Understanding and treating anxiety

How do anxiety disorders develop and how do they develop? Prof Dr Anke Haberkamp deals with these questions in her research. She has now been appointed to the Professorship of Experimental Pathopsychology at Witten/Herdecke University (UW/H). In addition to her research, she works on digital tools for the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety and conducts studies to improve the care of people with mental illness.

Understanding psychological reactions: the importance of biological movements

In a project funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG), Prof Dr Haberkamp is investigating how animal movements affect humans. For example, the mere movement of a spider can trigger strong fear reactions in people with arachnophobia and is cited as one of the most frightening characteristics. Prof Haberkamp is conducting various experiments to find out which mechanisms trigger these emotional reactions; the findings should help to improve the treatment of anxiety disorders in the future.

Digital tools: new approaches in psychotherapy

Another important area of Prof Dr Haberkamp's work is the development of digital applications that help people with mental health problems: She is currently investigating how a playful app can alleviate the fear of spiders. She and her team have also created a free online tool that records the extent of avoidance behaviour in people who are afraid of spiders. These digital tools can be used in a scientific and therapeutic context and help to improve diagnosis and treatment.

Clinical-psychological diagnostics: psychology in teaching

In Prof. Dr Haberkamp's lectures and seminars in the Master's degree in Psychology with a focus on clinical psychology and psychotherapy at the UW/H, students deal with the basics of clinical psychological diagnostics. In practical exercises and using case studies, they learn how to correctly diagnose patients' symptoms and stress in order to subsequently develop an appropriate treatment plan.

She also teaches her students the basics of psychological review. She is supported by experts from the fields of family and criminal law."