German Center for Mental Health launches

The German Center for Mental Health starts in May and IfADo is part of it. The new, nationwide center has a foothold in the middle of the Ruhr area. The goal is to improve mental health in the long term. IfADo scientists from the fields of neuroscience, psychology and ergonomics are contributing their expertise.

Closing gaps in care, strengthening preventive services, sustainably improving therapies: With these goals, the German Center for Mental Health (DZPG) will begin its work on May 1, 2023. The Research and Treatment Center for Mental Health (FBZ) at the Ruhr University Bochum will start the two-year start-up phase with seven research projects. Particular attention will be paid to the mental health of children and adolescents in metropolitan areas.

The Bochum team and its partners have a total of 4.8 million euros at their disposal for the start-up phase. 3.7 million euros will go to Bochum alone, the only DZPG location in North Rhine-Westphalia. After the first two years, the center will then receive up to 30 million euros in annual funding from the federal and state governments.

Partners of the Bochum team are the Philipps University Marburg (UMR), the Federal Center for Health Education (BZgA), the German Youth Institute (DJI), the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA), the Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education (DIPF), the Leibniz Institute for Psychology (ZPID) and the Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors (IfADo). The DZPG's other locations include Berlin, Jena, Mannheim, Munich and Tübingen.