I work as a psychiatrist and senior researcher at the Psychiatry department of Amsterdam UMC since 2018, and am a member of the Medical Ethics committee.
In my clinical work, I specialize in functional neurological disorders, persistent physical symptoms and neuropsychiatric disorders.
In 2016, I finished a postdoctoral Master in Epidemiology at EpidM. In 2019, I obtained my PhD at the VU Amsterdam. My thesis focused on depressive, anxiety and sleep disorders in patients with Parkinson’s disease, as well as the effects of Bright Light Therapy in these patients. Together with prof. Odile van den Heuvel I wrote the book “Parkinson bij de psychiater: verhalen over liefde, rouw en veerkracht”, a collection of true stories about people with Parkinson’s disease who experience psychiatric symptoms.
My current research focuses mainly on functional neurological disorders (FND) and somatic symptom disorders (SSD).
I was chair of the revision of the Dutch Care Standard for FND and vice-chair of the Dutch Multidisciplinary Guideline for SSD and related disorders.
Sonja Rutten
MD PhD
Psychiatrist and senior researcher