Mental Health Research Group

„Our mission is to understand what sustains mental health in an increasingly complex and challenged society and to develop innovative, technology-driven solutions for prevention, early detection, and personalized care.“

News

New research group member

Jael Behrendt starts her scientific journey in our institute working in the DFG financed GO-Online project on digital psychological support for people with suicidal ideation. Welcome!
New staff member

We welcome MSc Jiexi Xiong in our research group!
Funding

The DFG is funding the research project ‘Individualised internet-based cognitive behavioural therapy for patients with suicidal thoughts: a randomised controlled pilot study’ with €499,966.00 for two years.

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Digital Mental Health

We develop, evaluate, and implement digital interventions to promote mental health and prevent mental disorders. Our focus is on evidence-based, low-threshold, and personalized tools designed to reach vulnerable and underserved populations.

Current projects

GO-ONline: Remote blended care for people with suicidal ideation.
Digital self-help for people experiencing intimate partner violence: The ByMySide Intervention.
Individual participant data meta-analysis on digital interventions for people with suicidal ideation.

Selected publications

Prevention of Depression and Suicide

Our research aims to prevent depression and suicide by creating innovative, accessible interventions that reach people before a crisis occurs. We design and test digital programs that provide timely support, identify early warning signs, and adapt to individual needs. Through this work, we strive to reduce suffering and save lives.

We are member of the Global Consortium for the Prevention of Depression – Overcoming Borders in the Prevention of Depression

Current projects

Individual participant data meta-analysis on digital interventions for people with suicidal ideation.
GO-ONline: Remote blended care for people with suicidal ideation.

Selected publications

Global (digital) Mental Health

A high level of cultural diversity among patients can pose major challenges for healthcare systems. The findings regarding the prevalence of mental disorders, particularly among refugees, indicate a high need for psychotherapeutic treatment. However, in this group and in many low- and middle-income countries, there are various barriers that make access to mental health care more difficult. We investigate the specific access barriers and needs of these target groups, develop culturally appropriate (digital) treatments and analyse their accessibility and effectiveness. In this way, we aim to reduce existing inequalities in healthcare.

We are member of the research community co-minded for global, digital, and mental health and the interest group cross-cultural psychology and psychotherapy of the specialist group clinical psychology of the DGPs

Cognitive-affective mapping in the context of refugee healthcare.
Cross-cultural validation of a suicide questionnaire for people from Afghanistan in Germany.

Selected publications

Impact of Climate Change and Natural Hazards

Our goal is to deepen the understanding of how natural hazards and extreme weather events impact the epidemiology of mental health disorders. We investigate prevalences of mental disorders including risk and protective factors for mental ill-health, the impact of forced displacement, and how to prevent and treatment mental disorders in the context of natural hazards.

We are member of the DGPs interest group Mensch-Klima-Nachhaltigkeit and the European HeBEC Network (Health, Behaviour, and Environment-Related Challenges).

Current projects

Systematic review on the psychosocial co-benefits of climate protection policies
Meta-analysis on risk and protective factors for mental disorders following exposure to natural hazards
Development of a German task to assess selective interrogation of information for positive and negative climate change–related information

Selected publications