Health and Community Participation Division

Health and quality of life are affected by many factors including, physical health, upbringing, social relationships, access to financial resources, meaningful activities, education and work. These factors are apparent at individual, group and societal level and facilitating good health and quality of life requires far more than treating existing health problems. Both health promotion and prevention are dependent on reducing social inequalities in health, working for equal participation in society and building capacity in the local communities where people live their lives. This approach requires collaboration across disciplines, sectors and organisations.

The Health and Community Participation Division is a socially engaged academic environment that develops knowledge about health and participation in society through education, research and development. The academic environment in the Division is interdisciplinary and draws on a wide range of both qualitative and quantitative research methods. In particular, the group contributes to developing knowledge in the areas of public health, mental health, substance abuse and addiction and rehabilitation, regionally, nationally and globally.

We are committed to the creative dissemination of research-based knowledge to students, practitioners and members of the public. We also actively work to further develop our study programmes to ensure we offer future-oriented education that is relevant to professional working life to our students.

Head of the division: Ingunn Skjesol