Risk factors for/ related to serious mental illness

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Risk factors for/ related to serious mental illness

Translational mental health strategy

Cooperating institutions

Core research areas

Researchers

Infrastructure & facilities

Funding

Education & training

Translational impact

Risk factors for/ related to serious mental illness

Researchers

Prof. Dr.
Ingo Schäfer

Dept. of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf

Contact
Tel.: +49 (0) 40 7410 – 59290

Mail: i.schaefer@uke.de

Prof. Dr.
Peer Briken

Dept. of Sex Research, Sexual Medicine and Forensic Psychiatry, Centre for Psychosocial Medicine, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf

Contact
Tel.: +49 (0) 40 7410 – 52225

Mail: briken@uke.de

Contact
Tel.: +49 (0) 40 7410 – 59290

Mail: i.schaefer@uke.de

Contact
Tel.: +49 (0) 40 7410 – 52225

Mail: briken@uke.de

Overview and aims

This research consortium is dedicated to the following aims:

  1. To investigate, assess, prevent, or treat childhood adversities, trauma and experiences of violence, as being among the strongest risk factors for (serious) mental illness.
  2. To address the complexity of serious mental illness, which involves common comorbidity: drug addiction, (multiple) trauma, violence/ crime, minority status, and sexuality.

Research approaches and relevance

I. Schäfer focuses on complex comorbidities as common in serious mental illness, including substance use disorders, personality disorders, and multiple trauma. His and his team’s mission within the MH-TRN is to develop and implement standards and interventions that take into account the high complexity of each individual case with serious mental illness. He leads both the Centre for Traumatized Refugees; CENTRA in Hamburg (https://centra.hamburg/) and the Centre for Interdisciplinary Addiction Research; ZiS (https://www.zis-hamburg.de).

P. Briken’s research is dedicated to sexual health and forensic psychiatry. He leads projects to identify and promote coping with sexual trauma, and is an active member of several victim organizations. One of his aims is to develop better tools to identify (potential), and prevent sexual abuse and trauma. He advocates a ‘de-forensification’ of psychiatry by identifying and supporting individuals with mental illness who are at risk to committing crime. In his research, he also addresses diagnosis and treatment of paraphilic disorders.

These researchers and their institutions and teams came together in order to sharpen our general focus on the complexity and special needs of individuals with serious mental illness.

Selected present research projects

PREPARE – Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders in Refugees. In this BMBF (Federal Ministry for Research and Education) project, together with several national partners, I. Schäfer and his team are investigating and implementing psychotherapeutic interventions for refugees with addiction problems in order to improve emotion regulation and prevent the emergence or chronification of  serious mental health problems.
https://www.zis-hamburg.de/projekte/projektdetails/Praevention-und-Behandlung-von-Suchtproblemen-bei-Gefluechteten-PREPARE

Funding for the treatment of patients with paedophilic sexual disorders. P. Briken, together with 10 national partners in forensic psychiatry (e.g. in Berlin, Kiel, Hannover, Düsseldorf), receives funding from the National Institution of Statutory Health Insurance Funds (GKV Spitzenverband) to develop effective strategies and treat patients with paedophilia in order to  help affected individuals and prevent sexual crime.

Selected research networks involving researchers from the MH-TRN

European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS). I. Schäfer is a member of this European Network across 15 European Countries which addresses research, prevention and treatment of trauma and related disorders. He was president of the Society for several years.
https://estss.org

Development of Mental and Behavioural Disorders chapter, Eleventh Revision of the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-11). This World Health Organization Working Group is working on the Classification of Sexual Disorders and Sexual Health, whereby P. Briken is  consultant and group member.
www.researchgate.net/project/Development-of-Mental-and-Behavioural-Disorders-chapter-Eleventh-Revision-of-the-International-Classification-of-Diseases-and-Related-Health-Problems-ICD-11-World-Health-Organization

European Sexual Medicine Network
P. Briken has been assigned as working group leader for research on sexual health across Europe.
https://www.esmn-cost.eu/working-groups/working-group-2/→https://www.medizin.uni-muenster.de/sfbtrr58/the-project.html