Impact of Social Policy on Health (Realist Approach to Social Policies to realize health potential – RASP)

Health inequalities arise when people lack vital resources that support healthy lives—such as financial security, a supportive social network, stable housing, work or daytime activities, and access to education and basic skills. Around 25% of Dutch citizens experience shortages in one or more of these forms of resources.

This project focuses on improving health of two groups in particularly vulnerable positions: people receiving social assistance benefits and people facing problematic debts.

Social policy has the potential to strengthen these forms of capital, but it can also unintentionally create additional burdens. Scientific knowledge about how social policy—especially debt policy—affects health remains very limited. This project aims to change that by generating new insights and putting them into practice.

We combine two complementary systems approaches. A realist approach helps us understand what works, for whom, and under what conditions social policy interventions support health potential. An institutional approach enables us to translate these insights into governance strategies that reflect the roles and responsibilities of key actors in the system.

Working closely with municipalities, national institutions, professionals, students, and experiential experts, we evaluate policy interventions, co-create strategies, and develop practical tools and knowledge products. Together, we aim to create the conditions for reducing health inequalities.

Staff

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  dr. Jantien van Berkel

  Assistant Professor

  Email: