This study aimed at gaining knowledge of users' experience of green care services (interventions using nature to improve health) for people with mental health or drug problems. Data were obtained from interviews with 20 participants in green care services and were analyzed qualitatively. Findings revealed that work in a social context close to nature and work with animals increased mastery and meaningfulness. Participation resulted in personal changes, new practical skills, improved social networks, and feelings of well-being. There appears to be powerful potential in using green care services as a recovery tool for people with mental health or drug-related problems.

The classic and pure form of Gilles de la Tourette's syndrome is characterized by: (1) Multiple motor tics, generally developing during childhood or adolescence, starting in the face, neck or hands, and tending to spread to involve most of the skeletal muscles. Sometimes they are paroxysmal, but the victims never lose consciousness. (2) “Vocal tics”, occurring when the contractions spread to the laryngeal muscles. The victims utter sounds, often resembling the cries of an animal, such as barking, bellowing or whinnying (3). Generally the last to appear, though the order probably varies, is a compulsion to shout obscene or blasphemous words, insults or oaths. Echopraxia and echolalia are disorders bordering on this syndrome, and sometimes accompanying it.

The aim of this article is to discuss methodological issues based on experiences involving the use of co-operative inquiry in a paediatric ward and to describe how the children's own perspectives were taken into account. This project, which was conducted in Norway between 2004 and 2007, involved children, parents and health care professionals meeting in a mutual working process to apply a new pedagogic approach for children with asthma. Ninety individuals (children, parents, health care professionals, teachers and students) participated in the study that had a qualitative approach. The findings indicate that the adults considered the child perspectives throughout the project, while the children's own perspectives were taken into account during the period of intervention. The children participated actively, which can support empowerment processes. Health care professionals and researchers responded to the children's views using communication and research techniques adapted to the children's Downloaded from age, development and sensitivity. Critical choices related to the project were made because of recruitment challenges involving children and families. Children between 7 and 10 years of age are competent actors who can be involved in research and thus represent activated sources of knowledge. Bringing about change requires endurance and a long-term perspective.

No abstract

Ever increasing demands are being made on welfare organizations to display efficiency. Evaluation workshops constitute a form of learning for the purposes of building up competence to conduct evaluations within welfare organizations, with the support of research and development units. In workshops of this kind, welfare work professionals meet in order to conduct evaluations together with researchers/professional evaluators.This article presents experiences from 10 such evaluation workshops conducted in western Sweden.The workshops were perceived very positively by the participants. While the evaluations are being conducted, the participants also develop a more general competence in this field.The evaluations conducted at the workshops are primarily internal, but with external support, with all the limitations this involves in relation to the possibilities for critical scrutiny. Evaluation workshops have a beneficial effect on the learning of evaluation methods by directly combining learning and conducting evaluation. The workshops may also serve to build capacity in the organizations for evaluative work.