I took my PhD exam in 2014 at the Department of Health Sciences, Lund University. I have lengthy experience in working as an occupational therapist within psychiatric healthcare in Malmö. I have a great interest in evidence-based practice, and am knowledgeable in Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy, and Mindfulness Therapy. I’m also interested in pedagogy and curriculum development.

When I worked in mental healthcare, I met many people – especially young adults – with experiences of mental illness who wanted to participate in society on the same terms as others, and who did not get the care and support they needed. This is the background to my research interest in developing mental healthcare and preventive mental health literacy education efforts.

In my current research, I am generally interested in the development and evaluation of integrated psychiatric support and treatment models that are based on a recovery perspective and a strength-based approach. I am also interested in how underlying factors related to the individual, environment and occupation impact on a person’s occupational performance and ability to participate fully in the community. These include factors such as skills and knowledge in mental health (mental health literacy), campus mental health and stigma/self-stigma related to having experienced mental illness. My current research also applies a co-participation design involving those affected by the research and other important stakeholders. Co-designing research is framed by a human rights philosophy, valuing collaborations between researchers and stakeholders in delivering empowering interventions, accounting for a diverse range of needs and preferences, and establishing a foundation for successful and sustainable programmes and interventions.