Ásgeir R. Helgason (born 1957) is an Icelandic scientist working at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. Since 2002 he has been an associate professor in psychology at the Departments of Oncology-Pathology and Public Health at the Karolinska Institutet and Reykjavik University, Iceland.

Ásgeir is best known for his population based research on sexual function[1] and emotional isolation[2] in elderly men and prostate cancer patients, patient trade-off[3] and his work on smoking cessation and quitlines.[4] Helgason was a prime mover in the establishment of the Swedish and Icelandic national quitlines for smoking cessation (1998) and responsible for their development. He was also engaged in the development of a similar telephone-based proactive treatment for people who seek help for controlling their alcohol consumption (alcohol quitline).[5]

Other work includes research on motivational interviewing and palliative care,[6] followed by an ethical analysis of facilitating death talk in end-of-life care.[7]

Ásgeir has two sons. His brother-in-law is writer and humourist Tim Moore, his father is scientist Helgi Valdimarsson and he is a brother of scientist Agnar Helgason.

References and sources edit

  1. ^ 31st NACS conference, September 4–7, 2008 13:10-14.00 Ásgeir Helgason, Iceland/Sweden: Opening lecture. "Waning orgasm pleasure after radical treatment for localized prostate cancer and impacts on .
  2. ^ Emotional isolation in elderly men: [1].
  3. ^ PhD thesis (1997): Prostate Cancer Treatment and Quality of Life – a Three Level Epidemiological Approach.
  4. ^ Smoking cessation - quitlines:[2].
  5. ^ Ahacic, Kozma; Nederfeldt, Lena; Helgason, Ásgeir R. (1 January 2014). "The national alcohol helpline in Sweden: an evaluation of its first year". Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy. 9: 28. doi:10.1186/1747-597X-9-28. PMC 4100057. PMID 25015403.
  6. ^ Skúlason, Bragi; Hauksdóttir, Arna; Ahcic, Kozma; Helgason, Ásgeir R. (11 March 2014). "Death talk: gender differences in talking about one's own impending death". BMC Palliative Care. 13 (1): 8. doi:10.1186/1472-684X-13-8. PMC 3975272. PMID 24618410.
  7. ^ Black, Isra; Helgason, Ásgeir R. (1 March 2018). "Using motivational interviewing to facilitate death talk in end-of-life care: an ethical analysis". BMC Palliative Care. 21 (1): 17(1):51. doi:10.1186/s12904-018-0305-5. PMC 5863449. PMID 29562885.