Finn Skårderud (born 27 October 1956) is a Norwegian former

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

psychotherapist Psychotherapy (also psychological therapy, talk therapy, or talking therapy) is the use of Psychology, psychological methods, particularly when based on regular Conversation, personal interaction, to help a person change behavior, increase hap ...

, author and professor. He was

struck off The General Medical Council (GMC) is a public body that maintains the official register of medical practitioners within the United Kingdom. Its chief responsibility is to "protect, promote and maintain the health and safety of the public" by co ...

the medical register by the

Norwegian Board of Health Supervision The Norwegian Board of Health Supervision (, short name ''Helsetilsynet'') is a national government institution under the Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Health and Care Services (''Helse- og omsorgsd ...

due to a widespread pattern of professional misconduct in 2023. As such he is no longer a medical doctor or psychiatrist. In 2024 he pled guilty to

fraud In law, fraud is intent (law), intentional deception to deprive a victim of a legal right or to gain from a victim unlawfully or unfairly. Fraud can violate Civil law (common law), civil law (e.g., a fraud victim may sue the fraud perpetrato ...

Career

He once led a psychotherapy project at

Oslo University Hospital Oslo University Hospital (; OUS) is a university hospital in Oslo, Norway. With over 24,000 employees it is List of hospitals by staff, the largest hospital organization in Europe. It is affiliated with the University of Oslo Faculty of Medicine, F ...

, ran a private practice and was the psychiatrist for the Norwegian Olympic Committee. He was a professor at the Department of Special Needs Education at the University of Oslo and at

Lillehammer University College Lillehammer University College () was a state university college located at Storhove in Lillehammer, Norway. It was merged with Hedmark University College to become the Inland Norway University of Applied Sciences in 2017. History In 1970, Oppl ...

. He was also an author and film, art and literature critic, and has produced numerous scientific papers, books and book chapters within the fields of psychiatry, psychology, culture, literature and film, both fiction and non-fiction. Following an investigation into professional misconduct he was

the medical register by the

in 2023.

In popular culture

Skårderud's unconventional suggestion that when humans are born they have a

blood alcohol level Blood alcohol content (BAC), also called blood alcohol concentration or blood alcohol level, is a measurement of alcohol intoxication used for legal or medical purposes. BAC is expressed as mass of alcohol per volume of blood. In US and many i ...

0.05% too low forms the central premise of 2020 Danish

comedy Comedy is a genre of dramatic works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. Origins Comedy originated in ancient Greec ...

drama Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...

film ''

Another Round ''Another Round'' () is a 2020 black comedy-drama film directed by Thomas Vinterberg, co-written with Tobias Lindholm. Starring Mads Mikkelsen, Thomas Bo Larsen, Magnus Millang, and Lars Ranthe, the film follows four high school teachers who ...

''. This is not a real theory, but a misinterpreted preface written by Skårderud to a book first published in 1881, 'On the psychological effects of wine' by

Edmondo de Amicis Edmondo De Amicis (; 21 October 1846 – 11 March 1908) was an Italian novelist, journalist, poet, and short-story writer. His best-known book is the children's novel ''Heart''. Early career Born in Oneglia (today part of the city of Imperia), h ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Skarderud, Finn Academic staff of Lillehammer University College 1956 births Living people Norwegian physicians struck off the medical register Norwegian fraudsters Norwegian psychiatrists Norwegian psychology writers