معرفی
Petra Lindfors is a Professor of Psychology, specializing in work and organizational psychology, at the Department of Psychology, Stockholm University. She has held this position since December 2013 and is actively involved in multiple research projects focusing on stress, health, and well-being across various contexts including workplaces, educational settings, and home environments.
Her academic journey began with her thesis defense in 2002, which focused on stress, health, and well-being among teleworking women and men as part of the Boundless Work project. She was accepted as an associate professor in psychology at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Stockholm University, in September 2006, and was hired as a lecturer at the Department of Psychology in July 2007. Throughout her career, she has maintained active research collaborations at both the Department of Psychology and the Centre for Health Equity Studies (CHESS) at Stockholm University/Karolinska Institutet.
Lindfors' research interests span multiple dimensions of work and organizational psychology. Her primary focus is on self-reported and objective aspects of stress, health, and well-being among adults and young people across various contexts. She has developed significant expertise in workplace interventions related to harmful substance use, work-life balance, gender differences in work environments, and mental health promotion. Her work often examines how organizational structures and policies affect individual health outcomes, with particular attention to vulnerable populations and gender differences.
Analysis of her recent publications reveals strong thematic consistency centered on occupational health psychology. Her research employs both variable-oriented and person-oriented approaches to examine job insecurity, work-home interference, stress responses, and health outcomes. A notable trend is her increasing focus on methodological innovation, particularly in studying workplace interventions and mental health among young adults. Her work bridges theoretical organizational psychology with practical workplace applications, often resulting in concrete recommendations for employers and policymakers.
- Two-year post-doc scholarship from the Anna Ahlström and Ellen Terserus Foundation (2005)
- Associate editor for the Nordic Journal of Working Life Studies (since 2021)
- Member of the Quality Council for the Swedish Work Environment Authority (2019-2022)
As an academic supervisor, Lindfors has mentored an impressive number of doctoral students, with completions spanning from 2008 to the projected 2025 graduation of Anna S Tanimoto. She has served as main supervisor for numerous successful academics who have gone on to professorial positions, including Ulrica von Thiele Schwarz at Mälardalen University College. Her supervisory approach appears comprehensive, extending beyond thesis completion to postdoctoral mentorship and career development. Regarding research funding, she has secured significant grants from AFA Försäkring for projects examining organizational interventions for health-promoting work, and has been involved with Stockholm Stress Center, a FORTE-financed interdisciplinary research center. Her work demonstrates sustained success in attracting competitive research funding across multiple domains of occupational health.
Lindfors leads the research group 'Harmful use in the workplace – prevention and intervention,' which addresses critical issues related to alcohol, drug, and gambling problems in professional settings. She has also been instrumental in shaping the Department of Psychology's strategic direction, serving as chairman of the board of the Stockholm University Department of Psychology (SUPK) from 2016-2024 and currently as a regular member of the Department's board for 2024-2026. Her collaborative approach is evident in her involvement with multiple interdisciplinary projects, including those examining natural environments, cognitive abilities in military contexts, and school environments' impact on youth mental health.
