Research Group Neuropsychology of Childhood and Andolescence

Expertise and research focus
The expertise of the research group lies in longitudinal research rooted in concepts and methods of developmental psychopathology and epidemiology. Tracking the development of psychiatric disorders from infancy to adulthood and identification of pathogenetic factors during different developmental stages has been the longstanding focus of the group’s work. The research activities draw heavily on a comprehensive epidemiological cohort study, the - now widely recognized - „Mannheim Study of Children at Risk”, a longitudinal study which follows a sample of children at risk for later psychopathology over a period of more than 20 years since birth.
 
Combining epidemiological methods with paradigms from developmental psychology and biological psychiatry, the group has worked on a broad range of research topics. The most prominent research lines have been:

• epidemiology of mental disorders from childhood to adulthood
• long-term sequelae of early childhood developmental risks
• parent-child relationship and child psychopathology
• biological correlates of psychiatric disorders in childhood and adolescence

• substance abuse in young people and its dependence on genetic and environmental influences
• gene-environment interactions and their role in the development of psychiatric disorders (e.g. ADHD, depression) and substance abuse (e.g. binge drinking).