Developing an integrative research agenda on child maltreatment
An interdisciplinary workshop series on social resilience, vulnerability, and multilevel pathways to health.
Child maltreatment affects up to 35 per cent of the population and is linked to major mental and physical health problems. Impaired social functioning—such as loneliness and poor social support—further increases risk, while supportive relationships can serve as protective factors.
Yet the mechanisms linking social functioning to long-term health remain poorly understood. To address key gaps—including limited integration across disciplines, underuse of novel methods, and a lack of knowledge about how vulnerability and protective factors interact—this workshop series will bring together an international, transdisciplinary group of researchers from fields such as psychology, neuroscience, biology, genetics, and public health.
Anchored at Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm University and Mid Sweden University, this series aims to co-develop a joint research agenda on social functioning as a key mechanism linking child maltreatment to health. Through six structured workshops—five hybrid and one in-person—we will synthesize knowledge, identify research priorities, and define collaborative work packages that will form the basis of future funding applications.
Advancing understanding in this area is essential for designing effective interventions—urgently needed given the high personal and societal costs of child maltreatment. This initiative positions Sweden as a hub for collaborative, high-impact research on health, adversity, and resilience.
Content, Date and Place of Workshops
Workshop 1
Nov 17th, 2025, 8.30–12.00. Hybrid meeting, Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm)
Welcome, overview and aims of the workshop series
Sustainable development goals (SDGs): Information on SDGs and raising awareness of all workshop attendants. Defining a) which SDGs are relevant for our research and b) how we integrate them in our research.
Workshop 2
Nov 26th, 2025, 8.30–12.00 (part 1), 13.00–16.30 (part 2). Hybrid meeting, Mid Sweden University (Campus Östersund)
Part one: Conducting AI-assisted meta-analyses – a general introduction.
Part two: Subgroup formation for conducting an AI-assisted meta-analysis that aims to identify the most prevalent mental and physical health outcomes after child maltreatment, informing the selection of outcome variables for our to-be-planned research and work packages.
Workshop 3
Dec 10th, 2025, 08.30–12.00 – 13.00–16.30. Hybrid meeting, Mid Sweden University (Campus Östersund)
How do major components of social functioning relate to protective and vulnerability factors for adverse health effects of child trauma?
We will discuss and define how to measure social functioning and its effects on health, as well as vulnerability/protective factors. We will then develop a visual model illustrating the associations between child trauma, adverse health effects, risk/vulnerability factors, and the role of social functioning.
Methodological approaches for measuring the various factors will be discussed.
Workshop 4
Jan 9th, 2026, 08.30–12.00 – 13.00–16.30. Hybrid meeting, Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm)
How can register data be used to assess genetic and environmental resilience and vulnerability factors for mental and physical health after child maltreatment? We will define variables and models for studying vulnerability factors in registries and biobanks.
Workshop 5
Jan 27th, 2025, 08.30–12.00 – 13.00–16.30. Hybrid meeting, Mid Sweden University (Campus Östersund)
Stress response and recovery: We will discuss the role of genetic vulnerability to anxiety and depression and response to LPS treatment. Moreover, a visual model on biological pathways mediating vulnerability to stress will be developed.
Workshop 6
Feb 26th–27th, 2026, 08.30-12.00 – 13.00–16.30. In person meeting, Karolinska Institutet (Stockholm)
Based on all previous workshops, we will agree on a research agenda by defining the most pressing research questions and methods to be used to address them. The workshop will include the definition of work packages, next steps and responsibilities for the grant writing process.