Advancing Psychotherapy Research and Practice for Underserved Populations
We investigate factors that contribute to the development and maintenance of mental disorders and derive psychotherapeutic interventions from these mechanisms. The research focuses on the role of psychological factors in persistent somatic symptoms/ somatic symptom disorder and mental health in ethnic minorities. Our research methods range from epidemiological longitudinal studies and experimental approaches to ecological momentary assessment/ intervention studies and randomized controlled trials (RCT). We integrate biological markers to better understand the intricate relationship between biological, psychological, and social processes.
The overarching aim of our group is the development, evaluation, and implementation of innovative psychotherapeutic interventions, with a particular focus on underserved populations. We aim to bridge the gap between evidence-based interventions and their integration into the everyday lives of those affected. Our research is characterized by a strong translational approach, combining rigorous experimental methods with real-world applicability.
LAB Head
My research aims to reveal how specific cultural, social, and psychological factors influence mental health and how mental health can be restored.
In the context of ethnic minorities, I was the first revealing the negative effects of ethnic discrimination on psychological and physiological stress levels in persons with a Turkish migration background, using epidemiological, experimental, and ambulatory assessment designs. Moreover, I initiated the first project evaluating early mental health care for asylum seekers in high-income countries and was Principal Investigator in a German-wide consortium, evaluating a psychotherapeutic stepped-care approach for refugees in multi-center studies.
As a further research focus, I investigate how psychological and social factors influence persistent physical symptoms and somatoform disorders/ somatic symptom disorder. My unique contributions in this field revealed that specific cognitive-behavioral factors strongly affect the development, maintenance of, and dealing with those complaints in a longitudinal time-frame but also on a short-time basis in everyday life. These findings provide an essential basis for current ecological momentary intervention studies.
For my research, I succeeded in acquiring funding from different national and European scientific organizations as principal investigator. The innovative character and high impact of my work have been recognized by a number of awards including a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (2009, European Research Commission) and the Outstanding New Investigator Award (International Society of Behavioral Medicine, 2018), as well as several awards for my Master and PhD students (e.g., Dissertation Award for Research on Migration of the Austrian Academy of Science (ÖAW); Impact-Award for Doctoral Candidates funded by the City of Vienna Cultural Affairs).
