The First Conference on Work Psycho-sociology for the prevention of psychosocial risks at work took place in Bilbao on 28th-29 October The Conference was organized by OSALAN (Basque Institute for Health and Safety at work). The aim was to study and help in the prevention of those risks that are in many cases difficult to detect and to evaluate. According to OSALAN, the burn out symptom, the violence, including physical and psychological violence, in many cases deriving from the relationships with the boss, work colleagues and clients are the most common ones, especially in the services sector. This conference was the first initiative, for sharing information among companies to prevent those heath risks among workers.
Source: El Correo, Monday 25/10/2010
Seven of ten carers of people with Alzheimer suffer depression, anxiety and stress. 70% of caregivers of Alzheimer's patients suffer depression, anxiety and stress, but only 31% ask for some help for themselves. This is one of the main conclusions of the most important survey of Europe in this field, conducted by the Alzheimer's Foundation- Spain between 1,200 caregivers of patients with this disease. On the other hand, very few caregivers turn to regular consumption of antidepressants or anxiolytics to address the anxiety of the situation and, as mentioned, only 31% have asked for medical help for themselves.
Source: Fuente: Sara Carreira. La Voz de Galicia.
CarEIn: Emotional Intelligence in health and social sector Project partnership has developed an “Analysis for the specific needs of the assistants in the health and social sector.
This document is the final outcome of work package 2: an analysis of the situation in each partner country with regards to health and care sector with a specific focus on the specific needs of the workers.
In this report you can find the applied methodology, each national report and a general conclusion. It is available in English on the “Download” section of this web.
More information: KJOsmond@aol.com or proyectos@abdem.es
A report warns that the system "gender inequality exists, and that 83% of caregivers are women
Madrid, February 26, 2010 (EP)
Some 85 percent of caregivers suffers from burned caregiver syndrome, "which involves a series of negative consequences among which physical health problems, mental and disruption of social life and work, as shown in volume 28 Social Studies Collection of the Foundation La Caixa 'Caring for People: A Challenge for the XXI Century. "
During the presentation of this study, the authors have highlighted the need for a range of support programs that "are being sued and need" to address "the effects and the negative consequences of care." "There are also positive consequences but they are the vast minority."
Some of these negative consequences that impact on are: health effects, among them stress, sleep disturbance or increased drug consumption, the socio-economic consequences that affect the growth of household expenditure or loss of female employment, psychological and psychosocial problems, which include anxiety, depression or lack of freedom, and family relationships and effects, which cause marital conflict and decreased social life of the caregiver.
The study's director, Constance Tobias, said the shortcomings of the dependency system moving towards "a model that looks to the future and maintains gender inequality." In this regard, said the study shows that it is women who bear the weight of the unit in Spain.
The woman is bearing the burden of dependency
Thus, the profile of caregivers of dependent people in Spain is a woman (in 83 percent of cases), married, with primary education, no gainful occupation, and 40 percent of cases, the affected daughter. In addition, 77.2 percent of the cases make a permanent care.
The incorporation of women into the workforce and the large increase in life expectancy are the two main factors highlighted by the study and compelling, according to this, to demand "a new model of care that exceeds the traditional role of family and basically, women as workers. " This requires, according to Tobias, "enabling infrastructure and professional support services, which are currently deficient.
The figures indicate that rates of service coverage at home or residential care do not reach the 5 per cent and only day center is located at 0.8 percent. A lack of resources for care is added to traditional family care trend that causes "economic aid Unit Law for families involving 51 percent of benefits" when those cases "should be an exception If the utility network to not enough. "
In conclusion, the study shows, as the authors explained, "the slow passing of the implementation of policies to move from a traditional care model to a new model in which the State assumes an important role in provision of care and these are performed by professional actors. "
It also regretted that this step is not being conducted with all the necessary resources and criticized "the unequal distribution of resources between different areas, lack of coordination between communities on social policies, the absence of a coordinated network of services and difficulties reconciling work and family. "
The first transnational meeting of "CarEIn: Emotional Intelligence in the social health care" project was held on 4 and March 5, 2010 in Bologna (Italy)
This European project, lead by ABDEM is a Transfer of Innovation project of Leonardo da Vinci sectoral program, approved in 2009 by the European Commission (DG Education and Culture), with a duration of two years, beginning in October 2009.
The project envisages that Carein’s main objective is to develop a learning environment based on Web 2.0, which will help workers to acquire skills in socio-emotional intelligence to improve the quality of their daily activities and, consequently, improve the quality of life of users and beneficiaries of the health care sector.
During the meeting, the partners had the opportunity to bring together the research work performed during the first months of the project life on the specific needs of the workers; this report will provide the basis for developing training content.
The next meeting will be held in Denmark during October 2010.
Malaga University’s psychologists create a method for improving emotional intelligence of adolescents • investigating the relationship between violence and emotional skills
25.11.2010
Emotional intelligence is like another language: we all have the tools to talk, you only need to learn. The research team from the Faculty of Psychology led by Professor Pablo Fernández Berrocal investigates techniques for emotional intelligence training with more than 2,000 students between 12 and 16 years old from institutes of four Andalusian provinces.
A team of a dozen experts believe that just as the muscles of the individual evolve according to the type of exercise you do, the ability to identify, understand and manage emotions also grows and improves with training
Source: malagahoy.es
SCHOOL OF GOOD LUCK
I have been impressed by the conclusions made by Richard Wiseman, a psychologist who has spent years studying the phenomenon of luck. For him it was an urgent priority to study whether luck could play a part in life. Firstly, he found that even if people pass by black cats in the street, break mirrors or walk under ladders, their fate will not be better or worse than the fate of others.
But if luck is not superstition ... do you want to scratch beneath the surface and see if you can improve it? In order to test his ideas, Wiseman recruited a group of 400 people with different ages and professional backgrounds. He divided them into groups taking in account their work and achievements: the lucky ones and the ill-fated ones. In which group do you place yourself intuitively? If you are not sure, watch what is coming, because it is revealing. During ten years, lucky and ill-fated people wrote diaries, completed questionnaires and performed tests of intelligence. In the end, it became clear that their behavior and their thoughts were the cause of their luck.
For example, during one of the experiments conducted developed within this research, both groups received a newspaper and were asked to count the number of photos in it. The lucky group needed just a few seconds to do it and the ill-fated group needed about 2 minutes. Why? Because on the second page of the newspaper there was a sight stating: "In this paper there are 43 photographs. Stop counting.” The answer was there for all, but the lucky ones tended to notice it and the ill-fated not.
http://www.inteligenciaemocionalysocial.com/893/uncategorized/la-escuela-de-la-buena-suerte
The second transnational meeting of the project CarEIn was held in Aarhus (Denmark) on the 26th and 27th of October 2010.
The project partners discussed the milestones achieved and the future tasks to be carried out. The meeting was especially focused on the CarEIn contents development and the design of the draft version of the Web 2.0 that will support the learning experience of the project.
The partners also discussed the future activities and strategies to disseminate the project, especially the final Seminar to be organized by ABDEM in Palma de Mallorca.
The third transnational meeting of the project CarEIn was held in Ostrava(Czech Republic) on the 16th and 17th of May 2011.
The CarEIn project has reached a key stage. After developing the training contents and establishing the Web 2.0 support for the learning environment, the partnership is starting the testing and validation of the main project product.
The project partners discussed the implementation of the validation activities and the possibilities to improve the CarEIn training tool.
Emotional intelligence can be defined as an ability that helps you effectively deal with your own as well as strange emotions and use of this ability in communication with others. EI is actually the counterpart of intelligence quotient (IQ), which rates the intellectual abilities to achieve higher education and find a good job. However, in today’s competitive period a high IQ is not sufficient anymore.
Example: After finishing your studies you are employed at the same position as your former classmate. So, you have the same education and training, but you were always better at school and in general smarter. One year later, your classmate is proposed to be promoted, even though you are carrying out and completing more complex tasks and although this may seem unjust he wasn’t that one who shouted at a colleague when he was on phone too long, he didn’t go home with a headache after the meeting with an angry patient and he didn’t take offence when his boss point out his mistake in a papers. He was promoted thanks to his emotional intelligence.
Here’s some advice:
1. Study yourself
2. Manage your own emotions
3. Be interested in others
4. Learn how to communicate
Emotional intelligence means a lot of work on yourself, but this effort will definitely ease not only your personal but also a professional life.
Source: http://www.topzine.cz/emocni-inteligence-v-praxi-je-cestou-k-zivotni-spokojenosti-jak-na-to
Why is there a new phenomenon – emotional intelligence? Questions like “Why some highly intelligent people are not successful in their lives while the ones with the lower IQ are doing surprisingly very well? How it is possible that people with high IQ are looking for a job for a long time?
The causes of not succeeding are often emotional factors: fear, worries, aggression or cynics and keeping distance which prevent people from efficient using of their skills and abilities and cause the loss of motivation. Our abilities would be much more useful when we would consciously evaluate the situations and were responsible for all emotions.
EurGabinet Gestio have organized a Seminar in Barcelona, Spain, focusing on the importance of Emotional Intelligence as a tool to improve communication in the healthcare sector. The Seminar is aimed at managers and other healthcare professionals that work with elderly people. The management of incidents and problems with suppliers, workers, users and families is one of the most important tasks that a manager of an elderly center shall carry out.
The Seminar is aimed at the discussion of emotional intelligence, resources to improve emotional intelligence skills, how to use emotional intelligent strategies when dealing with users, families, workers or suppliers.
Source: http://eurgabinet.blogspot.com/2011/05/la-inteligencia-emocional-como.html
When doctors cannot cure, they can take care.
When doctors are not able to cure anymore, their job is still not finished: to care and to help the patient to live with dignity until the last minutes. These last tasks make the professionals face the cure paradigm that defined their education and training. At the same time, the family of the patient needs to handle a “journey” of pain and uncertainty.
A terminal disease supposes an important emotional shock for the family, but also for the professionals. The easy way is to accept the lack of hope with resignation. However the work to be done is still very important. It is possible to relieve the” inevitable” end.
The palliative care is the active and integral care addressed to people with a limited life prognosis and their relatives and friends.
Julio Gomez, author of “To care always, is possible” shares with medical professionals and carers how to handle this phase of life with hope, serenity, gratitude, etc. The author deeply knows the experience of being a father and a doctor; of losing a son; of being ill.
Source: http://www.plataformaeditorial.com/cont/novedades/novedades_sola_es.php?idField=176&table=novedades
When nurses leave patients’ beds or when teachers let their students to put a waste basket on their heads these can be burnout symptoms.
In 2009, Agnieszka Czerw, and Anna Borkowska, both doctors of psychology, conducted research involving 364 doctors, teachers, nurses, firemen, policemen and psychotherapists and 443 students of these professions. The researchers from Wrocław University of Technology identified the impact of psychological characteristics of a person on the person's work satisfaction. Only representatives of professions with a mission, often referred to as public utility professions, were invited to the research. - We have selected the group as teachers, doctors and policemen are more exposed to professional burnout than people practising other professions. They work with people with whom they often have long-term, emotional relations – says Anna Borkowska. - Moreover, they work in environments, which are socially difficult, are underpaid and their work is continuously considered a service and, because of that, higher commitment on their part is expected.
The research has shown that work satisfaction is dependent on personal optimism and emotional intelligence. These are individual psychical features. Optimists tend to feel that they can influence events, are more prone to taking risks and are more determined in pursuing their goals. Emotional intelligence, on the other hand, is essential when handling emotions when acting under stress and when the ability of reading other persons' emotions is required. - It is important for a doctor to be able to recognise that their patients are afraid and be aware of consequences that such feeling may have during therapy. It is emotional intelligence which is responsible for the skills – says Anna Borkowska, Ph.D.
When compared to other professions, representatives of professions with a mission have average level of optimism. Note that teachers in the group reported the lowest professional satisfaction. - It seems that this professional group needs particular support - doctor Czerw comments. Burnout, discouragement, fatigue and lower job satisfaction typically attack teachers with 10 to 15 years of professional experience. - Older teachers make up for it by drawing from their extensive experience, younger come to school full of optimism which dies out after ten years of service or more - says Teresa Bogusz, a teacher of Polish, based in Wrocław, 30 years of experience. - Burnout is now and then discussed at meetings of the teaching staff. In response to that, two- or three-hour workshops are organised. But the workshops do not teach how to handle a difficult class, do not offer any support and do not help to unload stress.
The research disclosed some difference in optimism between the professionally active and those who study to work in mission-related professions. The latter group is much more optimistic. Anna Borkowska says: - We may read it in two ways. On the one hand, these people may not have had any experience with the professions which they decided to practice. On the other hand, it is a proof that the level of optimism and emotional intelligence determines choice of a profession. It indicates that students of such departments/faculties have appropriate mental attitude.
Such explanation should be supported by research on the same sample once they start their professional career since no such experiment has been organised in Poland so far. Researchers from Wrocław emphasise that there is a need for a support programme for those working in mission-related professions. It is necessary to introduce a system of courses teaching methods of handling difficult situations addressed to teachers, policemen and doctors. It would be useful to analyse predispositions of those who decide to work in school or in the healthcare and offer a series of psychological courses or courses on communication with a patient. Unfortunately,such courses are incidental to the main stream of medical university curricula. - In the meantime, Poland introduces temporary solutions when nurses refuse to help patients and TV shows a helpless teacher who cannot handle students. It is usually too late to act in such cases – summarises Agnieszka Czerw.
Source: Gazeta Wyborcza, http://gazetapraca.pl/gazetapraca/1,90440,7587909,Optymizm_pomoze_w_pracy.html
On the 16th September 2011, ABDEM hosts the CarEIn international seminar in Palma de Mallorca, Spain. The event named “Emotional Management in the Healthcare Sector “ will include practical workshops and different sessions with experts in emotional intelligence and the healthcare sector. Major members of the target group, stakeholders and experts(such as the University of Baleares, the Spanish Federation against Multiple Sclerosis or San Joan de Déu Hospital) are involved in the organization of the seminar. All partners will attend the seminar and will participate in the different activities.
If you are interested in this event, don’t hesitate to contact the responsible person in your country.
Emotional Intelligence as a tool of social workers
On 29 July 2011 in MISTiA, Cracow will held a seminar. One of the themes of the meeting is "Emotional Intelligence as a tool of social workers”.
In the seminar will take part members of the Malopolska Social Forum. During the seminar will be presented CarEIN project and CarEIN educational platform, which include e-learning course for developing and improving competence in emotional intelligence of employees in the health sector and social welfare.
Project number: ES/09/LLP-LdV/TOI/149026
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication is the sole responsibility of its author. The Commission is not responsible for any use made of the information contained in it
