Health in Everyday Life among people with neurological Disorders (HELD)

In HELD's research, the experiences of phenomena in everyday life are studied in people at risk of or who have neurological disorders, as well as in their relatives. The environment can also have an impact on the difficulties and obstacles that people with disabilities can face, thereby limiting them. In addition, the research team develops and evaluates new complex interventions as well as studies the effects of the new efforts in close collaboration with healthcare professionals to facilitate the implementation of the results of the research in clinical practice.

The all encompassing aim of the HELD research group is to build knowledge to inform the development and implementation of interventions aiming to enable participation and health in everyday life and improve the health of people who are at risk for or already have neurological impairment (e.g.after a stroke or spinal cord injury) and for their relatives.

Long-term goals of HELD research group

• Develop and implement a global model for client-centred interventions for prevention and in rehabilitation as after stroke
• Develop models and implement knowledge to enable participation and well-being in everyday life among people who are at risk for or living with neurological disorders
• Develop models and implement knowledge to enable participation and well-being in everyday life
• Develop and implement evidence-based health promotion initiatives for people at risk or already having neurological disorders.
• Engage people at risk of or have neurological disabilities throughout the research process

Knowledge from qualitative and quantitative studies has contributed to the development of complex interventions with the aim of improving everyday life and participation in daily activities for people with disabilities. Knowledge from qualitative and quantitative studies has contributed to the development of complex interventions / interventions with the aim of improving the health care and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. After a new intervention has been developed, it is first tested in a pilot study and then in a full-scale randomized controlled study. One example is the now-completed project Life after Stroke II (LAS-II) - a randomized controlled multicenter study of a client-centred ADL (Activities in Daily Life) intervention to improve participation in everyday life after stroke. (ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01417585). The knowledge from qualitative and quantitative studies has also contributed to the development, evaluation and modification of assessment instruments.

Research group publications are available here. Information on book and book chapter contributions can be found here.

Ongoing projects

• Make my Day - Project Managers: Eric Asaba, Ann-Helen Patomella
• A 5-year follow-up of Life after stroke II - Project Manager: Susanne Guidetti
• ReWORK - a person-centered work-oriented rehabilitation: Design and evaluation of a complex intervention using innovative participatory methods - Project Managers: Eric Asaba, Gunilla Eriksson
• CARE-WORKS (Caregiving & Aging Reimagined for Europe - Work for Respect, Knowledge, and Sustainability) - Project Managers: Eric Asaba, Lisette Farias
• F @ ce 2.0 - Implementation and evaluation of a global new model for a person-centered, ICT-based and teambased interdisciplinary rehabilitation intervention for people with stroke  - Project Manager: Susanne Guidetti
• Participation in everyday life after stroke in Uganda - A randomized controlled trial of a family-centered intervention using the mobile phone as support in rehabilitation - Project Manager: Susanne Guidetti
• Reablement and technology for home care: ASSIST - supporting activity and participation for older adults living at home - Project Manager: Susanne Guidetti
• POSITIVE- maintaining and imPrOving the intrinSIc capaciTy Involving primary care and caregiVErs - Project Manager: Susanne Guidetti
• ASSIST- a reablement program with ICT support - Project Manager: Susanne Guidetti

Completed projects

• Life after stroke I
• Life after stroke II
• Need for rehabilitation and support in people with stroke and their relatives - a 5 year follow-up of LAS 1.
• Participation in everyday life after stroke: Development and evaluation of a person-centred and technology-based rehabilitation 

Partners and funders

We have a number of partners at local, national and international level such as: the University of Gothenburg, Dalarna University, Makerere University of Uganda Medical Research Council / Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Uganda Research Unit and with the University of Southern Denmark / Odense University Hospital in Denmark, RehabStation Stockholm, Stockholm Hospital, Academic Primary Care Center and Health Centers, Lund University, Tokyo Metropolitan University.

The various projects are funded by for example FORTE, the Swedish Research Council, EIT Health and the Doctoral School of Health Sciences at KI.

Group leader