PART II.
Psychological resilience in practice: Nordic case studies
Images: Ben Grayland/Unsplash (left), Phil Aicken/Unsplash (right)
Image: Ben Grayland/Unsplash
To better understand psychological resilience in practice, we conducted case study research in the Nordic countries. These case studies explore several areas where, according to the Finnish conceptualisation, psychological resilience is fostered, including cultural activities (arts initiatives and a library in Finland and a library in Norway), voluntary organisations (the Red Cross in Denmark), and local community associations (a citizens’ association in Iceland and a village-based initiative for preparedness activities in Sweden). Figure 4 and Table 4 display the constellation of cases.
Interviews with actors engaged in the different local and regional level initiatives were conducted in local languages during the winter and spring of 2026. While the cases highlight examples of psychological resilience in operation within organisations or institutions, the work of resilience and preparedness in all cases is multi-scalar and cross-sectoral. For example, Gotland’s Stark Socken initiative is run by Region Gotland and the County Administrative Board, but the activities are carried out jointly among local parish associations, housing associations, and other local community actors. The case studies are limited in their scope, as only some of the many actors involved were interviewed due to time and budget constraints. Furthermore, there may be additional developments or changes that have emerged from these initiatives since the time of interviews and writing of the report. Finally, the cases do not represent the nature of psychological resilience for each country as a whole; rather, their value is in their expression as illustrative examples for how psychological resilience is operationalised at local and regional levels.
Figure 4. Case study locations. (Source: Nordregio)
Country | Case location | Areas of psychological resilience (see Box 3) |
Denmark | The entirety of Denmark | Civil society; voluntary organisations |
Finland | Helsinki and Kuopio | Cultural heritage/cultural institutions (art) |
Iceland | Grindavík | Voluntary organisations; local associations |
Norway | Tønsberg and Færder | Cultural heritage/cultural institutions (library sector) |
Sweden | Gotland | Civil society; local associations (villages) |
Table 4. Case study selections.