Lena Axelsson Svedell

About Lena Axelsson Svedell

Lena Axelsson Svedell is a postdoctoral researcher in psychiatric epidemiology at the School of Medical Sciences.

She received her PhD in Medical Science, specialising in Health Sciences, from Örebro University in June 2026. Her doctoral thesis was entitled “Physical exercise as add-on treatment for adults with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: feasibility, effects and experiences: The START intervention.”

Lena is a registered physiotherapist (BSc, 2001), holds a Master’s degree in physiotherapy (2017), and is a certified specialist in mental health within physiotherapy (2022). Alongside her doctoral studies, she continued to work clinically and has 25 years of professional experience as a physiotherapist in psychiatric care.

In 2022, Lena participated in the Social Impact Lab at Örebro University. She has extensive experience of collaboration with civil society across several sectors, with a focus on sport, public health, mental health, and social innovation.

Research

Lena’s research focuses on physical activity, exercise and ADHD, with particular emphasis on functioning and quality of life among children, adolescents and adults with ADHD. Her research addresses physical, mental and social health outcomes.

In the START research project (Stöd i aktivitet, rörelse och träning – för vuxna personer med ADHD), Lena designed and evaluated an exercise intervention delivered within psychiatric care as a treatment for adults with ADHD.

Teaching

Lena teaches at advanced level at Karolinska Institutet in the courses
Psychosomatic Physiotherapy – the Interaction between Body and Mind (15 credits) and Promoting Mental Health in Children and Adolescents – a Physiotherapeutic Perspective (15 credits).

She also supervises bachelor’s theses and leads seminars in the Occupational Therapy Programme at Örebro University. In addition, she lectures on physical activity as a preventive intervention for mental ill-health in the Sports Coaching Programme at Örebro University.

Collaborations and assignments

Lena has been selected for an assignment with the Government Offices of Sweden focusing on the development of the future of psychiatric care, led by Karin Schultz. The work will result in a position paper outlining the direction, current situation and priority areas for policy development concerning the future of psychiatric care within the Government Offices.

Lena is engaged in ongoing dialogue with psychiatric care services to develop health-promoting interventions and initiatives for people with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDCs) who are on waiting lists for care. The START exercise intervention in psychiatric care is also a collaboration between Örebro University and Region Örebro County.

Friskare unga project

Lena initiated, secured funding for and led the prestudy Friskare Unga – More Physical Activity for Children and Adolescents with ADHD and autism and the subsequent Friskare Unga 2.0 pilot project at RF-SISU Örebro County.

Friskare Unga was a prestudy and collaborative project between Region Örebro County, Örebro Municipality and RF-SISU Örebro County. The project aimed to identify challenges and opportunities for increasing physical activity among children and adolescents with neurodevelopmental conditions. The project was funded by Vinnova and SustainGov.
A report in Swedish is available here. Friskare Unga visar vägen, så kan fler barn och unga med npf få rörelseglädje and a news reportage here: Unga med NPF exkluderas från idrott

Friskare Unga 2.0 was a pilot project testing selected interventions from the feasibility study, including training for sports clubs on NDC-inclusive sport and new forms of collaboration with schools. The pilot project was funded through Kraftsamling Barn och Unga within Regional Development, Region Örebro County.

Lena Axelsson Svedell has also served on the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare’s consensus panel developing new guidelines for the care and treatment of people with ADHD. She has also been a member of the local programme area for lifestyle-related health (LPO Levnadsvanor), which is part of the knowledge-based healthcare system in Region Örebro County.

Through her company, Start Your Move, Lena collaborates with a range of organisations across regional and municipal government and civil society. She is also a frequently invited speaker on ADHD, exercise and mental health.