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Margareta Bohlin

Senior Lecturer

Department of Psychology
Telephone
+46 31-786 16 87
+46 766-18 16 87
Mail
margareta.bohlin@psy.gu.se
Visiting address
Haraldsgatan 1
41314 Göteborg
Postal address
Box 500
40530 Göteborg

About Margareta Bohlin

My current research focuses on psychosocial living conditions from an interdisciplinary perspective. I lead and participate in projects concerning social media organizing and resistance strategies, including responses to online hate and threats. A relatively new project explores psychosocial processes involved in opinion formation online and how these can be addressed.

Two other areas of focus in my research are existential perspectives on addiction and recovery, and the connection between involuntary loneliness and existential health. In the first, I explore how existential questions—such as meaning, belonging, and personal transformation—intersect with processes of addiction and recovery. This research highlights the need to consider deeper human experiences in both treatment and prevention. The second area investigates how involuntary loneliness affects existential well-being, particularly in isolated environments. It emphasizes the significance of social connectedness, community, and purpose for mental and existential health, especially in times of increasing digitalization and societal fragmentation.

A recently initiated research field examines psychosocial perspectives on life in the archipelago, particularly on islands. The focus is on both the challenges and opportunities for enhanced quality of life, as well as how increased digital engagement affects private individuals and entrepreneurs in archipelagic settings. At present, I am part of a newly established Archipelago Research Network based at Södertörn University.

Ongoing research projects:

  • Existential perspectives on addiction and recovery (EAR)
  • Involuntary loneliness and existential health (ILE)
  • Addressing online hate, threats, and conspiracy theories (RCT)
  • Psychosocial perspectives on living and working in island and archipelago environments and digital development (PIR)

Previous Research Projects (some ongoing)

My doctoral dissertation focused on youth risk behaviors from social psychological and existential perspectives. A related area of research concerns sexual development and sexual vulnerability. I have worked on projects within the framework of the #metoo movement, addressing sexual harassment and the social organizing that constitutes the foundation of the movement. Parts of this research have examined the impact on the working conditions of various professional groups, such as police officers.

Another research field has focused on the life circumstances and coping strategies of adolescents living with diabetes, including shifts in healthcare strategies and how these affect both healthcare professionals and other adults involved.

Selected previous research projects:

  • Youth organizing and interaction processes on social media and their implications for professional practice (SMYR)
  • Youth risk-taking, sexual development, and sexual vulnerability online, as well as studies of risk discourses in various media (RaM)
  • Psychosocial organizing on social media and sexual vulnerability (SPOSH)
  • Life conditions and approaches to chronic illness among adolescents with diabetes, and evolving care strategies among healthcare professionals and adults (DUV)

I earned my PhD in 2011 with the dissertation Music and Risk in an Existential and Gendered World. In the spring of 2015, I was appointed Associate Professor (Docent) in Psychology.

Research Groups

  • GREY – Gothenburg Research Unit on Youth Development
  • GR-WOP – Gothenburg Research Group in Work and Organizational Psychology
  • SOL – Safety, Organization, and Leadership

Teaching and Supervision

I teach in the social sciences at both undergraduate and advanced levels, with a primary focus on general psychology, child and youth studies, risk and risk behaviors, gender and intersectional perspectives, sexology, health psychology, research methodology, and digital/social media research. I supervise students at undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral levels.