As a relatively new (research) field within psychiatry, transitional psychiatry addresses the mental challenges faced by adolescents and young adults aged between 15 and 25 or 30 years old.
There is a particular gap in care for adolescents transitioning from childhood to adulthood, as the services offered by child and adolescent psychiatry often don´t appear adequate or attractive, and adult psychiatry services may not be suitable. In addition, the transition from child and adolescent psychiatry to adult psychiatry is often difficult and unsuccessful transitions can lead to therapy discontinuation with negative consequences.
Adolescence and young adulthood are sensitive periods in which crucial decisions are made that shape future life outcomes. Various challenges must be overcome to live a socially and economically successful adult lives, making transitional psychiatry an important research field for society.
This problem is addressed by a nationally and internationally strongly networked research team. Through multidisciplinary collaborations with the Department of Adult Psychiatry and Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Tulln University Hospital, as well as the entire research environment of the KL, findings will be obtained that will help to identify and close gaps in care that occur for adolescents during transition from childhood to adulthood.
Furthermore, the research results aim to contribute to a better understanding of mental development in adolescence, in both clinical and non-clinical domains. This provides important insights into the often challenging realities of young people and the process of becoming an adult in an increasingly complex world. The Research Centre Transitional Psychiatry was founded in July 2022 and evolved from the scientific working group D.O.T. (The Open Door).
The Provice of Lower Austria financially supports the project until 2026 at the side of the University Hospital Tulln (UK Tulln).
