Social policy and public health

In the Social Policy and Public Health program, we explore how societal changes, developments, and transitions impact people’s everyday lives and what this means for population health and well-being.

Our research spans five main themes:

• Work, care and participation: how societal changes and personal situations shape people’s ability to participate and feel included in work, care and community life;
• Health behaviour, services and outcomes: how health behaviours develop, how services are organised and delivered, and how these influence health and well-being;
• Sustainable behaviours and transitions: how individuals, communities and systems adapt to environmental transitions, and what supports sustainable, healthy choices;
• Sexuality and sexual health: how sexual welbeing, relationships and identities differ and change, and what the influence is of policies, interventions and social norms;
• Mental health and well-being: how social factors shape mental health, what promotes population well-being, and how to support resilient public services.

Across these areas, we study social policy in action and examine how policies are designed and implemented, and how social and health interventions are developed and applied and used in real-world contexts.We also evaluate how policies and interventions affect people’s views, behaviours and outcomes, and how people experience policies and interventions.

Our inter- and transdisciplinary work aims to contribute to a better understanding of the social determinants of health and wellbeing, reducing social inequities and promoting social justice. We are strongly committed to participatory research that includes and values the expertise of the communities we work with on an equal footing. 

To improve population health and well-being, we must look beyond individuals and find ways to also transform the social structural factors that shape our lives.

Examples of our research

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  Impact of Social Policy on Health Research into social policy and improving the health of people receiving social assistance benefits and people with (or at risk of) problematic debts.
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  Sustainable employability in the arts and culture sector How can we strengthen a sustainable career for self-employed professionals in the arts and culture sector?
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  Advisory board Health for all – Utrecht What insights can we gain about existential insecurity by working with people who have experience with it?
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  T@CKLE project How can we map sexually transgressive behavior and change the societal norms that enable it?
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  BePrepared project What can we learn from the COVID-19 pandemic to be better prepared as a society in the future?
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  Het FLY (Food-related Lifestyles in Youth) - project What does it take for young people – particularly those from lower socio-economic groups – to develop more sustainable eating habits?
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  SPIRAL: The Making of an HIV Cure for All Research into more diverse and inclusive methods for HIV cure.
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  Financial vulnerability during retirement Research into how various risk factors throughout life contribute to financial vulnerability.