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Although adolescence is characterized by increasing individuation, parental support represents an important resource especially in early adolescence. This multi-informant study examined the role of parental self-efficacy in providing emotional and instrumental support when early adolescents partially learned from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a resources model of coping, we examined effects of parental self-efficacy on early adolescents' reports of self-regulated learning (SRL), learning self-efficacy, and positive emotions, mediated via early adolescents' problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Assumptions were tested among 263 Austrian parent-child dyads. While the mediation assumption was rejected, we identified positive associations between emotional support and SRL, and between problem-focused coping and SRL, learning self-efficacy, and positive emotions. Instrumental support negatively related to SRL, suggesting benefits of emotional over instrumental support.

In the wake of COVID-19, university students have experienced fundamental changes of their learning and their lives as a whole. The present research identifies psychological characteristics associated with students' well-being in this situation. We investigated relations of basic psychological need satisfaction (experienced competence, autonomy, and relatedness) with positive emotion and intrinsic learning motivation, considering self-regulated learning as a moderator. Self-reports were collected from 6,071 students in Austria (Study 1) and 1,653 students in Finland (Study 2). Structural equation modeling revealed competence as the strongest predictor for positive emotion. Intrinsic learning motivation was predicted by competence and autonomy in both countries and by relatedness in Finland. Moderation effects of self-regulated learning were inconsistent, but main effects on intrinsic learning motivation were identified. Surprisingly, relatedness exerted only a minor effect on positive emotion. The results inform strategies to promote students' well-being through distance learning, mitigating the negative effects of the situation.

Background: Diabetes self-management education (DSME) is generally considered to be a key determinant of the treatment outcomes and related costs of diabetes mellitus. While DSME programmes generally have positive outcomes, their effects may depend on certain factors, such as the type of programmes provided and patients' level of health literacy (HL). Low HL has been associated with poorer self-management behaviours and poor medication adherence in diabetic patients, but its impact on the effects of DSME has not yet been systematically investigated. This study aimed to investigate the influence of HL on the self-reported effects of DSME programmes while taking the type of programme into consideration. Method: A total of 366 diabetic patients from nine countries completed a questionnaire measuring HL, self-management behaviours, problem perception, coping, perceived general health and well-being, before and after participating in a DSME programme. Results: DSME programmes were found to have positive effects on self-reported self-management behaviours and almost all psychological and health outcomes, regardless of HL level. Patients with high HL scored better on several diabetes outcomes than those with low HL, but all patients described benefiting from DSME. Individual and group-based programmes resulted in more positive effects on several diabetes outcomes than self-help groups, but no interaction with HL was found. Conclusion: Our findings confirm those of previous studies showing that DSME programmes have positive effects and that low HL is associated with lower diabetes outcomes but do not support the assumption that the effects of DSME programmes are influenced by the patient's HL. However, due to the limitations of this study, further investigation is necessary to support these findings and improve our understanding about the impact of HL on DSME programmes' effectiveness.

Although adolescence is characterized by increasing individuation, parental support represents an important resource especially in early adolescence. This multi-informant study examined the role of parental self-efficacy in providing emotional and instrumental support when early adolescents partially learned from home during the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a resources model of coping, we examined effects of parental self-efficacy on early adolescents' reports of self-regulated learning (SRL), learning self-efficacy, and positive emotions, mediated via early adolescents' problem-focused and emotion-focused coping. Assumptions were tested among 263 Austrian parent-child dyads. While the mediation assumption was rejected, we identified positive associations between emotional support and SRL, and between problem-focused coping and SRL, learning self-efficacy, and positive emotions. Instrumental support negatively related to SRL, suggesting benefits of emotional over instrumental support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the victim-offender-mediation (VOM) in cases of partnership violence in Austria. It says that the effectiveness of VOM is due to the empowerment of the women victims and the inner change to follow insight by the male perpetrators. It tells that the achievement is part of a comprehensive societal change in which there is a change of expectations on the use of violence in intimate partnership. It mentions that VOM intervention induces the men to move towards the insight that he is acting violently and has hurt his partner. It notes the major changes of VOM which include the empowerment of women and men change.

Virtualising existing "real" organizations and developing new "virtual organizations" is a growing issue in modern organizational theory, reflecting phenomena like outsourcing, the development of lean organizations, network-organizations, the deconstruction of large enterprises etc. The article asserts that these phenomena are not restricted to the business sector, but can be observed also in the health care services. On the basis of an analysis of four central characteristics of the modern acute hospital (comprehensiveness of services, continuity of professional care, integration of service provision and quality assurance), reconstructing current trends in the "virtualization" of hospital services are analyzed. A typology is developed and applied to international examples; trends are analyzed which are pushing towards virtualisation of real hospitals and the development of organizational structures which are simulating the real hospital in homecare settings. The theoretical approach is complemented by a case study of a Vienna based model project, providing integrated, "holistic" homecare, developed by the Vienna Red Cross as innovative homecare provider. The model developed provides comprehensive, continuous, integrated services with quality assurance by combining strategies of building network organizations and internal organizational development. First experiences demonstrate that this type of a "virtual hospital" is feasible and seems to provide acceptable quality even in a healthcare environment not (yet) encouraging the provision of complex services in out-patient settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents results of research into authority and force within a specialized Austrian psychiatric facility. Psychiatry is said to have an ambivalent double character in its role as an institution of repression and care. The expressions of force, authority, and repression in psychiatric practice are exemplified. Brief patient case histories are presented.

The article discusses an experiment conducted by the Ludwig Boltzmann Instituter for Medical Sociology and underwritten by the Austrian National Bank to provide improved surgical patient-oriented care. The focus was on greater attending to patient psychological needs and wishes while containing costs. Program elements included stronger doctor-patient communication and pre-operative physiotherapeutic care. The measures produced better healing rates and outcomes.

The article discusses a research project conducted on the career prospects and life circumstances of graduates from special needs schools in Austria. The research focused on factors such as the social class of learning disabled individuals as well as factors such as gender and regional disparities that influence job prospects.

Self-management education (SME) is a key determinant of diabetes treatment outcomes. While SME programs are often adapted for implementation, the impact of adaptations on diabetes SME effectiveness is not well documented. This study evaluated the impact of the implementation fidelity of diabetes SME programs on program effectiveness, exploring which factors influence implementation fidelity. Data from 33 type 2 diabetes SME program providers and 166 patients were collected in 8 countries (Austria, Belgium, Germany, Ireland, UK, Israel, Taiwan and USA). Program providers completed a questionnaire assessing their adherence to the program protocol and factors that influenced the implementation. Patients answered a pre-post questionnaire assessing their diabetes-related health literacy, self-care behavior, general health and well-being. Associations between implementation fidelity and outcomes were estimated through logistic regressions and repeated measures MANOVA, controlling for potential confounders. Adaptations of the program protocol regarding content, duration, frequency and/or coverage were reported by 39% of the providers and were associated with better, not worse, outcomes than strict adherence. None of the factors related to the participants, facilitating strategies, provider or context systematically influenced the implementation fidelity. Future research should focus on individual and contextual factors that may influence decisions to adapt SME programs for diabetes.

This report provides an overview of Austria's approaches to improve population health literacy (HL). The report suggests: a) research can trigger health policy responses to improve HL; b) linking HL improvement to other reform agendas can boost effectiveness, and c) coordination is required for continuously and systematically working towards better HL. Examples of strategic thematic approaches and interventions - especially in the fields of communication in healthcare, health information products, and organizational HL responsiveness - are provided, and Austria's role in preparing the next European HL survey, HLS19, is briefly described.

Objective: A case study at the department for heart surgery of an Austrian University Hospital in 2001, examined the outcome of improved communication aimed at empowering patients to be more effective co-producers of recuperation after surgery., Methods: Evaluated were the effects of a training program for developing communication skills of health professionals (physicians, physiotherapists, and nurses) along with a reorganization of patient information schemes. The clinical outcomes after four types of surgery (bypass, stent, artificial valve insertion and combination of these) were observed in 100 patients without (control group) and 99 with the intervention administered (intervention group). Two objective and two subjective health outcome parameters were selected for analysis: care level adjusted length of stay in hospital, frequency of post-surgery complications, subjective health, subjective satisfaction with care received. Self-administered breathing exercises were measured as an intermediary outcome parameter., Results: In the intervention group length of hospital stay was shorter (by 1 day), incidence of post-surgery tachyarrhythmia was reduced (by 15%), transfer to less intensive care levels was faster and patient ratings for communicative quality of care by doctors and nurses were improved., Conclusion: Professional communication aimed at empowering patients to act as co producers can indeed have an effect on clinical outcome., Practice Implications: Staff training and reorganization of communication schemes can be an effective intervention in hospital care.