Information about internships can be found on our BSc/MSc page.
Program support: Carmen-Silva Sergiou
Contact: aph.mentalhealth@amsterdamumc.nl
To completely understand the causes and consequences of mental health problems, a multidisciplinary approach is needed
Mission and goals
It is undisputed that there is no health without mental health, encompassing the wide spectrum from mental well-being to severe mental illness. Mental disorders, such as depressive disorders, anxiety, and alcohol use disorders are common in the general population; they rank among the conditions with the largest disease burden worldwide. Other, less common disorders, such as psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder and OCD have enormous impact on the lives of those afflicted. Overall, life-time prevalence rates of mental disorders are very high, at 40-50% in most places in the world. Mental health conditions impact not only on individuals’ wellbeing and quality of life, but also their somatic health, healthcare utilization and daily (work) functioning. Therefore, these conditions have a profound impact on society as a whole.
Mental health conditions are considered complex diseases, with multiple risk factors involved in their etiology: genetics, psychosocial and environmental stressors, brain abnormalities, personality and coping strategies and somatic conditions. Consequently, to more completely understand the causes and consequences of mental health problems, a multidisciplinary approach is needed.
To understand the entire spectrum of mental health, the Mental Health research program will in addition to examining the development of (chronic) mental disorders, also encompass mental well-being and quality of life. Such a wide focus will provide insight into resilience factors that prevent mental ill-health, and will provide us with new keys for preventive strategies of mental health problems. A strong focus in our research program will also be on the development of better interventions to improve health among those with mental health problems. It is well known that the currently available treatments work, but not for all. Developing personalized medicine approaches, in which we better target existing or new treatments based on patient profiles, is an important focus for the next decade of mental health research.
Introduction video for members of APH Mental Health
APH Mental Health Research Agenda 2024
Program leaders
Research themes
Etiology, development and consequences of mental health
This theme includes epidemiological, observational research either in the community setting, the general practice setting and/or the psychiatric care setting. We have a rich source of large-scale community and/or patient cohorts covering the entire lifespan. The objectives are to investigate: (1) genetic, clinical, psychosocial and environmental factors that contribute to mental well-being and the development of mental disorders; (2) the chronicity, staging and profiling of disorders; and (3) the impact of mental disorders on the individual patient, the patient’s social environment as well as the society at large.
Prevention and treatment of mental health problems
This theme encompasses research that contributes to evidence-based information on innovative prevention and treatment interventions to improve mental health and reduce associated disability. This research line also uses insights from observational studies, but will mainly provide new insights through the conduct of various intervention studies (RCT’s). These intervention studies are applied in the general population, primary care, mental healthcare and somatic healthcare settings.
Soma & Psyche
This theme aims to facilitate research on the interface between mental health and somatic disease. Mental disorders are highly prevalent in patients with somatic diseases and psychiatric patients frequently have or develop coexisting somatic diseases. The studies investigate (1) mental health, mental disorders and quality of life in persons with various somatic diseases; (2) (underlying reasons for) increased somatic health problems in persons with psychiatric disorders; (3) specific conditions at the interface of soma & psyche such as chronic pain and somatoform symptoms and disorders; and (4) effects of specific intervention programs targeting combined somatic and mental health problems.
Senior program council
The program leaders of the Mental Health research program chair the MH Senior program council. This senior program council consist of a selection of senior researchers of the research program who meet regularly to implement or update the research program-specific strategy and to discuss anticipatory or reactive response to external events.
Senior program council members | |
---|---|
Claudi Bockting | Brenda Penninx |
Anja Lok | Aartjan Beekman |
Lotte Haverman | Marit Sijbrandij |
Patricia van Oppen | Arnoud Verhoeff |
Marije Verhage | Ruth van Holst |
Baudewijntje Kreukels | Lianne de Vries |
Junior program council
The Mental Health research program has installed a MH Junior program council that provides program leaders with solicited and unsolicited advice and helps them with the organization of research program-specific activities or events.
Junior program council members | |
---|---|
Dhini Andriani | Ricki de Koning |
Eline Meuleman | Dorinde Korteling |
Juliette Hondtong |
Research program members
-
Arne Popma
-
AM Kleiboer
-
Aartjan BeekmanPI PROF.DR.
-
Elsje van Bergen
-
Wouter van Ballegooijen
-
Sander Koole
-
Baudewijntje KreukelsPI PROF.DR. Prof. dr.
-
Heleen Riper
-
Sander Begeer
-
Michel NivardDr.
-
Eco de GeusPROF.DR.
-
Dorret Boomsma
-
Marije Verhage
-
Dennis van t Ent
-
Lannie Ligthart
-
Marit SijbrandijPhD
-
Tara Donker
-
Jenny van Dongen
-
Carlo Schuengel
-
Eirini Karyotakidr.
-
Anja Huizinkdr.
-
M van der Gaag
-
Agnes Willemen
-
Irma Verdonck-de Leeuw
-
Karen HoltmaatMA
-
Brenda PenninxPI PROF.DR.
-
Pim Cuijpers
-
Meike Bartels
-
Clasien de Schipper
-
Jolanda Maas
-
Mirjam Oosterman
-
Paula Sterkenburg
-
Linde Marloes de Wit
-
Eline HeppePhD
-
Fiona Hagenbeek
-
Anke Scheeren
-
Anne Huntjens
-
Nil Horoz
-
Elke Vlemincx
-
Felix Bolinski
-
Anke Witteveen
-
Lianne Bakkum
-
Matěj Kucera
-
Marjolein Luman
-
Siri Noordermeer
-
Martin Gevonden
-
Camiel van der Laan
-
Wonuola Akingbuwa
-
Denise van der Mee
-
Imke Jansen
-
Marketa Ciharova
-
Ruiying Zhao
-
Bodine Gonggrijp
-
Floris Huider
-
Anne Landvreugd
-
Susanne Bruins
-
Clara Miguel Sanz
-
Amrah Ysette Schotanus
-
Annemieke Witte
-
Ceciel Pauls
-
Melanie de Wit
-
Annemieke van Straten
-
Sjors van de Ven
-
Yvonne Kruithof
-
Beanka Polman
-
Elja Meijer
-
Shannon Maingot
-
Anne van Woezik
-
Eva Poolman
-
Lingyao Tong
-
Xihan Jia
-
Marieke Buil
-
Esther H. Bisschops
-
Linda Messemaker-Veerman
-
Jessica Braakman
-
Ina Koning
-
Anne Tharner
-
Marieke Toffolo
-
Yingying Wang
-
Chani Nuij
-
Tjeert Olthof
-
Jan Passchierem. prof. dr.
-
F Righetti
-
Els van der Ven
-
Hana Marie BroulikovaMSc
-
Sanne Helmig
-
Mirte Forrer
-
Marike Wisman
-
David van den Berg
-
Amin Sinichi
-
J Oosterlaan
-
Melisa Saygin
-
Artemis Stefani
-
Myrte Schoenmakers
-
Sascha Struijs
-
Marieke Leeflang
-
Astrid Kok
-
Eline Meuleman
-
Emmy van Boven
-
Nabila Ali
-
Sofía Villalobos Aliste
-
Datin Manzoni
-
Catalin Gherdan
-
Nino de Ponti
-
Caterina Ceccarelli
-
Katharina Diehl
-
Kirsten Spaargaren
-
Claire van Genugten
-
Rutger Goekoop
-
Adrianne Both
-
Nursima Nas
-
Iryna Frankova
-
Sabrine Jabroun
-
Imke Sonneveldt
-
Vaishnavi Kalyanapuram Madhavan
-
David Leitritz
-
Maartje Basten
-
Eline Henrotte
-
Laura Michelle Pape
-
Arpana Amarnath
-
Lévy Matricon
-
Dwayne Meijnckens
-
Sander Voerman
-
Michaela Kaneva
-
Inez Verdaasdonk
-
Hugo Klarenberg
-
Dhini Andriani
-
Mieke Schulte
-
Judith E. Bosmans
-
Maarten PoirotMSc
-
Eric van ExelPROF.
-
Marlies Brouwer
-
Jasper Wiebenga
-
Adria Tunez Aquilue
-
Adrie SeldenrijkDR.
-
Bernard van MeijelPROF.DR.
-
Selina Limmen
-
Fatima KabiaMCC
-
Florentine Bennebroek Evertsz
-
Esmée VerwijkPhD
-
Eva VelthorstMSc PhD
-
Yulan Qing
-
Georgios SoultanopoulosMSC.
-
Caroline Planting
-
Eric RuheDR.
-
Nicole KortenDR.
-
Melissa ThongPhD
-
Anneke GoudriaanProf. PhD
-
Sofia Rosas Cruz da Rocha
-
Sanne Swart
-
Annemarie van Bellegem
-
Merijn Eikelenboommr. DR.
-
Pia Burger
-
Henny VisserDR.
-
Milou Abrahams
-
Artemis Gkitakou
-
Jakob van Gaalen
-
Jens HenrichsDR.
-
Julia Veeger
-
Pablo StegerhoekDRS.
-
Jasper Anink
-
Birit BroekmanPROF.DR. MA MD PhD Professor in Hospital Psychiatry
-
Josephine DorsmanDR.
-
Jet Heering
-
Chaya Rodrigues Pereira
-
Sisco van VeenMD PhD
-
Maxime de Jong
-
Lisa van Zutphen
-
Fay Banffer
-
Jasper Zantvoord
-
Mehrdad Rahsepar Meadi
-
Patricia van OppenPROF.DR.
-
Lindsey Koster
-
Edo RichardPhD
-
Joost DekkerPROF.DR.
-
Myrle Stouten-KempermanMSc
-
Mirte van der Ham
-
Paul DoedensMSc
-
Steffy GreijmansDRS.
-
Rob van der Linden
-
Lieke KooijMSc
-
Josephine TanMSC.
-
Lieuwe de HaanProf. PhD
-
Hiske BeckerMD
-
Silvia van den HeijkantDR.
-
Cheima Bouziane
-
Samah BouarfaMSC.
-
Margot MorssinkhofMSC.
-
Mana NasoriMSC.
-
Renée Klein Schaarsberg
-
Roosmarijn SchelvisDR.
-
Nadine PaansDR.
-
Inge Jager
-
Ramón LindauerPI PROF.DR.
-
Andrew Ross
-
Irma Verdonck-de LeeuwPROF.DR.
-
Dominique ScheepensMD
-
Carien Blomaard
-
Eugenio van SomerenDR.
-
Anastasia Goula