Erik Forsell
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience
- Centre for Psychiatry Research at CNS
- Psychological Interventions - innovation, improvement and implementation – Viktor Kaldo's research group
About me
I am a licenced clinical psychologist, post doc and Director of Research and Development at the Internet Psychiatry Clinic in Stockholm (internetpsykiatri.se).
My research focus is implementing, delivering and optimizing internet interventions within healthcare systems in order to reach as many in need as possible and provide treatments that are as effective and efficient as they can be.
I attenden the psychologist programme at Linköping University between 2009-2014 where my master's thesis was about ICBT for procrastination within a research project. This was my first experience providing internet interventions. After graduating I moved back to my hometown of Stockholm and came to the Internet Psychiatry Clinic as a prospective PhD-student and psychologist in five different randomized controlled trials of ICBT for insomnia, comorbid insomnia and depression, and depression during pregnancy. The focus of my doctoral thesis was adaptive treatment strategies in ICBT where patients are monitored during the early stages of treatment and those at risk of not benefitting from treatment get targeted with extra support and rescources. I defended my thesis in May of 2020, mostly via Zoom of course...
Since then I have been working as Director of Research and Development at the Internet Psyhciatry Clinic splitting my time between research, clinical developmend and management.
Disseration of the year 2021: Beteendeterapeutiska Föreningen (Swedish Association of Behavior Therapy)
Best oral presentation 2022: SweSRII 2022 - conference of the Swedish Society for Research on Internet Interventions
PhD (Medicine doktorsexamen), Karolinska Institutet, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, 2020
Clinical Psychologist, Linköpings Universitet, Department och Behavioral science and Learning, 2014
Research
- Internet delivered Cognitive Behavior Therapy (ICBT) for...
* Depression during pregnancy
* Insomnia
* Comorbid insomnia and depression
* Procrastination
And
* Automated predicitve systems for patient outcomes in ICBT
Teaching
I teach primarily at the psychologist programme at Karolinska Institutet where my focus is mostly reasearch design and philosofy of science as well cognitive behavior therapy, internet delivered treatments and models for psychological mechanisms. I also supervise and co-supervise several PhD students.
Selected publications
- Article: INTERNET INTERVENTIONS-THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL AND BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH. 2025;40:100817Huhn V; Andersson E; Wahlund T; Forsell E
- Article: JOURNAL OF CONSULTING AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 2025;93(3):176-190Forsell E; Mattsson S; Hentati Isacsson N; Kaldo V
- Article: INTERNET INTERVENTIONS-THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL AND BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH. 2024;38:100773Isacsson NH; Zantvoort K; Forsell E; Boman M; Kaldo V
- Article: COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE. 2024;4(1):196Isacsson NH; Ben Abdesslem F; Forsell E; Boman M; Kaldo V
- Article: PSYCHOTHERAPY AND PSYCHOSOMATICS. 2024;93(2):100-113Blom K; Forsell E; Hellberg M; Svanborg C; Jernelöv S; Kaldo V
- Article: INTERNET INTERVENTIONS-THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL AND BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH. 2022;29:100554Forsell E; Jernelov S; Blom K; Kaldo V
- Article: JOURNAL OF CONSULTING AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 2020;88(4):311-321Forsell E; Isacsson N; Blom K; Jernelov S; Ben Abdesslem F; Lindefors N; Boman M; Kaldo V
- Article: JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 2019;257:615-622Forsell E; Kraepelien M; Blom K; Isacsson N; Jernelov S; Svanborg C; Rosen A; Kaldo V
- Article: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY. 2019;176(4):315-323Forsell E; Jernelov S; Blom K; Kraepelien M; Svanborg C; Andersson G; Lindefors N; Kaldo V
- Article: JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 2017;221:56-64Forsell E; Bendix M; Hollandare F; von Schultz BS; Nasiell J; Blomdahl-Wetterholm M; Eriksson C; Kvarned S; van der Linden JL; Soderberg E; Jokinen J; Wide K; Kaldo V
Articles
- Article: SLEEP. 2025;48(8):zsaf093Jernelov S; Rosen A; Forsell E; Blom K; Ivanova E; Maurex L; Jansson-Frojmark M; Akerstedt T; Kaldo V
- Journal article: NPJ DIGITAL MEDICINE. 2025;8(1):416Hentati A; Isacsson NH; Rosen A; Jernelov S; Kaldo V; Ljotsson B; Forsell E; Lindefors N; Kraepelien M
- Article: INTERNET INTERVENTIONS-THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL AND BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH. 2025;40:100816Bjurner P; Isacsson NH; Ben Abdesslem F; Boman M; Forsell E; Kaldo V
- Article: AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY. 2025;120(4):856-863Wallen H; Ljotsson B; Lindfors P; Forsell E; Hesser H; Svanborg C
- Article: JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 2025;368:420-428Johansson F; Flygare O; Backman J; Fondberg R; Axelsson E; Forsell E; Cervin M; Kaldo V; Ruck C; Wallert J
- Article: INTERNET INTERVENTIONS-THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL AND BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH. 2024;38:100780Osterman S; Axelsson E; Forsell E; Svanborg C; Lindefors N; Hedman-Lagerlof E; Ivanov VZ
- Article: LAKARTIDNINGEN. 2024;121:23104Kraepelien M; Lindefors N; Hentati A; Kern D; Forsell E; Kaldo V; Ljótsson B
- Article: BMJ OPEN. 2023;13(12):e077376Osterman S; Hentati A; Forsell E; Axelsson E; Hedman-Lagerlof E; Lindefors N; Ivanov VZ; Kraepelien M
- Article: BMJ OPEN. 2023;13(10):e069427Boberg J; Kaldo V; Mataix-Cols D; Crowley JJ; Roelstraete B; Halvorsen M; Forsell E; Isacsson NH; Sullivan PF; Svanborg C; Andersson EH; Lindefors N; Kravchenko O; Mattheisen M; Danielsdottir HB; Ivanova E; Boman M; Fernandez de la Cruz L; Wallert J; Ruck C
- Article: JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH. 2023;32(2):e13759Jernelov S; Forsell E; Westman H; Dufva YE; Lindefors N; Kaldo V; Kraepelien M
- Journal article: INTERNET INTERVENTIONS-THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL AND BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH. 2022;29:100550Hentati A; Forsell E; Ljotsson B; Kaldo V; Lindefors N; Kraepelien M
- Journal article: BJPSYCH OPEN. 2022;8(4):e115Hentati A; Forsell E; Ljotsson B; Lindefors N; Kraepelien M
- Article: BJPSYCH OPEN. 2022;8(2):e43Hentati A; Forsell E; Ljotsson B; Lindefors N; Kraepelien M
- Article: JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH. 2022;31(1):e13448Kraepelien M; Forsell E; Blom K
- Article: COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY. 2022;51(1):72-88Jernelov S; Blom K; Isacsson NH; Bjurner P; Rosen A; Kraepelien M; Forsell E; Kaldo V
- Article: INTERNET INTERVENTIONS-THE APPLICATION OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN MENTAL AND BEHAVIOURAL HEALTH. 2021;26:100448Hentati A; Forsell E; Ljotsson B; Kaldo V; Lindefors N; Kraepelien M
- Article: JMIR FORMATIVE RESEARCH. 2021;5(10):e31722Hentati A; Forsell E; Ljotsson B; Kraepelien M
- Article: JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH. 2021;30(5):e13376Blom K; Hentati Isacsson N; Forsell E; Rosen A; Kraepelien M; Jernelov S; Kaldo V
- Article: FRONTIERS IN PSYCHIATRY. 2021;12:676962Jernelov S; Forsell E; Kaldo V; Blom K
- Article: SLEEP MEDICINE. 2021;81:365-374Kraepelien M; Blom K; Forsell E; Isacsson NH; Bjurner P; Morin CM; Jernelov S; Kaldo V
- Journal article: PROGRESS IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE. 2019;8(4):475-485Boman M; Ben Abdesslem F; Forsell E; Gillblad D; Gornerup O; Isacsson N; Sahlgren M; Kaldo V
- Journal article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2019;24(4):484-490Andersson E; Crowley JJ; Lindefors N; Ljótsson B; Hedman-Lagerlöf E; Boberg J; El Alaoui S; Karlsson R; Lu Y; Mattheisen M; Kähler AK; Svanborg C; Mataix-Cols D; Mattsson S; Forsell E; Kaldo V; Schalling M; Lavebratt C; Sullivan PF; Rück C
- Article: BMJ OPEN. 2018;8(8):e023281Heinonen E; Szymanska-von Schultz B; Kaldo V; Nasiell J; Andersson E; Bergmark M; Blomdahl-Wetterholm M; Forsberg L; Forsell E; Forsgren A; Froojd S; Goldman A; Nordenadler E-M; Sklivanioti M; Blennow M; Wide K; Gustafsson LL
- Article: BJPSYCH OPEN. 2018;4(4):282-284Kraepelien M; Forsell E; Karin E; Johansson R; Lindefors N; Kaldo V
- Article: COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY. 2017;46(3):177-195Rozental A; Forsell E; Svensson A; Andersson G; Carlbring P
- Article: COGNITIVE BEHAVIOUR THERAPY. 2015;44(6):480-490Rozental A; Forsell E; Svensson A; Forsstrom D; Andersson G; Carlbring P
- Article: JOURNAL OF CONSULTING AND CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY. 2015;83(4):808-824Rozental A; Forsell E; Svensson A; Andersson G; Carlbring P
- Article: BMC PSYCHOLOGY. 2014;2(1):54Rozental A; Forsell E; Svensson A; Forsström D; Andersson G; Carlbring P
- Show more
All other publications
- Conference publication: JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH. 2024;33Tamm S; Jernelov S; Forsell E; Maurex L; de Oliveira AH; Kaldo V; Blom K
- Preprint: RESEARCH SQUARE. 2024Bjurner P; Isacsson NH; Abdesslem FB; Boman M; Forsell E; Kaldo V
- Preprint: OSF PREPRINTS. 2024Johansson F; Flygare O; Bäckman J; Fondberg R; Axelsson E; Forsell E; Cervin M; Kaldo V; Ruck C; Wallert J
- Preprint: RESEARCH SQUARE. 2023Isacsson NH; Abdesslem FB; Forsell E; Boman M; Kaldo V
- Conference publication: NEUROTOXICOLOGY AND TERATOLOGY. 2022;92Wide K; Heinonen E; Blennow M; Blomdahl-Wetterholm M; Forsell E; Gustafsson LL; Hovstadius M; Kaldo V; Nordenadler E-M; Nasiell J
- Preprint: JMIR PREPRINTS. 2021Hentati A; Forsell E; Ljótsson B; Kraepelien M
- Review: LANCET PSYCHIATRY. 2021;8(6):500-511Furukawa TA; Suganuma A; Ostinelli EG; Andersson G; Beevers CG; Shumake J; Berger T; Boele FW; Buntrock C; Carlbring P; Choi I; Christensen H; Mackinnon A; Dahne J; Huibers MJH; Ebert DD; Farrer L; Forand NR; Strunk DR; Ezawa ID; Forsell E; Kaldo V; Geraedts A; Gilbody S; Littlewood E; Brabyn S; Hadjistavropoulos HD; Schneider LH; Johansson R; Kenter R; Kivi M; Bjorkelund C; Kleiboer A; Riper H; Klein JP; Schroder J; Meyer B; Moritz S; Bucker L; Lintvedt O; Johansson P; Lundgren J; Milgrom J; Gemmill AW; Mohr DC; Montero-Marin J; Garcia-Campayo J; Nobis S; Zarski A-C; O'Moore K; Williams AD; Newby JM; Perini S; Phillips R; Schneider J; Pots W; Pugh NE; Richards D; Rosso IM; Rauch SL; Sheeber LB; Smith J; Spek V; Pop VJ; Unlu B; van Bastelaar KMP; van Luenen S; Garnefski N; Kraaij V; Vernmark K; Warmerdam L; van Straten A; Zagorscak P; Knaevelsrud C; Heinrich M; Miguel C; Cipriani A; Efthimiou O; Karyotaki E; Cuijpers P
- Review: JAMA PSYCHIATRY. 2021;78(4):361-371Karyotaki E; Efthimiou O; Miguel C; Bermpohl FMG; Furukawa TA; Cuijpers P
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRY. 2021;64:S20Kaldo V; Isacsson N; Forsell E; Bjurner P; Ben Abdesslem F; Boman M
- Doctoral thesis: 2020Forsell E
- Conference publication: EUROPEAN NEUROPSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY. 2019;29:S908-S909Hagen EA; Crowley J; Kahler A; Karlsson R; Mattheisen M; Schalling M; Lavebratt C; Boberg J; Forsell E; El Alaoui S; Hedman E; Kaldo V; Lindefors N; Sullivan P; Ruck C
- Conference publication: JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH. 2018;27Blom K; Jernelov S; Forsell E; Lindefors N; Kaldo V
- Conference publication: JOURNAL OF SLEEP RESEARCH. 2018;27Rosen A; Jernelov S; Kaldo V; Forsell E; Akerstedt T; D'onofrio P
Grants
- Development and testing of two treatments for excessive worry in routine psychiatric care: internet based treatment for adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)CIMED junior grant1 January 2025 - 31 December 2027
- Swedish Research Council1 January 2025 - 31 December 2028Self-injury is a growing health crisis among youth, and the strongest risk factor for suicide attempts. Scalable treatments are needed but lacking. We have recently shown that a brief digital treatment, IERITA (Internet-delivered Emotion Regulation Individual Therapy for Adolescents), can be efficacious and cost-effective. However, not all patients respond sufficiently to the standard treatment procedure. Now we aim to implement and evaluate IERITA within regular health services and optimize treatment outcomes. First, we will develop and validate a classification tool to predict non-remission (continued self-injury after treatment). This tool will subsequently be used in the second step: a randomized controlled trial (N=341) between 2025 to 2028, which compares adaptable to standard IERITA. Adolescents allocated to adaptable IERITA and classified as likely non-remission in treatment week four will recieve adapted IERITA (e.g., personalized dose and treatment delivery) for the remaining eight weeks. We will (1) follow participants one- three- and twelve-month post-treatment(2) use self-reports and blinded assessments(3) study distal effects in national registers(4) investigate several clinically relevant outcomesand (5) conduct cost-effectiveness analyses. If successful, more patients could receive evidence-based treatment for self-injury, and treatment outcomes could be improved. In extension, queues to care may be reduced, and suicide attempts and suicides prevented.
- Optimizing outcome and improving accessibility to psychological treatment for adolescent self-injurySwedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare1 January 2025 - 31 December 2025Research idea and purposeSelf-injury is a growing and urgent health crisis among youth and the strongest risk factor for suicide attempts. Scalable and evidence-based treatments are needed but lacking. We have recently shown that a brief digital treatment, IERITA (Internet-delivered Emotion Regulation Individual Therapy for Adolescents), can be efficacious compared to treatment as usual only. However, not all patients respond sufficiently to the standard treatment procedure, and established efficacy does not guarantee successful uptake in regular care. This project aims to implement and evaluate IERITA in real-world settings and optimize treatment outcomes. A planning grant creates opportunities to test the project´s feasibility, an essential part of preparation for a large-scale study.Work plan, methods and project realisationFirst, a classification tool to predict continued self-injury after treatment (non-remission) will be developed and subsequently used in a randomized controlled pilot trial (N=30) comparing adaptable to standard IERITA. Adolescents allocated to adaptable IERITA and classified as likely non-remission in treatment week four will change to adapted IERITA (e.g., personalized dose and treatment delivery) for the remaining eight weeks. Feasibility will be evaluated through the number of completed treatment parts, degree of participation in data collection, satisfaction, adherence, and therapist time. Clinically relevant outcomes will also be measured, which include remission (primary clinical outcome), frequency of self-injurious behaviour, suicidality and level of functioning. Participants will be followed up one- and three months post-treatment. The project will be conducted within regular health care services in several regions which we have collaborated with previously. Patient organizations and health professionals will contribute to increasing relevance and feasibility. The budget includes salaries for the project manager and patient organization, and a smaller part for operating costs.Societal relevance and utilisationSelf-injury is rapidly increasing, posing severe risks for youths. The queue to healthcare services is long, and current treatments are costly and not widely or equally accessible. If this project is successful, more youths across the country could receive effective early intervention for self-injury, with the hope of reduced waiting times, equal care, and suicide preventive effects.
- Development and testing of two treatments for excessive worry in routine psychiatric care: internet based treatment for adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)ALF-medicine project funding1 January 2024 - 31 December 2026
- Development and testing of two treatments for excessive worry in routine psychiatric care: internet based treatment for adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)ALF-medicine project funding1 January 2023 - 31 December 2023
- Development and testing of two internet interventions for excessive worry in regular psychiatric care: internet based treatment for adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)Region Stockholm stöd för klinisk postdoktor1 January 2022 - 31 December 2025
- Development and testing of two treatments for excessive worry in routine psychiatric care: internet based treatment for adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)ALF-medicine projekt funding1 January 2022 - 31 December 2022
- Development and testing of two treatments for excessive worry in routine psychiatric care: internet based treatment for adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)CIMED junior grant1 January 2022 - 31 December 2024
- Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare1 January 2022 - 31 December 2024
Employments
- Postdoctoral Studies, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2023-2026
Degrees and Education
- Degree Of Doctor Of Philosophy, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, 2020