Photo: Back row, left to right: Dr Nikolai Jung, external lecturer, Prof. Dr. Volker Mall, Tamara Fuschlberger, PD Dr. phil. Maria Licata-Dandel, Dr. rer. nat. Andrea Hahnefeld - front row, left to right: Louisa Brich, Michaela Augustin, Dr. Aynur Damli-Huber, Dr. Anna Friedmann, Catherine Büchel - not in the photo: Dr. Ina Nehring and Dr. Karin Storm van’s Gravesande
Department of Sociopaediatrics
The Department of Sociopaediatrics at Munich Technical University (TMU) is the only one of its type in Germany. The professorship is held by Prof. Dr. med. Volker Mall, who is also the Medical Director of the kbo-Kinderzentrum. Sociopaediatrics is defined as a cross-sectional science in the field of paediatrics and youth medicine that deals with the relationship between health, illness and development on the one hand and the outer living conditions of the children on the other. The tasks of sociopaediatrics as a scientific discipline include turning its knowledge into prevention, treatment and rehabilitation, with the themes of life management and involvement also playing an important role.
One of the important research principles at the Department of Sociopaediatrics is therefore the close bond, in terms of both content and organisation, with the clinic and the rapid, practicable implementation of new scientific findings in everyday clinical life. The team at the Department of Sociopaediatrics is made up of scientists in the fields of medicine, psychology, education, sports sciences and healthcare plus a range of therapeutic professions. It is thus completely multidisciplinary.
The main focus of research at the Department covers the investigation of psychosocial and biological conditions involved in the appearance of development impairments and mental disorders, the dignosis and treatment of children with cerebral palsy, post-traumatic stress disorders after experiences of displacement, experience of abuse, early childhood regulation problems (crying, sleeping and eating disorders) and variouis syndromes and rare illnesses. Child protection projects, especially in the area of early intervention, are also based in the Department. A further area of expertise lies in research into the early parent-child relationship and its significance for overall child development. In addition, the Department regularly develops and evaluates specific patient training courses for chronically ill children and their parents.
