Projects

VIRTUE Bern is a research and intervention project developing and evaluating a Virtual Reality–based psychological intervention grounded in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). The project focuses on enhancing cognitive defusion through immersive VR environments and targets transdiagnostic mechanisms relevant across mental disorders in adolescents and young adults. The project includes experimental and randomized controlled designs, comparisons between VR and conventional 2D formats, and intensive process assessments using Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), complemented by qualitative interviews and Patient and Public Involvement (PPI).
https://data.snf.ch/grants/grant/10003817

This longitudinal research program investigates the long-term course, burden, and clinical relevance of psychosis risk symptoms and criteria in the general population. It is based on 5- to 10-year follow-ups of two large epidemiological cohorts: the Bern Epidemiological At-Risk (BEAR) study and the Bi-national Evaluation of At-Risk Symptoms in Children and Adolescents (BEARS-Kid) study. Using structured epidemiological and clinical interviews, the project examines developmental trajectories, functional outcomes, help-seeking behavior, and transition to mental disorders across adolescence and adulthood.
https://data.snf.ch/grants/grant/197714

The Früherkennungs- und Therapiezentrum für psychische Krisen Bern (FETZ Bern) is a specialized early detection and treatment center for adolescents and young adults experiencing emerging mental health problems and psychological crises. A central element of FETZ Bern is the development, implementation, and evaluation of a modular, transdiagnostic psychotherapy approach that is closely embedded in routine clinical care. Each module is time-limited and structured, facilitating entry at multiple time points and enabling individualized treatment pathways within a stepped and needs-adapted care model. The modular therapy is developed and continuously refined using Patient and Public Involvement (PPI), ensuring clinical relevance, feasibility, and responsiveness to the lived experiences of patients and their families. The FETZ Bern thus serves as a clinical and research platform for advancing early, flexible, and patient-centered interventions in youth mental health.
https://www.upd.ch/de/angebot/erwachsenenpsychiatrie/ambulant-fetz/