E-mail: info@hkr.se
Phone: +46 (0)44-2503000
Organisation number: 202100-3195
Address:
Kristianstad University
SE-291 88 Kristianstad
Sweden
Annika Norell Clarke
Annika Norell-Clarke (PhD) achieved her doctoral degree at Örebro University. The title of the thesis was "Cogito, ergo insomnis – I think, therefore I am sleepless", which investigated the significance of thoughts and worry in chronic insomnia in adolescents and adults. Since then, her research has focused partly on psychological treatment methods for insomnia and partly on the sleep habits of Swedish adolescents. Currently, Annika has a position as a post doctoral fellow at Kristianstad University, working on the project "Adolescents' sleep, media habits and lifestyle".
Research
Annika is a licensed psychologist who has clinical experience in working with insomnia, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety and other related problems through treatment studies and psychiatric clinics. Her main research interests are the comorbidities between sleeping disorders and other common mental and somatic health problems, especially when exaggerated worry and rumination can be suspected to exacerbates the problems.
Annika has taught on the clinical psychology programmes at Örebro University and Karlstad University.
Examples of ongoing projects
Adolescents' sleep, media habits and lifestyle
Sleep is important for both mental and physical health. Nowadays, young people sleep less than they used to and they have habits that cause problems for their sleep, such as using social media late in the evening and when in bed. This project investigates adolescents' sleep in relation to their lifestyle, over time.
Rumination Emotions Sleep Primary care Intervention Trial (RESPIT)
Worry plays a prominent role in many types of mental problems. RESPIT is a randomised controlled study, in which people with severe worry and problems with anxiety, sleep and/ or depression are offered a CBT-based group therapy which is focused on reducing worry and rumination.
Effects of changed living conditions on the mental health of children and adolescents
In recent decades, there have been major changes in Swedish society, family structure, the education system, the labour market and in other areas of society. Through repeated cross-sectional studies, this research programme investigates how the health of children and adolescents has been affected by such changes.
Examples of earlier projects
Treatment for Insomnia and Depression (TID)
The sleeping disorder insomnia often occurs together with depression, and sleep problems can make depression harder to treat. This project investigated the effects of CBT on insomnia in people with comorbid insomnia and depression, and which psychological mechanisms that mediated the treatment.
Prospective Investigation of Psychological Processes of Insomnia (PIPPI)
Insomnia is characterised by different types of unhelpful ways of perceiving, thinking about and reacting to one's sleep problems. In the PIPPI project, a sample of 2,000 individuals from the general public were monitored over a period of 18 months to investigate which types of psychological processes and health problems that were associated with new cases of insomnia, chronic insomnia and recovery from insomnia.