A targeted global online intervention for pandemic-related mental health problems (COPE).

• Applicants: Dr. Kristina Adorjan; Professor Dr. Gunter Schumann, since 8/2023
• Subject Area: Clinical Psychiatry, Psychotherapy, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry ; Human Geography ; Public Health, Healthcare Research, Social and Occupational Medicine ; Software Engineering and Programming Languages
• Term: since 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 458317126

Public health measures to combat epidemics and pandemics and its consequences in the short term and the long term globally depend on the development and implementation of successful strategies for behavioural modification. The efficacy of such measures is determined by psychological and environmental factors, which may differ between inhabitants of industrialized high-income countries (HIC) and low-and-middle-income countries (LMIC). Understanding the similarities and differences of behavioural and environmental moderators and their interactions in various countries will enable the identification and targeting of risk factors globally. To identify risk profiles associated with increased symptoms of COVID-19-related mental illness, we will harness data from the European IMAGEN-cohort, the Indian cVEDA-cohort, the Chinese PKUMH-cohort and the Ethiopian GGRFC-cohort of together over 30.000 individuals. We will then transform an existing modular internet intervention ‘hellobetter’ to target the most vulnerable people by developing motivational acceptance facilitating interventions, and adapting intervention modules to target the risk profiles identified. As part of the current application, we will carry out a pilot study and ascertain user feedback from European users in Germany, UK and France. In a follow-up project for months 37-60, we plan to extend our approach to India, China and Ethiopia by administering formal clinical trials in Europe, Asia and Africa. This project will deliver (i) a comprehensive global assessment of psychological and environmental vulnerability for ill mental health associated with viral pandemics, and (ii) a targeted internet-based intervention strategy that is adapted to conditions in HIC and LMIC, inexpensive to implement and easily accessible by a large proportion of the population.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: China, United Kingdom, USA
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Peter Falkai; Professor Dr. Andreas Heinz; Professor Dr. Michael Rapp
• Cooperation Partners: Professor Dr. Vince D. Calhoun; Dr. Sylvane Desrivieres, Ph.D.; Professorin Dr. Yan Sun, Ph.D.; Professor Dr.-Ing. Le Yu, Ph.D.
• Ehemaliger Antragsteller: Professor Dr. David Ebert, until 8/2023