Kristian Wahlbeck
Biographic Data
| ID | 4261583 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Kristian Wahlbeck |
| GIVEN NAMES | Kristian |
| FAMILY NAME | Wahlbeck |
| SIGNATURE | WAHLBECK K |
| AFFILIATIONS | Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare |
| ORCID | 0000-0003-3754-3933 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 26 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 40 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 26 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2007 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2022 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Life Conditions as Mediators of Welfare State Effect on Mental Wellbeing among Oldest Old in Europe
All three variables centre around supporting autonomy in the oldest old age. By teasing out how the welfare state influences mental wellbeing in the oldest old, we can better understand the many drivers of wellbeing and enable evidence informed age-friendly policy making
Finding the right words
The Lapinlahti Hospital initiative in Helsinki has transformed a disused psychiatric hospital into an open site for mental health promotion. The current study uses qualitative methods to explore how the initiative may promote population mental health. The phenomenological study comprised of data from 7 focus group including 28 participants. Resulting data were thematically analysed to articulate how the initiative supports mental wellbeing in dif…
Is Mental Well-Being in the Oldest Old Different from That in Younger Age Groups? Exploring the Mental Well-Being of the Oldest-Old Population in Europe
The oldest-old population is increasing in Europe, and greater focus is placed on promoting mental well-being (MWB) in this population. The European Welfare Models and Mental Wellbeing in Final Years of Life project aims to develop a better understanding of how best to promote positive MWB in the oldest-old population. Using a resources approach, the present study aimed to provide empirical evidence about the structure of MWB in the 80 + year age…
‘If we would change things outside we wouldn’t even need to go in…’ supporting recovery via community‐based actions
BACKGROUND: Psychiatric rehospitalization is a complex phenomenon in need of more person-centred approaches. The current paper aimed to explore how community-based actions and daily life influence mental health and rehospitalization. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The qualitative study included focus group data from six European countries including 59 participants. Data were thematically analysed following an inductive approach deriving themes…
An international comparative analysis of the mental health care delivery system in remote areas
The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)The IJIC 20th Anniversary Issue was published in 2021
A Comparison of Mental Health Care Systems in Northern and Southern Europe
Mental health services (MHS) have gone through vast changes during the last decades, shifting from hospital to community-based care. Developing the optimal balance and use of resources requires standard comparisons of mental health care systems across countries. This study aimed to compare the structure, personnel resource allocation, and the productivity of the MHS in two benchmark health districts in a Nordic welfare state and a southern Europe…
Identifying Local and Centralized Mental Health Services—The Development of a New Categorizing Variable
The challenges of mental health and substance abuse services (MHS) require shifting of the balance of resources from institutional care to community care. In order to track progress, an instrument that can describe these attributes of MHS is needed. We created a coding variable in the European Service Mapping Schedule-Revised (ESMS-R) mapping tool using a modified Delphi panel that classified MHS into centralized, local services with gatekeeping …
Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders
Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders (SMD) is a major public health challenge that warrants action. The number and scope of truly tested interventions in this area remain limited, and strategies for implementation and scaling up of programmes with a strong evidence base are scarce. Furthermore, the majority of available interventions focus on a single or an otherwise limited number of risk factors. Here we present a multilevel…
Mortality and causes of death among homeless in Finland
BACKGROUND: Homelessness is associated with increased mortality, and some predictors of mortality have been previously identified. We examined the overall and cause-specific mortality among homeless men in Helsinki and the associations of social background and health service use with mortality. METHODS: To assess cause-specific mortality in a competing risks framework, we performed a register-based, case-control study of 617 homeless men and an a…
Antidepressant use and violent crimes among young people
BACKGROUND: The use of antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), has been questioned due to poor efficacy and safety. We examined whether young violent offenders were more likely antidepressant users prior to their first violent offence than other young persons. METHODS: The study is a follow-up of children born in Finland in 1987 (n=59 120), linking national registers to each other using personal identity codes…
Regional Correlates of Psychiatric Inpatient Treatment
Current reforms of mental health and substance abuse services (MHS) emphasize community-based care and the downsizing of psychiatric hospitals. Reductions in acute and semi-acute hospital beds are achieved through shortened stays or by avoiding hospitalization. Understanding the factors that drive the current inpatient treatment provision is essential. We investigated how the MHS service structure (diversity of services and balance of personnel r…
Developing a tool for mapping adult mental health care provision in Europe
The outcomes of this project will facilitate cooperative work and knowledge transfer on mental health care to the different agencies involved in mental health planning and provision. This project would improve the information to users and society on the available resources for mental health care and system thinking at the local level by the different stakeholders. The techniques used in this project and the knowledge generated could eventually be…
Nature and impact of European anti-stigma depression programmes
Stigma associated with depression is a major public health issue in the EU, with over 20 million people experiencing depression and its associated personal distress each year. While most programmes against stigma related to mental health problems are of a general nature, the knowledge about programmes tackling stigma against people with depression is limited. This study therefore aims to assess the nature and impact of depression-specific program…
Does Primary Care Mental Health Resourcing Affect the Use and Costs of Secondary Psychiatric Services
Collaborative care models for treatment of depression and anxiety disorders in primary care have been shown to be effective. The aim of this study was to investigate at the municipal level to what extent investment in mental health personnel at primary care health centres in the study area is reflected in the costs and use of secondary psychiatric services. Furthermore, we analysed whether the service provision and use of secondary psychiatric ca…
Size Matters — Determinants of Modern, Community-Oriented Mental Health Services
Governances, structures and contents of mental health services are being reformed across countries. There is a need for data to support those changes. The aim of this study was to explore the quality, i.e., diversity and community orientation, and quantity, i.e., personnel resources, of mental health and substance abuse services (MHS) and evaluate correlation between population needs and quality and quantity of MHS. The European Service Mapping S…
Twenty‐eight years after the complete ban on the physical punishment of children in Finland
In 1983 Finland became the second country in the world, after Sweden, to adopt a law prohibiting all kinds of physical punishment towards children, also by parents. The present investigation was carried out in 2011, 28 years after the law was adopted. Changes in exposure to various types of physical punishment towards respondents born between 1931 and 1996 are presented. A representative sample from Western Finland, consisting of 4,609 respondent…
Structural and Cognitive Aspects of Social Capital and All-Cause Mortality
Patterns in mortality among people with severe mental disorders across birth cohorts
The mortality gap between people with severe mental disorders and the general population decreased, but there was no improvement for young Finnish men with mental disorders. The Finnish recession in the early 1990s may have adversely affected mortality of adolescent and young adult men with mental disorders. Among women born 1933-1957, the lack of improvement may reflect adverse effects of the era of extensive hospitalisation of people with menta…
Understanding the role of social capital for mental wellbeing among older adults
Previous research applying quantifiable measurements has established significant positive associations between social capital and mental health in older adults. This study aimed to obtain a deeper understanding of the causal mechanisms of social capital affecting mental wellbeing among older people. The study is based on two independent qualitative data materials collected through two focus group interviews and an open-ended question included in …
Actions to alleviate the mental health impact of the economic crisis
The financial turmoil that began in 2007 has developed into a full-blown economic crisis in many countries. This crisis is likely to have a negative impact on health, especially mental health. The full health impact of the crisis remains to be seen, but reports of negative mental health effects have already emerged. For instance, an increase in suicide attempts has been reported in Greece 1, and increases in the rate of suicides following the ons…
Supporting decision-making processes for evidence-based mental health promotion
The use of evidence is critical in guiding decision-making, but evidence from effect studies will be only one of a number of factors that will need to be taken into account in the decision-making processes. Equally important for policymakers will be the use of different types of evidence including implementation essentials and other decision-making principles such as social justice, political, ethical, equity issues, reflecting public attitudes a…
Psychosocial Interventions for the Prevention of Depression in Older Adults
Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for the prevention of depression in older people. Method: Systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective controlled trials. Results: Thirty studies were included. Overall, psychosocial interventions had a small but statistically significant effect on depressive symptoms (17 trials, standardized mean difference = -0.17, 95% CI = -0.31 to -0.03). In comparison with no-interve…
Good practice in health care for migrants
Health care professionals in different services experience similar difficulties when providing care to migrants. They also have relatively consistent views on what constitutes good practice. The degree to which these components already are part of routine practice varies. Implementing good practice requires sufficient resources and organisational flexibility, positive attitudes, training for staff and the provision of information
European Pact for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Mental health is crucial for public health and prosperity. Yet, mental health was first brought to the EU agenda only in late 1990s. To put mental health firmly on the political agenda, the focus was placed on the positive mental health at a population level. The European Pact for Mental Health and Wellbeing is the most recent mental health policy initiative of the European Commission. It aims at promotion of mental health and prevention of menta…
Use of psychotropic drugs before pregnancy and the risk for induced abortion
The observed increased risk for induced abortion among women with psychotropic medication highlights the importance to acknowledge the mental health needs of women seeking an induced abortion. Further studies are needed to establish the impact of pre-existing differences in mental health on mental health outcomes of induced abortions compared to outcomes of pregnancies ending in a birth
Structural and Cognitive Aspects of Social Capital and All-Cause Mortality
Organisational downsizing and increased use of psychotropic drugs among employees who remain in employment
Objective: Organisational downsizing is common in modern work life, but its effect on employees’ mental health is not known. The authors examined whether working in downsizing organisations predicts use of psychotropic drugs among employees who remain in employment. Design, setting and participants: Prospective cohort study of municipal employees in Finland. 4783 employees worked in downsized units but kept their jobs after downsizing in 1993, 42…
Understanding the role of social capital for mental wellbeing among older adults
Previous research applying quantifiable measurements has established significant positive associations between social capital and mental health in older adults. This study aimed to obtain a deeper understanding of the causal mechanisms of social capital affecting mental wellbeing among older people. The study is based on two independent qualitative data materials collected through two focus group interviews and an open-ended question included in …
Mortality and causes of death among homeless in Finland
BACKGROUND: Homelessness is associated with increased mortality, and some predictors of mortality have been previously identified. We examined the overall and cause-specific mortality among homeless men in Helsinki and the associations of social background and health service use with mortality. METHODS: To assess cause-specific mortality in a competing risks framework, we performed a register-based, case-control study of 617 homeless men and an a…
Developing a tool for mapping adult mental health care provision in Europe
The outcomes of this project will facilitate cooperative work and knowledge transfer on mental health care to the different agencies involved in mental health planning and provision. This project would improve the information to users and society on the available resources for mental health care and system thinking at the local level by the different stakeholders. The techniques used in this project and the knowledge generated could eventually be…
Antidepressant use and violent crimes among young people
BACKGROUND: The use of antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), has been questioned due to poor efficacy and safety. We examined whether young violent offenders were more likely antidepressant users prior to their first violent offence than other young persons. METHODS: The study is a follow-up of children born in Finland in 1987 (n=59 120), linking national registers to each other using personal identity codes…
Organisational downsizing and increased use of psychotropic drugs among employees who remain in employment
Objective: Organisational downsizing is common in modern work life, but its effect on employees’ mental health is not known. The authors examined whether working in downsizing organisations predicts use of psychotropic drugs among employees who remain in employment. Design, setting and participants: Prospective cohort study of municipal employees in Finland. 4783 employees worked in downsized units but kept their jobs after downsizing in 1993, 42…
European Pact for Mental Health and Wellbeing
Mental health is crucial for public health and prosperity. Yet, mental health was first brought to the EU agenda only in late 1990s. To put mental health firmly on the political agenda, the focus was placed on the positive mental health at a population level. The European Pact for Mental Health and Wellbeing is the most recent mental health policy initiative of the European Commission. It aims at promotion of mental health and prevention of menta…
Use of psychotropic drugs before pregnancy and the risk for induced abortion
The observed increased risk for induced abortion among women with psychotropic medication highlights the importance to acknowledge the mental health needs of women seeking an induced abortion. Further studies are needed to establish the impact of pre-existing differences in mental health on mental health outcomes of induced abortions compared to outcomes of pregnancies ending in a birth
Supporting decision-making processes for evidence-based mental health promotion
The use of evidence is critical in guiding decision-making, but evidence from effect studies will be only one of a number of factors that will need to be taken into account in the decision-making processes. Equally important for policymakers will be the use of different types of evidence including implementation essentials and other decision-making principles such as social justice, political, ethical, equity issues, reflecting public attitudes a…
Psychosocial Interventions for the Prevention of Depression in Older Adults
Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for the prevention of depression in older people. Method: Systematic review and meta-analysis of prospective controlled trials. Results: Thirty studies were included. Overall, psychosocial interventions had a small but statistically significant effect on depressive symptoms (17 trials, standardized mean difference = -0.17, 95% CI = -0.31 to -0.03). In comparison with no-interve…
Good practice in health care for migrants
Health care professionals in different services experience similar difficulties when providing care to migrants. They also have relatively consistent views on what constitutes good practice. The degree to which these components already are part of routine practice varies. Implementing good practice requires sufficient resources and organisational flexibility, positive attitudes, training for staff and the provision of information
Actions to alleviate the mental health impact of the economic crisis
The financial turmoil that began in 2007 has developed into a full-blown economic crisis in many countries. This crisis is likely to have a negative impact on health, especially mental health. The full health impact of the crisis remains to be seen, but reports of negative mental health effects have already emerged. For instance, an increase in suicide attempts has been reported in Greece 1, and increases in the rate of suicides following the ons…
Patterns in mortality among people with severe mental disorders across birth cohorts
The mortality gap between people with severe mental disorders and the general population decreased, but there was no improvement for young Finnish men with mental disorders. The Finnish recession in the early 1990s may have adversely affected mortality of adolescent and young adult men with mental disorders. Among women born 1933-1957, the lack of improvement may reflect adverse effects of the era of extensive hospitalisation of people with menta…
Understanding the role of social capital for mental wellbeing among older adults
Previous research applying quantifiable measurements has established significant positive associations between social capital and mental health in older adults. This study aimed to obtain a deeper understanding of the causal mechanisms of social capital affecting mental wellbeing among older people. The study is based on two independent qualitative data materials collected through two focus group interviews and an open-ended question included in …
Nature and impact of European anti-stigma depression programmes
Stigma associated with depression is a major public health issue in the EU, with over 20 million people experiencing depression and its associated personal distress each year. While most programmes against stigma related to mental health problems are of a general nature, the knowledge about programmes tackling stigma against people with depression is limited. This study therefore aims to assess the nature and impact of depression-specific program…
Does Primary Care Mental Health Resourcing Affect the Use and Costs of Secondary Psychiatric Services
Collaborative care models for treatment of depression and anxiety disorders in primary care have been shown to be effective. The aim of this study was to investigate at the municipal level to what extent investment in mental health personnel at primary care health centres in the study area is reflected in the costs and use of secondary psychiatric services. Furthermore, we analysed whether the service provision and use of secondary psychiatric ca…
Size Matters — Determinants of Modern, Community-Oriented Mental Health Services
Governances, structures and contents of mental health services are being reformed across countries. There is a need for data to support those changes. The aim of this study was to explore the quality, i.e., diversity and community orientation, and quantity, i.e., personnel resources, of mental health and substance abuse services (MHS) and evaluate correlation between population needs and quality and quantity of MHS. The European Service Mapping S…
Twenty‐eight years after the complete ban on the physical punishment of children in Finland
In 1983 Finland became the second country in the world, after Sweden, to adopt a law prohibiting all kinds of physical punishment towards children, also by parents. The present investigation was carried out in 2011, 28 years after the law was adopted. Changes in exposure to various types of physical punishment towards respondents born between 1931 and 1996 are presented. A representative sample from Western Finland, consisting of 4,609 respondent…
Structural and Cognitive Aspects of Social Capital and All-Cause Mortality
Developing a tool for mapping adult mental health care provision in Europe
The outcomes of this project will facilitate cooperative work and knowledge transfer on mental health care to the different agencies involved in mental health planning and provision. This project would improve the information to users and society on the available resources for mental health care and system thinking at the local level by the different stakeholders. The techniques used in this project and the knowledge generated could eventually be…
Regional Correlates of Psychiatric Inpatient Treatment
Current reforms of mental health and substance abuse services (MHS) emphasize community-based care and the downsizing of psychiatric hospitals. Reductions in acute and semi-acute hospital beds are achieved through shortened stays or by avoiding hospitalization. Understanding the factors that drive the current inpatient treatment provision is essential. We investigated how the MHS service structure (diversity of services and balance of personnel r…
Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders
Excess mortality in persons with severe mental disorders (SMD) is a major public health challenge that warrants action. The number and scope of truly tested interventions in this area remain limited, and strategies for implementation and scaling up of programmes with a strong evidence base are scarce. Furthermore, the majority of available interventions focus on a single or an otherwise limited number of risk factors. Here we present a multilevel…
Mortality and causes of death among homeless in Finland
BACKGROUND: Homelessness is associated with increased mortality, and some predictors of mortality have been previously identified. We examined the overall and cause-specific mortality among homeless men in Helsinki and the associations of social background and health service use with mortality. METHODS: To assess cause-specific mortality in a competing risks framework, we performed a register-based, case-control study of 617 homeless men and an a…
Antidepressant use and violent crimes among young people
BACKGROUND: The use of antidepressants, especially selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), has been questioned due to poor efficacy and safety. We examined whether young violent offenders were more likely antidepressant users prior to their first violent offence than other young persons. METHODS: The study is a follow-up of children born in Finland in 1987 (n=59 120), linking national registers to each other using personal identity codes…
A Comparison of Mental Health Care Systems in Northern and Southern Europe
Mental health services (MHS) have gone through vast changes during the last decades, shifting from hospital to community-based care. Developing the optimal balance and use of resources requires standard comparisons of mental health care systems across countries. This study aimed to compare the structure, personnel resource allocation, and the productivity of the MHS in two benchmark health districts in a Nordic welfare state and a southern Europe…
Identifying Local and Centralized Mental Health Services—The Development of a New Categorizing Variable
The challenges of mental health and substance abuse services (MHS) require shifting of the balance of resources from institutional care to community care. In order to track progress, an instrument that can describe these attributes of MHS is needed. We created a coding variable in the European Service Mapping Schedule-Revised (ESMS-R) mapping tool using a modified Delphi panel that classified MHS into centralized, local services with gatekeeping …
Is Mental Well-Being in the Oldest Old Different from That in Younger Age Groups? Exploring the Mental Well-Being of the Oldest-Old Population in Europe
The oldest-old population is increasing in Europe, and greater focus is placed on promoting mental well-being (MWB) in this population. The European Welfare Models and Mental Wellbeing in Final Years of Life project aims to develop a better understanding of how best to promote positive MWB in the oldest-old population. Using a resources approach, the present study aimed to provide empirical evidence about the structure of MWB in the 80 + year age…
‘If we would change things outside we wouldn’t even need to go in…’ supporting recovery via community‐based actions
BACKGROUND: Psychiatric rehospitalization is a complex phenomenon in need of more person-centred approaches. The current paper aimed to explore how community-based actions and daily life influence mental health and rehospitalization. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: The qualitative study included focus group data from six European countries including 59 participants. Data were thematically analysed following an inductive approach deriving themes…
An international comparative analysis of the mental health care delivery system in remote areas
The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)The IJIC 20th Anniversary Issue was published in 2021
Life Conditions as Mediators of Welfare State Effect on Mental Wellbeing among Oldest Old in Europe
All three variables centre around supporting autonomy in the oldest old age. By teasing out how the welfare state influences mental wellbeing in the oldest old, we can better understand the many drivers of wellbeing and enable evidence informed age-friendly policy making
Medicine (22 works) · Psychiatry (19 works) · Mental health (15 works) · Psychology (13 works) · Environmental health (12 works) · Health disparities and outcomes (12 works) · Population (12 works) · Political science (8 works) · Sociology (8 works) · Employment and Welfare Studies (7 works)