Yasmina Molero Samuelson

About me

I am a researcher both at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience and the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Karolinska Institutet.

I completed my M.Sc. in Criminology at Stockholm University and obtained my PhD at Karolinska Institutet. I have completed postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Oxford and at Karolinska Institutet.

My main research areas are pharmacoepidemiology and the psychiatric epidemiology of traumatic brain injury. My research is register-based, meaning that I analyse data from Swedish national registers and the Swedish Twin Registry.

In my pharmacoepidemiological research, I study the risks and benefits of common medications with a specific interest in psychiatric and behavioural outcomes such as depression, anxiety, suicide, overdoses, accidents, violence and other crimes. For this purpose, I use Swedish pharmacy, healthcare, sociodemographic, crime and death registers, and I study nationwide cohorts of individuals who take different medications. I have previously published studies on the psychiatric and behavioural outcomes of e.g. antidepressants, nicotine replacement therapy, antiepileptic drugs, cholesterol-lowering medications, heart medications, and medications for treating substance use disorders.

In my traumatic brain injury research, I examine the link to psychiatric disorders, violence, substance misuse, suicidal behaviour and functional impairment. I also study the effectiveness and safety of pharmacological interventions in patients with traumatic brain injury, with a specific focus on psychotropic and pain medications. I use Swedish pharmacy, healthcare, sociodemographic, sick-leave, crime and death registers to follow up patients who have been treated for varying severities of traumatic brain injury.

I am also involved in epidemiological research projects on substance use disorders, behavioural addictions, crime, domestic violence, suicidal behaviour, and risk assessment tools.

My research is funded by ALF Medicin, Karolinska Institutet Funds and Systembolagets Alkoholforskningsråd. 

Research description

PUBLICATIONS

Molero Y, Kaddoura S, Kuja-Halkola R, Larsson H, Lichtenstein P, Fazel, S. Associations between β-blockers and psychiatric and behavioural outcomes: A population-based cohort study of 1.4 million individuals in Sweden. PLOS Med 2023;20:e1004164.

Yu R, Molero Y, Långström N, Fanshawe T, Yukhnenko D, Lichtenstein P, Larsson H, Fazel S. Prediction of reoffending risk in men convicted of sexual offences: development and validation of novel and scalable risk assessment tools (OxRIS). J Crim Justice. 2022;82:101935. 

Newby D, Linden AB, Fernandes M, Molero Y, Winchester L, Sproviero W, Ghose U, Li QS, Launer LJ, Duijn CMV, Nevado-Holgado AJ. Comparative effect of metformin versus sulfonylureas with dementia and Parkinson's disease risk in US patients over 50 with type 2 diabetes mellitus. BMJ Open Diabetes Res Care. 2022;10:e003036. 

Yu R, Långström N, Forsman M, Sjölander A, Fazel S, Molero Y. Associations between prisons and recidivism: A nationwide longitudinal study. PLoS One. 2022;17:e0267941. 

Molero Y, Sharp DJ, D'Onofrio BM, Larsson H, Fazel S. Psychotropic and pain medication use in individuals with traumatic brain injury - a Swedish total-population cohort study of 240,000 persons. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry, 2021;92:519-527.  

Molero Y, Cipriani A, Larsson H, Lichtenstein P, D'Onofrio BM, Fazel S. Associations between statin use and suicidality, depression, anxiety, and seizures - a Swedish total-population cohort study. Lancet Psychiatry, 2020;7:982-990.

Lagerberg, T, Fazel S, Molero Y, Andersson Franko S, Chen Q, Hellner C, Lichtenstein P, Chang Z. Associations between selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and violent crime in adolescents, young, and older adults - a Swedish register-based study. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol, 2020;36:1-9.

Yu, R, Nevado-Holgado AJ, Molero Y, D’Onofrio, BM, Larsson H, Howard LM, Fazel S. Mental disorders and intimate partner violence perpetrated by men towards women: A Swedish population-based longitudinal study. PLoS Med, 2019;16(12):e1002995.

Molero Y, Larsson H, D'Onofrio BM, Sharp DJ, Fazel S. Associations between gabapentinoids and suicidal behaviour, unintentional overdoses, injuries, road traffic incidents, and violent crime: population based cohort study in Sweden. BMJ, 2019;365:l2147

Lagerberg T, Molero Y, D'Onofrio BM, Fernández de la Cruz L, Lichtenstein P, Mataix-Cols D, Rück C, Hellner C, Chang Z. Antidepressant prescription patterns and CNS polypharmacy with antidepressants among children, adolescents, and young adults: a population-based study in Sweden. Eur Child Adolesc Psychiatry, 2019; 28(8):1137-1145.

Molero Y, Zetterqvist J, Lichtenstein P, Almqvist C, Ludvigsson JF. Parental nicotine replacement therapy and offspring bronchitis/bronchiolitis and asthma - a nationwide population-based cohort study. Clin Epidemiol, 2018; 25;10:1339-1347. 

Sidorchuk A, Isomura K,  Molero Y, Hellner C, Lichtenstein P, Chang Z, Franck J, Fernández de la Cruz L, Mataix-Cols D. Benzodiazepine prescribing for children, adolescents, and young adults from 2006 through 2013: A total population register-linkage study. PLoS Med, 2018; 15(8): e1002635

Molero Y, Zetterqvist J, Binswanger IA, Hellner C, Larsson H, Fazel S. Medications for alcohol and opioid use disorders and risk of suicidal behavior, accidental overdoses, and crime. Am J Psychiatry, 2018;175(10):970-978.

Molero Y, Bakshi A-S, Gripenberg J. Illicit Drug Use Among Gym-Goers: a Cross-sectional Study of Gym-Goers in Sweden. Sports Med Open, 2017;3(1):31

Sahlin H, Kuja-Halkola R, Bjureberg J, Lichtenstein P, Molero Y, Rydell M, Hedman E, Runeson B, Jokinen J, Ljótsson B, Hellner C. Association between deliberate self-harm and violent criminality. JAMA Psychiatry, 2016;74,615-621.

Norén Selinus E, Molero Y, Lichtenstein P, Anckarsäter H, Lundström S, Bottai M, Hellner Gumpert C. Subthreshold and threshold attention deficit hyperactivity disorder symptoms in childhood: psychosocial outcomes in adolescence in boys and girls. Acta Psychiatr Scand, 2016;134, 533 - 545.

Molero Y, Gripenberg J, Bakshi A-S. Effectiveness and implementation of a community-based prevention programme targeting anabolic androgenic steroid use in gyms: study protocol of a quasi-experimental control group study. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil, 2016;8:36. 

Molero Y, Lichtenstein P, Zetterqvist J, Gumpert CH, Fazel S. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors and violent crime: A cohort study. PLoS Med, 2015;12(9):e1001875.

Molero Y, Lichtenstein P, Zetterqvist J, Gumpert CH, Fazel S. Varenicline and risk of psychiatric conditions, suicidal behaviour, criminal offending, and transport accidents and offences: population based cohort study. BMJ, 2015;350:h2388.

Norén Selinus E, Molero Y, Lichtenstein P, Larson T, Lundström S, Anckarsäter H, Gumpert CH. Childhood symptoms of ADHD overrule comorbidity in relation to psychosocial outcome at age 15: A longitudinal study. PLoS One, 2015;10(9):e0137475.

Molero Y, Larsson A, Tengström A, Eklund J. Are offending trajectories identified in population sample studies relevant for clinical settings? An examination of offending trajectories between age 15 and 33 among 3068 males and females in a clinical sample and a matched general population sample. Crim Behav Ment Health, 2015;25, 416 - 428.

Molero Y, Gumpert C, Serlachius E, Lichtenstein P., Walum H, Johansson D, Anckarsäter H, Westberg L, Eriksson E, Halldner L. A study of the possible association between adenosine A2A receptor (ADORA2A) gene polymorphisms and ADHD traits. Genes Brain Behav, 2013;12, 305-310.

Molero Y, Larsson A, Larm P, Eklund J, Tengström A. Violent, non-violent and substance-related offending up to age 50 in a cohort of males and females treated for substance misuse problems. Aggr Behav, 2011; 37, 338-348.

Molero Samuelson Y, Hodgins S, Larsson A, Larm P, Tengström A. Adolescent antisocial behavior as predictor of adverse outcomes to age 50: A follow-up study of 1,947 individuals. Crim Justice Behav, 2010;37, 158-174.

Hodgins S, Larm P, Molero Samuleson Y, Tengström A, Larsson A. Multiple adverse outcomes over 30 years following adolescent substance misuse treatment. Acta Psychiatr Scand, 2009;119, 484-493.

Larm P, Hodgins S, Larsson A, Molero Samuelson Y, Tengström A. Long-term outcomes of adolescents treated for substance misuse. Drug Alcohol Depend, 2008;96, 79-89.

 

Reports:

Denhov A & Molero Y (2018). Utvärdering av 100% Ren Hårdträning - en metod för att förebygga dopning på gym 2015-2017. STAD, Rapport nr 63.

Molero Y, Forsman M, Långström N. Rates of criminal recidivism as a measure of prison efficacy. Project number: 2014-275 (Återfall som effektmått. Projektnummer: 2014-275). Norrköping: The Swedish Prison and Probation Service (Kriminalvården). ISBN: 978-91-86903-66-4.

Psychological and psychosocial treatment for adolescents (2015). In National guidelines for treatment of substance misuse and dependence. Support for management and guidance. Article number 2015-4-2. Stockholm: The National Board of Health and Welfare.​

Teaching portfolio

TA in Epidemiology I, Introduction to Epidemiology, PhD course, Karolinska Institutet. 

Course coordinator in Epidemiology (VetU), semester 3 and 4, Medical Programme, Karolinska Institutet.

TA in Epidemiology (VetU), Medical Programme, semester 1, Karolinska Institutet.

Course coordinator in Research Methods and Statistics, Dpt. of Social Work, Stockholm University.

 

Education

M.Sc., Stockholm University 

PhD, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Center for Psychiatric Research, Karolinska Institutet

Postdoc, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet & Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet

Postdoc, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford 

Visiting researcher, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford