Dorte Toudal Viftrup

Dorte Toudal Viftrup is an Associate Professor at the Department of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, affiliated with the Research Unit of General Practice VIP and the FaCe - Family Focused Healthcare Research Center. She holds a PhD and MSc in Psychology, with additional roles as a psychologist and researcher at Videncenter for Rehabilitering og Palliation starting March 2025. Her work integrates clinical practice with academic research focused on existential and spiritual dimensions of healthcare.

Research Focus: Viftrup's scholarship centers on existential-spiritual development across the lifespan, with particular emphasis on children, youth, and families in health crises. Her work examines:

• Existential psychology and spiritual care in palliative settings
• Child development of death concepts and life values
• Religious psychology in secular contexts
• Metaphor and language in existential education
• Family dynamics during serious illness and bereavement

She employs qualitative methodologies including interviews, focus groups, and narrative analysis to explore how individuals construct meaning during health transitions.

Publication Trends: Her recent articles (2020-2025) demonstrate consistent focus on spiritual/existential care in pediatric and palliative contexts. Key themes include: spiritual assessment tools for children, existential communication in aphasia patients, COVID-19's impact on youth identity, and training interventions for hospice staff. Methodologically, she favors qualitative designs with strong emphasis on lived experience narratives.

Advising and Projects: Currently supervising PhD candidates Bloch, S.B. (meaningfulness/crises in youth) and Voetmann, S.S. (existential agency in young caregivers). Leads multiple projects including:

• "Samtaler om eksistentielle emner med børn" (Existential conversations with children)
• "Mellemtrins-projekt: kan man gå på vandet?" (Metaphor education)
• "Indskolingsbørns sorg og livsmod" (Schoolchildren's grief/life courage)
• Development of spiritual care training programs for hospices

Collaborations: Affiliated with Research Unit of General Practice VIP and FaCe Research Center, with additional clinical partnerships at Hospice Sydfyn. Regularly conducts workshops on existential care for healthcare professionals.