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• Objectives
• Project Partners
  • Austria - Ludwig Boltzmann Gesellschaft, Vienna
  • Belgium - Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Leuven
  • Bulgaria - Global Initiative on Psychiatry, Sofia
  • Czech Republic - Centre for Mental Health Care Development, Prague
  • Finland - National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki
  • Germany - Heinrich Heine University, Duesseldorf
  • Greece - University Mental Health Research Institute, Athens
  • Hungary - Mental Disability Advocacy Center (MDAC), Budapest
  • Italy - University of Verona, Verona
  • Lithuania - University of Vilnius, Vilnius
  • Netherlands - Stichting Kenniscentrum Rehabilitatie, Amsterdam
  • Romania - Romanian Association of Community Psychiatry, Bucharest
  • Slovakia - Integra o.z., Michalovce
  • Turkey - Istanbul Medical Faculty, Istanbul
  • United Kingdom - King's College London, London
• Work Package Leads
• Work Packages
• Expected Results

Clinic of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, LT

Clinic of Psychiatry of Vilnius University (VU) has 15 years experience in research and training of professionals in mental health.
Main research areas focus on development and evaluation of community-based services for people with severe mental illness.
Within the last 5 years Prof. Dainius Puras and Dr. Arunas Germanavicius were involved in regional projects (collaborating with Mental Disability Advocacy Centre in Budapest) on assessment of human rights in mental health institutions in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Kaliningrad region (Russia), as well as in 4 Pan-European research projects.

A report on human rights is available in Lithuanian and in English.

Also we were partners in 4 Pan-European research projects:
1) International Study on "Evaluation of Stigma and Discrimination of People With Schizophrenia (INDIGO)", led by Prof. Graham Thornicroft (London Institute of Psychiatry, UK);
2) "Health Indicators of People with Mental Disability (POMONA-2)", led by Prof. Patricia Noonan Walsh (Dublin University College, Centre for Disability studies, Ireland);
3) "Empowerment of Mental Health Care Users: Integration Through Life Long Learning, Education and Action (EMILIA)", led by Prof. Peter Ryan (Middlesex university, London, UK);
4) "European Evaluation of Coercion in Psychiatry and Harmonization of Best Clinical Practice (EUNOMIA)", led by Prof. Thomas Kallert (Dresden Technical university, Germany).

Historical Remarks

Mission Statement

• Search for new methods of diagnostics, treatment, rehabilitation and prevention of psychiatric disorders, related social and psychological variables
• Search for new methods of diagnostics, rehabilitation and prevention of psychiatric disorders and suicide
• Assessment of quality of life and needs of people with severe mental illnesses living in Vilnius city.
• Evaluation of perceived stigma among people with severe mental illness, assessment of discrimination, human rights and coercive treatments in community and institutions.
• Analysis of outcome variables of the treatment of depressive disorders, comparison of different approaches to psychosocial rehabilitation of people with psychosis in the community settings
• Analysis of outcome variables of the treatment of depressive disorders, comparison of different approaches on psychosocial rehabilitation and assertive outreach for comprehensive integrated community care for people with psychosis in the community settings
• Evaluation of services for people with mental illness and their carers (service and economic research)
• Assessment of epidemiological situation of eating disorders in Lithuania, evaluation of services accessibility in Lithuania
• Evaluation of services for people with eating disorders (service and economic research), proposals for an effective chain of services for eating disorders in Lithuania
• Centre of Child Psychiatry and Social Pediatrics aims for:
• Development and implementation of effective evidence-based model of services for children with developmental and psychosocial disorders for the Republic of Lithuania
• Epidemiological study of mental health problems and disorders among children in Lithuania
• Analysis of obstacles for the development and implementation of efficient mental health policy in Lithuania, with emphasis on prevention of suicidal and violent behaviour among children and youth
• Implementation of evidence-based early intervention strategies in the field of developmental disabilities (mental retardation, autism, cerebral palsy) for children and families at risk of socialization problems

Team Members

• Arunas Germanavicius (MD, PhD) - project lead. Graduated in 1994 Faculty of Medicine of VU. In 2001 did doctoral research PhD. Since 2005 head of Research and Training centre for Social Psychiatry. Leader and participant of various international and regional research networks (ENMESH, ENTER Mental Health) and projects (INDIGO, POMONA, EMILIA, EQUAL) supported by the EU. He was invited speaker at many international congresses on destigmatisation, community care and psychosocial rehabilitation. Author of 25 publications
• Dovile Juodkaite graduated as MA at Faculty of Law of VU in 1998, and started her PhD studies. 2001-2002 she was visiting scholar specializing in Human Rights of people with disabilities at Columbia University School of Law (US). Currently she is researcher at VU and director of NGO "Global initiative on psychiatry", Vilnius office. 2002 - 2004 she worked as lawyer and project coordinator in the largest NGO of the country: "Lithuanian Welfare Society for People with Mental Disabilities "VILTIS". 1999 - 2002 she had experience in Lithuanian Supreme Court, as judge's assistant. Her research areas include human rights assessment and monitoring for people with disabilities. Being research fellow in Open Society University (Budapest) she published the monograph "Lithuanian Mental Health Policy: Shifting from deinstitutionalization towards community integration" (Vilnius, 2005)
• Rokas Uscila - lawyer (MA, PhD) - co-ordinator of the "Program of Social and Legal Protection for Crime Victims" in the Centre for Crime prevention in Vilnius (Lithuania). He is also associated professor in the Mykolas Romeris University, Law Faculty, Department of Criminology, and member of the Board Coalition of non-governmental organization and experts. Dr. R. Uscila is author of several publications in national and international journals. Interests: Victimology, Criminology, restorative justice, victim - offender mediation, reconciliation, interaction, drug control and prevention.
• Giedrius Sadzevicius has got his professional experience as lawyer (MA) in Lithuanian organization of people with mental disability "Giedra". He conducts advocacy of people with mental disorders, provides legal consultations for them. Giedrius Sadzevicius is also co-ordinator of the training community living programme for people with mental disability. He participated in European Union "Equal" project "Employment of People with Intellectual and Mental Disability". Interests: rights of people with mental diseases and defence of these rights, activity of non-governmental organizations, different elements of psycho-social rehabilitation.

Contact

Clinic of Psychiatry
Vilnius university
Vasaros str. 5, Vilnius
LT-10309
LITHUANIA
Phone: +370-698-06866
Fax: +370-5-2611043
Email: agermanavicius(at)gmail.com