Professorship for "Prevention and Mental Health"

Prof. Dr. Jennifer Belus

Decades of research in clinical psychology show that psychological and behavioral interventions can improve mental health and promote healthier lifestyles. Despite this robust evidence, the vast majority of individuals in need of such treatment do not receive it. This phenomenon, known as the treatment gap, ranges from 70–90% globally. Even in high-income countries, this gap exceeds 50%.

The goal of the Chair of Prevention and Public Mental Health is to develop innovative and scalable solutions to improve population mental health. We are dedicated to interdisciplinary research that develops and evaluates new models of care to expand access to evidence-based treatment for mental health and related problems across the globe. We conduct high-quality research with the clear goal of having real-world impact. By collaborating with community partners and sharing evidence with policymakers and the public, we aim to bridge the gap between science and practice.

Research focus areas:

• Community-based models of care
• Social determinants of mental health
• People with HIV
• Low-resource settings