Self-efficacy and social vulnerability in the transition from healthy to seriously ill. A multidisciplinary study with participatory research approaches

This project aims to investigate how adults 50+ years, who are socially vulnerable, experience the transition from being healthy to seriously ill. The goal is to provide recommendations on how healthcare professionals can support self-efficacy among socially vulnerable individuals during serious illness. We conceptualize self-efficacy as a relational phenomenon which emerges in the interaction between the individual and the world. This understanding of self-efficacy will inform the development of meaningful recommendations that consider the social and institutional contexts patients navigate in. The project employs epidemiological, anthropological, and participatory research approaches, and cancer is used as a model disease for serious illness. The project is organized with a research team from SDU and an advisory group consisting of representatives from practice (hospitals, general practice, municipality), patients, relatives, and volunteers.