Ruth Kjærsti Raanaas

My main research interest is on factors that can promote mental health and well-being and prevent mental disorders in the general population, such as social and environmental factors and the opportunity to participate in meaningful occupations in the everyday life.

With the main aim of gaining knowledge of how to promote mental health and well-being, my research is spanning over several areas of public health related science, such as occupational health, environmental psychology and occupational science. Within environmental psychology, I have been involved with numerous studies of possible restorative effects of nature contact. In cross sectional studies of different vulnerable groups, I have studied if and how factors such as sense of mastery and social support can buffer negative effects on mental health, of negative life events. More recently, I have gained an interest in how to promote mental health in the local community through participatory approaches.

I have expertise in a large variety of research methods, such as quantitative, experimental methods and different cross-sectional approaches, as well as qualitative methods such as traditional interview methods based on descriptive qualitative designs, discourse analysis, narrative approaches and Photovoice methodology. I have also worked with methods that combine qualitative and quantitative approaches, such as Concept Mapping.