Yerko Rojas

I am a social worker, senior lecturer in social work and an associate professor (Docent) of sociology.

My current research interests relate to suicide, life course studies, over-indebtedness and knowledge-based practice in social work. I defended my PhD thesis, entitled “Childhood Social Exclusion and Suicidal Behavior in Adolescence and Young Adulthood”, in 2014.

Recent publications

Gålnander, R., Bäckman, O., & Rojas, Y. (2025) A Fresh Start or a False Dawn? Assessing the Crime-Preventive Effect of Debt Settlements for People With a History of Conviction, The British Journal of Criminology, 65(3), 598–617

Rojas, Y., & Bäckman, O. (2024). Parental Over-Indebtedness and Youth Crime in Sweden: A Nationwide Register-Based Study. International Journal of Child, Youth and Family Studies, 15(2), 47-66.

Rojas Y (2023) Strengthening the Notion of the ‘Village’ in Signs of Safety – A Luhmannian Perspective, Practice: Social Work in Action. 35(4), 297–307.

Rojas Y (2022) Unmet financial obligations and alcohol-related mortality: A nationwide register-based follow-up study. SSM - Population Health.

Rojas Y (2022) Status of Debtor Registration at an Enforcement Authority and Risk of Nonfatal Suicide Attempt. Crisis: The Journal of Crisis Intervention and Suicide Prevention.

Rojas Y (2022) School achievement in childhood and financial indebtedness in young adulthood – direct effect, indirect effects, or both? International Journal of Educational Resesearch Open.

Rojas, Y. (2022). Debt Problem of One Partner and Depressive Morbidity in the Other: A 2-Year Follow-up Register Study of Different-Sex Couples in Sweden. Journal of Family and Economic Issues.

Rojas Y. (2021). Financial indebtedness and suicide: A 1-year follow-up study of a population registered at the Swedish Enforcement Authority. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. Aug 2:207640211036166. doi: 10.1177/00207640211036166. Epub ahead of print.

lkka Henrik Mäkinen and Yerko Rojas (2021). “Social theories of suicide”. In: Oxford Textbook of Suicidology and Suicide Prevention. Second Edition. Danuta Wasserman (ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 137-146.

Ilkka Henrik Mäkinen, Yerko Rojas and Danuta Wasserman (2021). “Labour market, work environment and suicide”. In: Oxford Textbook of Suicidology and Suicide Prevention. Second Edition. Danuta Wasserman (ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 249-258.

Ylva B. Almquist; Yerko Rojas; Bo Vinnerljung & Lars Brännström (2020). Association of Child Placement in Out-of-Home Care With Trajectories of Hospitalization Because of Suicide Attempts From Early to Late Adulthood. JAMA Netw Open, 3(6):e206639. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.6639

Yerko Rojas & Nils Stenström (2020) The Effect of Organizational Factors on the Use of Evidence-based Practices among Middle Managers in Swedish Social Services. Human Service Organizations: Management, Leadership & Governance, 44:1, 32-46.

Research projects

Completed:

“Social Processes in the Swedish Credit Market – Inclusion and Exclusion”. Funding: FORTE. Period: 2018 – 2021(2022)

“Suicidal behavior from a life course perspective – pathways, repercussions and the role of social contexts”. Funding: FORTE. Period: 2016-2017

Teaching

I am currently the manager of the following courses:

Evaluation and Evidence in Social Work, advanced level, 7 credits

Quantitative Methods in Social Work, basic level, 5 credits