Henrik Berg

• Berg, Henrik & Fjelland, Ragnar (2026). Numbers and measurement: a critique of evidence-based practice in psychology. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. 13. doi: 10.1057/s41599-026-06832-w. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Although psychology was established as a discipline more than one hundred years ago, it is far from homogeneous. On the contrary, it consists of several different schools. Evidence-based practice in psychology (EBPP) purports to be a neutral or pan-theoretic approach. The core of EBPP is randomized clinical trials (RCT). This paper traces the origins of RCT from the ideal of physics and shows how this ideal was exported to the social sciences and psychology. It particularly emphasizes the role of numbers and scales for quantitative measurements and shows that EBPP is built on these ideals. The paper concludes that psychology should be a pluralistic science, including different kinds of scientific knowledge.

• Berg, Henrik (2024). Is evidence-based practice justified?—A philosophical critique. Journal of Evaluation In Clinical Practice. ISSN 1356-1294. 30(5), p. 855–859. doi: 10.1111/jep.14059. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Evidence-based practice is the principle governing a range of healthcare practices and beyond. However, it has suffered from a lack of philosophical rigour. This paper sets out to analyse the epistemological basis of evidence-based practice. Method: The paper uses a conceptual analysis. First, it describes the implicit epistemology at work in evidence-based practice. Second, it evaluates the implicit epistemological basis. Results: The analysis indicates that evidence-based practice lacks an explicit epistemological basis. It shows, moreover, that the implicit epistemological basis is untenable. Conclusion: There is a need to re-think the epistemological basis for evidence-based practice. Evidence-based practice is out of touch with developments within philosophy of science.

• Moe, Fredrik Dreyer & Berg, Henrik (2022). Treating equivalent cases differently: A comparative analysis of substance use disorder and type 2 diabetes in Norwegian treatment guidelines. Journal of Evaluation In Clinical Practice. ISSN 1356-1294. 28(5), p. 1–8. doi: 10.1111/jep.13693. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background Substance use disorder (SUD) is often understood as a chronic illness. Aims: This paper investigates whether SUD is treated as a chronic illness. Method To this aim, we have used World Health Organizations (WHO's) definition of chronic illness to conduct a comparative analysis of SUD and type 2 diabetes (T2D), which is another chronic illness. Results When analysing Norwegian treatment guidelines, we found that only the T2D guideline reflects the WHO's conceptualization of chronic illnesses. We argue that this discrepancy implies that SUD is understood as a moral and legal problem, while T2D is conceptualized as a somatic illness. We discuss how social, political and historical conditions of the possibility for understanding SUD are interwoven with normative presumptions about the clinician, patient, treatment guidelines and drug policies in a way that may impede the development of continuing care. Conclusion The paper concludes that the delivery of treatment services is inequitable as SUD is not treated as a chronic illness.

• Berg, Henrik; Askheim, Clemet; Heggen, Kristin; Sandset, Tony Joakim Ananiassen & Engebretsen, Eivind (2022). From evidence-based to sustainable healthcare: Cochrane revisited. Journal of Evaluation In Clinical Practice. ISSN 1356-1294. 28(5), p. 741–744. doi: 10.1111/jep.13698. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Evidence-based healthcare is the prevailing model for healthcare services. In Cochrane's seminal thinking, political context was included with the purpose of promoting healthcare equity. However, the subsequent evidence-based healthcare models marginalized political context. In this paper, we argue that current models of evidence-based healthcare fail to respond to emerging healthcare challenges. We claim that reintegration of political context is crucial to make healthcare sustainable. Global communities are anticipating ecological crises with immense repercussions for healthcare. This prospect illustrates that healthcare models failing to integrate political context also risk neglecting some of the most relevant healthcare issues of our time.

• Heggen, Kristin Margrethe & Berg, Henrik (2021). Epistemic injustice in the age of evidence-based practice: The case of fibromyalgia. Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. 8(1), p. 1–6. doi: 10.1057/s41599-021-00918-3. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The aim of this paper is to analyze epistemic interactions in healthcare practices. In clinical encounters, participants exchange and interpret knowledge. Patients suffering from fibromyalgia often report that healthcare professionals do not take their testimonies and interpretations seriously. Such experiences will be explored using the concept of epistemic injustice. Epistemic injustice is wrong done to someone in their capacity as a knower. In healthcare settings, epistemic injustice occurs when patients experience an unjustified discrediting as unreliable informants of their own illness experiences. First, we will argue that patients’ epistemic marginalization can be reframed as an epistemological problem. There is a gap between patients’ lived experience of illness and professionals’ conceptualization of illness as disease. This gap leads to two distinct conceptualizations, possibly causing harm to patients’ capacity as first-hand knowers. Second, we will analyze epistemic injustice in light of the dominant model of knowledge translation in medicine and healthcare, namely evidence-based practice (EBP). EBP intends to diminish the gap between scientific knowledge and clinical practice. EBP prioritizes knowledge obtained through clinical research over other forms of clinical knowledge and has the potential for harmful epistemic devaluation of patients’ stories.

• Berg, Henrik (2021). Why Only Efficiency, and Not Efficacy, Matters in Psychotherapy Practice. Frontiers in Psychology. 12, p. 1–5. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.603211. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Evidence-based practice in psychology consists of two quality parameters. One of these quality parameters is efficacy and the other is efficiency. In this article, it is argued that the only relevant parameter for determining quality in clinical care is efficiency. Moreover, emphasising efficacy in psychotherapy practice is symptomatic of a scientocentric ideal in evidence-based practice in psychology. The proper understanding and use of scientific findings entail leaving this scientocentric ideal. In addition, it is crucial that efficiency is related to the ethical aims that constitutes psychotherapy practice.

• Berg, Henrik (2020). Virtue Ethics and Integration in Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology. Frontiers in Psychology. 11(158). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00258. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  The policy statement for evidence-based practice in psychology is the most important document in contemporary psychotherapy. In its current form, evidence-based practice in psychology gives scientific research precedence in psychotherapy practice. However, psychotherapy practice’s complexity warrants reflection beyond the limits of science. The importance of clinical expert is not recognised in the current policy statement. The clinical expert is necessary to translate psychological research into clinical practice. It is also crucial to identify, clarify and include patient preferences in psychotherapy practice. This paper argues that virtue ethics is a useful theoretical framework for conceptualising clinical expertise. Clinical expertise is conceptualised as the meta-capacity of practical wisdom (phronesis) and the virtues necessary for integrating best available research, clinical expertise and patient preferences.

• Aanesen, Sofia Mariam; Notøy, Runa Regine Garshol & Berg, Henrik (2020). The Re-shaping of Bodies: A Discourse Analysis of Feminine Athleticism. Frontiers in Psychology. 11. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01751. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Slender and skinny body ideals have been associated with psychological disorders such as eating disorders. However, the tendency to promote a “healthier” and more athletic female body ideal has received minimal critical attention. This study aims at exploring the underlying conditions for such an athletic ideal through asking: How is the female athletic body constructed in the pseudonymous contemporary women’s fitness magazine, “Xrzise”? We investigated the object of inquiry through a modified version of Parker’s Foucauldian discourse analysis. We analyzed the interviews of four athletic role models in “Xrzise” and identified four discourses: “Neo-liberal discourse,” “Health expertise discourse,” “Discourse of surveillance and control” and “Discourse of emancipation.” The “Neoliberal discourse” constructs the female athletic body as something that the individual woman should strive for by appropriately managing her own resources, abilities and skills. The “Health expertise discourse” constructs the female athletic body through a homeostatic logic where the individual is responsible and healthcare experts have the mandate to intervene in order to maintain good health. The “Discourse of surveillance and control” constructs the female athletic body as an internalized panoptic stance, disciplining women to accept hegemonic beauty ideals. The “Discourse of emancipation” accentuates that the female athletic body is alleviated from a culturally rigid body image and instead improved physical performance and functionality are considered good ends. The results and discussion indicate that the female athletic body is a result of a complex nexus of different discourses associated with the powers of economy, sex differences, institutions, and ideological forces. We have advocated that magazines like “Xrzise” can have covert disciplinary effects hidden by seemingly well-intentioned motives, which can contribute to women’s objectification of their bodies.

• Berg, Henrik (2020). A non-modern vision: Facts and values in psychotherapy. European Journal for Person Centered Healthcare. ISSN 2052-5648. doi: 10.5750/ejpch.v8i3.1867. Full text in Research Archive
• Bjørnestad, Jone Ravndal; McKay, James R.; Berg, Henrik; Moltu, Christian & Nesvåg, Sverre Martin (2020). How often are outcomes other than change in substance use measured? A systematic review of outcome measures in contemporary randomised controlled trials. Drug and Alcohol Review. ISSN 0959-5236. 39, p. 394–414. doi: 10.1111/dar.13051. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Issues Recovery is a theoretical construct and empirical object of inquiry. The aim was to review whether outcome measures used in randomised controlled trials of drug treatment reflect a comprehensive conceptualisation of recovery. Approach Systematic review using the following databases: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Controlled Register of Trials, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effect, Web of Science, MEDLINE, Embase and PsycINFO. Search returned 6556 original articles and 504 met the following inclusion criteria: randomised controlled trial in English‐language peer‐reviewed journal; sample meets criteria for drug dependence or drug use disorder; reports non‐substance use treatment outcomes. Review protocol registration: PROSPERO (CRD42018090064). Key Findings 3.8% of the included studies had a follow up of 2 years or more. Withdrawal/craving was present in 31.1% of short‐term versus 0% of long‐term studies. Social functioning in 8% of short‐term versus 36.8% of long‐term studies. Role functioning (0.9 vs. 26.3%), risk behaviour (15.6 vs. 36.8%) and criminality (3.8 vs. 21.1%) followed a similar pattern. Housing was not examined short‐term and unregularly long‐term (2.0%). ‘Use of health‐care facilities’, clinical psychological, behavioural factors were frequently reported. Physiological or somatic health (15.2 vs. 10.5%), motivation (14.2 vs. 15.8%) and quality of life (7.1 vs. 0%) were less frequently reported. Conclusion The short time interval of the follow up and lack of information on relevant factors in recovery prevents the development of evidence‐based approaches to improve these factors. Particularly, measures of social and role functioning should be added to reflect an adequate conceptualisation of recovery.

• Bjørnestad, Jone Ravndal; Hegelstad, Wenche; Berg, Henrik; Davidson, Larry; Joa, Inge & Johannessen, Jan Olav [Show all 9 contributors for this article] (2019). Social media and social functioning in psychosis: A systematic review. Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR). ISSN 1439-4456. 21(6), p. 1–22. doi: 10.2196/13957. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: Individuals with psychosis are heavy consumers of social media. It is unknown to what degree measures of social functioning include measures of online social activity. Objective: To examine the inclusion of social media activity in measures of social functioning in psychosis and ultrahigh risk (UHR) for psychosis. Methods: Two independent authors conducted a search using the following electronic databases: Epistemonikos, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO. The included articles were required to meet all of the following criteria: (1) an empirical study published in the English language in a peer-reviewed journal; (2) the study included a measure of objective or subjective offline (ie, non-Web-mediated contact) and/or online social functioning (ie, Web-mediated contact); (3) the social functioning measure had to be used in samples meeting criteria (ie, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or International Classification of Diseases) for a psychotic disorder or UHR for psychosis; and (4) the study was published between January 2004 and February 2019. Facebook was launched as the first large-scale social media platform in 2004 and, therefore, it is highly improbable that studies conducted prior to 2004 would have included measures of social media activity. Results: The electronic search resulted in 11,844 distinct articles. Full-text evaluation was conducted on 719 articles, of which 597 articles met inclusion criteria. A total of 58 social functioning measures were identified. With some exceptions, reports on reliability and validity were scarce, and only one measure integrated social media social activity. Conclusions: The ecological validity of social functioning measures is challenged by the lack of assessment of social media activity, as it fails to reflect an important aspect of the current social reality of persons with psychosis. Measures should be revised to include social media activity and thus avoid the clinical consequences of inadequate assessment of social functioning.

• Berg, Henrik (2019). How does evidence-based practice in psychology work? – As an ethical demarcation. Philosophical Psychology. ISSN 0951-5089. 32(6), p. 853–873. doi: 10.1080/09515089.2019.1632424. Full text in Research Archive
• Berg, Henrik (2019). Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology Fails to Be Tripartite: A Conceptual Critique of the Scientocentrism in Evidence-Based Practice in Psychology. Frontiers in Psychology. 10, p. 1–4. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02253. Full text in Research Archive
• Bjørnestad, Jone Ravndal; Veseth, Marius; Berg, Henrik; Davidson, Larry; McKay, James R. & Moltu, Christian [Show all 10 contributors for this article] (2019). Reports of the benefits of drug use from individuals with substance use disorders. Psychotherapy Research. ISSN 1050-3307. doi: 10.1080/10503307.2019.1677965. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Background: The perceived benefits of drug use are not currently integrated into the treatment of substance use disorder. This omission appears paradoxical and is unsubstantiated by empirical research. As the perceived benefits of drug use are catalysts for drug initiation, relapse and continuous use, increased knowledge about these benefits seems crucial to efficacious treatment. Aims: To investigate the perceived benefits of drug use in substance use disorder. Method: The study is a phenomenological-hermeneutical investigation using thematic analysis of interviews with 30 long-term recovered adult service users. Results: Our thematic analysis resulted in three themes and several sub-themes: (1) Benefits of drug use; (2) Necessity of intense experiences; and (3) Importance of being unconventional. Conclusions: Findings indicate that the benefits of non-problematic and problematic drug use are motivated by similar individual and social needs. An absolute distinction between problematic and non-problematic drug use thus seems arbitrary and potentially counterproductive for clinical practice. The benefits of drug use should be researched as a possible add-on treatment module, as this knowledge may be of significant clinical value in treatment frameworks.

• Berg, Henrik; Bjørnestad, Jone Ravndal; Våpenstad, Eystein Victor; Davidson, Larry & Binder, Per-Einar (2019). Therapist self-disclosure and the problem of shared-decision making. Journal of Evaluation In Clinical Practice. ISSN 1356-1294. doi: 10.1111/jep.13289. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Therapist self‐disclosure is one of the most controversial topics in the history of psychotherapy. The controversies reflect some basic discussions regarding the nature of psychotherapy practice. In psychotherapy practice, a particular concern is the interaction between the psychotherapist and the patient. The expert‐patient interac-tion has been addressed in a novel framework for clinical practice called shared‐decision making. In this paper, we discuss the relationship between self‐disclosure and shared‐decision making. The chief aim is to illustrate some of the principles andpractical problems with shared‐decision making by using therapist self‐disclosure as an example.

• Berg, Henrik & Slaattelid, Rasmus Tore (2017). Facts and values in psychotherapy: A critique of the empirical reduction of psychotherapy within evidence-based practice. Journal of Evaluation In Clinical Practice. ISSN 1356-1294. 23(5), p. 1075–1080. doi: 10.1111/jep.12739. Full text in Research Archive
• Berg, Henrik; Antonsen, Petter & Binder, Per-Einar (2016). Sediments and vistas in the relational matrix of the unfolding "I": A qualitative study of therapists' experiences with self-disclosure in psychotherapy. Journal of psychotherapy integration. ISSN 1053-0479. 26(3), p. 248–258. doi: 10.1037/a0040051. Full text in Research Archive
• Berg, Henrik; Antonsen, Petter & Binder, Per-Einar (2016). Sincerely speaking: Why do psychotherapists self-disclose in therapy? – A qualitative hermeneutic phenomenological study. Nordic Psychology. ISSN 1901-2276. 69(3), p. 143–159. doi: 10.1080/19012276.2016.1198272. Full text in Research Archive

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• Berg, Henrik (2024). A Critical Reconstruction of Evidence-based Practice in Psychology: Evidence and Ethics. Routledge. ISBN 9781032842974. 128 p. doi: 10.4324/9781003512141. Full text in Research Archive Show summary

  Evidence-based practice in psychology is the dominant regulatory principle in clinical psychology, defining psychological knowledge and its application. This book provides a critical analysis and a reconstruction of the policy statement focusing on epistemology and ethics. The book shows the ideological and historical background for the development of evidence-based practice in psychology. It covers the main conceptual and empirical arguments leading to this transition including philosophy and evidence-based medicine. The book goes on to show some of the defects of evidence-based practice in psychology: it misconstrues psychological knowledge; reduces the number of ethical resources available to regulate psychological practices; does not fulfil its ambitions of being a tripartite concept; and undertheorises the issue of integration. The closing chapters provide a constructive critique, preserving the valuable aspects of evidence-based practice in psychology while developing it to make it function adequately. In that sense, the book aims to change the way psychological knowledge is understood and used in practice. This text will be engaging and thought-provoking for anyone using psychological knowledge with patients or clients. It will provide analytic resources to understand psychology better and facilitate the application of psychological knowledge in various settings.

• Berg, Henrik (2023). Vitenskapsteori i psykologiske fag. Fagbokforlaget. ISBN 9788245034783. 255 p. Full text in Research Archive
• Berg, Henrik (2020). Evidens og etikk: Hva er problemet med evidensbasert praksis i psykologi? Fagbokforlaget. ISBN 9788245024425. 184 p. Full text in Research Archive

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• Berg, Henrik (2023). En vitenskapsteoretisk analyse av evidensbasert praksis i psykologi. Nytt Norsk Tidsskrift (NNT). ISSN 0800-336X. 40(1), p. 82–86. doi: 10.18261/nnt.40.1.10. Full text in Research Archive
• Madsen, Ole Jacob & Berg, Henrik (2021). Sjefredaktøren villeder. Tidsskrift for Norsk psykologforening (Psykologtidsskriftet). ISSN 0332-6470. Full text in Research Archive
• Tessand, Heidi Elisabeth Svendsen; Madsen, Ole Jacob; Berg, Henrik; Flor, Jørgen; Tisløv, Ingvild Stjernen & Hansen, Lene Sommerseth [Show all 13 contributors for this article] (2021). Vi vil beholde den kritiske journalistikken i tidsskriftet. Tidsskrift for Norsk psykologforening (Psykologtidsskriftet). ISSN 0332-6470. Full text in Research Archive
• Berg, Henrik (2020). Hva er problemet med evidens­basert praksis i psykologi? Psykologisk.no. Full text in Research Archive
• Bjørnestad, Jone Ravndal; Davidson, Larry; Hegelstad, Wenche; Stain, Helen J. & Berg, Henrik (2019). Re-thinking social functioning in psychosis. Schizophrenia Research. ISSN 0920-9964. 211, p. 93–94. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2019.07.054. Full text in Research Archive
• Berg, Henrik (2018). Ikke tenk, vær nyttig. 55(12), p. 1132–1135. Full text in Research Archive
• Berg, Henrik (2017). Moral og etikk i psykoterapi. Tidsskrift for Norsk psykologforening (Psykologtidsskriftet). ISSN 0332-6470. 54(7), p. 667–668. Full text in Research Archive
• Berg, Henrik (2017). Fakta og verdier i psykoterapi. Tidsskrift for Norsk psykologforening (Psykologtidsskriftet). ISSN 0332-6470. 54(5), p. 481–483. Full text in Research Archive
• Berg, Henrik; Slaattelid, Rasmus Tore & Binder, Per-Einar (2019). Beyond evidence-based practice in psychology: Science, ethics and practice. Routledge. ISSN 9788230835357. Full text in Research Archive

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