Caring Sciences
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Research in caring sciences aims to understand, explain, and theorise topics that arise in relation to health, ill-health, and illness, as well as their significance for individuals, groups, and society.
The focus is on health and well-being in various caring contexts throughout the different phases of life, for people of all ages. Central perspectives include the conditions within healthcare to support individuals and their significant others from the beginning of life to the end of life.
The field of research integrates theoretical and ethical perspectives with practical application in order to address issues related to health and well-being. The overarching aim is to promote health and well-being with respect for the equal value of all people, regardless of personal characteristics or background. The goal of the research is to generate new knowledge, develop methods and theories within caring sciences, and to contribute to evidence-based practice.
current research at the Department of Health Care Sciences
In line with the vision of Marie Cederschiöld University, “Knowledge in the Service of Humanity,” caring sciences research at the institution focuses on contemporary societal challenges related to ill-health. The research contributes knowledge about human vulnerability and seeks to develop innovations that support sustainable development in various caring contexts. Caring sciences research at Marie Cederschiöld University is co-created in close collaboration with relevant stakeholders. The research encompasses six thematic areas which together illuminate key issues related to health, care, and people’s living conditions.
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Older peoples’ health and living conditions
Research on older adults’ health and living conditions focuses on the medical, social, and emotional challenges associated with multimorbidity, complex medication regimens, and the need for coordinated care. The studies highlight how support in the home, effective communication, and well-functioning care pathways strengthen older individuals and their relatives. Research on mental health addresses loneliness, lifestyle, and well-being, including the experiences of older migrants, younger people with cognitive disorders, and couple relationships in the context of chronic illness. The field of dementia emphasizes dignity, participation, and quality of life, with attention to digital and arts-based interventions as well as person-centred approaches. Together, this research contributes to improving care, support, and quality of life for older adults and their families.
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Long-term health conditions
Long-term health conditions are a central focus of research in care sciences. Grounded in a holistic perspective, this research examines how illness affects identity, daily life, relationships, and existential challenges, often requiring ongoing renegotiation across physical, psychological, social, and existential dimensions. Individuals’ experiences of living with long-term ill health and healthcare support for participation, self-care, learning, and meaning-making are explored. The field also addresses technological innovations that enhance care and rehabilitation, as well as the roles and needs of significant others. The overarching aim is to promote person-centred, ethically grounded care that enhances quality of life, autonomy, and participation in care and everyday life, while recognizing the importance of significant others.
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Palliative care and grief
Research on palliative care and grief is based on theoretical and empirical perspectives, as well as clinical practice. It focuses on how individuals with life-threatening or life-limiting illnesses and their family members can be supported for well-being, health, and quality of life at the end of life and during bereavement. The research highlights individual, organisational, and societal levels and aims to study palliative care needs regardless of age or diagnosis, as well as to develop and evaluate approaches that address these needs. The research emphasizes the interaction between professional and informal support and brings attention to themes such as participation, communication, loss, suffering, dying, death, and bereavement support. It includes both complex interventions using quantitative methods and qualitative studies, with strong clinical grounding and close collaboration with the target group.
Projects in palliative care and grief
The Research programme FTI – The Family Talk Intervention
Ongoing
- The Family Talk Intervention in specialized palliative home care – a cluster randomized trial
- The Family Talk Intervention in a Children’s hospital – a pre-post study
- The Family Talk Intervention when a parent has cancer- a pre-post study
- The Family Talk Intervention in a children’s hospice – a pilot study
- Implementing the Family Talk Intervention in clinical practice – barriers and facilitators
- Using an interpreter to participate in the Family Talk Intervention
- Long-term follow up of the FTI in pediatric oncology
- FTI as bereavement support
The Research programme Person-centred support for family caregivers and patients
Ongoing
- Translation and Validation of the CSNAT Paediatric Tool to Identify Parents' Support Needs When Caring for Children with Life-Limiting Conditions
- Person-centred support for family caregivers in primary home health care – an Intervention
- Supporting family caregivers of persons receiving specialised palliative home care — the Carer Support Needs Assessment Tool Intervention in a Hybrid Model
Other projects in palliative care and grief
Ongoing
- Losing a child to cancer - a study of parents’ experiences and the effects of an internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy treatment for sleep disorders
- Existential aspects, breakpoint conversations and other conversations in palliative care
- New medical opportunities for children with spinal muscle atrophy: a study of the experiences of families and healthcare professionals
- Promoting preparedness for family caregiving in a specialised palliative home care context - a randomized controlled web-based intervention trial
- Evaluation of an educational intervention concerning palliative care in the care of older people
- Children with incurable illness share their experiences of illness and everyday life
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Social vulnerability and mental health conditions
Research on social vulnerability and mental health conditions focuses on how individual experiences and societal structures together shape and influence mental health. The studies highlight the living conditions of groups in vulnerable situations, such as women experiencing homelessness, people with co-occurring disorders, and individuals with severe mental illness, and show how violence, poverty, stigma, and lack of coordination affect quality of life. A central perspective concerns the needs of significant others, as well as issues of power, participation, and legal security. The research also includes psychiatric inpatient care, primary care, and the organisational conditions of nurses, as well as studies of norms surrounding mental health conditions and how education can influence attitudes. The aim is to contribute with knowledge that strengthens equitable, ethically grounded, and person-centred care for people facing social vulnerability and mental health conditions.
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Organisation, leadership, and professional development
Research on organisation, leadership, and professional development examines how professional competence is shaped through the interplay between education, clinical practice, and the organisational conditions of healthcare. It particularly focuses on how organisational structures, teamwork, and leadership influence professional autonomy, the work environment, and quality of care, as well as on professional socialisation and structures for professional influence. The research also encompasses pedagogical innovations, such as AI-based simulation and digital learning environments, alongside studies of district nurses’ work, quality improvement in primary and home healthcare, and healthcare professionals’ experiences of existential conversations. Collectively, this body of research contributes to knowledge on how healthcare organisations can strengthen professional autonomy and agency while ensuring person-centred care.
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Healthcare ethics and lifeview-related issues in healthcare
Research on healthcare ethics and life-view–related issues is a core area that also informs teaching across all levels of education. This work examines values and ethical foundations in healthcare and caregiving contexts, alongside in-depth analyses of key normative concepts such as health, dignity, and autonomy. The research develops models for ethical decision-making and approaches to ethical dialogue that can be applied in clinical practice. It also emphasizes the importance of conversations about life view concerns in patient-centreddecision-making and care planning. These perspectives are integrated into research projects focusing on chronic illness, ageing, homelessness, psychiatry, animals in healthcare, and global One Health approaches, forming an essential part of the department’s broader research profile.
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- Last updated:
- 12 June 2026