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Systembolagets Alkoholforskningsråd has granted 200,000 SEK to ICON researchers Viviane Schultz Straatmann, Ylva B Almquist, and Helio Manhica for their project on parental alcohol use disorders and child welfare. The study aims to understand the impact of AUD on child placements and family reunification.

The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE) has allocated 4,969,000 SEK for a three-year research project led by Viviane Schultz Straatmann. The project will evaluate family reunification of children in out-of-home care, its characteristics, and impact on child healthcare, aiming to enhance decision-making and children’s rights related to these processes.

Meet our core members

Baojing Li is a PhD student at the Department of Public Health Sciences at Stockholm University. Her research, as part of the Grandchildren of misfortune: The role of resilience for multigenerational patterns of inequality (GRAM) project, is centered on investigating inequalities in social conditions and mental health that are transmitted across multiple generations from grandparents to grandchildren.

Honoring Denny Vågerö, the founding figure and first Director of Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS), we launched a Festschrift on November 5th. Featuring over 70 contributions, it celebrates his remarkable research career and significant impact on health inequality studies. Beyond his intellectual achievements, Denny is recognized for his kindness and inclusiveness. CHESS remains a testament to his enduring legacy, promoting interdisciplinary research and strong collegiality.

Thank you, Denny. We hope you enjoy reading this Festschrift.

The Festschrift is published open access and available for download here:
https://figshare.com/s/e0859de1715f46dd64b3?file=50008938

Meet our core members

Sandra Rogne is a PhD student at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, studying bereavement during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her research examines how pandemic-related conditions influenced the grieving process, aiming to enhance understanding and support for bereaved individuals during crises.

Meet our core members

Tanishta Rajesh is a PhD student at Stockholm University’s Department of Public Health Sciences, studying inequalities faced by families involved with child welfare services. Her research, part of the DRIVERS project, examines parental factors influencing out-of-home care placements and their long-term impacts on families.

The study by Ylva B Almquist in the American Journal of Epidemiology examines the effects of increased alcohol availability on hospitalization due to external causes (HEC) in different population subgroups. Results show a 17.7% increase in HEC risk among individuals of Finnish origin and a 9.7% increase among those of Swedish origin, while no measurable impact was observed among individuals of Middle Eastern origin.
https://doi.org/10.1093/aje/kwae208

A recent UK study, co-authored by Viviane S Straatmann, found that poverty and adversity in the family are linked to low emotional support and poor parent-adolescent relationships. Based on the UK Millennium Cohort study with almost 11,000 children, it highlights the impact of persistent poverty and adversity on adolescent well-being.

ICON core member Viviane S Straatmann, co-authored a UK study on the effects of child poverty and poor caregiver mental health. The study, based on data from over 10,000 children, showed that the combination of child poverty and poor caregiver mental health has significant implications for adolescents, contributing to socioemotional, mental, and cognitive outcomes. Approximately 40% of socioemotional behavioral problems in adolescence can be linked to persistent exposure to child poverty and poor caregiver mental health.