Child and Adolescent Psychiatry/Psychology

The Department of CAPP’s Research Management Team is one of three Management Teams (MTs): the Research Management Team, the Patient Care Management Team and the Education Management Team). It is comprised of four pillars, each representing specific study populations, including: (a) the general population; (b) high-risk populations; (c) somatic patients with psychological/psychiatric problems; and (d) psychiatric patients. Using a (clinical) epidemiological approach, we focus on harmonizing neuroscientific and deep phenotyping measures across cohorts and investigate the applicability of innovative interventions 

The Research Management Team is comprised of the pillar coordinators, the Head of the Department and the staff advisor. Our four research pillar coordinators meet regularly to inform each other and integrate research- related issues. The Research Management Team meets every other month to discuss research strategy, the progress of projects, grant and talent opportunities, data management, and other issues related to research policy or strategy. 

The team also organizes four Research Work Meetings each year for all junior and senior researchers across all pillars. Here, they inform researchers about research-related developments at the departmental and hospital level and discuss new study results and plans.  

The Research Management Team and the Patient Care Management Team also hold an integrated meeting four times each year. We also run monthly ‘Science Café’ meetings to integrate research and patient care, centered on topics that are relevant for both clinicians and researchers. Many of our researchers participate in education, and the Education Management Team holds monthly meetings to coordinate education.

Principal Investigators

• 

  Associate prof. C.A.M. (Charlotte) Cecil, PhD

  Scientific Researcher

• 

  Prof. H. (Hanan) El Marroun

  Senior researcher

• 

  S.E. (Sabine) Herrman-Mous, PhD

  Assistant professor & Healthcare Psychologist (in training as Clinical Neuropsychologist)

• 

  R.L. (Ryan) Muetzel, Phd

  Assistant Professor

• 

  A.B. (André) Rietman, PhD

  Mental Health Psychologist and Neuropsychologist, Assistant professor, PI

• 

  H. (Hanneke) Scholten, PhD

  Assistant professor and principal investigator

• 

  K. (Koen) Bolhuis, MD, PhD

  Child and adolescent psychiatrist & Assistant professor

Project Leaders

• 

  Prof. N.E.M. (Neeltje) van Haren

• 

  Prof. P.W. (Pauline) Jansen

• 

  K. (Karolijn) Dulfer, PhD

General Population

In almost half of adults with a psychiatric diagnosis, the onset of the first symptoms occurs before age 18 years. This suggests that psychiatric disorders often originate during development and that early life factors play a key role in shaping lifelong health. Yet, most research in psychiatry is based on individuals who have already been diagnosed, which limits opportunities for timely risk detection, early intervention, and preventive efforts. Large, prospective epidemiological studies represent a valuable tool for addressing these needs. By following individuals in the general population from pre-birth to adulthood, these studies provide a unique opportunity to identify relevant early risk factors and understand how these influence the emergence of mental health problems.

Familial High-Risk Population

Mental illness runs in families. Family studies, in particular longitudinal studies following the offspring of parents with severe mental illness, are uniquely suited to improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying this intergenerational transmission of risk. Offspring of parents with severe mental illnesses (SMIs), such as major depressive, bipolar, and psychotic disorders, have a 60-70% risk of developing psychopathology, which is about three times higher than the baseline risk in the general population.

Somatically Ill Population

Children with chronic, severe, or rare medical conditions—such as those in neonatology, pediatric surgery, cardiology, and craniofacial abnormalities—are at an increased risk of developing mental health problems and psychiatric disorders, including mood disorders, anxiety disorders, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). These conditions often coincide with altered or diminished cognitive functioning.

Longitudinally following these children is essential to identify specific risk profiles that help tailor early detection and intervention strategies to individual needs.

Psychiatrically Ill Population

Our department’s unique position as the only child psychiatry department in an academic hospital within a children’s hospital and being part of the Erasmus MC Center of Expertise for Neurodevelopmental Disorders (ENCORE) enables research on severe and rare mental illnesses, including eating disorders, hereditary neurodevelopmental disorders, and other specialist cases such as childhood-onset bipolar disorder.

De Sophia (meet)bus

Meedoen aan wetenschappelijk onderzoek is heel waardevol. Heeft uw kind een complexe aandoening waardoor de reis naar het ziekenhuis te zwaar is? Dan brengen de onderzoekers van het Erasmus MC Sophia het onderzoek naar jullie toe met de Sophia bus!

Vind hier meer informatie.

K-SADS

The Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (K-SADS) is a semi-structured interview aimed at early diagnosis of affective disorders.

Vind hier meer informatie.

Generation R:

Generation R is een grootschalig onderzoek van het Erasmus MC. We onderzoeken de factoren die van invloed zijn op de gezondheid en ontwikkeling van kinderen en hun ouders in Rotterdam. Generation R bestaat uit twee onderzoeksgroepen: Generation R en Generation R Next.

Vind meer informatie op Erasmus MC en GenerationR.

COMPI

The COPMI (Children of Parents with a Mental Illness) national initiative develops information for parents, their family and friends in support of these kids and young people.

Vind hier meer informatie.