This cross-disciplinary network of 16 researchers from medicine, physiotherapy, psychology, and social sciences is coordinated by Kirsti Malterud and has been developed since 2002. Network members have ongoing or planned projects exploring the possibilities for people from marginalized or high risk groups (lesbian women, heavy drinkers, persons with familial hypercholesterolemia, heart disease, and disability in general) or with chronic disorders (musculoskeletal problems, mental illness) to live dignified lives, with a positive understanding of identity and health, supported by health care providers who are able to recognize people’s strong sides.
From the juxtapositions of these projects, we study the preconditions for turning the balance between strain and growth into potential resources for health care, prevention, and rehabilitation, guided by theories about of empowerment, diversity, disability, and salutogenesis. The working methods of the network include internal meetings (allowing participants to share knowledge across projects and disciplines), external networking (arrange workshops and conferences with international and other prominent speakers), and stimulating the research of the individual participant. The network is our tool to develop collaboration between the participants on their individual research projects, stimulate scientific publications, and strengthen the international network of the group.
We intend to pursue our studies on preconditions for how the balance between strain and growth can be turned into potential resources for health care, prevention, and rehabilitation, drawing on perspectives of empowerment, diversity and disability, and salutogenesis broadly covered in previous research from this group.