Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies

The Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (

NKVTS was established by the

• The Division of Disaster Psychiatry, a joint unit of the University of Oslo Faculty of Medicine and the Norwegian Armed Forces Joint Medical Services, based at Gaustad Hospital
• The Psychosocial Centre for Refugees at the University of Oslo Faculty of Medicine's Department of Psychiatry
• The Norwegian National Resource Center on Child Sexual Abuse at
  Aker University Hospital
  , affiliated with the University of Oslo
• The Norwegian Resource Centre for Information and Studies on Violence at Oslo University College

The oldest predecessor institution, the Division of Disaster Psychiatry, has its roots in

NKVTS is funded directly by the government. The institute was part of the University of Oslo from its establishment in 2004 until 2019, and remains an affiliated institute of the University of Oslo from 2019. The institute was located at Oslo University Hospital, Ullevål 2004–2013, and is now located in Nydalen, Oslo, in the immediate vicinity of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. In 2018 the government proposed to integrate NKVTS into the Norwegian Institute of Public Health.^[7] In 2019 the government proposed that NKVTS continues as an independent state-owned research institute, and that the government's shares are administered by the Norwegian Research Centre, a research organisation owned by four universities; NKVTS maintains its close academic links with the University of Oslo as an affiliated institute.

The centre has 101 employees (2019). It employs experts in psychology, psychiatry, law, sociology, criminology, social anthropology and other disciplines, with the main emphasis on psychology and psychiatry. Its academic staff include research professors (equivalent to full professors), senior researchers (associate professors), researchers (assistant professors) and a number of postdoctoral fellows, doctoral candidates and research assistants. NKVTS cooperates closely with the Department of Psychology, the Faculty of Medicine and the Faculty of Law at the University of Oslo, where several of its research professors also hold professorial chairs.^[1]

In addition to carrying out research the centre advises the Government of Norway in its areas of expertise. NKVTS has certain official functions related to emergency management at the national level.

The current director of the institute is Inger Elise Birkeland, a former political adviser to Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland.

B.E. Saunders of the Medical University of South Carolina has described the institute as "one of the most highly respected research organizations in the world dedicated to research on violence and traumatic stress. Since its inception, it has conducted a series of highly sophisticated studies focusing on a wide array of topics, including the prevalence and impact of different forms of violence and abuse among children and adults, mental health treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder and other trauma-related problems, and how best to implement and incorporate evidence-based interventions practices into community service agencies. These studies have had enormous impact not only in Norway, but internationally."^[9]

Notable researchers

The list includes researchers at NKVTS' four predecessor institutions.

• Nora Ahlberg, psychologist, former director of the Psychosocial Centre for Refugees
• Solveig Bergman, sociologist, research project manager, former director of NIKK
• Margunn Bjørnholt, sociologist, research professor at NKVTS and professor of sociology at the University of Bergen
• Grete Dyb, psychiatrist, research professor at NKVTS and Professor II in child and adolescent psychiatry at the University of Oslo Institute of Clinical Medicine
• Edvard Hauff, psychiatrist, professor of psychiatry and director of the Psychosocial Centre for Refugees
• Trond Heir, military psychiatrist, research professor at NKVTS and professor II at the University of Oslo Institute of Clinical Medicine
• Are Holen, psychiatrist and psychologist, former researcher at the Division of Disaster Psychiatry
• Tine Jensen, psychologist, research professor at NKVTS and professor of psychology at the University of Oslo Department of Psychology
• Thore Langfeldt, psychologist, former senior researcher at NKVTS
• Nils Johan Lavik, psychiatrist, professor of psychiatry and director of the Psychosocial Centre for Refugees
• Inger-Lise Lien, social anthropologist, research professor at NKVTS
• Ellinor F. Major, psychologist, former senior researcher at the Psychosocial Centre for Refugees
• Jon-Håkon Schultz, educational psychologist, research professor at NKVTS and professor II at the University of Tromsø
• Kristin Skjørten, criminologist, research professor at NKVTS and professor II at the University of Oslo Department of Public and International Law
• United Nations Committee against Torture
• Siri Thoresen, military psychologist, research professor at NKVTS
• Odd Arne Tjersland, psychologist, research professor at NKVTS and professor of clinical psychology at the University of Oslo Department of Psychology
• Arne Sund, military psychiatrist, the founder of disaster psychiatry, professor of disaster psychiatry at the University of Oslo and director of the Division of Disaster Psychiatry
• Lars Weisæth, military psychiatrist, research professor emeritus at NKVTS, professor of disaster psychiatry at the University of Oslo and former director of the Division of Disaster Psychiatry

References