I am a Professor of Psychology at INVEST Research Flagship Centre, University of Turku, Finland. My research focuses on the impact of war and violence on child and adolescent development. My main interest is in the effectiveness of interventions that support mental health and treat trauma symptoms. Implementing research into society is an important part of my work.
Contact: kirsi.peltonen@utu.fi
What’s new:
(EN) Research-based knowledge is essential for building equity in learning! Our newly published findings suggest that mental health symptoms are associated with key cognitive and social domains of functioning that are crucial for school success across different student groups. The results also indicate that some of the cognitive associations may vary according to immigrant background. Conducted in nine different languages, our study encourages the assessment of these abilities in all student groups, provided that assessment tools are selected with care.
(FI) Uusi kirja ilmestyy syksyllä 2026 (27.4.2026)
(EN) Developing mental health-aware care pathways for children and families (13.3.2026)
(FI) Mielenterveysongelman hoito vaatii rakenteellisia ratkaisuja — Lasten ja nuorten mielenterveyskriisiä ei ratkaista hoitamalla vain vakavasti oireilevia yksilöitä, vaan puuttumalla ongelmiin ajoissa yhteiskunnallisilla ratkaisuilla ja vahvistamalla varhaista tukea. Näin todettiin tutkimuksen lippulaiva INVESTin Mielenterveyden puolustuskurssi -tapahtumassa. (30.1.2026)