Generating new knowledge that will be of benefit in the lives of our
patients is an important commitment of the University Center of
Psychiatry (UCP) in Groningen. The UCP research program focuses on underlying mechanisms of
psychopathology examined with epidemiological, clinical
(patient-oriented) and fundamental studies. The obtained knowledge is used to develop interventions to prevent the onset of psychiatric disorders and to improve treatment.
The UCP employs a total of 9
leading professors, 16 senior researchers, 13 postdocs, about 130 PhD
candidates and many students (medicine, psychology, biomedical sciences a.o.).
Major research themes
Our major themes are mood and anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders and somatic symptom disorders that are studied across the life span, in line with the overall UMCG research theme of ‘healthy ageing’. Our research program in old age psychiatry also focuses on mood and anxiety disorders, and pays special attention to the interface with cognitive, somatic and somatoform disorders. Developmental disorders in
children and adolescents are studied in the University Center of Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry (UCKJP) research programme. Overall, we have become more and more interested in communal aspects of different mental disorders, as there are no clear boundaries between diagnostic categories in terms of symptomatology, risk factors and effective treatments. We believe that it is important to involve patients and their organisations in designing studies and implementing findings. This includes actively informing the media about new developments.
Collaboration
We collaborate with clinicians and researchers from other departments and organisations, inside and outside the UMCG, nationally and internationally. Within the UMCG/RuG collaborations have been established with for instance the Neuroimaging Center (NIC), the Departments of General Medicine, Internal Medicine and Cardiology, the Department of Epidemiology, and the Department of Psychology of the Faculty of Behavioral and Social Sciences. Moreover, several clinical studies are performed together with mental health providers in the Northern region of the Netherlands.