At the psychotherapy training center at Karlstad University, a study was carried out to examine the levels of symptom change and satisfaction with therapy in a heterogeneous population of clients treated using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) by less experienced trainee therapists with limited theoretical education. The clients received an average of 11 therapy sessions. The results suggested that CBT performed by less experienced trainee therapists can be effective. According to client estimations, a statistically significant reduction in symptoms, measured using the Symptoms Checklist, was achieved for seven of nine variables (p ≤ .006), as well as a significant increase in satisfaction with life (p ≤ .001). Also, the pre- and posttherapy measurements using the Montgomery–Åsberg Depression Rating Scale showed a statistically significant improvement in the clients’ condition. According to the therapists’ estimations, 64% (SD = 32.01) of the clients experienced a significant improvement in their condition. In addition, the results of a survey of client satisfaction demonstrated that the clients were very pleased with the therapy received. Also the therapists were, to a great extent, satisfied with the treatment process itself, including the supervision received, and very satisfied with the client alliance. A correlation analysis between the clients’ perceived level of improvement and therapist satisfaction showed a strong correlation between the two variables (r = .50, p < .005). By including the Comparative Psychotherapy Process Scale (CPPS) in our study it was possible to measure trueness to therapy form. An analysis of the CPPS results confirmed that the form of therapy used at the training site was more strongly CBT than psychodynamic interpersonal treatment (p ≤ .001). The CBT subscale score indicated that the therapy was characteristic of CBT, confirming that the interventions used in the therapy belong to the CBT genre.

Purpose. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the interest of young men and women in playing with fire in childhood and as adolescents. Methods. Two interview studies were performed with fifty 18‐year‐old men and forty‐five 18‐19‐year‐old women. Results. The two studies showed that playing with fire is a common phenomenon among children. In the male group, 70% reported playing with fire in childhood, and in the female group, the proportion was 44%. None of the young men played with fire at the age of 18, while 44% of the young women did. In the draftee's study, playing with fire resulted in uncontrollable fires destroying three buildings, one car and a grass wall. There was one uncontrollable fire in the girls' study. The reasons for not playing with fire in childhood were said to be parental exhortation, prohibition, supervision, fear, and respect for fire. The motives for playing with fire in childhood were curiosity and distraction in the male group, and excitement‐seeking and amusement in the female group.

Our aim was to gain an understanding of adolescents' experiences of disclosing their sexual orientation as lesbian or gay to their parents. In order to capture these experiences, we conducted interviews with 6 people who had told at least 1 parent of their sexual orientation as lesbian or gay. Using interpretative phenomenological analysis we identified 4 themes from the emotions described by the respondents when they disclosed their sexual orientation to their parents. These 4 themes were feelings of alienation, uneasiness and fear, self-acceptance and being comfortable with one's sexuality, and feeling whole. The conclusion we drew from the accounts of the people we interviewed is that disclosing one's sexual orientation to one's parents is liberating.

A total of 360 upper secondary school students in Sweden were divided into three grouping variables: gender (male, female), vandalism (involved, not involved), and scrawl-graffiti (involved, not involved). Relevant to the discussion of whether or not scrawl-graffiti may be construed as vandalism or art, the aim of the study was to explore whether or not personality factors known to be linked to vandalism in general (such as impulsivity, affectivity, emotional disability, and optimism) are related also to involvement in scrawl-graffiti, and, furthermore, how the gender factor relates to vandalism and scrawl-graffiti, respectively. The analysis showed that impulsiveness was a significant variable related to vandalism as well as to scrawl-graffiti. Further analysis indicated that vandalism was predicted by non-planning impulsiveness whereas scrawl-graffiti was predicted by motor impulsiveness. Analyses showed also that there were significant gender differences related to both vandalism and scrawl-graffiti, whereby male participants were significantly more involved in vandalism than female participants, while the latter were significantly more involved in scrawl-graffiti than the former.

The present study assessed whether or not there is a relation between fire-setting and boredom. 56 Swedish secondary-school students, 28 adolescent boys and 28 adolescent girls, were randomly assigned to a Control group and an Experimental [Boredom] group divided equally by sex. Participants were required to complete a projective test, a short story the content of which depicted a bored individual fingering a box of matches or lighter and with a bus ticket in his pocket. The Experimental [Boredom] group completed a 15-min. "boredom" test before anticipating the fictional narrative, while the Control group participated in relaxing activities. Two mutually independent judges evaluated the written stories from three standpoints: the number of fictitious fires, the relation to fire, and the boredom in the written stories. The results indicated a significant difference between the Experimental [Boredom] group and the Control group concerning relation to fire.