Employees
Bækkelund, Harald Press Photos

Bækkelund, Harald

Head of Section / Senior Researcher
Unit: Section for Implementation and treatment research
Telephone: 909 64 268

Areas of Expertise

  • Psychological treatment of trauma-related disorders
  • PTSD, Complex PTSD, and dissociative disorders
  • Implementation of of evidence-based treatments
  • Psychosocial response to crises and disasters
  • Clinical research and trial design

Harald Bækkelund has a clinical degree in Psychology (cand. psychol.) from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (2004), and a PhD in Psychology from the University of Oslo (2021). He is a licensed specialist in clinical psychology for adults from the Norwegian Psychological Association (2010).

Bækkelund is a leading expert in the assessment and treatment of PTSD, Complex PTSD, and trauma-related dissociative disorders, with extensive experience in project coordination, supervision, and teaching in these fields. He was initiator and primary investigator for the project “Stabilizing group treatment for complex trauma” at Modum Bad psychiatric hospital. In this project he conducted two randomized clinical trials: one for the treatment of patients with PTSD related to childhood trauma, and the world’s first randomized trial for the treatment of complex dissociative disorders.

Bækkelund is widely consulted by government agencies, health services, municipalities, and mass media on topics related to violence, traumatic stress, and psychosocial support after trauma. From 2016 he was leader for a pilot study on the implementation of evidence-based treatment for PTSD. The results from this project led to a nationwide implementation of evidence-based treatments and practices for PTSD in Norwegian mental health services for adults, initiated by the National Directorate for Health. In 2020 he supervised the psychosocial support delivered by Gjerdrum municipality, after a devastating landslide disaster that killed 10 persons and affected more than 1500 residents.  

Bækkelund sits on the editorial board of the Journal of the Norwegian Psychological Association, and reviews for several top-tier journals in the field of traumatic stress. He also sits on the board of research and implementation of the Children and War Foundation, a highly respected non-profit organization dedicated to improving children’s lives after wars and disasters.

 

https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=no&user=EyGDZwgAAAAJ

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9510-7713

Projects

Scientific articles and chapters

Egeland, K. M., Borge, R. H., Peters, N., Bækkelund, H., Braathu, N., Sklar, M., . . . Skar, A. M. S. et al. (2023). Individual-level associations between implementation leadership, climate, and anticipated outcomes: a time-lagged mediation analysis. Implementation Science Communications, 4(1). doi:10.1186/s43058-023-00459-7

Stensland, S., Glad, K. A., Andersen, A. J., Brodersen, D., Bækkelund, H., Daae, C., Daae, C., Heltne, U. M., Jensen, T., Johnsen, I., Kristensen, P., Nissen, A., Ormhaug, S. M., Reinholdt, N. P., Stene, L. E., Thapa, S. B., Thoresen, S., & Ottesen, A. (2023). Oppfølging av mennesker rammet av krig og katastrofer. Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening, 143(18), 1-5. doi:10.4045/tidsskr.23.0791

Bækkelund, H., Endsjø, M., Peters, N., Babaii, A., & Egeland, K. M. (2022). Implementation of evidence-based treatment for PTSD in Norway: clinical outcomes and impact of probable complex PTSD. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 13(2). doi:10.1080/20008066.2022.2116827

Bækkelund, H., Ulvenes, P. G., Boon-Langelaan, S., & Arnevik, E. K. A. (2022). Group treatment for complex dissociative disorders: a randomized clinical trial. BMC Psychiatry, 22(1). doi:10.1186/s12888-022-03970-8

Skar, A. M. S., Braathu, N., Peters, N., Bækkelund, H., Endsjø, M., Babaii, A., Borge, R. H., Wentzel-Larsen, T., Ehrhart, M. G., Sklar, M., Brown, C. H., Aarons, G. A., & Egeland, K. M. (2022). A stepped-wedge randomized trial investigating the effect of the Leadership and Organizational Change for Implementation (LOCI) intervention on implementation and transformational leadership, and implementation climate. BMC Health Services Research, 22(1). doi:10.1186/s12913-022-07539-9

Bækkelund, H., Karlsrud, I. S. J., Karlsrud, I., Hoffart, A., & Arnevik, E. K. A. (2021). Stabilizing group treatment for childhood-abuse related PTSD: a randomized controlled trial. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 12:1859079(1), 1-12. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1859079

Sele, P., Hoffart, A., Bækkelund, H., & Øktedalen, T. (2020). Psychometric properties of the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ) examined in a Norwegian trauma-exposed clinical sample. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 11:1796187(1), 1-14. doi:10.1080/20008198.2020.1796187

Egeland, K. M., Skar, A. M. S., Endsjø, M., Laukvik, E. H., Bækkelund, H., Babaii, A., Granly, L. B., Granly, L., Husebø, G. K., Borge, R. H., Ehrhart, M. G., Sklar, M., Brown, C. H., & Aarons, G. A. (2019). Testing the leadership and organizational change for implementaion (LOCI) intervention in Norwegian mental health clinics: a stepped-wedge cluster randomized design study protocol. Implementation Science, 14(28). doi:10.1186/s13012-019-0873-7

Bækkelund, H., Frewen, P., Lanius, R., Berg, A. O., & Arnevik, E. K.Arnevik, E. A. (2018). Trauma-related altered states of consciousness in post-traumatic stress disorder patients with or without comorbid dissociative disorders. European Journal of Psychotraumatology, 9:1544025, 1-12. doi:10.1080/20008198.2018.1544025

Berg, A. O., & Bækkelund, H. (2015). Differensialdiagnostiske vurderinger ved schizofreni og komplekse dissosiative lidelser. Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening, 52(3), 247-254.

Bækkelund, H., & Berg, A. O. (2014). Kartlegging og diagnostisering av traumerelaterte lidelser. In T. L. Anstorp & K. Benum (Red.) Traumebehandling Komplekse traumelidelser og dissosiasjon (pp. 78-99). Universitetsforlaget.

Nielsen, G. H., Danielsen, E., Befring, T. E., Bækkelund, H., Duckert, M., Fossum, I. S., & Storesund, I. J. (2013). Psykologforeningens veilederutdanning: Fortsatt verd å satse på. Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening, 50(7), 681-684.

Books and dissertations

Bækkelund, H. (2021). Complex trauma disorders – Understanding and treatment. A clinical trial of stabilizing group treatment for patients with PTSD and Dissociative Disorders. Oslo. (Dissertation).

Reports

Egeland, K. M., Skar, A. M. S., Babaii, A., Borge, R. H., Braathu, N., Bækkelund, H., Endsjø, M., Granly, L., Hansen, K. S., Husebø, G. K., & Peters, N. (2022). Implementering av traumebehandling i spesialisthelsetjenesten: En nasjonal implementering av behandling av posttraumatisk stresslidelse (PTSD) for barn og voksne. Oslo: Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter om vold og traumatisk stress. (Rapport 1/2022).

Other publications

Halvorsen, J. Ø., & Bækkelund, H. (2022). MDMA-assistert psykoterapi for PTSD: Mellom hype og håp. Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening, 59(3), 228-231.

Halvorsen, J. Ø., & Bækkelund, H. (2021). Ingen revolusjon ennå. Tidsskrift for Norsk Psykologforening, 58(10), 885-889.

Bækkelund, H. (2019 June). Stabilization focused group therapy fro childhood abuse related PTSD: a randomized controlled trial. Paper presented at The 16th European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Conference, Rotterdam.

Bækkelund, H., Egeland, K. M., Laukvik, E. H., Peters, N., Babaii, A., & Endsjø, M. (2019 November). Implementation of Evidence-Based Treatment for PTSD in Norway: Clinical Outcomes. Paper presented at International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies 35th annual meeting, Boston.

Egeland, K. M., Endsjø, M., Laukvik, E. H., Peters, N., Babaii, A., & Bækkelund, H. (2019). Nytt kartleggingsverktøy for traumer. Tidsskrift for Den norske legeforening, 139(7), 598-599. doi:10.4045/tidsskr.19.0161

Bækkelund, H., Bergerud-Wichstrøm, M., Mørck, A. B., Endsjø, M., & Aareskjold, J. (2017). Implementering av kunnskapsbasert behandling av PTSD hos voksne i klinikk: Oppsummering av pilotprosjekt. Oslo: Nasjonalt kunnskapssenter om vold og traumatisk stress.

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