Publications
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Kraft, Brage; MacSweeney, Niamh Anne; Page, Christian Magnus; Lyle, Robert; Tsotsi, Stella & Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet
[Show all 12 contributors for this article]
(2026).
The effect of prenatal maternal stress on adolescent internalizing symptoms and the genetic moderation of executive functioning and prefrontal cortex.
Psychological Medicine.
ISSN 0033-2917.
56.
doi:
10.1017/S0033291726105431.
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Background: Prenatal maternal stress is a known risk factor for later emotional problems, yet not all exposed offspring develop psychopathology. Executive functioning and prefrontal cortex structure and activity may buffer these effects, but it remains unclear whether genetic predis positions in these domains moderate associations with adolescent internalizing symptoms.
Methods: We examined 3,111 adolescents (1,881 females, 1,230 males). Prenatal stress was measured via a cumulative index across four domains. Internalizing symptoms were self reported at ages 14 and 16. Genetic predisposition for executive functioning was indexed using a polygenic score (PGS) derived from adult samples, applied here to estimate genetic predis position for executive functioning in adolescence. We also estimated a prefrontal cortex PGS based on cortical thickness and activation in six prefrontal regions, with a composite index derived from the first principal axis summarizing these measures.
Results: Higher prenatal stress was significantly associated with more internalizing symptoms in adolescence. Female sex and maternal genetic risk for internalizing symptoms were also associated with higher symptom levels. Neither genetic disposition for executive functioning nor prefrontal cortex moderated this association overall. However, a weak interaction emerged at age 16, indicating that a genetic disposition for higher executive functioning was associated with greater internalizing symptoms under high stress exposure.
Conclusions: Prenatal maternal stress predicted increased adolescent internalizing symptoms, with limited evidence for moderation by genetic predisposition for executive functioning. Higher genetic potential for executive functioning may confer increased sensitivity to early stress under certain developmental conditions.
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Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet; Tronsen, Jørgen; Nordbø, Emma Charlott Andersson & Venter, Zander
(2026).
School greenness and children's academic achievement and well-being: A population-wide study from Norway.
Environmental Research.
ISSN 0013-9351.
299.
doi:
10.1016/j.envres.2026.124383.
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Schools and their proximal surroundings are key environments for children's learning and development. While emerging evidence suggests that school surrounding greenness may support cognitive performance and well-being of students, the role of neighborhood characteristics in shaping these relations remains insufficiently understood. This study examined whether the greenness surrounding schools was associated with school-level academic achievement and well-being, and whether these associations vary according to neighborhood socioeconomic status (SES) and urbanicity. We linked nationwide administrative school-level data with geospatial measures of surrounding greenness for 2745 primary and lower secondary schools, representing more than 636,000 students. Outcome measures covered academic achievement and indicators of well-being, which were linked to NDVI values derived from 200-m buffers and school catchment areas, together with catchment-based socioeconomic status and population density. Associations were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models. Covariate selection was guided by a directed acyclic graph (DAG). Overall, surrounding greenness showed weak or no direct associations with academic achievement and well-being outcomes. However, SES and urbanicity moderated these school-level relationships. Greenness predicted higher mathematics achievement in low-SES but not in high-SES neighborhoods. Regarding well-being outcomes, surrounding greenness appeared protective in compact urban schools, where higher NDVI was linked to less bullying and greater thriving. These findings underscore that analyses of school greenness must account for neighborhood socioeconomic context and urbanicity, as these factors critically shape the direction and magnitude of associations at the school level.
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Grau-Ruiz, Raul; Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet; Dyrdal, Gunvor Marie & Løvoll, Helga Synnevåg
(2026).
Pathways to wellbeing: Residential nature, physical activity, and place-belongingness.
International Journal of Wellbeing.
16(1).
doi:
10.5502/ijw.v16i1.4841.
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Engagement with nature can nurture both individual wellbeing and just societies. However, with the global rise in urbanization, ecological degradation, and a profound physical and psychological disconnection from nature, understanding the links between residential nature and wellbeing is vital. The relationships between residential nature and wellbeing are complex, and gaps in our knowledge remain, for example, about the pathways involved in benefitingresidents’ wellbeing. In the current study, physical activity and place-belongingness are examined as two pathways mediating the benefits of residential outdoor spaces (recreation and hiking areas) on subjective wellbeing (affective, cognitive, and eudaimonic). Using path analysis, this study analyzeddata from two consecutive waves ofnational wellbeing surveys in Norway (in 2020–2021) combined with register data (N = 35,079). Controlling for a host of confounders, two research questions were tested: 1) whether residential recreation and hiking areas relate to subjective wellbeing through physical activity and place-belongingness and 2) whether the strength of these pathways varies by age, gender, income, or urbanicity. The results of the path analyses widely affirmed these questions. Importantly, recreation areas and the place-belongingness pathway consistently showed the strongest relationships with subjective wellbeing. Moreover, older males in more rural areas appeared to experience stronger subjective wellbeing benefits from these pathways. These findings strengthen and advance the evidence base on how residential nature relates with wellbeing and grant insights for psychological science, urban planning, public health work, and outdoor education.
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Säfvenbom, Reidar; Haugen, Tommy; Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet & Ivarsson, Andreas
(2025).
Temporal Associations Between Sport Participation, Dropout from Sports, and Mental Health Indicators: A Two-Year Follow-Up Study.
Behavioral Sciences.
15(12).
doi:
10.3390/bs15121665.
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Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet; Eide, Lars Harald & Kraft, Brage
(2025).
AI-Generated, Personality-Tailored Cases in Teacher Education: A Feasibility Study of Student Experiences.
Trends in Higher Education.
4(4).
doi:
10.3390/higheredu4040071.
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Higher education faces increasing demands to address student diversity in engagement, learning preferences, and professional readiness. This study examined the feasibility of integrating personality-tailored case-based learning in teacher education. Building on the Big Five personality model and principles of differentiated, case-based pedagogy, we developed a prototype that generated individualized case descriptions using a personality inventory and generative AI. The intervention was implemented in a teacher education course, with 37 students (≈79%) completing an anonymous evaluation survey. Quantitative measures included emotion-word selections and Likert-type ratings of case relevance and group discussions; qualitative data were collected through open-ended reflections. Findings indicated that students experienced the intervention as engaging, relevant, and appropriately challenging. Group discussions received the highest ratings, with students emphasizing the value of peer dialogue for gaining new perspectives and making sense of the cases. Qualitative themes highlighted the realism of personalized scenarios, opportunities for reflection, and the importance of scaffolding, while challenges included unclear instructions and limited diversity among cases. The study demonstrates the feasibility and perceived pedagogical value of personality-tailored cases as a scalable model of differentiation in higher education. Future research should adopt controlled designs to disentangle the effects of personality instruction, feedback, and personalization, and systematically evaluate the distinctiveness of generated cases. By integrating psychological self-insight with authentic practice scenarios, personality-informed case-based learning shows promise for enhancing student agency, reflective competence, and readiness for professional practice.
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Liland, Solveig Sandaker & Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet
(2025).
Declining Outdoor Recreation and Increased Use of Fitness Centers Among Norwegian Adolescents, 2010–2019.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH).
ISSN 1661-7827.
22.
doi:
10.3390/ijerph22081256.
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Ulset, Julie Ruud; Kozák, Michal & Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet
(2024).
Dekning av psykologer i kommunehelsetjenesten: Sosiale og geografiske ulikheter.
Tidsskrift for Norsk psykologforening (Psykologtidsskriftet).
ISSN 0332-6470.
p. 598–605.
doi:
10.52734/MDNB9345.
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Background: Mental disorders impose a significant burden of disease on society, and the health authorities have therefore laid down guidelines specifying that psychologists should focus on prevention and treatment of mental disorders in the municipalities. However, since the legal requirement to recruit psychologists was imposed on the municipalities in 2020, it is unclear whether the supply of psychologists in the municipalities has met the demand. The aim of this study was to examine the supply of psychologists in Norwegian municipalities compared with other groups of statutory health personnel and to investigate whether the supply of psychologists is associated with the geographical, economic and social characteristics of municipalities. Method: We compared openly available registry data on the services provided by psychologists, physiotherapists, public health nurses and physicians in the municipalities with data on the municipalities’ economy, centrality and proportion of residents with low income and mental disorders. Results: We found that the number of full-time equivalent positions for psychologists in 2021 was lower than for other statutory professions in the municipality. Analyses showed that the supply of psychologists was better in municipalities with higher incomes while the supply of psychologists in municipalities with a higher prevalence of mental disorders was poorer. The probability of having at least one psychologist was significantly higher in central municipalities. Conclusion: The supply of psychologists in municipal health services is low compared with other groups of health personnel, and geographical and social inequalities exist in access to psychologists in primary health care.
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Kraft, Brage; Bø, Ragnhild; Jonassen, Rune; Heeren, Alexandre; Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet & Stiles, Tore Charles
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2023).
The association between depression symptoms and reduced executive functioning is primarily linked by fatigue.
Psychiatry Research Communications.
3(2),
p. 1–9.
doi:
10.1016/j.psycom.2023.100120.
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Depression is associated with reduced executive functioning. Still, we lack a more detailed understanding of the factors explaining this association. Addressing several limitations in the previous literature, we examine whether poor executive functioning is associated with specific depression symptoms using a network approach. The sample consisted of currently depressed, previously depressed, and never-depressed individuals (n = 289; 67% female; M age = 37.4 years). Associations between poor executive functioning and nine depression symptoms were estimated using regularized Gaussian graphical modelling. Results showed associations between poor executive functioning and fatigue/energy loss, interest/pleasure loss, appetite changes, sleep problems, and concentration difficulties. Fatigue/energy loss was the most important symptom bridging depression with poor executive functioning. There were no direct associations between executive functions and core negative affect symptoms. Findings are discussed in the context of motivational impairments, and potential mechanisms such as immunological- and stress-related processes are considered.
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Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet; Venter, Zander; Kozák, Michal; Nordbø, Emma Charlott Andersson & Soest, Tilmann Martin von
(2023).
Increased nationwide use of green spaces in Norway during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Environment International.
ISSN 0160-4120.
180.
doi:
10.1016/j.envint.2023.108190.
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In recent years, there has been growing concern about the decline in human green space use and nature-based recreation in Western countries. While some evidence suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic led to increased recreational mobility in urban green spaces, it is unclear whether the pandemic led to nationwide changes in green space use in both densely and less densely populated neighborhoods, as well as whether social inequalities in green space use were reinforced or attenuated by the pandemic. To address these questions, we used daily nationwide aggregated mobility data from more than 2 million cell phone subscribers in 14,331 geographical grids across Norway to examine potential changes in mobility in green spaces as measured by the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) during the pandemic. Additionally, we controlled for weather conditions, holiday periods, and neighborhood sociodemographic characteristics. The results from linear mixed model analyses showed a 9.4% increase in recreational visits in the greenest spaces during the pandemic. Notably, this increase was most prominent in neighborhoods of low socioeconomic status (SES) and was observed in both high- and low-population density neighborhoods, although the increase was somewhat stronger in neighborhoods with low population density. Our study findings suggest that the COVID-19 pandemic has played a role in increasing nationwide green space use in Norway and potentially narrowing the gap of green inequalities, thus highlighting the importance of preserving and promoting green spaces as a public health resource, particularly in disadvantaged neighborhoods. Green space use COVID-19 pandemic Recreational mobility NDVI Sosioeconomic status
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Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet; Borge, Anne Inger Helmen; Vitaro, Frank; Brendgen, Mara & Bekkhus, Mona
(2023).
Link of outdoor exposure in daycare with attentional control and academic achievement in adolescence: Examining cognitive and social pathways.
Journal of Environmental Psychology.
ISSN 0272-4944.
85.
doi:
10.1016/j.jenvp.2022.101942.
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Bekkhus, Mona; McVarnock, Alicia; Coplan, Robert J.; Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet & Kraft, Brage
(2023).
Developmental changes in the structure of shyness and internalizing symptoms from early to middle childhood: A network analysis.
Child Development.
ISSN 0009-3920.
doi:
10.1111/cdev.13906.
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Rodriguez-Cano, Ruben; Garcia, Laura Cortes; Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet & Soest, Tilmann von
(2022).
Worries About COVID-19 and Adolescents' Mental Health and Life Satisfaction: The Role of Sociodemographics and Social Support.
Frontiers in Pediatrics.
10.
doi:
10.3389/fped.2022.847434.
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Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet & Soest, Tilmann von
(2022).
Posttraumatic growth during the COVID-19 lockdown: A large-scale population-based study among Norwegian adolescents.
Journal of Traumatic Stress.
ISSN 0894-9867.
doi:
10.1002/jts.22801.
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Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet; Bakken, Anders & Soest, Tilmann Von
(2021).
Ungdoms opplevelser av konsekvenser av pandemien etter ett år med covid-19-restriksjoner.
Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening (Tidsskriftet).
ISSN 0029-2001.
141(13),
p. 1264–1270.
doi:
10.4045/tidsskr.21.0335.
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Bakgrunn: Vi har fått kunnskap om hvordan covid-19-pandemien påvirket ungdoms liv rett etter at pandemien kom til Norge. Vi vet derimot lite om ungdoms opplevelser etter at pandemien har vedvart lenger, og hvorvidt sosiodemografiske kjennetegn og omfang av smitte i kommunene spiller en rolle. Materiale og metode: Vi brukte spørreskjemadata fra 106 448 ungdoms- og videregående skoleelever som deltok i Ungdata-undersøkelsen i 165 kommuner våren 2021 (svarprosent 76). Ungdommenes svar om opplevelser under pandemien ble sammenstilt med covid-19-insidens på kommunenivå. Vi brukte kjikvadrat- og flernivåanalyser for å undersøke prediktorer for ungdommens opplevelser. Resultater: 49 % svarte at covid-19-pandemien påvirket livet delvis eller mye i negativ retning, mens 22 % rapporterte at pandemien påvirket dem i positiv retning. Mange rapporterte om negative forandringer på områdene jevnalderrelasjoner, familierelasjoner og psykisk helse, men en del rapporterte også om positive forandringer. Jenter, eldre ungdom, ungdom fra lav sosioøkonomisk bakgrunn og ungdom i kommuner med høyere smitteforekomst rapporterte om flere negative konsekvenser. Fortolkning: De fleste fortalte at pandemien har hatt flere negative enn positive konsekvenser. Jenter, eldre ungdom, ungdom med lav sosioøkonomisk bakgrunn og ungdom i kommuner med høyt smittetrykk kan være spesielt rammet av de negative effektene av pandemien. Hovedfunn: Omtrent ett år etter at covid-19 pandemien kom til Norge, svarte 49 % av ungdommene at pandemien påvirket livet delvis eller mye i negativ retning, mens 22 % rapporterte tilsvarende om positiv påvirkning. Jenter, eldre ungdom, og ungdom fra familier med lav sosioøkonomisk status rapporterte om mer negative konsekvenser av pandemien. Ungdom fra kommuner med høyere smitteforekomst rapporterte om mer negative konsekvenser av pandemien, selv etter kontroll for sosiodemografiske faktorer.
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Soest, Tilmann von; Kozák, Michal; Cano, Ruben Rodriguez; Fluit, Sam; Garcia, Laura Cortes & Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet
[Show all 8 contributors for this article]
(2021).
Adolescents’ psychosocial well-being one year after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in Norway.
Nature Human Behaviour.
6(2).
doi:
10.1038/s41562-021-01255-w.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically restricted adolescents’ lives. We used nationwide Norwegian survey data from 2014–2021 (N = 227,258; ages 13–18) to examine psychosocial outcomes in adolescents before and during the pandemic. Multilevel models revealed higher depressive symptoms and less optimistic future life expectations during the pandemic, even when accounting for the measures’ time trends. Moreover, alcohol and cannabis use decreased, and screen time increased. However, effect sizes of all observed changes during the pandemic were small. Overall, conduct problems and satisfaction with social relationships remained stable. Girls, younger adolescents, and adolescents from low socioeconomic backgrounds showed more adverse changes during the pandemic. Estimated changes in psychosocial outcomes varied little with municipality infection rates and restrictions. These findings can inform means and interventions to reduce negative psychological outcomes associated with the pandemic and identify groups that need particular attention during and after the pandemic.
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Kraft, Brage; Jonassen, Rune; Ulset, Vidar; Stiles, Tore C & Landrø, Nils Inge
(2019).
A Prospective Test of the Metacognitive Model of Depression in Previously Depressed Individuals.
Cognitive Therapy and Research.
ISSN 0147-5916.
43(3),
p. 603–610.
doi:
10.1007/s10608-018-9972-z.
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Metacognitive theory proposes that depression is caused by excessive rumination, which is in turn maintained by maladaptive positive and negative beliefs about rumination (“metacognitions”) and reduced executive control. Moreover, the metacognitive model asserts that metacognitions are maintained by prolonged depression symptoms. However, no studies have tested the metacognitive model of depression prospectively in a clinical population. Currently remitted adults with recurrent depressive disorder (N = 105) reported depression symptoms at five time points over a 12-month period. Based on this data, we used latent growth modelling to estimate depression levels and symptom trajectories. Positive metacognitions were associated with rumination, while negative metacognitions and rumination predicted higher depression levels, but not symptom recurrence. Moreover, depression levels and symptom recurrence predicted positive and negative metacognitions, as well as rumination. There was no association between metacognitions and reduced executive control. The present study lends partial support for the metacognitive model, but raises questions of the relevance of metacognitions as a proximal vulnerability marker for symptom recurrence.
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Ulset, Vidar; Czajkowski, Nikolai Olavi; Kraft, Brage; Kraft, Pål; Wikenius, Ellen & Kleppestø, Thomas Haarklau
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2019).
Are unpopular children more likely to get sick? Longitudinal links between popularity and infectious diseases in early childhood.
PLOS ONE.
14(9),
p. 1–14.
doi:
10.1371/journal.pone.0222222.
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Social stress and inflammatory processes are strong regulators of one another. Considerable evidence shows that social threats trigger inflammatory responses that increase infection susceptibility in both humans and animals, while infectious disease triggers inflammation that in turn regulates social behaviours. However, no previous study has examined whether young children’s popularity and their rate of infectious disease are associated. We investigated the longitudinal bidirectional links between children’s popularity status as perceived by peers, and parent reports of a variety of infectious diseases that are common in early childhood (i.e. common cold as well as eye, ear, throat, lung and gastric infections). We used data from the ‘Matter of the First Friendship Study’ (MOFF), a longitudinal prospective multi-informant study, following 579 Norwegian pre-schoolers (292 girls, median age at baseline = six years) with annual assessments over a period of three years. Social network analysis was used to estimate each child’s level of popularity. Cross-lagged autoregressive analyses revealed negative dose–response relations between children’s popularity scores and subsequent infection (b = –0.18, CI = –0.29, –0.06, and b = –0.13, CI = –0.23, –0.03). In conclusion, the results suggest that children who are unpopular in early childhood are at increased risk of contracting infection the following year.
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Ulset, Vidar; Vitaro, Frank; Brendgen, Mara Rosemarie; Bekkhus, Mona & Borge, Anne Inger Helmen
(2017).
Time spent outdoors during preschool: Links with children's cognitive and behavioral Development.
Journal of Environmental Psychology.
ISSN 0272-4944.
52,
p. 69–80.
doi:
10.1016/j.jenvp.2017.05.007.
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Tronsen, Jørgen; Venter, Zander; Nordbø, Emma Charlott Andersson & Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet
(2025).
Does schoolyard greenspace matter for children’s achievement and well-being?
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health.
ISSN 1403-4948.
53(2 suppl).
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Nordbø, Emma Charlott Andersson; Figari, Helene; Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet & Venter, Zander
(2025).
Are children losing out in the battle for space? Mapping school outdoor areas.
Scandinavian Journal of Public Health.
ISSN 1403-4948.
53(2 suppl).
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Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet; Oppici, Luca; Hamre, Karin; Rudd, James Robert; Stornæs, Annett Victoria & Haraldsen, Heidi Marian
[Show all 7 contributors for this article]
(2025).
Inclusion in Motion: Promoting Equitable Physical Activity and Health in Childhood and Adolescence.
Children.
12(7).
doi:
10.3390/children12070942.
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Inclusion in play, physical education, outdoor life, organized sports, and other movement-based activities can promote resilience and support physical, emotional, and social well-being. These arenas are particularly important for reducing health disparities and preventing social marginalization across the lifespan. Yet, children and adolescents from vulnerable or disadvantaged backgrounds encounter persistent barriers to participation, rooted in broader inequalities related to their socioeconomic position, disability, gender, ethnicity, and access to supportive environments. This perspective outlines how inclusive movement contexts, when informed by developmental systems theory and resilience frameworks, can interrupt trajectories of marginalization and promote long-term equity in health, education, and work inclusion. We emphasize the need for interdisciplinary approaches, combining longitudinal and qualitative methods, to uncover how vulnerability and participation interact dynamically over time. By integrating insights from developmental science, education, public health, and spatial ecology, we identify strategic pathways for research and action. Addressing these challenges requires coordinated efforts across sectors and stakeholders to co-create inclusive, context-sensitive interventions
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Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet & Soest, Tilmann von
(2022).
Posttraumatisk vekst under covid-19: Én av ti vokste i pandemien.
[Journal].
Apollon.
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Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet; barker, ted; Smajlagic, Dinka; Zayats, Tetyana; Kraft, Brage & Bekkhus, Mona
(2022).
Prenatal dietary inflammation, language problems, and ADHD symptoms: Moderating role of polygenic risk. Poster presentation at the 26th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Beharvioral Development.
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Ulset, Vidar Sandsaunet & Bekkhus, Mona
(2022).
Familie Vennskap, skole og barnehage kan bidra til resiliens og positiv utvikling hos barn og unge.
In Lundgren, Charlotte (Eds.),
Psykisk oppvekst. Barn og unges psykiske helse fra 0-25 år.
Rådet for psykisk helse.
ISSN 9788291635460.
p. 177–182.
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Published
Oct. 17, 2023 1:13 PM
- Last modified
Dec. 13, 2023 2:35 PM