̽»¨¾«Ñ¡

Women's Mental Health Epidemiology – Donghao Lu Lab

The group aims to study women’s mental health over the life course and to bridge the gap between Obstetrics/Gynecology and Psychiatry. Leveraging international large-scale population-based cohorts, we want to understand the underlying biological mechanisms affecting women’s mental health and potential health consequences. The current main research topics are: 1) Risk factors, comorbidities, and health consequences of reproductive mood disorders 2) Sex disparity in mental health

Part of the:

Publications

Selected publications

  • Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2024;29(3):602-610
    Brann E; Chen Y; Song H; Laszlo KD; D'Onofrio BM; Hysaj E; Almqvist C; Larsson H; Lichtenstein P; Valdimarsdottir UA; Lu D
  • Article: BMJ-BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL. 2024;384:e075462
    Hagatulah N; Brann E; Oberg AS; Valdimarsdottir UA; Shen Q; Lu D
  • Editorial comment: BMJ-BRITISH MEDICAL JOURNAL. 2024;384:p2777
    Brann E; Shen Q; Lu D
  • Article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2024;7(1):e2350897
    Yu H; Shen Q; Braenn E; Yang Y; Oberg AS; Valdimarsdottir UA; Lu D
  • Article: ARCHIVES OF WOMENS MENTAL HEALTH. 2023;26(6):839-849
    Braenn E; Vaina A; Danielsdottir HB; Thordardottir EB; Yang Q; Jakobsdottir J; Aspelund T; Hauksdottir A; Valdimarsdottir UA; Lu D
  • Article: JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS. 2023;340:930-937
    Li Y; Jiang J; Halldorsdottir T; Zhu H; Bertone-Johnson E; Valdimarsdottir UA; Zhou X; Zhang W; Lu D
  • Article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2023;6(9):e2334545
    Yang Y; Valdimarsdottir UA; Manson JE; Sievert LL; Harlow BL; Eliassen AH; Bertone-Johnson ER; Lu D
  • Journal article: NATURE MENTAL HEALTH. 2023;1(6):410-419
    Yang Y; Gong T; Camargo CA; Valdimarsdottir UA; Bertone-Johnson E; Lu D
  • Article: BMC MEDICINE. 2022;20(1):482
    Yang Q; Lagerberg T; Sjolander A; Bertone-Johnson ER; Fang F; Ye W; Chang Z; Valdimarsdottir UA; Lu D
  • Article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2022;5(3):e221256
    Lu D; Aleknaviciute J; Kamperman AM; Tamimi RM; Ludvigsson JF; Valdimarsdottir UA; Bertone-Johnson ER
  • Article: BMC MEDICINE. 2022;20(1):60
    Yang Q; Pordardottir EB; Hauksdottir A; Aspelund T; Jakobsdottir J; Halldorsdottir T; Tomasson G; Runarsdottir H; Danielsdottir HB; Bertone-Johnson ER; Sjolander A; Fang F; Lu D; Valdimarsdottir UA
  • Article: BMC MEDICINE. 2021;19(1):119
    Yang Q; Sjolander A; Li Y; Viktorin A; Bertone-Johnson ER; Ye W; Fang F; Valdimarsdottir UA; Lu D
  • Article: HUMAN REPRODUCTION. 2021;36(2):455-464
    Lu D; Aleknaviciute J; Bjarnason R; Tamimi RM; Valdimarsdottir UA; Bertone-Johnson ER

All publications from group members

  • Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHOTRAUMATOLOGY. 2025;16(1):2545661
    Zarchev M; Wei D; Valdimarsdottir UA; Laszlo KD; Grootendorst-van Mil NH; Mulder CL; Brann E; Fang F; Kamperman AM; Lu D
  • Article: ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA. 2025;152(5):360-371
    Nevriana A; Brulin E; Hemmingsson T; Almroth M; Pan K-Y; Bodin T; Kjellberg K; Falkstedt D
  • Journal article: BMC PSYCHIATRY. 2025;25(1):1022
    Nevriana A; Osam CS; Kosidou K; Hope H; Ashcroft DM; Wicks S; Dalman C; Abel KM; Pierce M
  • Journal article: BRAIN BEHAVIOR AND IMMUNITY. 2025;131:106134
    Zarchev M; Gigase FAJ; de Witte L; Cecil CAM; Hillegers MHJ; Ospina LH; Suleri A; Rommel A-S; Muetzel RL; Bergink V
  • Journal article: ARCHIVES OF WOMENS MENTAL HEALTH. 2025;28(5):1261-1269
    Zarchev M; Bais B; Meijer JS; Bijma HH; van der Zande B; Luik AI; Lambregtse-van den Berg MP; Kamperman AM
  • Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2025;:1-9
    Brann E; Guintivano J; Yang Y; Lundborg L; Opatowski M; Fang F; Valdimarsdottir UA; Fransson E; Skalkidou A; Lu Y; Lu D
  • Article: NATURE HUMAN BEHAVIOUR. 2025;:1-10
    Yang Y; Brann E; Fransson E; Laszlo KD; Fang F; Papadopoulos FC; Valdimarsdottir UA; Skalkidou A; Lu D
  • Article: SCANDINAVIAN JOURNAL OF WORK ENVIRONMENT & HEALTH. 2025;:4250
    Almroth M; Nevriana A; Falkstedt D; Burdorf A; Kjellberg K; Hemmingsson T; Pan K-Y; Pedersen J
  • Article: INJURY EPIDEMIOLOGY. 2025;12(1):56
    Elling DL; Bodin T; Honkaniemi H; Kreshpaj B; Davis L; Nevriana A; Wegman DH; Wadensjo E; Kjellberg K; Bilal N; Thern E
  • Article: EUROPEAN PSYCHIATRY. 2025;68(1):e133
    Jakobsdottir Smari U; Valdimarsdottir UA; Wynchank D; de Jong M; Aspelund T; Hauksdottir A; Thordardottir EB; Tomasson G; Jakobsdottir J; Lu D; Nevriana A; Larsson H; Kooij S; Zoega H
  • Article: JAMA NETWORK OPEN. 2025;8(9):e2533823
    Wang Q; Keijser R; Chen Y; Yu H; Hysaj E; Hagg S; Valdimarsdottir UA; Bertone-Johnson E; Aleknaviciute J; Lu D
  • Article: JCPP ADVANCES. 2025;5(3):e12299
    Tu H-F; Forssman L; Fransson E; Skalkidou A
  • Article: NATURE CARDIOVASCULAR RESEARCH. 2025;4(8):1001-1010
    Yang Y; Braenn E; Zhou J; Wei D; Bergstedt J; Fang F; Valdimarsdottir UA; Bertone-Johnson E; Lu D
  • Article: ACTA PAEDIATRICA. 2025;114(8):1926-1934
    Nasir S; Fransson E; Arinell H; Papadopoulos FC; Skalkidou A; Ramklint M
  • Article: JOURNAL OF CHILD PSYCHOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRY. 2025;66(8):1170-1181
    Martini MI; Kuja-Halkola R; Butwicka A; Du Rietz E; Kanina A; Brikell I; Chang Z; Larsson H; Lichtenstein P; Bolte S; Happe F; Taylor MJ
  • Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH. 2025;35(4):657-664
    Pan K-Y; Almroth M; Nevriana A; Hemmingsson T; Kjellberg K; Falkstedt D
  • Article: JOURNALS OF GERONTOLOGY SERIES A-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES AND MEDICAL SCIENCES. 2025;80(8):glaf128
    Tang B; Kuo P; Moore AZ; Thambisetty M; Ferrucci L; Hägg S
  • Article: OCCUPATIONAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MEDICINE. 2025;82(4):oemed-2025-110088-167
    Pan K-Y; Nevriana A; Almroth M; Falkstedt D
  • Article: BMJ MENTAL HEALTH. 2025;28(1):e301550
    Yu H; Yang Y; Hysaj E; Nevriana A; Hägg S; Valdimarsdóttir UA; Bertone-Johnson E; Lu D
  • Conference publication: 2025;:a15.1-a1a15
    Pan K-Y; Nevriana A; Almroth M; Falkstedt D
  • Show more

Funding

Grants

  • Develop a comprehensive roadmap to address premature deaths shadowing reproductive mood disorders
    ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ KID
    1 January 2024 - 31 December 2027
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2024 - 31 December 2026
    Research problem and specific questionsSex/gender differences in mental health among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) are well documented. Yet, the driving forces are poorly understood. Premenstrual disorders (PMDs) are common yet under-investigated mental/behavioral conditions emerging during adolescence, with a significant psychosocial impact on young women. Our recent work based on cross-sectional data revealed that the higher prevalence rates of depression and anxiety in adolescent girls than boys did not emerge until menarche and were almost fully attributable to PMDs. However, prospective data are urgently needed to demonstrate the causal relations between PMDs and mental ill-health in young women, and subsequently the contribution to the sex disparities in AYAs mental health.Data and methodsLeveraging the nationwide Swedish register data and two large prospective cohorts (the LifeGene and CATSS), this proposal aims to develop a strategy roadmap for future interventions reducing mental health sex/gender disparities among AYAs through novel prevention programs for PMDs. Specifically, we aim to: 1) assess the association of PMDs and subsequent risks of depression and anxiety using population and sibling analyses
    2) quantify the mediating role of PMDs in the sex differences in mental health and suicidal behavior using mediation analysis
    and 3) determine modifiable childhood causal risk factors for PMDs using Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis.Plan for project realizationThe research team consists of multidisciplinary experts from epidemiology, OB/GYN, psychology/psychiatry, and genetics from Iceland, Sweden, and the US. The applicant has extensive experience in conducting cutting-edge studies on women´s mental health, particularly among AYAs, using registers and large population-based cohorts with advanced methods integrating omics data. One full-time PhD student and 70% of a postdoc will be financed to implement the projects over 3 years under the applicant´s supervision. RelevanceMental ill-health is the leading cause of disease burden among AYAs in Sweden and the sex/gender disparity is alarmingly concerning. However, very limited progress has been implemented so far. Through this program, we will fill an important knowledge gap in the contribution of PMDs to the sex/gender disparities in AYAs mental health, and provide innovative guidelines for future interventions targeted to reduce such disparities.
  • Prenatal antidepressant treatment: from maternal serum signature to fetal brain response to ADHD risk and resilience
    ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Research Incubator Fellow Postdoc Project Grants with an Interdisciplinary Focus
    1 January 2024 - 31 December 2026
  • Reproductive mood disorders: a neglected determinant of sex/gender disparities in health
    ̽»¨¾«Ñ¡ Strategic Research Area in Epidemiology and Biostatistics
    1 October 2023 - 31 December 2026
  • Swedish Research Council
    1 January 2021 - 31 December 2024
  • Swedish Research Council for Health Working Life and Welfare
    1 January 2021 - 31 December 2024

Staff and contact

Group leader

All members of the group

Other people connected to the group

  • Yang, Qian

Visiting address

̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, IMM, Nobels väg 13, Stockholm, 17177, Sweden

Postal address

̽»¨¾«Ñ¡, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nobels väg 13, Stockholm, 17177, Sweden

Keywords:
Cancer and Oncology Depression, Postpartum Epidemiology Epidemiology Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Medicine Show all
Anna Persson
04-09-2025