The DISA method is a universal program developed for teenage girls to prevent depression. The program includes cognitive behavioral techniques are suppose to change negative pattern of thinking, give practice of communication, strategies of problem solution and exercises to strengthen the social network. The purpose of this study is to find out how a group of teenage boys were affected by the DISA program and what factors that may have impacted the outcome. Material from three different studies have been used, a quantitative study in terms of data from self-assessment form CES-D, materials from two semi-structured focus group interviews with the boys and material from a questionnaire filled out by the boys on two occasions during the DISA method. The result of the CES-D indicates that the boys had less depressive symptoms after the final group meeting compared to the first group meeting and also a year later. Analysis of the material from focus group interviews and questionnaire have been made from a communication theory and systems theory perspective and indicate a shift to greater cohesion in the group and demonstrates that communication between the boy-group and group leaders had importance for the outcome.

The purpose of this study was to find out how special needs users ' autonomy and influence in their daily routines is described by their assistants. What interpretations of the concepts of self-determination and influence on special needs users' daily routines emerge from the assistants statements and what conditions can be seen? To reach a conclusion, focus group as a method was used. The focus group met twice to discuss this topic. The diamond method was used as stimulus material to support the discussion in the focus group.

The aim of this qualitative study was to investigate the participants experiences of a parent support group and the effect of their participation on their parental role from a learning perspective. As the parent support group takes place as a group activity, the focus was on the individual learning processes which, in turn, are influenced by both the group itself as well as the leaders of the group. The empirical data was collected from a focus group interview with four mothers, and analyzed using empowerment and coping theories. Based on the participants´ narratives, the result showed that the parent support group had a great social and pedagogic effect on the participants. As a result of the received knowledge in the group from both leaders as well as from other participants, they felt less stressed and more confident in their parental role.

The Civil Engineering office in Skellefteå needs to develop the users' participation in the planning of parks and playgrounds. In order to get such a procedure to work one have to find a method that can work in the daily activity. My work aims to find such a method and to implement it in practice. Apart from helping the Parks departement to find an functional method I will also develop a deepened knowledge about users?participation wich can be very useful i my future profession. This work can be divided in three stages.

The purpose of this study is to identify how the needs, demands and preferences for a certain service appear among University students in Kalmar. This is necessary to examine in order to create and design a possible service that will solve the problem with the University students eating habits.This study is based on a qualitative method with quantitative elements. The qualitative method contains of three focus group discussions. The quantitative method contains of a questionnaire. All respondents in this study fits in the target group.One important conclusion that we have stated after the investigation of this study, is that the nature of this problem seems to differ from person to person.

AbstractTitle: The picture of Studenthälsan ? a focus group study of the image that students in Uppsala have of the organization and of how they look at the way the organization addresses them. Studenthälsans image - en fokusgruppundersökning omUppsalastudenternas bild av organisationen och dess sätt att tilltala demNumber of pages: 65 (73 including enclosures)Author: Sofie BackmanTutor: Göran SvenssonCourse: Media and Communication Studies CPeriod: Fall 2007University: Division of Media and Communication, Department of Information Science, Uppsala UniversityAim: The aim of this essay is to study the image that students in Uppsala have of Studenthälsan and its excersice department. This includes how the students perceive the organization?s way of communicating with them, both in terms of the marketing and their reception at the facilities, and what they would like to be different regarding this in the future.Method/Material: Together with literature studies, a qualitive method has been used and three focus group interviews with a total of 15 informants have been conducted.

BackgroundOur main goal in the clinic is to offer rehabilitation for individuals with hearing losses. The outcome of audiological rehabilitation shall be evaluated in line with the HSL (Swedish health law 2008:3). It is most important to evaluate the results of the audiological rehabilitation for the individual as well as to make sure to reach the goals of HSL.AimThe aim of this study was to try to investigate the audiologists? opinions end experiences how to evaluate audiological rehabilitation. The aim with the focus group interview was to collect increased knowledge regarding questions, answers and observations audiologists consider when evaluating audiological rehabilitation.

The main purpose with this MA thesis is to examine how visually impaired, disabled and people with dyslexia define service quality at the public library of Linköping. The method that has been used is focus group interviews. A focus group consists of four to eight people who are joined together, without knowing each other before, to discuss a certain subject. The aim is to get a wide spread of answers. A secondary purpose is to examine how this method works.

AbstractPurpose/Aim: My study aims to analyse, using Pierre Bourdieu´s theory, whether the social background plays a significant part in the attitudes and use of Apples mp3-player iPod. The study also aims to determine whether it is possible to group the focus groups used in my study and iPod into Bourdieu´s model.Material/Method: The reference material used in this paper is mainly gathered from books concerning Pierre Bourdieu´s theories. I have also had four focus groups of two different characters, to study their attitudes towards Apples mp3-player iPod. I have then applied the results of the focus groups to Bourdieu´s theories and models concerning habitus, social fields, capital and lifestyles, and studied whether there are any divergences in attitudes between the groups.Main results: My findings are that the focus groups as well as iPod can be put into Bourdieu´s model. According to the responses from the people in the focus groups, the attitude and usage of iPod do not mirror people?s social class or background, which goes against Bourdieu´s? theory.

Twice as many women as men suffer from mental ill-health. The negative trend of mental problems among teenagers continues. In certain places in Sweden, 40 per cent of the teenage girls have outspoken symptoms of depression. This is why it is important to observe mental ill-health in a public health perspective. One effect evaluation of the DISA method (Depression In Swedish Adolescents) drew the conclusion that this universal depression preventive method is well working. The DISA method includes cognitive behavioural techniques that change negative pattern of thinking, give practice of communication, strategies of problem solution plus exercises to strengthen the social network.

The aim with this independent degree project of master thesis is to find what the user opinions of the intranet in a county council is. The paper seeks how the question about how the culture in the organisation was affected by the use of the intranet. An important part is to explore the expectations and acceptance of the intranet and get a picture of which functions and services support day-to-day work with good quality. One goal is to find out how the intranet users feel that the communication, information and usability can be developed.The focus group interview is a qualitative method that has been applied for gathering data from the respondents, who participate in the investigation from the county council. The used method is unstructured focus groups containing the three dominating categories of staff in the county council.

Abstract P. Hed. (2011) What is health for men? Bachelor thesis. Gävle: University of Gävle, Faculty of health and occupational studies; 2011.

Purpose/Aim: This study is an analysis of the view on masculinity, male sexuality and creation of identity with the television series Queer as folk as a base. The analysis is partly based on a semiotic analysis of the representation of masculinity and male sexuality from an episode of the chosen television series Queer as folk, and partly based on a thematic analysis of focus group discussions with young men with different sexualities.Material/Method: This study is based on focus group interviews and a semiotic and thematic analysis. The focus groups consisted of three men in three different groups and were chosen on the criteria of gender and sexuality. All groups were presented with an episode of the television series Queer as folk to see how they perceived masculinity and male sexuality. Their discussions were analyzed with a thematic analysis and the television series Queer as folk with a semiotic analysis.Main results: The three analyzed characters in Queer as folk showed different representations of masculinity and male sexuality.

Purpose/Aim: The purpose of this essay is to analyze and discuss how MTV is affected by the development that takes place on the world?s media market. The aim is also to see how MTV?s target group?s image of the channel can give guidelines in how MTV should act in this new media era.Material/method: I have examined the development on the media market and then created a model consisting of relevant factors that could affect a TV-channel today. Those factors and the two factors image and profile are then applied on MTV.

Abstract P. Hed. (2011) What is health for men? Bachelor thesis. Gävle: University of Gävle, Faculty of health and occupational studies; 2011.