Dr. Ing-Marie Wieselgren was Sweden’s national coordinator for mental health at the time of her tragic and traumatic death in July earlier this year.

Ing-Marie was a true values- and impact-driven leader who worked strategically, relationally and operationally to drive change and innovation. She had a natural ability to pivot from meetings with cabinet ministers and parliamentarians to students and people with lived experience and then swap back to psychiatrist mode in the clinic the next day. Her commitment to drive change led her to explore the value of digital technologies earlier than most in the sector. With her values- and impact ideals, tech was never the goal, but the allied support to achieve the goals Ing-Marie set out for herself, her team and the stakeholders supported by the lab.

Early on in the innovation lab, Ing-Marie saw clearly how her aim to support systems improvement required new digital solutions. When no such tools existed, she did not shy away from the task but instead made sure that such tools were developed. These early digital solutions – from systems-mapping exercises to clinical & population surveys through to registers and tools for quality improvement – no innovation was too big nor too small.

Perhaps her single most important leadership achievement within e-mental health was the visionary leadership to create Sweden’s Support & Treatment Platform (SOB) where the many regions and local authorities across the country became able to unite around a common platform. This incredible platform is a one-stop space where e-mental health solutions such as iCBT-manuals, survey instruments etc. could be uploaded and shared across regions and local authorities. Only Ing-Marie dared to find ways to overcome political-administrative barriers, legal complexities, proprietary rights challenges and evidence hurdles to create new solutions at such scale in Sweden. That this platform has now gone through several rounds of improvement also signifies Ing-Marie´s true change and innovation leadership – you get something out there and then you improve!

Ing-Marie loved people and believed in their capabilities and strengths. In her company, everything seemed possible. Throughout her entire career, she remained a dedicated psychiatrist: every year she spent a few summer weeks on clinical work to ensure she was still connected to reality and to the perspective of patients, nurses and doctors. She was very well connected in Sweden. She truly knew everyone in the field. And she always made sure to challenge everyone around her to new heights.

Ing-Marie really did devote her life to changing the Swedish society, to make us all better understand the importance of mental health, and how treatment and support functions need to improve. She was convinced everything could be improved, and that digitization was a very positive transformational force.Today we recognize Ing-Marie Wieselgren’s contribution to enabling eMental Health development through the post-humous award of eMHIC’s Lifetime Achievement Award.