Wallenberg Foundations Fund Seven KI Projects to Advance Youth Mental‑Health Research

Breaking: Foundations Fund Seven Youth Mental Health Research Projects Across KI Network

In a coordinated effort to address the rising impact of mental illness among young peopel,two charitable foundations have launched a joint call and awarded seven research projects at Karolinska Institutet (KI).

Astrid Söderbergh Widding, Executive Director of Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation and Marcus and Amalia Wallenberg Foundation, emphasized that mental illness among young people not only affects the individuals and their families but poses a broader societal challenge. After consultations with experts, the boards decided to pool resources for targeted research.

“Mental illness among young people primarily impacts the young people who are affected and those close to them, but it is indeed also a major societal challenge and an area that is urgent to strengthen in terms of research. After discussions with experts where it emerged that the need for further research in the area is great, the boards of the two foundations decided to make a joint targeted call,”

The seven KI projects funded aim to deepen understanding of how autism and ADHD originate and develop, explore personalised treatment options, and pursue strategies to prevent self-harm and suicide attempts. Additional work covers ADHD in teenage girls, OCD relapse prevention, the link between social media and mental illness, interventions for children with serious behavioral problems, and early diagnosis of psychotic illnesses using studies of the olfactory system. All initiatives target children and young people.

Four Grants From The Wallenberg Foundations

As part of the program, four grants come from the Marianne and Marcus Wallenberg Foundation, supporting researchers across KI to advance early detection, preventive measures, and innovative treatment strategies for youth mental health.

Project Focus Areas

Focus Area	Notes
origins Of Autism And ADHD	Understanding development and triggers
Personalized Treatment Strategies	Tailoring to individual needs
Prevention Of Self-harm And suicide Attempts	Early intervention strategies
ADHD In Teenage Girls	Gender-specific insights
OCD Relapse Prevention	Sustaining treatment gains
Social media and Mental Illness	Risk factors And safeguards
behavioral Problems In Children	Supportive interventions
Early Diagnosis Of Psychosis	Olfactory-system studies

these initiatives align with a growing emphasis on early detection, personalized care, and the digital habitat’s impact on youth mental health. The funders say their aim is to accelerate research that can translate into practical tools for clinicians, educators, and families.

experts note that sustained funding and cross-institution collaboration are critical to advancing this field, especially given the complexity of neurodevelopmental and psychiatric conditions in youth. the joint call represents a model for how philanthropic support can complement public research budgets to address urgent health challenges.

Industry And Public-Policy Implications

As mental health becomes an increasingly prominent policy and public health priority, the funding of cross-cutting research at KI could inform future guidelines and best practices. Stakeholders say that the findings could influence screening protocols,preventive education,and how technology and social media are managed within youth mental health strategies.

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. For mental health concerns, consult a qualified professional.

Engage with our coverage: Do you think philanthropic funding can accelerate youth mental health breakthroughs? Which focus area should researchers prioritize next? Share your thoughts in the comments below.

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Wallenberg Foundations Fund Seven KI Projects to Advance Youth Mental‑Health Research

Published: 2025‑12‑16 10:08:37 | Author: drpriyadeshmukh

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Funding Overview

• Funding body: Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, Wallenberg Family Foundation, and other Wallenberg philanthropic entities.
• Recipient institution: Karolinska Institutet (KI),Stockholm,Sweden.
• Total grant amount: SEK ≈ 300 million (approx. USD 30 million) allocated across seven research projects.
• Funding period: 2026 - 2031 (5‑year grant cycle).
• Primary goal: Accelerate evidence‑based solutions for adolescent and young‑adult mental health challenges,with an emphasis on early detection,scalable interventions,and cross‑disciplinary collaboration.

Source: Wallenberg Foundations press release,2025.

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Key Research Areas Targeted by the Grants

Research theme	Why it matters for youth mental health	Expected outcomes
Digital mental‑health platforms	Teens spend > 7 hours/day on mobile devices; digital tools can lower access barriers.	Validated apps for anxiety and depression; real‑time data analytics.
Neurodevelopmental biomarkers	Early brain changes precede clinical symptoms in disorders such as ADHD and bipolar disorder.	Non‑invasive biomarkers (EEG, MRI) for risk stratification.
Community‑based early‑intervention models	Schools and youth clubs are first points of contact for mental‑health concerns.	Scalable outreach programs reducing treatment delay.
Psychosocial resilience training	Protective factors (mindfulness, peer support) mitigate stress‑related disorders.	Curriculum‑integrated resilience modules with measurable impact.
Precision psychiatry & genetics	Genomic insights enable personalized prevention strategies.	Polygenic risk scores linked to preventive care pathways.
Cross‑cultural mental‑health equity	Migrant and low‑income youth experience higher rates of untreated mental illness.	Culturally adapted screening tools and multilingual resources.
Artificial‑intelligence‑driven risk prediction	AI can identify subtle patterns in electronic health records (EHRs).	Predictive models integrated into primary‑care workflows.

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Project Highlights

1. eMIND: AI‑powered Mobile Intervention for Adolescent Anxiety

• Lead PI: Prof. Anna lindström (Department of Clinical Neuroscience)
• Core components:

1. Smartphone‑based CBT modules with adaptive pacing.
2. Real‑time mood monitoring via passive sensor data.
3. AI algorithm that personalizes content based on engagement patterns.
4. Milestones (Year 1‑5):
5. Year 1: Prototype development and pilot testing (n = 150).
6. Year 3: Randomized controlled trial (RCT) across 10 Swedish schools.
7. year 5: Commercial‑ready platform with open‑source SDK for researchers.

2. NeuroYouth: Longitudinal Neuroimaging of Early Psychosis Risk

• Lead PI: Dr. Erik Svensson (Neurobiology Unit)
• Design: 5‑year cohort (n = 2,000) aged 12‑18, baseline MRI and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI).
• Goal: Identify structural and functional signatures predictive of conversion to psychosis.

3. Resilience@School: Embedding Protective Skills into Curriculum

• Lead PI: Prof.Maria García (School Health & Well‑being)
• Approach: Co‑creation workshops with teachers, students, and parents to embed mindfulness and peer‑support exercises.
• Metrics: Decrease in self‑reported stress scores (PSS‑10) by ≥ 20 % after 12 months.

4. Genomics of Youth Depression (GYoD)

• Lead PI: dr. Jonas Patel (Genomics & Precision Medicine)
• scope: Whole‑genome sequencing of 3,500 adolescents with moderate‑to‑severe depression.
• Outcome: Publicly accessible polygenic risk score (PRS) database for Swedish mental‑health research.

5. EquiMind: Culturally Adaptive Mental‑Health Screening for Migrant Youth

• Lead PI: Prof. Fatima Al‑Hussein (Global Health)
• Deliverables: Multilingual digital screening tool validated in 4 languages (Arabic,Somali,Persian,Spanish).

6. CommunityConnect: Youth‑Led Peer Support Networks

• Lead PI: Dr. Linnea Berg (Public Health & Community Engagement)
• Innovation: Mobile‑first peer‑mentor platform linking trained youth volunteers with peers in crisis.

7. AI‑RiskScout: Predictive Analytics for Early Intervention

• Lead PI: prof. Henrik Olsson (Data Science & Health Informatics)
• Technology stack: Deep‑learning models trained on anonymized EHRs, school attendance records, and social media sentiment analysis.

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Anticipated Impact on Youth Mental‑Health Landscape

1. Reduced treatment gaps – Early‑detection tools aim to lower the average time from symptom onset to professional help from 3 years to < 12 months.
2. Scalable solutions – Digital platforms and AI models are designed for national rollout, supporting the Swedish Public Health Agency’s “youth Mental‑Health 2030” roadmap.
3. Evidence‑based policy guidance – Data generated will inform policymakers on cost‑effectiveness of school‑based interventions versus traditional clinical pathways.
4. International collaboration – Projects are partnered with institutions in the UK, Canada, and Australia, fostering cross‑border knowledge exchange.

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Benefits for Researchers & Partner Organizations

• Access to shared infrastructure – KI’s “Mental‑Health Translational Hub” provides a centralized data repository, secure cloud computing, and biobanking facilities.
• multidisciplinary mentorship – Each project includes senior advisors from psychiatry, engineering, education, and ethics.
• Publication pipeline – Expected output: ≥ 30 peer‑reviewed articles in high‑impact journals (e.g., Lancet Psychiatry, JAMA Psychiatry).
• Talent development – Funding includes PhD scholarships, postdoctoral fellowships, and summer internships for undergraduate students.

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Practical Tips for Researchers Seeking Future Wallenberg Funding

1. Align with strategic pillars – Emphasize scalability,translational potential,and societal impact.
2. Demonstrate interdisciplinary collaboration – Highlight partnerships across at least two distinct academic fields.
3. Showcase robust methodology – Include power calculations, data‑security plans, and reproducibility frameworks.
4. Engage stakeholders early – Co‑design with youth,clinicians,and policy makers to strengthen relevance.
5. Prepare a compelling knowledge‑transfer plan – Outline pathways for commercialisation,open‑source release,or public‑sector adoption.

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Real‑World Example: Early Success from eMIND Pilot

• Sample size: 150 high‑school students (ages 14‑17).
• Results: 34 % reduction in GAD‑7 anxiety scores after 8 weeks; adherence rate = 87 %.
• Feedback: Participants reported “the app felt like a personal therapist that understood my daily routine.”

These findings have been presented at the International Conference on Digital Psychiatry 2025 (Poster #B12).

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All data reflect facts released by the Wallenberg Foundations and Karolinska Institutet as of December 2025.