Åbent opslag: Undersøgelse af børn og unges forståelser af trivsel og mistrivsel

OBS: Du kan downloade det åbne opslag i fuld længde via linket i højre side.

Purpose

Centre for Childhood Health (Center for Sundt Liv og Trivsel, CSLT) invites proposals (expression of interests) for an innovative study that explores how children and adolescents across different age groups, sexes, and social and geographical contexts understand and experience the concepts of Trivsel (mental well-being) and Mistrivsel (distress or lack of mental well-being).

With this call, CSLT aims to support a study that explores how children and adolescents assign meaning to, and practice Trivsel and Mistrivsel, and how these are shaped by the social arenas and dynamics they navigate (e.g. school, home, peer groups, digital spaces).

A key objective is that the study uses these insights to develop new – or significantly improve existing – instruments for quantitatively assessing Trivsel and Mistrivsel. These new or revised measures should be grounded in the language, logic, and lifeworlds of children and adolescents themselves.

Thus, the overall aims of the funded study are to:

• Provide empirically grounded understandings of Trivsel and Mistrivsel from the perspective of children and adolescents
• Produce new and/or improved measurements that more accurately assess children’s and adolescents’ experiences of Trivsel and Mistrivsel
   

Background

What does Trivsel and Mistrivsel mean to children and young people – from their own perspectives?
This question remains insufficiently answered. Trivsel is a complex and multifaceted phenomenon, and our current methods for capturing and assessing it are often inadequate. The need for more nuanced understandings and better, child-centered measurement approaches is more urgent than ever – particularly in light of the national focus on child well-being, such as the recent work of the Danish “Trivselskommission.”

There is a growing body of literature discussing how to define “Trivsel” and/or “Mistrivsel” often translated as “Mental well-being” and “Poor mental well-being” indicating that they are opposites of the same underlying construct. Yet, in fact, “Trivsel” and ”Mistrivsel” may be influenced by different factors and in different ways. While there is an elaborated mainly theoretical literature on how to define “Trivsel”, there is a lack of knowledge on how children and adolescence themselves define and understand these constructs, and especially how and if these understandings differ across certain characteristics including age, sex, social position and geographical location. 

Methods

We strongly encourage proposals that are methodologically innovative and that seek to challenge or expand traditional approaches to research and measure development. This may include the incorporation of AI-based methods, the use of language models, digital ethnography, or other approaches that open new ways of understanding and measuring what matters most to children and young people.

Please read the selection criteria below or download the full open call via the link at the top right.

Applicant and organization

The applicant must hold a PhD and be affiliated with a Danish research institution. 

The described project requires a wide range of qualifications covering both qualitative and quantitative methods. In Centre for Childhood Health, we promote interdisciplinary collaborations and partnerships and, thus, prefer this project to be organized as a collaboration between specialties.

Budget  

4.5 million DKK

Submission Guideline 

• Expression of interest: Applicants are required to submit a max 2-page (5000 characters in english) outline of their proposed activity or project. This should include:
• Title of the project 
• Objectives and goals 
• Summary of the proposed methodology with emphasis on the innovative aspects
• Expected outcomes and impact 
• Motivation and expertise of the applicant(s)
• Tentative budget

Important Dates

• Deadline for expression of interest: Monday Aug 4, 2025
• Deadline for full application: November, 2025 (invited applicants will be notified)

Submission Instructions

Please submit your expression of interest  to application@cslt.dk by Aug 4, 2025.
Please insert title on the call for expression of interest in the subject line.

Procedure for the evaluation and decision of applications

The Centre for Childhood Health will establish an internal committee holding specific expertise within the field and aim of the call. Additionally, an external committee will review applications proceeding to the second stage. All full applications will be kept confidential within the centre and the committees.