Ellenor Mittendorfer-Rutz' research group

Mental health and social integration (Mente)

The research group carries out epidemiological studies in three main research areas, namely: 1) etiology and prognosis of suicidal behaviour; 2) mental disorders, treatment and work disability and 3) mental ill-health, work disability and migration. The conducted studies consider a variety of risk and protective factors and the effect of social insurance regulations, health care and treatment on marginalisation processes. Emphasis is also put on potential differences in these processes in the native population compared to different migrant groups. Advanced analytical models allow capturing the heterogeneity in etiology and prognosis of individuals with mental disorders.

Research projects

Psychiatric diseases and sickness absence

Mental disorders, comorbidity and work disability

Psychiatric epidemiology

Ethiology and prognosis of youth suicidal behaviour

Early Detection and Intervention in Sweden (Edits)

Migration

REMAIN

Immigrants and work disability

Refugees and suicidal behavior

Sickness absence, health and living conditions

Also, studies are conducted regarding 1) risk factors for sick leave or disability pension, 2) consequences of being sickness absent or disability pensioned, 3) factors that hinder and promote return to work, 4) sickness certification practices, and 5) methods and theories within this research area. This is done for all as well as for specific diagnoses and life situations.
Both quantitative and qualitative analytical research methods are used in observational as well as intervention projects.

Insurance Medicine All Sweden (IMAS)

Somatic diseases and sickness absence

- Accute myocardial infarction and work disability

- Backpain and work disability

- Other diagnoses-specific projects

Sickness absence in different occupations

Sickness absence in different life situations

Healthcare’s work with sickness certification of patients

Sickness absentees' experiences of encounters

Sickness presence

Methodological studies

Systematic literature reviews

Other projects

Finished research projects/ programmes

Network

Resiliency, Mental Health and Social Participation among Refugees (RMSR)

Integrated Datasets in Europe for Ageing Research (IDEAR)

Selected publications

Childbirth, morbidity, sickness absence, and disability pension: a population-based longitudinal cohort study in Sweden. Wang M, László K, Svedberg P, Nylén L, Alexanderson K. BMJ Open. 2020; 10(11):e037726.

Trajectories of sickness absence and disability pension before and after colorectal cancer: a Swedish longitudinal population-based matched cohort study. Chen L, Alexanderson K. PLOS ONE. 2021:16(1): e0245246.

Self-rated health over a two-year period after breast cancer surgery: prospective ratings and retrospective rating by means of a health-line. Jakobsson S, Alexanderson K, Wennman-Larsen A, CharlesT, Ringsberg K. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences. 2020, early view, page 1-11; doi: 10.1111/scs.12899.

Productivity losses among people with back pain and among population-based references – a register-based study in Sweden. Gedin F, Alexanderson K, Zethraeus N, Karampampa K. BMJ Open 2020;10:e036638. doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2019-036638.

Sickness absence among privately employed white-collar workers: a total population study in Sweden.  Farrants K, Alexanderson K. Scandinavian Journal of Public Health 2021; 49(2):159-167 

Job demands and job control and future labour market situation: an 11-year prospective study of 2.2 million employees. Farrants K, Norberg J, Framke E, Rugulies R, Alexanderson K. JOEM. 2020:62(6):403-11.

Suicide among first-generation and second-generation immigrants in Sweden: association with labour market marginalisation and morbidity.
Di Thiene D, Alexanderson K, Tinghög P, La Torre G, Mittendorfer-Rutz E
J Epidemiol Community Health 2015 May;69(5):467-73

Course and characteristics of work disability 3 years before and after lumbar spine decompression surgery- a national population-based study.
Dorner TE, Helgesson M, Nilsson K, Pazarlis KA, Ropponen A, Svedberg P, et al
Sci Rep 2018 Aug;8(1):11811

Course and characteristics of work disability 3 years before and after lumbar spine decompression surgery- a national population-based study.
Dorner TE, Helgesson M, Nilsson K, Pazarlis KA, Ropponen A, Svedberg P, et al
Sci Rep 2018 Aug;8(1):11811

Healthcare use among immigrants and natives in Sweden on disability pension, before and after changes of regulations.
Di Thiene D, Rahman S, Helgesson M, Wang M, Alexanderson K, Tiihonen J, et al
Eur J Public Health 2018 06;28(3):445-451

Sickness Absence and Disability Pension After Breast Cancer Diagnosis: A 5-Year Nationwide Cohort Study.
Kvillemo P, Mittendorfer-Rutz E, Bränström R, Nilsson K, Alexanderson K
J. Clin. Oncol. 2017 Jun;35(18):2044-2052

Real-World Effectiveness of Antipsychotic Treatments in a Nationwide Cohort of 29 823 Patients With Schizophrenia.
Tiihonen J, Mittendorfer-Rutz E, Majak M, Mehtälä J, Hoti F, Jedenius E, et al
JAMA Psychiatry 2017 07;74(7):686-693

Premature mortality in autism spectrum disorder.
Hirvikoski T, Mittendorfer-Rutz E, Boman M, Larsson H, Lichtenstein P, Bölte S
Br J Psychiatry 2016 Mar;208(3):232-8

Synergistic effect between back pain and common mental disorders and the risk of future disability pension: a nationwide study from Sweden.
Dorner TE, Alexanderson K, Svedberg P, Tinghög P, Ropponen A, Mittendorfer-Rutz E
Psychol Med 2016 Jan;46(2):425-36

Suicide among first-generation and second-generation immigrants in Sweden: association with labour market marginalisation and morbidity.
Di Thiene D, Alexanderson K, Tinghög P, La Torre G, Mittendorfer-Rutz E
J Epidemiol Community Health 2015 May;69(5):467-73

Future risk of labour market marginalization in young suicide attempters--a population-based prospective cohort study.
Niederkrotenthaler T, Tinghög P, Alexanderson K, Dahlin M, Wang M, Beckman K, et al
Int J Epidemiol 2014 Oct;43(5):1520-30

Is transition to disability pension in young people associated with changes in risk of attempted suicide?
Mittendorfer-Rutz E, Alexanderson K, Westerlund H, Lange T
Psychol Med 2014 Aug;44(11):2331-8

Antipsychotic treatment and mortality in schizophrenia.
Torniainen M, Mittendorfer-Rutz E, Tanskanen A, Björkenstam C, Suvisaari J, Alexanderson K, et al
Schizophr Bull 2015 May;41(3):656-63

Restricted fetal growth and adverse maternal psychosocial and socioeconomic conditions as risk factors for suicidal behaviour of offspring: a cohort study.
Mittendorfer-Rutz E, Rasmussen F, Wasserman D
Lancet ;364(9440):1135-40

Group members