"The DZPG is the most important federal and state funding measure for research in psychiatry and psychotherapy in Germany to date," says Prof. Dr. Dr. Andreas Heinz, Director of the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin. "It is a milestone in mental health research and opens up the possibility of sustainably improving the health literacy of the population and the care of patients," adds Prof. Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg, Director of the Central Institute of Mental Health in Mannheim. Heinz and Meyer-Lindenberg are currently spokespersons of the DZPG board.
FOCUS ON EARLY DETECTION AND ENVIRONMENTAL INFLUENCES
During the two-year start-up phase, research will initially focus on the early identification and treatment of people at risk of mental disorders in order to prevent the development or worsening of such disorders. In particular, the influence of living conditions, including childhood trauma, will be investigated to develop new treatment methods. The DZPG also attaches great importance to ensuring that research findings reach people, and that practical experience is used to develop research questions.
To this end, the DZPG will establish joint research infrastructures, e.g. for the digital collection of health data in everyday life and for the development of innovative therapeutic approaches that consider biological, psychological, and social influences.
PARTICIPATION AS A CONCEPT
In 2018, the German government decided to establish the DZPG as part of the German Centers for Health Research. In 2021, six locations were selected in a competitive process: Berlin-Potsdam, Bochum-Marburg, Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Mannheim-Heidelberg-Ulm, Munich-Augsburg and Tübingen. A total of 27 university and non-university research institutions are working together at these locations. The federal and state governments are aiming to provide long-term funding for the DZPG from 2025.
The DZPG has focused on participation from the outset: those affected, and their relatives are involved in all research processes and in all decision-making bodies. All six partner sites send representatives to the Central Trialogical Board. Young scientists are also involved in decision-making processes at an early stage.
NOW ONLINE
The six research sites and the Central Trialogical Board are now also visually linked by a uniform corporate design. The DZPG logo with overlapping color areas and organic shapes symbolizes the various moods and states of the human emotional world.
At www.dzpg.org, interested persons can now find information on the organization, research projects, and goals as well as informative texts and helpful links about mental health.
Press Contact
Dr. Cordula Baums
MASTERMEDIA GmbH
0151 70125839
presse@dzpg.org
