Vision

Adolescence and young adulthood are critical periods of social, behavioral and psychological maturation and change, which both creates opportunities for the development of life-long wellbeing. However, this period of life is also associated with a significant risk for developing mental disorders, and 75% of all mental disorders begin before the age of 25. Mental Health Dresden-Leipzig is a consortium of the two neighboring universities Technische Universität Dresden and Universität Leipzig accompanied by the Robert Koch Institute. The consortium has particular strengths and expertise in clinical psychiatry, neuro- and cognitive psychology, basic and clinical neuroscience, epidemiology, environmental sociology, and public mental health. The infrastructure includes neuropsychiatric research facilities, a digital health centre, existing longitudinal cohort and population studies, regional networks of district hospitals, services and community organisations in Saxony, and international collaborations including the transCampus^®initiative. With translation between the above-mentioned research fields, including participatory research approaches, we aim to improve the mental health of young people. Bridging the gap between neuroscience-based and public mental health research is a unique strength of Mental Health Dresden-Leipzig.