Research Groups » Schene Group

Mood disorders are at the core of clinical psychiatry. Not only are they highly prevalent, they also show great comorbidity with other psychiatric, addiction, as well as somatic diseases. Because of their often recurrent and sometimes chronic course, they have a high impact in terms of lost years of life (suicide and higher than average mortality) and years lived with disability. Patients, but also their families, partners and children, deserve up to date good clinical practice, based on clinical guidelines, recent scientific knowledge and well organized, efficient treatment programs.

Substantial progress has been made over the past few decades regarding our understanding of the epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis and effective treatment of mood disorders. However, prognostic models show that the burden of disease of these disorders continues to be too high over the next few decades. Further research therefore is needed to expand our knowledge on the neuroscientific basis of these disorders. This type of knowledge combined with good and sensitive clinical skills to develop new innovative treatment approaches will hopefully help to further develop and implement disease management programmes. These integrated programmes aim to further reduce the burden of disease, the lost years of life, the reduced work capacity and productivity and the disturbed family lives of those suffering of the unipolar and bipolar mood disorders.