Our Research Focus

In the Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy Unit, we study how affective disorders—especially depression and bipolar disorder—develop, are transmitted, and are maintained within the family context. We are particularly interested in how parents and children influence one another: How does it affect children when a parent has a mental disorder—and, conversely, how does the psychological well-being of children affect their parents’ well-being?

We therefore examine reciprocal processes within families—both in families with affected parents and healthy children, and in families in which children are psychologically distressed while the parents remain mentally healthy. Our goal is to better understand these relationships in order to develop and scientifically evaluate effective, family-oriented treatment approaches.

Our research focus therefore centers on the following questions:

• Family life and mental health: How are the mental health of parents and children related, and what mutual influences play a role?
• Protective factors and risks: Which factors help families cope with psychological stress together—and which increase the risk of developing a disorder?
• New approaches to treatment: How can we design psychotherapeutic services in a way that takes the whole family into account and provides lasting support?

Our Research Methods

Our research combines psychological, neurobiological, and behavioral approaches. We follow a multivariate approach that uses questionnaires, interviews, behavioral data, as well as neurobiological and psychophysiological measurement methods. This methodological diversity allows us to capture the development and maintenance of affective disorders on multiple levels—from everyday experience to biological processes.