Burnout is a serious occupational hazard. This study investigated the possibility to develop an effective salutogenic group intervention among employees suffering from severe burnout symptoms. Participants consisted of employees aged 31 to 59 years working in different public service occupations, such as police officers, tax officers, (and other public service officers), and assigned to three different groups: analytic (N = 25), psychodramatic (N = 24) and controls (N = 28). The intervention comprised 16 separate days over a nine-month period. Changes in sense of coherence (SOC) were measured four times with the 13-item Orientation to Life Questionnaire during the intervention and at six-month follow-up, and analyzed by general linear model (GLM) and using Cohen's d to estimate effect sizes. Change in SOC between the three groups was statistically significant (F(4,148) = 2.65, p = 0.036). The psychodrama group showed a higher increase in SOC than the analytic group during the intervention, while the improvement in the analytic group was significant during the six-month follow-up. Total effect size from baseline to follow-up was in the analytic group 0.71, in the psychodrama group 0.47, and in the control group from baseline to end of intervention 0.09. The results show that it is possible to improve SOC by group intervention in the occupational healthcare context. The dialogue-based analytic method and action-based psychodramatic method differ in their specific effects.
To determine whether inhalant allergens could induce eczematous lesions we studied 17 patients with atopic eczema (with or without allergic rhinitis), 13 patients with allergic rhinitis without atopic eczema and 10 healthy control subjects. The allergens, birch pollen (Betula verrucosa) and house dust mite (Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus), were applied in aluminium chambers for 48 h on clinically normal skin. In 17 patients with atopic eczema, six epicutaneous test reactions of the delayed type to birch pollen and three to house dust mite were seen at 48 or 72 h. In 13 patients with allergic rhinitis without eczema there was one delayed reaction to birch pollen and none to house dust mite. No delayed type test reactions to either allergen were seen in the controls. Biopsies of the positive test sites revealed an eczematous reaction with epidermal spongiosis and microvesiculation. Immunostaining of cryostat sections showed dermal cell infiltrates consisting of mainly T lymphocytes (ratio of T4:T8, 2-6:I) and to a lesser degree Langerhans and indeterminate T6+ cells. 50-90% of the cells were Ia+. The numbers of basophils and mast cells did not exceed 10-15%.
Monoclonal antibodies (OKT 3,4,6,8 and OKIa) were used in conjunction with the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method to classify inflammatory cells in 6 biopsies of the middle ear mucosa in patients with secretory otitis media (SOM) and in 19 middle ear or mastoidal biopsies in patients with chronic otitis media (COM). Mononuclear cell infiltrates under the mucosal epithelium were found to consist mainly of T4 positive (helper-inducer) T-lymphocytes (50-60%). T8 positive (suppressor-cytotoxic) T-lymphocytes accounted for 20-30% of the cells. T4 positive cells were confined to the round cell infiltrates, whereas T8 positive cells were also located under the mucosal epithelium and seemed to penetrate it. There were no differences between SOM or COM with regard to the distribution or localization of T4 and T8 cells. T6 and Ia positive Langerhans cells were found in the ingrowing tympanic membrane squamous epithelium and in the cavity skin. The number and distribution of these T6 positive cells were similar to those observed in the skin. In the thick cholesteatoma epithelium these cells were somewhat unevenly distributed but were more numerous than in other sites studied. The results are indicative of a normal cell-mediated mucosal response to infection.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.