PhD-student: Marianne Trondsen

Project description

The aim of this action research project is to increase knowledge on the potential role of self-help groups as a tool in health care with youths. In this study, an online self-help group for adolescents with mentally ill parents (aged 15 to 18) has been established in collaboration between Department of Children's and Adolescents' Mental Health (ABUP) , Sørlandet Hospital and Norwegian Centre for Integrated Care and Telemedicine (NST) . The service is named "Snakkerommet", and designed as an anonymous, password-protected newsgroup. It is one out of several online services for children and youth with mentally ill parents at the web site www.morild.org by Sørlandet Hospital.

The study explores the adolescents' experiences of participation in the online self-help group, related to their efforts to cope with challenges in everyday life with a mentally ill parent. 16 adolescents have participated in the study. Basen on a qualitative approach, the material has been obtained through participant observation of the activity in the online group during 2 years, and in-depth interviews with 13 of the 16 participants. The research questions are discussed in the light of concepts and perspectives from medical sociology and sociology of childhood. There are published 3 scientific publications from the project. 

Contact information

Marianne Trondsen, telephone +47 415 10 792 and e-mail marianne.trondsen@telemed.no