Milieu-therapeutic work aims towards increasing people’s quality of life through improving their everyday lives.
The research group explores how milieu therapeutic work is experienced and how conditions in the daily lives of service users can improve quality of life and health for individuals facing various challenges.
Our research focus includes the quality of services provided to people with intellectual disabilities and other functional impairments, substance abuse issues, psychosocial difficulties, and imposed strains in arenas such as upbringing, treatment, care, habilitation, and social networks. We investigate all types of approaches and methods within milieu therapy, grounded in a broad spectrum of theoretical and scientific frameworks.
At the same time, the group focuses on professionals and how they can acquire methods, skills, and approaches, as well as how they can enhance their personal skills in milieu-therapeutic work.
The user perspective is central to the research group’s work, and we strive to involve user representatives in our projects.
PhD Programme in Health and Sports Sciences
Research topics
- Relational competence and personal skills of helpers
- Mapping of milieu therapeutic work (practice and attitudes)
- Violence and abuse against children and youth (detection, management, and development of services for vulnerable children and families)
- Emotional strain in work with people
- Life skills and mental health in schools
- Involuntary school absenteeism
- Challenging behavior
- Communication elements in conversations
- Quality in professional student placements
- Inclusive activities for people with intellectual disabilities at the University of Agder (UiA)
Publications
Simon, Carsta (2024). A Multiscale View of Verbal Behavior. The Psychological Record 2024
Vollmer-Sandholm, M.J., Myhre, A.K., Albæk, A.U., Stray-Pedersen, A. (2024). Child Maltreatment: To Report or Not to Report? It’s More Complex than That. International Journal on Child Maltreatment. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-024-00212-0
Safari, Mugula Chris; Wass, Sofie; Thygesen, Elin (2023). Digital technology design activities—A means for promoting the digital inclusion of young adults with intellectual disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities 2023 ;Volum 51.(2) s. 238-249
Wood, Aleksandra; Simon, Carsta(2023). Control of Transition Time by the Likely Future as Signalled from the Past in Children with ASD. The Psychological Record
Haugland, Silje; Berge, Ulf; Gjermestad, Anita; Høium, Kari; Løkke, Jon Arne (2022). Kunnskapsbasert miljøterapeutisk arbeid. Universitetsforlaget 2022 (ISBN 9788215053165) 600 s.
Frydenlund, Jonas Højgaard (2023). ”Help them follow the proper path”. International Studies in Sociology of Education
Haugland, Silje; Larsen, Kenneth (2022). Initiativbasert kommunikasjonsopplæring. I: Kunnskapsbasert miljøterapeutisk arbeid. Universitetsforlaget 2022 ISBN 978821505316
Frydenlund, Jonas Højgaard (2022). The Dirty Process of Creating Clean Absence Data: An Ethnographic Study. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research
Sætra, Mette K Ragnhildstveit; Melby, Kristian Leonard; Safari, Mugula Chris; Bachke, Carl Christian (2022). «Vi gjorde hverandre gode, men det dabbet av og stoppet opp»: Vernepleierstudenters erfaringer med loggskriving og gruppeveiledning. NORDVEI: Nordisk tidsskrift i veiledningspedagogikk; Volum 7
Stige, Signe Hjelen; Andersen, Ann Christin; Halvorsen, Jorunn; Halvorsen, Margrethe S.; Binder, Per-Einar; Måkestad, Elida; Albæk, Ane Ugland (2022). Possible paths to increase detection of child sexual abuse in child and adolescent psychiatry: a meta-synthesis of survivors’ and health professionals’ experiences of addressing child sexual abuse. International Journal of Qualitative Studies on Health and Well-being Volum 17.(1) s. 1-27
Safari, Mugula Chris; Wass, Sofie; Thygesen, Elin (2022). Motivation of people with intellectual disabilities in technology design activities: the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Behaviour and Information Technology s. 1-19
Haugland, Siri H.; Dovran, Anders; Albæk, Ane Ugland; Sivertsen, Børge (2021). Adverse Childhood Experiences Among 28,047 Norwegian Adults From a General Population. Frontiers in Public Health; Volum 9.
Safari, Mugula Chris; Wass, Sofie; Thygesen, Elin (2021). ‘I Got To Answer the Way I Wanted To’: Intellectual Disabilities and Participation in Technology Design Activities. Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research ;Volum 23.(1) s. 192-203
Frydenlund, Jonas Højgaard (2021). How an Empty Chair at School Becomes an Empty Claim: A Discussion of Absence From School and Its Causality. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research
Wood, Aleksandra; Simon, Carsta (2021). Stimulus Control in Applied Work with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder from the Signalling and the Strengthening Perspective. Norsk Tidsskrift for Atferdsanalyse (NTA) ;Volum 48.(2) s. 279-293
Gjedrem, Jorunn; Steig, Marianne Hovet (2021). Å lære å samarbeide på tvers av profesjoner under utdanningen. I: Ulike profesjoner felles mål : Barn og unge i risiko. Universitetsforlaget 2021 ISBN 9788215032443.
Frydenlund, Jonas Højgaard (2020). Et kvalitativt casestudie af grunde til fravær set i kontekst. Pædagogisk Psykologisk Tidsskrift 2020
Simon, Carsta. The ontogenetic evolution of verbal behavior. European Journal of Behavior Analysis (EJOBA) 2020 ;Volum 21.(2) s. 364-381
Simon, Carsta; Bernardy, João Lucas; Cowie, Sarah. On the "strength" of behavior. Perspectives on Behavior Science 2020 ;Volum 43. s. 677-696
Wass, Sofie; Safari, Mugula Chris; Haugland, Silje; Omland, Hans Olav (2021). Transitions from school to sheltered employment in Norway – Experiences of people with intellectual disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities ;Volum 49.(3) s. 373-382
Thygesen, Elin; Safari, Mugula Chris; Wass, Sofie (2021). Transport og arbeidsinkludering. I: Arbeidsinkludering for personer med utviklingshemming. Universitetsforlaget 2021 ISBN 978-82-15-04692-1. s. 117-126
Albæk, Ane Ugland; Binder, Per-Einar; Milde, Anne Marita (2019). Entering an emotional minefield: professionals’ experiences with facilitators to address abuse in child interviews.. BMC Health Services Research ;Volum 19.(302)
Wass, Sofie; Safari, Mugula Chris; Haugland, Silje; Omland, Hans Olav (2019). Transitions from school to sheltered employment in Norway – Experiences of people with intellectual disabilities. British Journal of Learning Disabilities 2021 ;Volum 49.(3) s. 373-382
Wass, Sofie; Hansen, Lise Amy; Safari, Mugula Chris (2020). Designing Transport Supporting Services Together with Users with Intellectual Disabilities. I: Designing for Digital Transformation. Co-Creating Services with Citizens and Industry. Springer Nature 2020 ISBN 978-3-030-64822-0. s. 56-67
Albæk, Ane Ugland; Binder, Per-Einar; Milde, Anne Marita (2019). Plunging into a dark sea of emotions: Professionals’ emotional experiences addressing child abuse in interviews with children. Qualitative Health Research 2019 s. 1-13
Wass, Sofie; Safari, Mugula Chris (2020). Photovoice—Towards Engaging and Empowering People with Intellectual Disabilities in Innovation. Life 2020 ;Volum 10.(272) s. 1-11
Holen-Rabbersvik, Elisabeth; Haugland, Silje; Omland, Hans Olav; Fredwall, Terje Emil; Hansen, Lise Amy (2019). Fra behovskartlegging til innovasjon for personer med utviklingshemming – noen metodiske og etiske refleksjoner. Tidsskrift for omsorgsforskning ;Volum 5.(3) s. 57-70
Rasmussen, Ole V.; Alving, Peter; Frydenlund, Jonas Højgaard; Bærentsen, Klaus B. (2020). Globale kriser: Psykologien i en ny tidsalder?. Psyke & Logos 2020 ;Volum 41.(2) s. 5-16
Steig, Marianne Hovet; Nodeland, Siren; Abildsnes, Eirik (2018). "Nå har jeg endelig funnet noe jeg liker å gjøre" En fokusgruppestudie av ungdom som har stått utenfor videregående opplæring. Tidsskrift for ungdomsforskning 2018 (2) s. 23-44
Albæk, Ane Ugland; Kinn, Liv Grethe; Milde, Anne Marita (2018). Walking children through a minefield: how professionals experience exploring adverse childhood experiences. Qualitative Health Research 2018 ;Volum 28.(2) s. 231-244