Alexander Rozental

Short biography

After graduating from the Psychology Program in 2011 with a MSc I worked as a clinical psychologist at an outpatient psychiatric care unit and as a lecturer at the Centre for Psychiatry Research at Karolinska Institutet. I became a Licensed Psychologist in Sweden in 2012 and have continued doing part-time clinical work in different settings ever since. I finished my PhD at the Department of Psychology at Stockholm University in 2017 with a doctoral thesis on the negative effects of Internet-based cognitive behaviour therapy, supervised by Professors Per Carlbring, Gerhard Andersson, and Johanna Boettcher. After my dissertation I spent two years as a researcher with Professor Roz Shafran at the Great Ormond Street Hospital Institute of Child Health at University College London. I then completed a Post Doctoral position for Associate Professor Tobias Lundgren at the Centre for Psychiatry Research at Karolinska Institutet in 2021, where I am presently an affiliated researcher, doctoral supervisor, and principal investigator for the implementation of patient-controlled admissions to inpatient care in Region Stockholm. Between 2021-2024, I worked as an Associate Professor and Study Director at the Department of Psychology at Uppsala University. Since 2024 I am a Professor in psychology at the Department of Health, Education and Technology at Luleå University of Technology. I am also the Editor-in-Chief for the scientific journal Cognitive Behaviour Therapy.

Research

My research concerns the study of psychiatric disorders, both in terms of their assessment and treatment, by using qualitative and quantitative methods. This involves validating self-report measures in different languages via classical and modern test theory approaches, as well as the development and evaluation of psychological treatments. I am particularly interested in: a) transdiagnostic issues and behavioral problems that underlie or affect different types of mental distress, such as perfectionism and procrastination, b) conceptualization and prevention of negative effects and malpractice issues related to psychological treatments, c) Internet-based psychological treatments, d) psychiatric inpatient care, for instance the implementation of so-called patient-controlled admissions, and e) preventative interventions for stress-related disorders (e.g., exhaustion disorder [utmattningssyndrom]). I currently have over 90 publications in scientific journals (for a complete overview, see my ORCID Länk till annan webbplats.), with an h-index of 26 (Scopus).

Editor-in-Chief

Since 2022 I am the Editor-in-Chief for the scientific journal Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Länk till annan webbplats., impact factor 4.3 (2023).

The Negative Effects Questionnaire

More information about our self-report measure the Negative Effects Questionnaire can be found at OSF Länk till annan webbplats. (previously www.neqscale.com). The Negative Effects Questionnaire is free to use by clinicians and researchers and is currently available in 17 languagues.

Funding

During the last five years I have received research grants from the following funders:

• Region Stockholm (ALF), 2024 (main applicant).
• AFA Försäkring, 2024 (co-applicant).
• Region Stockholm (ALF), 2023 (co-applicant).
• Fonden för psykisk hälsa, 2022 (main applicant).
• Vetenskapsrådet, 2021 (main applicant).
• Vetenskapsrådet, 2021 (co-applicant).
• Region Stockholm (SU), 2021 (co-applicant).
• AFA Försäkring, 2021 (main applicant).
• Region Stockholm (ALF), 2021 (main applicant).
• Fredrik och Ingrid Thurings stiftelse, 2021 (main applicant).
• Region Stockholm (SU), 2020 (co-applicant).

Doctoral supervision

Ongoing:

• Promise Ekezie at the Department of Health, Education and Technology at Luleå University of Technology (Recovery-oriented post-incident conversations in psychiatric compulsory care), 2024- (co-supervisor)
• Sanna Forslund at the Department of Psychology at Uppsala University (A guided long-term self-help program to prevent relapse in exhaustion disorder), 2022- (co-supervisor)
• Filip Jovicic at the Department of Psychology at Uppsala University (Psychological treatment of post-covid), 2022- (co-supervisor)
  

Passed half-time control:

• Emelie Allenius at the Centre for Psychiatry Research at Karolinska Institutet (Patient-controlled admissions for patients with severe psychiatric disorders), 2021- (co-supervisor)
  
• Maria Smitmanis Lyle at the Centre for Psychiatry Research at Karolinska Institutet (Patient-controlled admissions for patients with severe mental health disorders - Understanding the factors behind a successful implementation), 2021- (main supervisor)
• Astrid Moell at the Centre for Psychiatry Research at Karolinska Institutet (Compulsory psychiatric care of children and youth: Risk factors, coercion, and outcome), 2022- (co-supervisor)
  
• Martin Oscarsson at the Department of Psychology at Stockholm University (Preventing perceived stress and work-related mental illness among professionals with ADHD), 2022- (co-supervisor)

Graduated:

• Matilda Berg at the Department of Behavioural Sciences and Learning at Linköping University (Learning and knowledge in cognitive behaviour therapy), 2017-2021. (co-supervisor)

Mentorship

• Johanna Palm at the Internet Psychiatry Unit at Karolinska Institutet (Management of insomnia disorder in health care. An investigation into insomnia management, patient needs, and development and evaluation of treatments), 2023-
  

Books

I have released three self-help books in Swedish: Dansa på deadline Länk till annan webbplats., Tio i tolv Länk till annan webbplats., and Bättre än perfekt Länk till annan webbplats., and authored chapters in Oxford guide to low-intensity evidence-based interventions for children and young people, and Erfassung von risiken und nebenwirkungen von psychotherapie.

Scientific distinctions

I was a nominee for the annual award to an outstanding young researcher in psychology, by the Swedish National Committee for Psychological Sciences in both 2018 and 2019. I was also granted the annual award for disseminating knowledge on cognitive behavior therapy by the Swedish Association of Behaviour Therapy in 2020.

Teaching

At Luleå University of Technology I currently teach and supervise Bachelor's degree-level courses in clinical psychology and health psychology. I also teach Master's degree-level and PhD courses at other universitetes, such as Uppsala University and Karolinska Institutet.

Media

I frequently give interviews in media on topics related to clinical psychology and health psychology. A few of my latest contributions:

• Universitetsläraren Länk till annan webbplats.
• Sveriges Radio I hjärnan på Louise Epstein Länk till annan webbplats.
• Norrbottenskuriren Länk till annan webbplats.
• Sveriges Radio P4 Norrbotten Länk till annan webbplats.
• Sveriges Radio I hjärnan på Louise Epstein Länk till annan webbplats.
  

Leisure

Apart from work I enjoy skiing (downhill and randoneé), running (marathon), hiking, weight-lifting, hunting (moose), reading novels, cooking, and music Länk till annan webbplats..