I am a PhD candidate in Epidemiology at the Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Norway and the Competence Centre for Research and Education in Forensic Psychiatry, Haukeland University Hospital. I am also a researcher at the University of Oslo, working with inequality in education in the EQOP-project.

In 2021-2022, I had the privilege of working with Felix Elwert as an Honorary Fellow at University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA. During my stay we worked on quasi-experimental designs with Norwegian administrative data. My PhD has included training in epidemiology and causal inference from London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University of Essex. 

I hold an MPhil in Sociology and a BA in Economics from the University of Bergen. In my spare time, I enjoy basketball, art, and books.

PhD project: Effect of ADHD medication on criminality and injuries

My PhD examines the effect of ADHD medication on criminality and injuries using preference-based instrumental variables and the extent to which ADHD symptoms, diagnosis, and medication vary geographically. 

Research interests

Substantive

• Psychiatric epidemiology

• Social epidemiology

• Social stratification

Methods

• Causal inference

• Instrumental variables

Peer-reviewed publications

(11) Tarjei Widding-Havneraas, Felix Elwert, Simen Markussen, Henrik Daae Zachrisson, Ingvild Lyhmann, Ashmita Chaulagain, Ingvar Bjelland, Anne Halmøy, Knut Rypdal, Arnstein Mykletun. Effect of ADHD medication on risk of injuries: a preference-based instrumental variable analysis. Accepted. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

(10) Ashmita Chaulagain, Ingvild Lyhmann, Anne Halmøy, Tarjei Widding-Havneraas, Olav Nyttingnes, Ingvar Bjelland, Arnstein Mykletun. A systematic meta-review of systematic reviews on Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Accepted. European Psychiatry. 

(9) Tarjei Widding-Havneraas, Henrik Daae Zachrisson, Simen Markussen, Felix Elwert, Ingvild Lyhmann, Ashmita Chaulagain, Anne Halmøy, Ingvar Bjelland, Knut Rypdal, Arnstein Mykletun. Effect of Pharmacological Treatment of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on Criminality. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

Commentary: Mark A. Stein, Margaret H. Sibley, Jeffrey H. Newcorn. Editorial: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder, Stimulant Medication, and Criminality: Commentary and Caution. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

(8) Ingvild Lyhmann, Tarjei Widding-Havneraas, Henrik Daae Zachrisson, Ingvar Bjelland, Ashmita Chaulagain, Arnstein Mykletun, Anne Halmøy. Variation in attitudes toward diagnosis and medication of ADHD: a survey among clinicians in the Norwegian child and adolescent mental health services. 2022. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

(7) Tarjei Widding-Havneraas & Henrik Daae Zachrisson. A Gentle Introduction to Instrumental Variables. 2022. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.

(6) Tarjei Widding-Havneraas, Simen Markussen, Felix Elwert, Ingvild Lyhmann, Ingvar Bjelland, Anne Halmøy, Ashmita Chaulagain, Eivind Ystrøm, Arnstein Mykletun, Henrik Daae Zachrisson. Geographical variation in ADHD: do diagnoses reflect symptom levels? 2022. European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry.

(5) Tarjei Widding-Havneraas, Ashmita Chaulagain, Ingvild Lyhmann, Henrik Daae Zachrisson, Felix Elwert, Simen Markussen, David McDaid, Arnstein Mykletun. Preference-based instrumental variables in health research rely on important and underreported assumptions: a systematic review. 2021. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology.

(4) Arnstein Mykletun, Tarjei Widding-Havneraas, Ashmita Chaulagain, Ingvild Lyhmann, Ingvar Bjelland, Anne Halmøy, Felix Elwert, Peter Butterworth, Simen Markussen, Henrik Daae Zachrisson, Knut Rypdal. Causal modeling of variation in clinical practice and long-term outcomes of ADHD using Norwegian registry data: the ADHD controversy project. 2021. BMJ Open.

(3) Tarjei Widding-Havneraas & Siri Hansen Pedersen. The role of welfare regimes in the relationship between childhood economic stress and adult health: a multilevel study of 20 European countries. 2020. SSM - Population Health. 

(2) Beate Brinchmann, Tarjei Widding-Havneraas, Matthew Modini, Miles Rinaldi, Cathrine F. Moe, A-La Park, Eoin Killackey, Samuel B. Harvey, Arnstein Mykletun. A meta-regression of the impact of policy on the efficacy of Individual Placement and Support. 2019. Acta Scandinavica Psychiatrica.

(1) Tarjei Widding-Havneraas. Young adults not in employment, education or training: a register-based study, 1993–2009. 2016. Norwegian Journal of Working Life Studies. 

Papers in progress

• Tarjei Widding-Havneraas et al. Genetical analysis of education and earnings.

• Collaborating on other papers on ADHD and real-life outcomes.

Other publications

• Statistical theory and causality in methods training [Comment]. 2018. sosiologen.no.

• Beyond genes and environment [Book review: Conley, D. & Fletcher, J. The Genome Factor: What the Social Genomics Revolution Reveals about Ourselves, Our History, and the Future. Princeton University Press]. 2017. sosiologen.no.

Grants

• Research Council Norway: “Controversies in Psychiatry: Coercive Measures and Medication” Haukeland University Hospital. Role: Project participant. PI: Arnstein Mykletun, € 985,000, 2021-2026.

• Western Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Vest): Research stay, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA, 2021-2022.

• National Research School for Epidemiological Research (EPINOR): Course "Causal Inference in Epidemiology: Recent Methodological Developments", London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK, 2019.

• Research Council Norway (FRIPRO): “ADHD Controversy” Haukeland University Hospital. Role: Co-applicant. PI: Arnstein Mykletun, € 1,000,000, 2021-2024.

• Western Norway Regional Health Authority (Helse Vest): “Effect of ADHD medication on long-term functional outcomes”. Personal PhD scholarship, € 285,000, 2018-2023. 

Memberships

• 2022– Society for Epidemiological Research

• 2021– Royal Statistical Society

• 2021– International Epidemiological Association

• 2021– The John Snow Society

• 2017– The Norwegian Epidemiological Association

• 2013– The Norwegian Sociological Association