Kokousselostus Euroopan terveyssosiologiyhdistyksen (European Society of Health and Medical Sociology ESHMS) kokouksesta Hampurissa 19.-21.8.2026.
Gambling disorder (ICD-10: F63.0) impairs quality of life and increases suicide risk. This study examined how many individuals with a gambling disorder diagnosis died by suicide, what other mental health disorders they had, and how the timing of their last health care visit related to their suicide. All individuals aged 15 and older who died in Finland between 1996 and 2023 and had a gambling disorder diagnosis were identified from the Finnish Care Register for Health Care. The timing of their last visit to primary or specialized health care was examined in relation to suicide death. Between 1996 and 2023, 258 individuals with a gambling disorder diagnosis died in Finland, of whom 26% died by suicide. Among those who died by suicide, 39% were under 35 years old, with a median age of 41 years – compared to 59 years among those who died of other causes. The age at death among those who died of other causes was also lower than in the general population, suggesting that gambling disorder is associated with broader premature mortality beyond suicide. All individuals who died by suicide also had at least one other mental health disorder, and more than a third had multiple. Over half had a history of self-harm requiring health care treatment. 63% had visited health care within the past 30 days, and 13% on the day of their suicide, most commonly in specialized care for mental health reasons. Every premature death is not only a human tragedy but also generates substantial indirect societal costs, for example through lost working years. Better recognition of the link between gambling disorder and suicide risk, high-quality treatment of gambling disorder, and multidisciplinary collaboration could help prevent suicide among individuals with gambling disorder in the future.
Ilmastonmuutos, luontokato ja ympäristöpaineet vaikuttavat merkittävästi väestön terveyteen. Päijät‑Hämeen alueella toteutettava Luontoaskel terveyteen -ohjelma (2022–2032) yhdistää terveyden edistämisen, ympäristötoimet ja planetaarisen terveyden näkökulman. Katsausartikkelissa kuvaamme ohjelman keskeisiä toimenpiteitä, yhteistyörakenteita ja väestön hyvinvointiin liittyviä havaintoja vuosilta 2022–2025. Ohjelmassa on kehitetty luontolähtöisiä palveluja, kohennettu terveyttä tukevia elinympäristöjä ja uudistettu kestävän ravitsemuksen ja liikkumisen käytäntöjä. Organisaatioiden välinen yhteistyö on vahvistunut yhteisen osallisuuden ja ohjausryhmän toiminnan avulla. Tutkimusyhteistyö Lahden Yliopistokeskuksen ja tutkimuslaitosten kanssa on tukenut näyttöön perustuvan tiedon ottamista käyttöön päätöksenteossa. Kokemukset osoittavat, että planetaarisen terveyden alueellista mallia voidaan toteuttaa käytännössä hyödyttäen niin väestön terveyttä kuin ympäristöä. Näyttöön perustuvan tutkimustiedon tarve on suurentunut kokemusten soveltamiseksi myös muilla alueilla väestön hyväksi.
Finnish terminology in implementation research is partly non-standardized, and parallel translations hinder the development of shared understanding. We aimed to describe expert consensus on implementation-related concepts in Finnish social and health care research. The research question was: What is the expert consensus on Finnish equivalents for key implementation-related concepts? A three-phase Delphi study comprised identification and delimitation of concepts, concept appraisal through Webropol surveys, and selection of Finnish concepts. Surveys I-II were administered to an expert panel composed of implementation researchers (Survey I n=11; Survey II n=10), and Survey III to the Finnish Implementation Research Network (n=94). Consensus criteria were predefined: importance to translate a concept as a mean score of ≥3.5 on a 5-point Likert scale, and suitability of translation as ≥75 percent of respondents rating 7, 8, or 9 on a 9-point Likert scale. Five researchers identified 175 concepts from the English-language literature, of which 56 proceeded to appraisal. The Delphi process yielded consensus on Finnish experts for 22 concepts. During process, 29 concepts were excluded based on surveys and expert panel discussions. No consensus was reached for five concepts. The findings provide a foundation for more consistent terminology, although further dialogue is needed.
Group-based activation services can support the everyday wellbeing of people experiencing long-term unemployment, but participants’ experiences of these services vary. This study examines which features of group-based activities enhance or undermine perceived wellbeing and how meaningfulness is shaped through the satisfaction of basic psychological needs. The data is comprised of 24 individual interviews and four group interviews with a total of 46 unemployed jobseekers referred to activation services. The data was analysed using theory-guided thematic analysis, drawing on the Meaningful Activity and Life Meaning model and self-determination theory. Group-based activities enhanced wellbeing when they structured everyday life, provided purposeful activity, and strengthened participants’ connection to other people and wider society. Meaningfulness was shaped through the satisfaction of the needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness. This required opportunities to influence one’s participation, concrete support for personally relevant goals, experiences of accomplishment, and stable relationships characterised by recognition and respect. Conversely, activities experienced as coercive, unsuitable for one’s circumstances, or lacking meaningful content intensified feelings of being controlled, worthlessness, and exclusion. The findings demonstrate that the contribution of group-based activities to wellbeing is not determined by service content alone, but by what participation enables in relation to the participant’s life circumstances. Service development should therefore safeguard activities linked to participants’ own goals, sufficient opportunities for choice, and continuity of support and guidance relationships with service professionals.
