TY - JOUR

T1 - Hopeful struggling for health

T2 - Experiences of participating in computerized cognitive training and aerobic training for persons with stress-related exhaustion disorder

AU - Eskilsson, Therese

AU - Fjellman-Wiklund, Anncristine

AU - Ek Malmer, Elin

AU - Stigsdotter Neely, Anna

AU - Malmberg Gavelin, Hanna

AU - Slunga Järvholm, Lisbeth

AU - Boraxbekk, Carl Johan

AU - Nordin, Maria

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - It is important to understand how people with exhaustion disorder (ED) perceive interventions aiming to facilitate cognitive functioning. Therefore, the overall aim of this study was to explore experiences from persons with ED after participating in a 12-week intervention of either computerized cognitive training or aerobic training. Both interventions were performed in addition to a multimodal rehabilitation programme. Thirteen participants, 11 women and 2 men, were interviewed about pros and cons with participating in the training. The interviews were analysed with Qualitative Content Analysis. The analyses resulted in the theme hopeful struggling for health and the categories support, motivation and sensations. It was hard work recovering from ED. Support from others who are in the same situation, family members, and technology and routines for the training were strongly emphasized as beneficial for recovery. Timing, i.e., matching activities to the rehabilitation programme, getting feedback and perceiving joy in the training were important for motivation. Participants in both interventions experienced positive sensations with improved memory performance, everyday life functioning and increased faith in the prospect of recovery. However, it is important to consider various aspects of support and motivation in both computerized cognitive training and aerobic training to enable participants to pursue their participation.

AB - It is important to understand how people with exhaustion disorder (ED) perceive interventions aiming to facilitate cognitive functioning. Therefore, the overall aim of this study was to explore experiences from persons with ED after participating in a 12-week intervention of either computerized cognitive training or aerobic training. Both interventions were performed in addition to a multimodal rehabilitation programme. Thirteen participants, 11 women and 2 men, were interviewed about pros and cons with participating in the training. The interviews were analysed with Qualitative Content Analysis. The analyses resulted in the theme hopeful struggling for health and the categories support, motivation and sensations. It was hard work recovering from ED. Support from others who are in the same situation, family members, and technology and routines for the training were strongly emphasized as beneficial for recovery. Timing, i.e., matching activities to the rehabilitation programme, getting feedback and perceiving joy in the training were important for motivation. Participants in both interventions experienced positive sensations with improved memory performance, everyday life functioning and increased faith in the prospect of recovery. However, it is important to consider various aspects of support and motivation in both computerized cognitive training and aerobic training to enable participants to pursue their participation.

KW - burnout

KW - exercise

KW - Exhaustion disorder

KW - qualitative research

KW - rehabilitation

U2 - 10.1111/sjop.12623

DO - 10.1111/sjop.12623

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 31995652

AN - SCOPUS:85078781363

VL - 61

SP - 361

EP - 368

JO - Scandinavian Journal of Psychology

JF - Scandinavian Journal of Psychology

SN - 0036-5564

IS - 3

ER -