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ObjectiveA validated measure to gather patient feedback on physicians’ empathy is not available in Swedish. The objective for this study was to examine the psychometric characteristics of a Swedish version of the Consultation and Relational Empathy (CARE) measure (widely used in English).Design, setting and patientsThe CARE measure was translated into Swedish and tested on 554 unselected patients visiting physicians in two primary care clinics in northwestern Stockholm, Sweden.Main outcome measuresAdequate translation, as well as reliability and validity of the Swedish CARE measure.ResultsThe Swedish CARE measure seemed to demonstrate high acceptability and face validity when consulting a physician. The mean CARE score 41.5 (SD 8.9) over all 10 item was not significantly influenced by seasonality, age or gender. Scores were somewhat negatively distributed, but corrected item-total correlations were high (0.86–0.91) suggesting homogeneity. Internal reliability was very high (Cronbach’s alpha 0.975). Factor analysis implied a one-dimensional structure with factor loadings between 0.89 and 0.93.ConclusionsThe Swedish CARE measure appears to be psychometrically valid and reliable enough in physicians.

ObjectiveTo examine relationships between work-based cultural activities and mental employee health in working Swedes.HypothesisA positive relationship between frequent cultural activity at work and good employee health was expected.Research designRandom sample of working Swedish men and women in three waves, 2006, 2008 and 2010, on average 60 % participation rate.MethodsA postal questionnaire with questions about cultural activities organised for employees and about emotional exhaustion (Maslach) and depressive symptoms (short form of SCL). Employee assessments of “non-listening manager” and work environment (“psychological demands” and “decision latitude”) as well as socioeconomic variables were covariates. Cross-sectional analyses for each study year as well as prospective analyses for 2006–2008 and 2008–2010 were performed.Main outcome and resultsLower frequency of cultural activities at work during the period of high unemployment. The effects of relationships with emotional exhaustion were more significant than those with depressive symptoms. The associations were attenuated when adjustments were made for manager function (does your manager listen?) and demand/control. Associations were more pronounced during the period with low unemployment and high cultural activity at work (2008). In a prospective analysis, cultural activity at work in 2008 had an independent statistically significant “protective” effect on emotional exhaustion in 2010. No corresponding such association was found between 2006 and 2008.ConclusionsCultural activities at work vary according to business cycle and have a statistical association with mental employee health, particularly with emotional exhaustion.Implications for future researchThere are particularly pronounced statistical protective effects of frequent cultural activity at work on likelihood of emotional exhaustion among employees.

The healing function of theater is reflected in all human cultures. Today, therapists and scientists work with psychodrama and drama therapy, often describing theater as the art form closest to life itself. In a unique cooperation between professional actors and a dance movement therapist/pain researcher, patients with fibromyalgia have first been trained in body-and voice expression and thereafter acted out a drama onstage together with professional actors. A video interpretation technique was used to help patients interpret their own emotional expressions towards other actors and evaluate their perceived pain and selfrated health. The results of this feasibility study show that the variation of emotional expression from video interpretation is dependent upon whether or not the patient acts with an actor. The intensity of emotional expression increases significantly when acting together with a professional actor. The results also show an increase in self-rated health and a decrease in pain after three months of using this theater-based technique. A correlation between strong emotional expression and decreased pain was also observed. However, when patients did not actively participate in a theater play, their self-estimated pain was not significantly decreased. In this study, the cross-fertilization of culture/expressive arts and health care is presented as a new resource for pain treatment. In particular there may be a link between intense emotional expressions when acting with professional actors and decreased perceptions of pain. The paper also discusses the potential therapeutic value of working with professional actors in the treatment of other pain patients. Hopefully, this theater related method can contribute to developing collaboration between actors and creative art therapists and stimulate controlled studies of evidence-based science.

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