News from the Division of Insurance Medicine
REWHARD conference 9-10 September
Using Swedish survey and register data in research on social relations, work and health across the life course
Lunch to lunch conference 9-10 September in Stockholm
Book these days for an inspiring conference about using data from REWHARD and other Swedish data providers in research!
Those who already use REWHARD (IMAS, LNU, SLOSH and STODS) as well as other researchers/doctoral students with an interest in the area are welcome. The conference will focus on two themes, with both internal and invited speakers:
- Work environment, income and sick leave for women and men: Development in different occupations
- Working with register data from Statistics Sweden (SCB)
We will also organise a 'poster walk' where those who have submitted posters briefly can present their work.
The conference language will be English. More information will be made available in the spring, also on our website www.rewhard.se/english, no later than 1 May.
For more information, please contact Beatrice Chaveroche beatrice.chaveroche@su.se.
EU conference on Mental Health and Work in Brussels
Professor Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz was invited by the Belgium government to speak at the high level EU conference on Mental Health and Work in Brussels. Professor Mittendorfer-Rutz outlined evidence-based strategies which can facilitate the entrance in the labour market of individuals with mental health complaints.
The European Commission released a statement in 2023 outlining a comprehensive approach to mental health. Emphasizing the importance of treating mental health on par with physical health, the Commission urged action to combat psychosocial risks at work.
Recognizing these challenges, the Belgian presidency of the council of the European Union organized a two-day conference on mental health and work. The event aimed to address the various issues related to declining mental health in European workplaces, focusing on prevention through primary, secondary, and tertiary measures. Key themes included the necessity of an integrated approach, a robust European legislative framework, better anticipation of future crises, and the importance of social dialogue.
More information here
New grants
Emilie Friberg has been granted 4,6 million from FORTE for her research project entitled "Sustainable work strategies for people with multiple sclerosis". Iman Alaie has been granted 2,4 million from the Swedish Research Council for his project entitled "Youth psychiatric disorders and the risk of labour market marginalisation".
New doctoral thesis
Fitsum Teni has defended his thesis entitled Activity restrictions, treatment and work disability among people with multiple sclerosis.
New doctoral thesis
Linnea Kjeldgård has defended her doctoral thesis entitled Sickness absence and disability pension among injured bicyclists and pedestrians.
New grant
Associate professor Heidi Taipale has been granted 7 million SEK from Sigrid Juselius stiftelse in Finland for her research project which addresses real-world effectiveness of complex pharmacotherapy regimens and their dose-response relationships for schizophrenia and possibilities to enhance it with genetic data.
New doctoral thesis
Ulrika Rönningås has defended her thesis entitled "Experiences of signs and symptoms among men with advanced prostate cancer".
New doctoral thesis
Sandra Dovesson har defended her thesis entitled "Experiences, expectations and treatment decision-making in men with metastatic prostate cancer".
New grants
Kristin Farrants and Alexis Cullen have been granted 3.0 million and 2.4 million respectively from The Swedish Research Council. Kristin Farrants received the grant for her project on morbidity among older women and men in paid work and Alexis Cullen for her project on early detection and intervention strategies regarding psychosis.
Katalin Gémes has been granted 4.4 million SEK
Katalin Gémes has been granted 4.4 million SEK from FORTE for her research project: The role of multimorbidity, social factors, work environment and treatment on labor market marginalization after sick leave due to depression, anxiety and stress-related mental disorders.
Iman Alaie has been granted 2 million SEK
Iman Alaie has been granted 2 million SEK from Forte for his project: Childhood-onset neuropsychiatric conditions and the risk of labor market marginalization in adulthood: Focusing on etiologic mechanisms and putative developmental pathways
New thesis
Chantelle Murley has successfully defended her doctoral thesis entitled Work disability, economic situation, and societal costs of multiple sclerosis in Sweden.
You can read her thesis here
Ridwan Amin has defended his thesis
Ridwan Amin has defended his doctoral thesis entitled Suicidal behaviour and healthcare use among refugees.
You can read his thesis here.
New study found no evidence of increased risk of suicide
This new observational study is the first to examine suicides occurring during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic in multiple countries and finds that suicide numbers largely remained unchanged or declined in the pandemic’s early months. However, the authors stress that governments must remain vigilant as the longer-term mental health and economic effects of the pandemic unfold and be poised to respond if the situation changes.
Few studies have examined the effects of any widespread infectious disease outbreaks on suicide. The new study included around 70 authors from 30 countries who are members of the International COVID-19 Suicide Prevention Research Collaboration (ICSPRC), which was created to share knowledge about the impact of the pandemic on suicide and suicidal behaviour, and advise on ways to mitigate any risks.
The study is published in The Lancet Psychiatry journal.
Emilie Friberg has been granted 3,2 million SEK
Emilie Friberg has been granted 3,2 million SEK from the AFA Insurance in order to study health and work ability among pedestrians of working age who were injured in a fall accident in a road environment or in a collision with another road user.
Kristin Farrants has been granted 3,8 million SEK from AFA
Kristin Farrants has been granted 3.8 million SEK from AFA Insurance to study sickness absence and disability pension among blue-collar workers in the trade industry during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The researchers will study sickness absence and disability pension among blue-collar workers in general, among people in risk groups for serious Covid-19, and if specific occupations had particularly high sickness absence during the pandemic. This will be compared with their prior morbidity and sickness absence.
Linjing Chen has been granted 1 million SEK
Linjing Chen has been granted 1 million SEK from the Swedish Childhood Cancer Fund for a project which focuses on mapping and evaluating sickness absence, disability pension, future life and work situation among adult cancer survivors.
Professor Kristina Alexanderson has been awarded the 2020 Silver Medal
Kristina Alexanderson, Professor of Social Insurance at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience has been awarded the medal for her excellent contribution to the development of social insurance research and competence at KI. She has placed KI firmly on the map as a leading university in the field, nationally as well as internationally.
You will find more information here
A new grant
Kristin Farrants, Kristina Alexanderson and Staffan Marklund have been granted 740 000 kr from Forte for their project: "Health and morbidity among people in paid work after the standard retirement age: A systematic review".
You will find more information regarding Fortes grant decisions here
A new report on psychosocial work environment
The report contains two systematic literature reviews that bring together existing knowledge in the form of previously published systematic reviews and provides knowledge in relation to the question of what creates healthy, vital workplaces.
You will find more information here
New grants to the Division of Insurance Medicine
Jurgita Narusyte and Magnus Helgesson have been granted 4.9 million SEK each from AFA Insurance within their research program “Living and working with mental ill-health”.
You can read more about the grants here
New licentiate thesis
Linnea Kjeldgård has defended her licentiate thesis entitled Sickness absence and disability pension among individuals injured in a bicycle crash.
New doctoral thesis
Mirkka Söderman has defended her doctoral thesis entitled Healthcare professionals’ work with sickness absence: with focus on oncology.
You can read the thesis here
New doctoral thesis
Rasmus Elrud has defended his thesis entitled Sickness absence, disability pension, and permanent medical impairment among car occupants injured in a crash.
New publication: Long-term medication for schizophrenia is safe
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet and their colleagues in Germany, the USA and Finland have studied the safety of very long-term antipsychotic therapy for schizophrenia. According to the study, which is published in the scientific journal World Psychiatry, mortality was higher during periods when patients were not on medication than when they were.
You will find more information here
The EUMASS congress 2021
The EUMASS congress has been postponed to 16-18 September 2021.
You will find more information here