University Hospital for Psychiatry I

302038, 302045, 302046, 302065, 302066

Bio-psycho-social aspects of diseases and doctor-patient-relationship

The Clinical Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Psychosomatics and Medical Psychology, Division on Psychiatry I, 9 research groups and internationally recognised research priorities in the fields of dementia, addiction, schizophrenia and affective disorders.

Embedded in the clinical services of the centre, the research groups in the Division of Psychiatry I have a long-standing tradition of dealing with a host of different topics related to various aspects of psychiatry. They are supported by a number of international collaborators and funded by grants from the European Union, the Austrian Science Foundation, the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer, the European Group for Research in Schizophrenia and the pharmaceutical industry – both of the latter through investigator-initiated grants in classical, industry-sponsored, phase-II and phase-III trials. In addition, international collaborators include Keio University in Tokyo and the University of Bergen in Norway as well as local collaborators within the department and other medical disciplines at the Medical University of Innsbruck.

Age-Related Psychiatric Disorders

Michaela Defrancesco

Next to providing clinical services for the catchment area, specific areas of scientific interest of this research group include the neuropsychological and anatomical foundations of neurocognitive disorders such as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) due to Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this context, there is a strong emphasis on possible predictors and risk factors for the conversion from MCI to AD dementia. In particular, neuropsychological, neuropsychiatric, imaging and genetic markers are explored and there is an ongoing research focus on clinical and biological progression markers of AD. In close cooperation with the Centre for Molecular Biosciences induced pluripotent stem cells from fibroblasts are investigated as risk markers for AD. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, the research group investigated the impact of the pandemic on patients of the memory clinic and their caregivers. Michaela Defrancesco is a board member of the Austrian Alzheimer Association and in this function involved in the establishment of the Austrian dementia registry. The research group has established the local gerontopsychiatric database “GERDA”. In addition, the group participates in local as well as regional projects in the field of dementia care (Demenz braucht Kompetenz, Tirol Kliniken, FFG: Projekt “Pflege & Betreuung zu Hause”, LIV – Postdiagnostische Begleitung von Menschen mit Demenz), which focus on the improvement and expansion of care for people with dementia.
Automated MRI imaging analysis for diagnosing AD is a research topic that is studied in collaboration with the Department of Neuroradiology. Sleep features measured by polysomnography are also investigated as possible risk factors for neurodegenerative disorders.
In collaboration with the sleep medicine division of the Department of Neurology

Experimental Alzheimer’s Research

Christian Humpel

In close collaboration with clinical researchers, this group focuses on finding and establishing novel biomarkers (in blood and saliva) to diagnose AD and MCI. In addition to peripheral markers, this laboratory also routinely detects biomarkers (beta-amyloid and tau) in cerebrospinal fluid samples for several departments of Tirol Kliniken. Prof. Christian Humpel’s basic research focuses on organotypic brain slices and aims to use this model to investigate the spreading of Alzheimer’s pathology in the brain. Based on a previous EU project, biomaterials (collagen hydrogels and micro-contact printing) are used to optimise the 3D organotypic brain slice model. A number of PhD students (16 to date) have been involved in this research programme.

Human Brain Project

Tina Kokan

The Medical University of Innsbruck is a partner in the Human Brain Project, the second largest flagship research project funded by the European Commission, involving over 130 partner universities in Europe and some outside Europe (2013 – 2023). Tina Kokan is the head of the “Outreach and Education” task within the “Communication, Outreach and Exploitation” work package in the Specific Grant Agreement 3 of this project (2021 – 2023) to coordinate the education and training of a large number of PhD students in this multi-disciplinary project and to coordinate outreach activities to the broader scientific community and general public.

Substance Use Disorders, Clinical

Sergei Mechtcheriakov, Claudia Rupp

This research group investigates mechanisms and clinical features of substance use disorders. The interrelationship between deficits in interoception, stress regulation, symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder and craving are in the focus of current research interests.
Chronic immune activation and kynurenine metabolism in alcohol use disorder is the other research area.
The identification of behavioural markers of adherence in patients with opioid use disorder in substitution treatment programmes is the next area of research.
Another group (Claudia Rupp) places much emphasis on neuroscience research and education to promote, both the treatment and the prevention of substance use disorders (SUD). The main research areas of this group are addiction-related neuro-functional domains (e.g., cognitive executive function, negative emotionality, reward/incentive salience, social cognition) implicated in current neuroscience-informed models in SUD. Dysfunctions in these neuropsychological domains represent core symptoms of SUD, they impact on everyday functioning, psychosocial functioning, quality of life and may explain the heterogeneity of the disorders and treatment outcome. Current research of this group aims to identify potential risk (and protective) factors associated with heavy alcohol and other drug use in male and female young adults, which could inform future preventive strategies. A main focus of this group are neurocognitive functions including social cognition in particular with respect to their potential as objective risk (and protective) markers in the development and maintenance in alcohol use disorder, and to inform, develop, and improve the assessment and more effective (individualised) intervention strategies/treatment (e.g., individually tailored neuropsychological therapy, neuroscience-informed psychoeducation) of this heterogeneous, often chronic, relapsing diseases.

Addiction Research, Preclinical

Rana El Rawas

Drug addiction is a multifactorial disorder resulting from the complex interaction between biological, environmental, and drug-induced effects. In our group, we are interested in environmental factors that provide protection against drugs of abuse. Our research focuses on the mechanisms underlying the positive effects of social interaction when offered as an alternative to drugs of abuse. Using a vertical approach ranging from the behavioural to the molecular level, we manipulate pharmacologically intracellular pathways in the reward-related regions of the brain and study the subsequent effect on behaviour specifically cocaine preference. Our group is also interested in investigating the molecular mechanisms that shift the preference away from/to cocaine preference. Is it possible to enhance social interaction reward in anti-social individuals in order to promote their resilience against drugs of abuse and stress? To answer this question, we are particularly interested in modulating social interaction reward in the purpose to increase its beneficial effects. Finally, as relapse is the biggest challenge that recovering addicts face, we are also investigating the functional involvement of specific molecular candidates in relapse to cocaine seeking.

Schizophrenia Research

Alex Hofer

Clinical Psychopharmacology

Past and ongoing studies focus on antipsychotics, ranging from early drug development in phase-II clinical trials to large-scale international pragmatic effectiveness studies. The underlying theme is always enhancement of the treatment options for patients with schizophrenia. The European First Episode in Schizophrenia Trial and the Optimisation of Treatment and Management of Schizophrenia in Europe were the first large-scale, independent, comparative, first-episode studies worldwide, evaluating treatment outcomes in 14 European countries and Israel. Most recently, the European Long-Acting Antipsychotics in Schizophrenia Trial (EULAST) investigated whether long-acting injectable (LAI) antipsychotics are more efficacious than oral medication in preventing medication discontinuation in early-phase schizophrenia.
The group is also involved in global efforts to improve clinical trial design, in order to facilitate the transition from rigorous, randomised, controlled, clinical trial standards to everyday clinical practice. In this context, the issues of treatment attitudes, adherence, and drug safety have been given particular emphasis. The group is also involved in an international randomised, controlled trial funded by the European Union which aims at investigating the effect of a four/six week intensified pharmacological treatment for schizophrenia, major depressive disorder, and bipolar depression compared to treatment as usual in subjects who had a first-time treatment failure on their first-line treatment.

Cognition

Both neuro- and social cognition represent further focuses of this research group. To this end, a number of studies investigating the impact of social and non-social cognition on patients’ outcome have been conducted. Still other studies investigated the associations between both residual symptoms of schizophrenia as well as the side effects of medication and patients’ driving fitness.
Currently, the short- and medium-term effects of cariprazine on working memory/social cognition and on structural and functional cerebral connectivity are assessed by using functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Resilience

A number of studies have investigated resilience and its biological correlates in patients with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, with a focus on religion and culture. The primary aim of these studies has been the investigation of transcultural differences in resilience across patients from the two different geographical regions of Austria and Japan.
Focusing on potentially sex differences, we also investigated the degree and quality of resilience as well as its correlates (e.g. hope, self-esteem, social support) across students from local universities. Potential neuro-metabolite and functional cerebral differences in subjects with high resilience in comparison with subjects with low resilience were examined in close collaboration with the Department of Neuroradiology.
An ongoing study explores the extent in which the COVID-19 pandemic and associated quarantine measures impact the psychological condition of people with or without mental health disorders. In addition, possible associations with factors such as resilience, emotion regulation strategies, perceived social support etc. are investigated. A follow-up study tests the efficacy of an online group resilience training program compared to an active control condition (progressive muscle relaxation) on psychological distress and resilience in relation to brain structure, function and metabolite levels in people from the general population who are distressed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Affective Disorders and Suicide

Eberhard A. Deisenhammer

Research activities regarding affective disorders include several projects in patients receiving electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The group studies molecular and bio-energetic effects of ECT in therapy refractory depression. The ECT process is monitored with neuroimaging. A register is planned for the study of clinical parameters of ECT. Based on a previous, already published study on impaired colour discrimination in depression an investigation on olfactory sense and sense of taste in depressed patients is about to begin.
With regard to suicidological topics the monitoring of suicide numbers in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences within an international research initiative are continued. An investigation into inflammatory markers of suicide has been conducted, data on plasma lipids in in-patient and post-discharge suicides have been assessed. Data on the location of suicides have been derived from the Tyrol Suicide Registry kept by our group and should soon be ready for publication.

Behavioural medicine and clinical psychology

Bernhard Holzner

In close collaboration with the schizophrenia research group and the Health Outcomes Research Unit of (HORU) of the Division of Psychiatry II this group investigates the impact of disease and treatment on the subjective health status of chronically ill patients.
This research includes methodological projects such as questionnaire development as well as more clinical oriented research including treatment evaluation projects. A special focus in the past 2 years was put on the investigation of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the health status of the general population as well as of patients suffering from mental disorders.
The research group is also involved in the development of electronic tools such as patient portals for questionnaire assessment.

Village Project (2018-2022) – Supporting children of parents with a mental illness

Jean Paul

With the “Village Project”, the Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft and the Medical University of Innsbruck financed a three-million-euro research project from sources of the federal ministry for education, science and research to analyse in detail and subsequently improve the situation for affected children in Tyrol. It was guided by the idea of supporting the children in everyday life with the help of the family’s social network. We drew on knowledge from international studies that have shown that social support can be a protective factor for mental health. The project was funded on the premise of connecting researchers with the public and involving stakeholders throughout the process (“Open Innovation in Science”). We co-designed two practice approaches which supported sensitive early identification of children through adult mental health services, and then working with parents and children to identify daily needs and strengthen their support network (www.village.lbg.ac.at). Our findings indicate that the Village program brought about positive developments in the participating families. Apart from the knowledge gained for the care of affected families, this research project has made a valuable contribution to international research, e.g., in the form of numerous publications and lectures. The organisation Rainbows in Tyrol has adopted parts of the approach; Psychosozialer Pflegedienst Tirol (PSP) and pro mente Carinthia are also interested in integrating elements of the Village approach into their existing services.

„Healthy Minds – Supporting new parents and infants”

Jean Paul

Mental illness is the most common complication associated with pregnancy and childbirth. They affect approximately one in five mothers and more than one in ten fathers during the perinatal period (including one year after birth). The research project ”Healthy Minds” is funded through the FWF #Connecting Minds program. First, we received funding to hold workshops with locally relevant stakeholders in which priority areas of early identification of perinatal mental illness, service gaps, and access to perinatal mental health services were identified. Following this, we were able to secure complete project funding. It builds on the experience and methodological approaches of the previous “Village” project. The project includes a multidisciplinary team and will co-develop, implement, and evaluate practice approaches related to the identified gaps. The project will be completed over 5 years, using open innovation science (OIS) approaches to engage the public in Tyrol. In 2022 we worked with organisational design group, Metalogue, to redesign our project structure to better suit our research objectives and maximise local impact. A close partnership between local stakeholders will leverage international knowledge of best practice, and together designing, implementing, evaluating, and sustaining a strengthened support offer for new parents and their infants experiencing perinatal mental illness.

Age-Related Psychiatric Disorders

C9orf72 repeat length might influence clinical sub-phenotypes in dementia patients. König T, Wurm R, Parvizi T, Silvaieh S, Hotzy C, Cetin H, Klotz S, Gelpi E, Bancher C, Benke T, Dal-Bianco P, Defrancesco M, Fischer P, Marksteiner J, Sutterlüty H, Ransmayr G, Schmidt R, Zimprich A, Stögmann E. Neurobiol Dis. 2022 Dec;175:105927. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105927. Epub 2022 Nov 13. PMID: 36379394.

[Chemical Replacement of Noggin with Dorsomorphin Homolog 1 for Cost-Effective Direct Neuronal Conversion. Böhnke L, Zhou-Yang L, Pelucchi S, Kogler F, Frantal D, Schön F, Lagerström S, Borgogno O, Baltazar J, Herdy JR, Kittel-Schneider S, Defrancesco M, Mertens J., Cell Reprogram. 2022 Oct;24(5):304-313. doi: 10.1089/cell.2021.0200. Epub 2022 Jul 25. PMID: 35877103; PMCID: PMC9587801.

Generation of the human induced pluripotent stem cell line (IBKMOLi002-A) from PBMCs of a patient carrying the heterozygous L271H mutation of the voltage-gated calcium channel subunit Cav1.3-encoding CACNA1D gene. Tisch M, Carmen De Mingo Alemany M, Suarez-Cubero M, Fauth C, Defrancesco M, Zschocke J, Günther K, Edenhofer F.Stem Cell Res. 2022 May;61:102784. doi: 10.1016/j.scr.2022.102784. Epub 2022 Apr 9. PMID: 35453044.

Defrancesco M, Bancher C, Dal-Bianco P, Hinterhuber H, Schmidt R, Struhal W, Ransmayr G, Stögmann E, Marksteiner J. Positionspapier der Österreichische Alzheimer Gesellschaft (ÖAG) : Auswirkungen der COVID-19-Pandemie in Österreich auf Menschen mit Demenz und deren Betreuungsumfeld – Problemfelder, Empfehlungen und Strategien [Position paper of the Austrian Alzheimer Association (Österreichische Alzheimer Gesellschaft, ÖAG) : Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic in Austria on people with dementia and their care environment-problem areas, recommendations, and strategies]. Neuropsychiatr. 2021 Mar;35(1):35-47. German. doi: 10.1007/s40211-020-00363-9. Epub 2020 Oct 29. PMID: 33123943; PMCID: PMC7594989.

Blasko I, Defrancesco M, Oberacher H, Loacker L, Kemmler G, Marksteiner J, Humpel C. Plasma phosphatidylcholines and vitamin B12/folate levels are possible prognostic biomarkers for progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Exp Gerontol. 2021 May;147:111264. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2021.111264. Epub 2021 Jan 28. PMID: 33516907.

Schroeder S, Hofer SJ, Zimmermann A, Pechlaner R, Dammbrueck C, Pendl T, Marcello GM, Pogatschnigg V, Bergmann M, Müller M, Gschiel V, Ristic S, Tadic J, Iwata K, Richter G, Farzi A, Üçal M, Schäfer U, Poglitsch M, Royer P, Mekis R, Agreiter M, Tölle RC, Sótonyi P, Willeit J, Mairhofer B, Niederkofler H, Pallhuber I, Rungger G, Tilg H, Defrancesco M, Marksteiner J, Sinner F, Magnes C, Pieber TR, Holzer P, Kroemer G, Carmona-Gutierrez D, Scorrano L, Dengjel J, Madl T, Sedej S, Sigrist SJ, Rácz B, Kiechl S, Eisenberg T, Madeo F. Dietary spermidine improves cognitive function. Cell Rep. 2021 Apr 13;35(2):108985. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2021.108985. PMID: 33852843.

Experimental Alzheimer’s Research

Korde DS, Humpel C. Spreading of P301S Aggregated Tau Investigated in Organotypic Mouse Brain Slice Cultures. Biomolecules. 2022 Aug 23;12(9):1164. doi: 10.3390/biom12091164. PMID: 36139003; PMCID: PMC9496515.

Substance Use Disorders, Clinical
Mechtcheriakov S, Gleissenthall GV, Geisler S, Arnhard K, Oberacher H, Schurr T, Kemmler G, Unterberger C, Fuchs D. Tryptophan-kynurenine metabolism during acute alcohol withdrawal in patients with alcohol use disorder: The role of immune activation. Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2022 Sep; 46(9):1648-1656. doi: 10.1111/acer.14920. Epub 2022 Aug 20. PMID: 35938556

LOMMER K, KACHEL T, FRAJO-APOR B, PLATTNER B, CHERNOVA A, CONCA A, FROTHALER M, HARING C, HOLZNER B, MACINA C, MARKSTEINER J, MILLER C, PARDELLER S, PERWANGER V, PYCHA R, SCHMIDT M, SPERNER-UNTERWEGER B, TUTZER F, HOFER A (2022): Addiction in the time of COVID-19: Longitudinal course of substance use, psychological distress, and loneliness among the transnational Tyrolean sample with substance use disorders, Front Psychiatry; Article 918465
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2022.918465

Substance Use Disorders, Clinical

Rupp CI, Junker D, Kemmler G, Mangweth-Matzek B, Derntl B. (2021) Do Social Cognition Deficits Recover with Abstinence in Alcohol-Dependent Patients? Alcohol Clin Exp Res. 2021;45(2):470-479. doi: 10.1111/acer.14537

Grahlow M, Rupp CI, Derntl B. (2022) The impact of face masks on emotion recognition performance and perception of threat. PLoS One. 2022;17(2):e0262840. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0262840.

Verdejo-Garcia A, Rezapour T, Giddens E, Khojasteh Zonoozi A, Rafei P, Berry J, Caracuel A, Copersino ML, Field M, Garland EL, Lorenzetti V, Malloy-Diniz L, Manning V, Marceau EM, Pennington DL, Strickland JC, Wiers R, Fairhead R, Anderson A, Bell M, Boendermaker WJ, Brooks S, Bruno R, Campanella S, Cousijn J, Cox WM, Dean AC, Ersche KD, Franken I, Froeliger B, Gamito P, Gladwin TE, Goncalves PD, Houben K, Jacobus J, Jones A, Kaag AM, Lindenmeyer J, McGrath E, Nardo T, Oliveira J, Pennington CR, Perrykkad K, Piercy H, Rupp CI, Schulte MHJ, Squeglia LM, Staiger P, Stein DJ, Stein J, Stein M, Stoops WW, Sweeney M, Witkiewitz K, Woods SP, Yi R, Zhao M, Ekhtiari H. (2022) Cognitive training and remediation interventions for substance use disorders: a Delphi consensus study. Addiction. 2022 Dec 12. doi: 10.1111/add.16109.

Addiction Research, Preclinical

Protein kinases in natural versus drug reward. Amaral IM, Scheffauer L, Hofer A, El Rawas R. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2022 Nov;221:173472. doi: 10.1016/j.pbb.2022.173472. Epub 2022 Oct 13. PMID: 36244528 Free article. Review.

Rewarding Social Interaction in Rats Increases CaMKII in the Nucleus Accumbens. Amaral IM, Scheffauer L, Langeder AB, Hofer A, El Rawas R. Biomedicines. 2021 Dec 12;9(12):1886. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines9121886. PMID: 34944702 Free PMC article.

AMARAL IM, LEMOS C, CERA I, DECHANT G, HOFER A, EL RAWAS R (2021):
Involvement of cAMP-Dependent Protein Kinase in the Nucleus Accumbens in Cocaine Versus Social Interaction Reward, Int J Mol Sci 2021;22, 345
https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms22010345

AMARAL I, HOFER A, EL RAWAS R (2022):
Implication of ERK in the expression of natural reward: evidence not found
Front. Behav. Neurosci. 16, Article 856675
https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2022.856675

Schizophrenia Research

HOFER A, KACHEL T, PLATTNER B, CHERNOVA A, CONCA A, FRONTHALER M, HARING C, HOLZNER B, HUBER M, MARKSTEINER J, MILLER C, PARDELLER S, PERWANGER V, PYCHA R, SCHMIDT M, SPERNER-UNTERWEGER B, TUTZER F, FRAJO-APOR B (2022):
Mental health in individuals with severe mental disorders during the COVID-19 pandemic: A longitudinal investigation. NPJ Schizophrenia, 8:17;
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41537-022-00225-z

BIEDERMANN F, KURZTHALER I, HAIBACH M, PARDELLER S, PICHLER T, KEMMLER G, HOLZNER B, HOFER A (2022); Driving fitness in clinically stable outpatients with chronic schizophrenia; Compr Psychiatrie 118; 1523400
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2022.152340

HOFER A, BIEDERMANN F, KAUFMANN A, KEMMLER G, PFAFFENBERGER N, YALCIN-SIEDENTOPF N (2023): Self-esteem in stabilized individuals with chronic schizophrenia: association with residual symptoms and cognitive functioning, Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neuroscience
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00406-022-01538-x

WINTER-VAN ROSSUM I, WEISER M, GALDERISI S, LEUCHT S, BITTER I, GLENTHOJ B, HASAN B, LUYKX J, KUPCHK M, PSOTA G, ROCCA P, STEFANIS N, TEITELBAUM A, HAIM MB, LEUCHT C, HOFER A, KEMMLER G, SCHURR T, DAVIDSON M, KAHN RS, FLEISCHHACKER WW (2023): Efficacy of oral versus long-acting antipsychotic treatment in patients with early-phase schizophrenia in Europe and Israel: a large-scale, open-label, randomised trial (EULAST)
The Lancet 2023;
https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(23)00005-6

Affective Disorders and Suicide

POST F, BUCHTA M, KEMMLER G, PARDELLER S, FRAJO-APOR B, HOFER A (2021)
Resilience predicts self-stigma and stigma resistance in stabilized patients with bipolar I disorder. Front Psychiatry 12, Article 678807,
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyt.2021.678807

Pirkis J, John A, Shin S, … Deisenhammer EA, …, Spittal MJ (2021) Suicide trends in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic: Interrupted time series analysis of preliminary data from 21 countries. Lancet Psychiatry.

Sojer P, Kainbacher S, Hüfner K, Freudenthaler HH, Kemmler G, Deisenhammer EA (2021) The association of intrapersonal trait emotional intelligence and resilience with suicidal ideation in university students. Psychiatria Danubina.

Deisenhammer EA, Strasser A, Kemmler G (2022) Reduced ability to discriminate colors – an under-recognized feature of depressive disorders? A pilot study. International Journal of Psychiatry in Clinical Practice.

Weiss EM, Deisenhammer EA, Fink A, Marksteiner J, Canazei M, Papousek I (2022) Disorder-specific profiles of self-perceived emotional abilities in schizophrenia and major depressive disorder. Brain Sciences.

Behavioural medicine and clinical psychology

Effects of a Two-Step Cognitive and Relaxation Training Program in Care Home Residents with Mild Cognitive Impairment.
Stuerz K, Hartmann S, Holzner B, Bichler CS, Niedermeier M, Kopp M, Guenther V.Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Jul 7;19(14):8316. doi: 10.3390/ijerph19148316.

Add-on exercise interventions for smoking cessation in people with mental illness: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Schöttl SE, Niedermeier M, Kopp-Wilfling P, Frühauf A, Bichler CS, Edlinger M, Holzner B, Kopp M.BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil. 2022 Jun 21;14(1):115. doi: 10.1186/s13102-022-00498-y.

Psychological Distress, Loneliness, and Boredom Among the General Population of Tyrol, Austria During the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Tutzer F, Frajo-Apor B, Pardeller S, Plattner B, Chernova A, Haring C, Holzner B, Kemmler G, Marksteiner J, Miller C, Schmidt M, Sperner-Unterweger B, Hofer A.Front Psychiatry. 2021 Jun 10;12:691896. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.691896.

The Mediating Role of Resilience and Extraversion on Psychological Distress and Loneliness Among the General Population of Tyrol, Austria Between the First and the Second Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
Chernova A, Frajo-Apor B, Pardeller S, Tutzer F, Plattner B, Haring C, Holzner B, Kemmler G, Marksteiner J, Miller C, Schmidt M, Sperner-Unterweger B, Hofer A.Front Psychiatry. 2021 Oct 27;12:766261. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.766261

The Impact of Resilience and Extraversion on Psychological Distress, Loneliness, and Boredom During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Follow-Up Study Among the General Population of Tyrol, Austria.
Tutzer F, Frajo-Apor B, Pardeller S, Plattner B, Chernova A, Haring C, Holzner B, Kemmler G, Marksteiner J, Miller C, Schmidt M, Sperner-Unterweger B, Hofer A.Front Psychiatry. 2021 Nov 12;12:777527. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.777527

Village Project (2018-2022) – Supporting children of parents with a mental illness

Bauer A, Best S, Malley J, Christiansen H, Goodyear M, Zechmeister-Koss I and Paul J (2021) Towards a Program Theory for Family-Focused Practice in Adult Mental Health Care Settings: An International Interview Study With Program Leaders. Front. Psychiatry 12:741225. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.741225

Goodyear M, Zechmeister-Koss I, Bauer A, Christiansen H, Glatz-Grugger M and Paul JL (2022) Development of an Evidence-Informed and Codesigned Model of Support for Children of Parents With a Mental Illness— “It Takes a Village” Approach. Front. Psychiatry 12:806884. doi: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.806884

Stracke, M.; Heinzl, M.; Müller, A.D.; Gilbert, K.; Thorup, A.A.E.; Paul, J.L.; Christiansen, H. Mental Health Is a Family Affair—Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis on the Associations between Mental Health Problems in Parents and Children during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 4485. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph2005448

Zechmeister‐Koss, I., Aufhammer, S., Bachler, H., Bauer, A., Bechter, P., Buchheim, A., … & Paul, J. L. (2023). Practices to support co‐design processes: A case‐study of co‐designing a program for children with parents with a mental health problem in the Austrian region of Tyrol. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 32(1), 223-235.

“Healthy Minds – Supporting new parents and infants”

Zechmeister-Koss, I. Perinatal and infant mental health care in Austria. A mapping report of existing prevention, screening and care structures with a specific focus on Tyrol. AIHTA Project Report No. 151. 2023. Vienna: HTA Austria – Austrian Institute for Health Technology Assessment GmbH.

Austrian Ministry for Science and Resarch

FWF Connecting Minds workshop funding Grant No. CMW21

FWF Connecting Minds project funding Grant No. CM 600

FWF Stand alone project funding Grant No. P35053

The BrainMatTrain project, European Union Horizon 2020 Grant Agreement No. 676408

Federal State of Tyrol (Grant No. F.21427)

Federal State of Tyrol (Grant No. F.42856)

Austrian Alzheimer Association

European Group of Research in Schizophrenia

ECNP Schizophrenia Network

Maria Angela Sortino, University of Catania, Italy

Birgit Derntl, University of Tübingen, Germany

Bernhard Baune, University of Münster, Germany

Olga Valverde, Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona, Spain

Hiroyuki Uchida, Keio University, Tokio, Japan

International Association for Suicide Prevention

Melinda Goodyear, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia

Annette Bauer, London School of Economics, London, UK