The promotion of parental wellbeing as a key public mental health strategy: The case of gendered work life balance and its socio-contextual mechanisms in contemporary working life 

The PROPEL project (2026-2030) focuses on parental work-life balance as a key aspect of family mental wellbeing. The project aims to identify and understand the complexity of work life balance among European and Finnish working parents, analysing various interacting support and risk factors. Policy and interventions intended to support work-life balance and thereby family wellbeing are also studied. The project places special emphasis on gender (in)equality and intersectionality perspectives. The contributions of PROPEL will be both theoretical and empirical, also prioritizing key stakeholder engagement and participation.

In nine project sub-studies the topic of family mental wellbeing and work-life balance is considered from varying perspectives and utilizing different research methods. These encompass statistical analysis methods utilizing both European and Finnish survey data, analysis of relevant legislation and policy in different European countries, systematic review methods focusing on programs intended to support work-life balance as well as qualitative methods analyzing interview data collected among Finnish stakeholder representatives. Implementation research methods including impact assessment are also utilized. The actionable research approach contributes to developing the knowledge field and mental health promotion practice alike.

PROPEL is a joint project between Åbo Akademi University (coordinator) and the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare. The project is funded by the Research Council of Finland.