About me
I am a research group leader and Associate Professor of Clinical Psychology, investigating digital interventions for addictive behaviors at Karolinska Institutet. In parallel, I am Professor of Clinical Psychology at the Department of Psychology, Uppsala University.
Between 2015 and April 2019, I served as Director of the National Telephone Support Line for Problem Gamblers (stodlinjen.se), and retain an advisory role there. In 2018, in collaboration with local and national experts, I launched a free Swedish-langugage online course on problem gambling for staff in social and healthcare services who encounter persons with gambling problems. An important contribution I am responsible for is development of the Drug Use Disorders Identification Test (DUDIT) and its in-depth correlate, the DUDIT-E. I have taught behavioral medicine and problematic substance use treatment research at advanced undergraduate and graduate levels. I have worked clinically for 10 years as a psychotherapist at the Stockholm Center for Dependency Disorders and have been a long-time member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT). I have served two terms as President of the Swedish Behavioral Medicine Society , 2009-2015 and 2017-2021. I am currently President of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine (ISBM), after serving as Chair of the Education and Training Committee 2010-2018 and President-Elect 2018-2021.
My research group studies digital interventions for addictive behaviors. This page summarizes published and ongoing work in the research group.
Research description
Digital interventions to mitigate problematic substance use
- eScreen.se - a minimal intervention with screening and feedback for both alcohol and drug use
- Alkoholhjalpen.se - internet-based self-help in Swedish via echange.rg1.se for help-seekers from the general population, a naturalistic study
- Smartphone apps for reducing overconsumption of alcohol - studies among university students
- Internet-based treatment with and without counselor support for reducing problematic alcohol use in the general population.
- Ongoing studies on digital interventions for problematic substance use among patients in psychiatry
- Ongoing studies on digital interventions for healthy lifestyle promotion among patients in primary care
Gambling
- Development of the Gambling Disorders Identification Test (ongoing PhD project)
- Development of novel treatment protocols (ongoing PhD projects)
Children of prisoners
- EU-project 2010-2012 where I was responsible for the Sweden arm; other countries were Romania, Germany and the UK (coordinator Professor Adele Jones, University of Huddersfield)
- Population study on wellbeing and difficulties among Swedish children 11-17 years old, including self- and parental ratings; see publication list
Motivational Interviewing in Addiction care
- A study in a drug detoxification unit
- Analyses of patient and counselor utterances
Education in Behavioral Medicine
- Ongoing inter-professional course in Applied Behavioral Medicine, KI
- International MOOC in Behavioral Medicine, KIBEHMEDx
LIVE INCITE
-
LIVE INCITE aims to empower patients and support lifestyle changes in order to improve outcomes of surgical procedures as well as cost effectiveness of healthcare providers. The EU funded project is a collaboration between Sweden, Spain and Denmark. Through the use of pre-commercial procurement LIVE INCITE aims to both challenge and stimulate the market to develop patient-centered interactive IT-solutions, promoting lifestyle changes. I am the lead for KI:s partnership in the LIVE INCITE project.
Teaching portfolio
I have been teaching Behavioral Medicine since 2005, with an inter-professional course for psychology, medicine and physiotherapy students and professionals running both fall and spring terms every year. The course runs in Swedish during the last five weeks of every term. My collaborator is Gabriele Biguet, Physiotherapy Division, Department of Neurobiology, Caring Sciences and Society. For more information about current courses, click here.
Alongside the live course, the MOOC on Behavioral Medicine, KIBEHMEDx, has been available since the fall of 2014. This course is open to anyone, anywhere, at any time.
Education
Advanced Psychotherapy Degree, 2007, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
PhD, 2004, Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
MSc, 1998, Clinical Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
Diploma in Law, 1995, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
B.A., 1980, Haifa University, Haifa, Israel
Academic honours, awards and prizes
2018 - ISBM Distinguished Career Contribution Award in Behavioral Medicine.
2015 - EiNAR (Excellence in Neuroscience Research) award for first KI MOOC, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, KI
2008 - Best abstract in Behavioral Medicine, ICBM 2008, Tokyo, Japan
2005 - Best PhD dissertation in Psychology 2004, Stockholm University, Department of Psychology