Category: Society & economics

Barbara Törnquist-Plewa, Professor of Eastern and Central European Studies, and coordinator of the group

Memory in a digital era

Today, we share our personal and professional memories to an increasing degree via various social media platforms. But how does this digital environment affect our individual and collective memory when the borders between the public and private, then and now, authenticity and manipulation, are being erased? This is what a...

The day Pia Dellson’s brain refused to carry on

Pia Dellson is an oncologist and psychiatrist with personal experience of burnout. In late 2012 she had a breakdown and suddenly could not cope with anything. She considers that she “broke her brain”. “When you break a leg there is nothing you can do except rest the leg and wait...

The thrill of the chase-when gambling takes over

When the collection letters are piling up and the bailiff is at the door, the rational response would be to stop the behaviour that caused the situation. But for those who suffer from gambling addiction, the reaction may be the opposite – an increase in gambling and a chase to...

The many dimensions of a crisis

A crisis is an event that can have very negative consequences, which can sometimes be long term or even permanent. In the media, there are regular references to a “climate crisis”, “refugee crisis” or “health crisis”. But, what does the term “crisis” actually mean? And can a deepened understanding of...

Difficulties letting go of fearful memories?

 “Just remember, if your thoughts wander away – gently remind yourself to return to focusing on your breath”. The voice in my mindfulness app startles me a little as I am deep into my meditation, sitting in a chair with my eyes closed. After more than a month’s practice I...

Mindfulness just as effective as CBT for a broad range of psychiatric symptoms

Mindfulness group therapy has an equally positive effect as individual CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) for the treatment of a wide range of psychiatric symptoms in patients with depression, anxiety and stress-related disorders. Researchers made the finding in a new study from the Center for Primary Healthcare Research (CPF) in Malmö,...

If mental ill-health dates back to childhood, can mindfulness help?

Thoughts are spinning – worrying about the future and pondering about the past. Sometimes anxiety can tear a hole in our stomachs; sometimes we become so depressed that we can’t get anything done. You might think that this problem only concerns teenagers and adults, but the symptoms are probably often...

Who reads an annual report?

All limited companies are obliged to produce an annual report. But what happens to the annual report once it is published? Who reads it and why? And to whom is the annual report addressed? For whom is it really written, and how is it graphically designed? The Annual Report research...

Digital solutions to minimize food waste

Food waste is a major challenge for society. In Sweden alone, we throw away 1.2 million tons of food every year, most of which is unnecessary. What can we do to reduce it? What is the role of packaging? Can digitalization contribute to reducing food waste? What trends do researchers...