Clinical Psychology

Clinical psychology is understood in the department as a discipline dedicated to researching the causes, manifestations and effective psychotherapeutic treatment of mental disorders using empirical methods. These tasks are based on the most comprehensive understanding possible of mental disorders and their underlying biological and, in particular, neurobiological processes. Since psychotherapeutic treatment approaches always aim to change pathological brain states, the Department of Clinical Psychology focuses on neuroscientific research. The main areas of research are social, affective and cognitive information processing processes and their modulation by risk factors for mental illness, such as genetic disposition.

In addition, the Clinical Psychology Department is involved in the care of inpatients and outpatients in adult psychiatry and provides teaching and training for psychology students at the University of Mannheim and for medical and psychological staff at the CIMH as part of behavioural therapy training courses.

Furthermore, the department operates a university psychotherapy outpatient clinic for research and teaching and is involved in the management of the Centre for Psychological Psychotherapy (ZPP) in Mannheim.