This project is divided into two subprojects: 

1: Health promoting intervention led by public health nurse for adolecents and their family

2: Factors contributing to mental health and quality of life among siblings and parents after the loss of a child to cancer

Ph.D project, Hanne Nissen Bjørnsen:
The school health services and the public health nurse are crucial providers of universal health promoting strategies aimed at adolescents.

To identify determinants promoting mental health in adolescents, and how this knowledge can be implemented by the school health services through universal school based programs, should be a priority given its importance for adolescents’ quality of life, productivity and social capital, and for the high burden associated with mental ill-health worldwide throughout the whole life course.

The project aims at evaluating a school-based universal health promoting program focusing on promoting coping resources for mental health among adolescents in high school, led by public health nurses. The school program has a salutogenic fundament and builds on knowledge from school nurses practice field, research and active user involvement of adolescents.

The program will be evaluated quantitatively  (survey) and qualitatively (focus groups) on students in high school (16 – 18/19 years). 

Ph.D project, Regine Ringdal: Adolescents’ Subjective Experience of Mental Health, Social Support and Coping.
Research focus for one of the PhD candidates in WP 1, project 1 is the influence a universal health promoting intervention has on adolescents’ self-reported mental health, subjective experience of social support and coping. An instrument assessing coping with problems will be validated. The Ph.D. candidate will also examine stability and change related social support, coping and mental health through a school year.

 
Childhood cancer impacts the whole family. Generally, few studies have addressed parental and siblings’ grief and evidence of family supportive care in pediatric palliative care research is scarce.

The overall aim is to promote good mental health and QoL in Norwegian families who lost a child to cancer. The study will contribute to increased knowledge about family mental health and thus be used to promote health and reduce long-term psychological problems for these families.

This study will acquire the knowledge that is essential on both vulnerability and protective factors in the grieving process necessary to promote QoL and reduce long-term mental health problems for Norwegian parents and siblings, as well as tailor and implement adequate interventions, both in the home community and at the hospital.