Kjersti Sandnes

Kjersti Sandnes is an Associate Professor at the Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, affiliated with the Department of Mental Health at NTNU’s Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Her work focuses on infant mental health, parenting interventions, and the psychosocial development of young children. She leads research on maternal representations of infants, early childhood education transitions, and primary care-based interventions.

Her research interests include attachment theory, perinatal mental health, and the implementation of evidence-based practices in community settings. Key contributions involve randomized trials evaluating video feedback interventions and psychometric validation of clinical tools like the Working Model of the Child Interview (WMCI).

Dr. Sandnes has authored reports on early childhood policy strategies and delivered lectures on topics such as maternal mental health screening, attachment-based therapies (e.g., Circle of Security), and developmental screening tools like ASQ/ASQ:SE. She teaches courses like MDV6423 - Marte Meo, emphasizing clinical applications of developmental psychology.

Her outreach activities include developing informational materials for parents and training programs for healthcare professionals in municipalities across Norway. She actively participates in national and international conferences, presenting findings on child development, intervention efficacy, and cross-generational mental health dynamics.