Research group on psychotherapy and health services — focus on eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder
Head: Ulrich Voderholzer, MD
The research group is based on an intensive, long-term collaboration with the Schoen Clinic Roseneck in Prien am Chiemsee. The Schoen Clinic Roseneck was established in 1985 as the first hospital specialized in the treatment of eating disorders and has played a pioneering role in the treatment of eating disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder to this day.
To support scientists and clinical practitioners in practice and clinical research work we developed, validated and published several assessment instruments for eating disorders. Each assessment can be downloaded for clinical practice and research from this page without cost.
• Munich Eating Disorder Questionnaire (Munich ED-Quest)
• Anorexia Nervosa Inventory for Self-rating (ANIS)
• Structured Inventory for Anorexic and Bulimic Eating Disorders (SIAB-EX and SIAB-S)
Our research projects focus on inpatients with eating disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and depression but also on transdiagnostic factors such as emotion regulation. The research group is also responsible for coordinating research projects across the Schoen Clinics and collaborations with the Schoen Clinics’ endowed professorships as part of the Schoen Clinics’ science office.
Eating disorders
- Effects of psychopharmacological medication on body weight and eating disorder symptoms during inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa
- Facilitators and barriers in anorexia nervosa treatment initiation (FABIANA, in collaboration with the UKE Hamburg, funded by the German Research Foundation)
- Inpatient treatment for severely underweight patients with anorexia nervosa: one-year follow up
- Orthorexia nervosa in persons with and without mental disorders (in collaboration with the TU Munich)
- Pathways to care in eating disorders (in collaboration with the World Psychiatric Association)
- Randomized-controlled trial of a smartphone-based, therapist-guided aftercare following inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa (funded by the Swiss Anorexia Nervosa Foundation)
- Randomized-controlled trial of a smartphone-based, therapist-guided aftercare following inpatient treatment for bulimia nervosa (funded by the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Foundation)
- Randomized-controlled trial of a specialized post-inpatient psychotherapy for sustained recovery in anorexia nervosa via videoconference (SUSTAIN, in collaboration with the University Hospital Tübingen, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research)
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
- Effects of acceptance-based instructions during exposure to disorder-relevant stimuli (funded by the Förderprogramm für Forschung und Lehre der LMU München)
- Inpatient treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder: one-year follow up
- Video-based exposure therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder
Depression
- Effects of discontinuation of antidepressant medication in depressive disorders
- Effects of antidepressant medication on symptom improvements during and after inpatient treatment for depressive disorders: six-months follow up
Transdiagnostic projects
- Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on symptomatology in mental disorders
- Psychosocial risk factors in adolescents with mental disorders
Eichholz, A., Schwartz, C., Meule, A., Heese, J., Neumüller, J., & Voderholzer, U. (2020). Self‐compassion and emotion regulation difficulties in obsessive–compulsive disorder. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 27, 630–639. https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.2451
Dittmer, N., Voderholzer, U., Mönch, C., Cuntz, U., Jacobi, C., & Schlegl, S. (2020). Efficacy of a specialized group intervention for compulsive exercise in inpatients with anorexia nervosa: a randomized controlled trial. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 89, 161–173. https://doi.org/10.1159/000504583
Greetfeld, M., Hessler-Kaufmann, J. B., Brandl, B., Skurk, T., Holzapfel, C., Quadflieg, N., Schlegl, S., Hauner, H., & Voderholzer, U. (2021). Orthorexic tendencies in the general population: association with demographic data, psychiatric symptoms, and utilization of mental health services. Eating and Weight Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40519-020-00961-0
Hessler-Kaufmann, J. B., Meule, A., Greetfeld, M., Schlegl, S., & Voderholzer, U. (2021). Orthorexic tendencies in inpatients with mental disorders. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 140, 110317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2020.110317
Kolar, D. R., Neumayr, C., Roth, M., Voderholzer, U., Perthes, K., & Schlegl, S. (2020). Testing an emotion regulation model of physical activity in adolescents with anorexia nervosa: A pilot ecological momentary assessment. European Eating Disorders Review, 28, 170-183. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2706
Meule, A., Schrambke, D., Furst Loredo, A., Schlegl, S., Naab, S., & Voderholzer, U. (2021). Inpatient treatment of anorexia nervosa in adolescents: a one-year follow up study. European Eating Disorders Review. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2808
Schlegl, S., Maier, J., Meule, A., & Voderholzer, U. (2020). Eating disorders in times of the COVID-19 pandemic—results from an online survey of patients with anorexia nervosa. International Journal of Eating Disorders, 53, 1791–1800. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23374
Voderholzer, U., Haas, V., Correll, C. U., & Körner, T. (2020). Medical management of eating disorders: an update. Current Opinion in Psychiatry, 33, 542–553. https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0000000000000653
Researchers
- Matthias Favreau, MSc
- David Kolar, Dr. rer. nat.
- Adrian Meule, PhD
- Norbert Quadflieg, Dr. rer. biol. hum.
- Sandra Schlegl, Dr. rer. medic.
Research assistants
- Julia Halter, MSc
- Stefan Herzog, MSc
- Felicitas Hirler, BSc
- Julia Maier, MSc
- Christina Neumayr, MSc
- Richard Schreiber, MSc
- Maya von Delft
- Sofia Anders, BSc
- Schoen Clinic
- Research Unit on Epidemiology and Evaluation, Klinikum der Universität München (LMU), Klinik und Poliklinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie. Head: Prof. Dr. med. Dipl.-Psych. Manfred Fichter
- Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin
- Klenico AG, Zürich, CH
- RecoveryRecord Inc., San Francisco, CA
- UKE Hamburg
- Ulm University
- Universität der Bundeswehr München
- University Hospital Mainz
- University Hospital Tübingen
- University of Salzburg
- World Psychiatric Association
