Yerko Rojas

Yerko Rojas serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Social Sciences at Stockholm University. His academic background includes a PhD in Sociology awarded in 2014 for his thesis on childhood social exclusion and suicidal behavior. Dr. Rojas's professional activities span research and teaching in social work and sociology, with a focus on critical societal issues such as suicide prevention, financial indebtedness, and evidence-based practices in social services.

Dr. Rojas completed his doctoral studies in 2014, defending a dissertation titled 'Childhood Social Exclusion and Suicidal Behavior in Adolescence and Young Adulthood'.

His research interests center on:

• Suicide and suicidal behavior across the life course
• Social and financial marginalization, particularly over-indebtedness
• Knowledge translation and evidence-based practice in social work

Utilizing Swedish national registries, his work examines how socioeconomic adversities, such as financial strain and childhood exclusion, impact mental health outcomes and mortality.

Analysis of Dr. Rojas's recent publications (2020-2022) reveals a consistent focus on the nexus between financial hardship and health. Key themes include the association of debtor registration with suicide attempts, the role of unmet financial obligations in alcohol-related mortality, and the transmission of debt-related stress within couples. His methodological approach predominantly employs register-based cohort studies, highlighting interdisciplinary connections between sociology, public health, and social work.

No scientific awards were mentioned in the source text.

Dr. Rojas has led two significant research projects funded by FORTE:

• 'Social processes in the Swedish credit market' (2018-2022)
• 'Suicidal behavior from a life cycle perspective' (2016-2017)

He has also contributed book chapters to the Oxford Textbook of Suicidology. In teaching, he leads advanced courses on evidence-based social work and quantitative methods.