Alexander Nissen

Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies/Red Cross University College

Purpose Post-migration stress is an important aspect of refugees’ mental health, but little is known about the relationship with insomnia. The purpose of this study was to investigate the assication between different post-migration stress factors and insomnia among Syrian refugees living in Norway. Design/methodology/approach The authors analysed...

A comprehensive model for routine multi-disciplinary health assessment for children in out-of-home care was piloted in a Norwegian region. This paper reports on identified service needs and mental disorders among 196 children (0–17 years) receiving the assessment. Cross-sectional data was extracted from assessment reports. Results show needs across...

The pilot study aaimed at investigating both different recruitment strategies for research on mental health in newly arrived refugees from the Ukraine, and whether early screening of mental health and psychological reactions was perceived as meaningful and relevant by the refugees themselves. In addition, the pilot explored attitudes towards and kn...

Background The evidence is mixed as to whether individuals’ coping strategies may mitigate the adverse mental health effects of post-displacement stressors in refugee populations, with some indications that the buffering effects of coping strategies are context dependent. The present study examined if problem-solving and acceptance coping strategie...

Introduction Research on the prevalence of and risk factors for insomnia among refugee populations is limited and tends to focus on pre-migratory trauma. Yet, post migratory stressors are just as important for mental health and may also relate to insomnia. Objectives Objective: To determine the association between different post-migration stressor...

Background Limited research exists on pain and especially the co-occurrence of pain and mental ill health in general refugee populations. The present study aimed to approximate the prevalence of chronic pain (CP) among adult refugees from Syria resettled in Norway; investigate the association between CP and mental ill health; and explore how CP and...

The link between post-migration stressors and mental ill health is well documented in refugees resettled in high-income host countries, but the consequences of these stressors on refugees’ health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are less known. This study examined the association between post-migration stressors and HRQoL among Syrian adult refugees...

Background The number of forcibly displaced people globally has never been higher, with refugees from Syria constituting the largest displaced population worldwide. Many studies have documented elevated levels of mental health problems in refugee populations, though prevalence estimates of common mental disorders vary considerably between studies,...

The psychosocial work environment is of great importance for regaining health and productivity after a workplace disaster. Still, there is a lack of knowledge about the impact of a disaster on the psychosocial work environment. The purpose of this study was to examine whether employees' perceptions of role clarity, role conflicts, and predictabilit...

Objectives Studies show that social support may reduce the negative psychological effects of terror. The aim was to explore the effects of the psychosocial work environment on sick leave risk among governmental employees after a workplace bomb attack. Design We linked longitudinal survey data collected at 10 and 22 months after the bombing with re...

A number of post-migration stressors have been shown to adversely affect mental health in refugees resettled in high-income countries, including poor social integration, financial difficulties and discrimination, and recent evidence suggests that these effects are gender specific. Social support has been found to buffer against post-migration stres...

Background There is a need for effective, low-cost, readily available measures for reducing trauma symptoms so that people exposed to potentially traumatic events can receive help more quickly. A previous study reported that performing an intervention including a visuospatial task shortly after a reminder of a series of unpleasant film clips seen 2...

Asylum seekers are faced with high levels of post-migratory stress due to uncertainty and uncontrollability of the application process, resulting in higher levels of mental health problems. Little is known about the coping strategies utilized by asylum seekers in this context. Structural equation modeling and the stepwise modeling approach were uti...

Spending on counterterrorism interventions has increased markedly in recent decades despite limited evidence supporting their effectiveness. Effectiveness research is mostly based on statistical modelling of risk and risk reduction and tends to ignore the impact interventions have on the subjective consequences of terrorism in a population – e.g. i...

Background: The objective of the present study was to assess nation-wide, representative prevalence estimates for symptom-defined posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) within populations of refugee minors from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq resettled in Sweden. Methods: A nation-wide, cross-sectional, questionnaire study with a stratified sample of...

Asylum seekers are exposed to a range of social and financial difficulties suggested to adversely impact mental health. Uprooted social networks and living conditions during the asylum seeking process potentially predispose this population to low access to social support. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between social and fina...

Background A large body of research has shown that terrorism enhances fears and undermines perceived safety in a high proportion of both directly exposed individuals and individuals without any form of direct exposure (i.e. no geographical proximity to an attack). Some studies have further suggested that fear of terrorism may adversely affect healt...

Purpose In the field of forced migration and mental health research, longitudinal studies with large sample sizes and rigorous methodology are lacking. Therefore, the Resettlement in Uprooted Groups Explored (REFUGE)-study was initiated in order to enhance current knowledge on mental health, quality of life and integration among adult refugees from...

Background: Studies have shown that terrorist attacks affect the mental and physical health of persons exposed to terrorism. When terror strikes at the workplace where people spend much time, and should feel safe, the health consequences for those affected might be severe. The aim of the study was to determine whether psychological and social work...

Objective To explore the association between the psychosocial work environment and the risk of sick leave among governmental employees with symptom-defined post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a workplace bomb attack. Design A prospective study on employees who met the symptom criteria for PTSD. Questionnaire data on the psychosocial work e...

Objectives To estimate the rate of sick leave and sick leave diagnosis among employees before and after a work-place targeted terror attack, and to compare sick leave in subgroups of employees based on gender and trauma exposure. Methods Data on sick leave and diagnosis in ministerial employees from the period 3 years before to 3 years after the 2...

Terrorism at the workplace represents an extreme form of workplace violence potentially affecting large numbers of individuals. Evidence suggests that workplace violence adversely affects employees’ health and work functioning by increasing perceived threat and decreasing perceived safety. The objective of this study was to explore longitudinal ass...

Background: Despite falling incidence and mortality since the turn of the century, malaria remains an important global health challenge. In the future fight against malaria, greater emphasis will have to be placed on understanding and addressing malaria caused by the Plasmodium vivax parasite. Unfortunately, due to years of neglect and underfundin...

Objective: It is well established that direct exposure to terrorism can result in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). However, individuals indirectly exposed to terrorism may also develop symptoms of PTSD. This study examined the prevalence and course of symptom-defined PTSD in employees who were present and not present at the site of a workplac...

Counterfactual thinking (CFT), that is thinking about what might have happened, is linked to posttraumatic stress. We studied the relationship between type and frequency of CFT and posttraumatic stress in a sample of directly (n=50) and indirectly exposed (n=50) ministerial employees four years after the 2011 Oslo bombing. The results showed that f...

Objectives: We aimed to explore how perceived safety after terrorism is connected to views on security measures and emergency preparedness in a workplace setting. Methods: Using a questionnaire-based, cross-sectional study of ministerial employees in Norway who were targeted in a terrorist attack in 2011 (n=3344), we investigated how employees'...

Background and objectives: Terrorism can heighten fears and undermine the feeling of safety. Little is known, however, about the factors that influence threat and safety perception after terrorism. The aim of the present study was to explore how proximity to terror and posttraumatic stress reactions are associated with perceived threat and safety...

ABSTRACT: Background and objectives: Terrorism can heighten fears and undermine the feeling of safety. Little is known, however, about the factors that influence threat and safety perception after terrorism. The aim of the present study was to explore how proximity to terror and posttraumatic stress reactions are associated with perceived threat an...

Experiencing potentially traumatic events is associated with psychological distress. However, some survivors also experience positive personal and psychological changes in the aftermath of trauma. The present study investigated perceived posttraumatic growth in 197 ministerial employees who were present at work during the 2011 Oslo bombing attack....

To assess the prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among governmental employees after the 2011 Oslo bombing attack targeted towards the Norwegian Ministries, and to explore the importance of proximity to the bomb explosion as a predictor of PTSD. A cross-sectional study. Data were collected from a survey 10 months after the...