CA16102 - European Network on Individualized Psychotherapy Treatment of Young People with Mental Disorders (TREATME)

The main aim of the Action TREATME is to establish a sustainable European multidisciplinary researcher network focusing on individualized psychotherapy for young people with mental disorders.

50% of lifetime mental health disorders start by the age of 14, and the number increases to 75% by the age of 24. Mental disorders in youth are associated with direct and indirect costs including personal distress, costs to family and friends, high healthcare costs, barriers to employment and job performance, poverty and economic deprivation and social exclusion.

The “Roadmap for Mental Health Research in Europe” concludes on the need for coordinated and multidisciplinary efforts to improve knowledge on individualized psychological treatment for young people. Psychotherapy works for the most frequent mental disorders such as anxiety and depression. Different psychotherapy modalities work on average equally well. However, little is known about how different treatment modalities work (the mechanisms of change/mediators) and for whom (specific markers/moderators). Thus, empirically informed individualized treatment cannot be delivered.

The Action reviews the state of the art and identifies putative specific markers and mechanisms of change in different psychotherapy modalities, as well as suitable psychotherapy process and treatment measures, and study designs. Research capacity increases by supporting a high proportion of ECIs and especially female and ITC researchers. Shared knowledge is disseminated to policy makers and stakeholders.

The network promotes collaborative funding applications and meets societal challenges connected to mental health. TREATME paves the way for the matching of mental health research to the needs of young people in Europe.