Inger Beate Larsen

Inger Beate Larsen is a Professor at the Department of Psychosocial Health, Faculty of Health and Sports Sciences, University of Agder (UiA), where she has held a scientific position since 1994. She earned her PhD in community medicine from the University of Bergen and is a trained psychiatric nurse. From 2009 to 2022, she led the research group 'Society, Space, Psychosocial Health (SSPH)', formerly known as 'An including society'.

Her research centers on mental health recovery, with a strong emphasis on qualitative methodologies. Key areas include:

• The role of materiality and everyday objects in recovery processes
• Supported housing and the built environment for individuals with mental health challenges
• Recovery-oriented practices and social inclusion
• Patient and next-of-kin experiences, particularly through formal complaints
• Ethical considerations in mental health care and psychiatric textbooks
• Power dynamics and micropolitics in recovery narratives

Her recent publications (2020–2025) reveal a consistent focus on the social, relational, and material dimensions of recovery, often using narrative and assemblage analysis. She frequently collaborates with scholars such as Alain Pierre Topor, Tore Dag Bøe, and Terje Emil Fredwall, contributing to journals in nursing, sociology, mental health, and qualitative research.

Notable scientific contributions include:

• Critical analysis of house rules and discipline in community mental health services
• Exploration of how material surroundings influence identity and healing
• Investigation into the pre-recovery phase and the origins of mental health issues
• Studies on employment and multi-agency collaboration in recovery support

She has no listed scientific awards in the provided text. Her advisory role to students is not specified, but her leadership in research groups and numerous collaborative publications suggest a mentorship role. She has contributed to both peer-reviewed journals and public discourse through outlets like Forskning.no and Agderposten. Her work bridges academic research and practical mental health services, advocating for more humane, recovery-oriented, and socially inclusive approaches.