Maria E Niemi

• PhD
• Professor (Associate) at Karolinska Institutet

Background The challenges that the world faces to ensure good life for future generations are vast and complex. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) aim to meet these challenges. A growing number of higher education institutions have integrated them within their curricula, but there are indications that health professional educat...

Despite efforts to realize Agenda 2030, the sustainable development goals (SDGs) may not be achieved. This already now impacts public health and healthcare, including the training of providers. “Sustainable health” addresses this urgency by emphasizing health as key to achieving the SDGs. While the UN developed a competency framework for teachers i...

Introduction Post-COVID-19 condition (post COVID, also known as long COVID) is a global public health issue estimated to affect over 100 million people. Common symptoms include fatigue, dyspnoea and cognitive dysfunction (‘brain fog’). Over time, these symptoms have an adverse effect on mental health, physical activity and quality of life (QoL). Th...

Living with chronic pain is associated with substantial suffering and high societal costs. Patient reported outcomes (PROM’s) and cellular ageing should be considered in pain management. The aim of this study was to explore correlations of PROM’s and cellular ageing (telomere length [TL] and telomerase activity [TA]) amongst patients with chronic n...

With the increasing interest in mindfulness practices within clinical as well as non-clinical settings and the increasing body of research on the positive effects of mindfulness, concerns have been raised that mindfulness might also produce adverse effects including intense experiences and psychosis. The aim of this study was to investigate if inte...

Purpose This study aims to analyse student and teaching staff views on how higher education (HE) can contribute to sustainable development, and to provide examples of how a medical university has adopted the sustainable development goals (SDGs) as part of its institutional strategies and practises. Design/methodology/approach The study is based on...

Background Early studies of common mental disorders (CMDs) during the COVID-19 pandemic mainly report increases; however, more recent findings have been mixed. Also, studies assessing the effects of restriction measures on CMDs show varied results. The aim of this meta-analysis was to assess changes in levels of CMDs from pre-/early to during the p...

Background Pregnancy and childbirth are significant events in many women’s lives, and the prevalence of depressive symptoms increases during this vulnerable period. Apart from well documented cognitive, affective, and somatic symptoms, stress and depression are associated with physiological changes, such as reduced heart-rate variability (HRV) and...

Background In 2015, the United Nations adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, including the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Higher education institutions have a role in raising awareness and building skills among future professionals for implementing the SDGs. This review describes how the SDGs have been integrated into highe...

Background A rise in mental illness is expected to follow the COVID-19 pandemic, which has also been projected to lead to a deep global economic recession, further adding to risk factors. Aims The aim of this review was to assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and previous pandemics, epidemics and economic crises on mental health. Method Sea...

Purpose Contemporary workplaces undergo frequent reorganizations in order to stay competitive in a working life characterized by globalization, digitalization, economic uncertainty, and ever-increased complexity. Managers are in the frontline of these challenges, leading themselves, organizations and their employees in high stress environments. Thi...

Background: Pregnancy and childbirth are significant events in many women’s lives, and the prevalence of depressive symptoms increases during this vulnerable period. Apart from well documented cognitive, affective, and somatic symptoms, depression is associated with physiological changes, such as reduced heart-rate variability (HRV) and activation...

Background: The burden of depression and anxiety is on the rise globally. Mindfulness-Based Programs (MBPs) are a particular group of psychosocial programs targeting depression and anxiety. There is growing research and practice interest in MBPs internationally, and they are becoming more commonly implemented in a number of countries' healthcare s...

Background As the provision of Mindfulness-Based Programs (MBPs) in health care settings progresses, more research is needed to develop guidelines and structures for implementation in various contexts. This study is part of a larger project were MBP provision in Sweden is explored. Objective The objective is to provide knowledge for the next steps...

Objective: To evaluate the associations of depressive symptoms and antidepressant use during pregnancy with the risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, small for gestational age (SGA), and low Apgar scores. Data sources: MEDLINE, EMBASE, ClinicalTrials.gov, and PsycINFO up to June 2016. Methods of study selection: Data were sought from studi...

Objective Maternal stress and depression in pregnancy and early parenting are associated with decreased maternal sensitivity and infant social-emotional development impairments. This randomized controlled trial explored if a Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting Program (MBCP) is more beneficial than a Lamaze program for infant’s social-emotio...

Socialt deltagande och psykisk hälsa bland flyktingar Resultat från en kartläggande litteraturöversikt om begreppet socialt deltagande och om sambandet mellan flyktingars sociala deltagande och psykiska hälsa

Lockdown measures in response to the new Covid‐19 virus have caused the largest ever fall of annual greenhouse gas emissions. A key question that we attempt to answer in this study is which, if any, of these measures can be productively encouraged post‐lockdown in efforts to sustain at least part of this reduction in emissions. Sweden is uniquely s...

Body The H2020/PERISCOPE project, including 32 partners from European universities & agencies, began 1st November 2020 and will last 36 months. The overarching objectives of PERISCOPE are to map and analyse the unintended impacts of the COVID-19 outbreak; develop solutions and guidance for policymakers and health authorities on how to mitigate the...

Objectives The aim of the present study was to investigate long-term effects of Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP) during pregnancy on women’s perceived stress and depressive symptoms during the first year postpartum.Methods Women (n = 193) who were pregnant with their first child and at risk for perinatal depression were randomized...

Purpose Urbanisation is trending globally, leading to population densification and housing shortage and people living increasingly in isolation. This entails challenges to sustainable development including ecological, social and well-being issues. This paper aims to evaluate the effects of a six-month onboarding self-leadership programme including...

Social participation plays a key role in the integration of refugees and asylum seekers into their host societies, and is also closely tied to the mental health of those populations. The aim of this scoping review was to study how the concept of social participation is described in empirical research, and how it is associated with mental health out...

Mindfulness Based Interventions (MBIs) have recently been increasingly used in clinical settings, and research regarding their effects on health has grown rapidly. However, with regard to the physiological effects of mindfulness practices, studies have reported associations that vary in strength and direction. Therefore, in this systematic review a...

Objectives: The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of a Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting Program (MBCP) in reducing pregnant women's perceived stress and preventing perinatal depression compared to an active control condition. Method: First time pregnant women (n = 197) at risk of perinatal depression were randomized to MBCP or...

Background In the search for effective interventions aiming to prevent perinatal stress, depression and anxiety, we are evaluating a Mindfulness Based Childbirth and Parenting (MBCP) Program. In this study we explore the participants’ experiences of the program. Method This is a descriptive qualitative study with influences of phenomenology. The p...

To a large extent, the ecological and social sustainability challenges that society faces be addressed on a structural level. However, all structures consist of individuals with varying degrees of opportunities to impact those structures through their individual choices and actions. Standardized mindfulness based interventions promote mental health...

Clinical burnout is one of the leading causes of work absenteeism in high- and middle-income countries. There is hence a great need for the identification of effective intervention strategies to increase return-to-work (RTW) in this population. This review aimed to assess the effectiveness of tertiary interventions for individuals with clinically s...

Background Ayurveda has its historical roots in India, but has also been internationalised, partly via migration and partly through an increased interest in alternative medicine in the West, where studies point toward increased use. However, there is to date scarce knowledge about the use and experiences of ayurveda in Sweden. Methods We have cond...

Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of an intervention including psychoeducation and yoga for depression management at the primary health care level in one district in the Hà Nam province, Vietnam. Method: The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used for depression screening and follow-up. Screened patients were further diagnosed wit...

This study sought to provide an understanding of how perinatal depression is experienced, and how interventions targeting it should be adapted to suit the local context. The study was conducted in a semi-rural district in Vietnam. It comprised of individual interviews with nine women who obtained high scores in a depression self-report measure duri...

Depression is among the most common psychiatric conditions in primary health care, and constitutes an important part of the global disease burden. However, it is difficult to obtain comparable data on depression worldwide and models for treatment and intervention need to be locally adapted. We conducted a narrative review of research literature on...

Objectives: To examine the association of low birthweight (LBW) and prematurity with clinically significant symptoms of antenatal common mental disorders (ACMDs) during the third trimester of pregnancy in a semi-rural area in Vietnam. Methods: Prospective community-based cohort study. Severity of ACMD symptoms was assessed with the Edinburgh Dep...

De senaste decennierna har det skett betydande framsteg i förståelsen av psykosomatiska sjukdomar, inte minst i samspelet mellan psykologi, neurovetenskap, immunologi och endokri­nologi. Denna bok ger dig en uppdatering av de olika koncept som dominerar forskningen samt en ökad förståelse för hur psyko­somatiska tillstånd kan uppstå, diagnosticeras...

The Mental Health Country Profile is a tool that was generated by the International Mental Health Policy and Services Project to inform policy makers, professionals and other key stakeholders about important issues which need to be considered in mental health policy development. The Mental Health Country Profile contains four domains, which include...

Interview guide for data collection.

Major depression is increasing world-wide, and is the fourth leading cause of the global disease burden. Depression is rarely diagnosed in primary care settings in Vietnam, and those afflicted usually only seek professional care when the illness has become very severe. Depressive disorders affecting mothers are an important cause of low birth-weigh...