms, stress, and social support received from the supervisor and the scientific community was examined based on the mean, deviation, kurtosis and skewness, the Cronbach´s alphas, and the results of the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test of the formed sum variables. Further, the Mann-Whitney U-test was used to determine whether part-time and full-time dissertation researchers, as well as dissertation researchers working alone or in a group differ in terms of perceived burnout symptoms, stress, and/or social support from the supervisor and the scientific community. Variance analysis was used to investigate the experiences of dissertation researchers within different doctoral schools. The relationship between burnout, stress, and social support was examined using Spearman's correlation coefficient, and further linear regression analysis. Results and conclusions. According to the results, the dissertation researchers at the University of Helsinki are somewhat burdened with their work. Full-time workers report, on average, more exhaustion and stress compared with part-time workers. The Doctoral schools differ in support provided by the scientific community. Dissertation researchers working at least partly in a group reportedly obtain more social support compared with researchers working alone. Support from the supervisor and the scientific community would appear to be able to reduce the stress experienced, as well as the symptoms of burn-out; exhaustion and cynicism.

During the last years there have been concerns about farmers’ well-being at work. These concerns are caused by the weak profitability and mental load of farming and they are justified because farmers’ well-being at work and ability to work has been found to be weaker than in the other occupational groups. The farm work might sometimes be lonely, and farmers might not see their signs of exhaustion. In this case it could be helpful if organizations working in agriculture could notice the situation and advice farmers where they could get help. This kind of early support is one good way to assist farmers’ well-being at work. This study was conducted for the Farmers’ Social Insurance Institution Mela in the Support the Farmer Project to help to develop an early support model. The project’s objective is to help farmers instantly and to offer early support. The underlying goal of the project is to aggregate different organizations to implement an early support model. This organization form is called Support the Farmer Organization Network. The aim of this study was to examine how to make this Organization Network functional. The study investigated visions related to the network and social support by eight organizations working in agriculture in Central Finland. The research data was collected in theme interviews and a web survey. After the interviews had been recorded and transcribed, the whole research data was analysed by using thematizing and typecasting. The theoretical framework for this study was social network theory and the research theme was approached from a network management perspective. Based on this research, the farmers’ situation raises concern and early support is considered important. Participation in the Organization Network was considered positively however, early support should not be too time consuming. To work the Support the Farmer Organization Network requires a coordinator who should activate the regional organizations to implement early support. In order for the regional organizations to commit themselves to early support, the organizations’ contact persons should participate in the networks’ events. Based on the results, the Support the Farmer Organization Network seems to have good possibilities to be functional.