In Germany, around 28 percent of adults are affected by mental health disorders such as anxiety or depression every year—a percentage that has significantly increased in recent years. Mental health conditions not only represent a major burden for those affected, but also a significant economic cost factor for society. In addition to direct treatment costs, they can lead to productivity losses and even incapacity for work. At the same time, the demand for therapy far exceeds the capacity of the German healthcare system. Digital interventions offer promising approaches for treatment and could help alleviate the burden on the system.
Prof. Dr. Fanny Kählke studied Medical Education and Health Sciences and completed her PhD on this topic at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). Since October, she has been working as a new professor focusing on "E-Health" at the Deggendorf University of Applied Sciences, while retaining her position as a guest researcher at the TUM's Chair of Psychology & Digital Mental Health. As part of her doctoral dissertation titled “Do internet- and mobile-based interventions (IMIs) for mental health offer good value for money? Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of IMIs for the prevention and treatment of mental disorders”, supervised by Prof. Dr. David Daniel Ebert, head of the Assistant Professorship of Psychology and Digital Mental Health Care, she conducted several studies to examine how digital tools can be used for the prevention and treatment of mental health issues, as well as how effective and cost-efficient these approaches are.
"Prof. Kählke's work makes a significant contribution to the evaluation of the potential of digital approaches in the prevention and treatment of mental disorders in general and in particular in the management of social phobia among students. I am extremely pleased that Ms. Kählke's many years of work has received the recognition it deserves in this context," explains Prof. Ebert.
In her first randomized clinical trial, the medical educator and health scientist investigated the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an unguided online program for the treatment of social anxiety disorders among 200 students. The results showed a significant and lasting reduction in symptoms at low cost in the intervention group compared to the waitlist control group. A second randomized clinical trial involving 264 participants, focused on an online stress management program for employees, produced similar positive findings: An analysis by Ms. Kählke showed that costs are saved for the companies and for society as a whole. In a systematic review, she concluded that digital, guided therapy programs for treating anxiety and depression are predominantly cost-effective and thus recommendable. She summarizes: "My work provides important insights into how mental health – the foundation of our society and cultural diversity – can be promoted through digital interventions and applications."
For her doctoral dissertation in Digital Mental Health Care at TUM, Prof. Dr. Kählke has now been awarded the Kulturpreis Bayern in the "Science" category. At the festive award ceremony in Munich’s Showpalast, she was presented with the statue “Gedankenblitz”, designed by sculptor Peter Mayer from Schwandorf.
“The award of the Kulturpreis Bayern is a tremendous recognition of my work, which advocates for better care for people with mental health disorders through internet- and mobile-based treatment interventions. I am deeply honored that my long-standing research has been acknowledged in this way and that the importance of digital applications for maintaining mental health has been brought to the forefront of society,” says Prof. Dr. Kählke about the special honor.
This year marks the 20th edition of the Kulturpreis Bayern. The award, established in 1959 as the Kulturpreis Ostbayern, has been presented annually since 2005 by Bayernwerk in close partnership with the Bavarian State Ministry of Science and the Arts. The recipients of the €3,000 science prize are nominated by universities.
Moderator Nina Sonnenberg guided the diverse evening program of this year’s anniversary event. A total of 10 doctoral candidates and 23 graduates from Bavarian universities, colleges, and art academies were honored. In addition to the award ceremonies, there were panel discussions on innovative topics and live performances. The nearly two-hour cultural evening was broadcast live on the Bayernwerk live stream and by local TV stations such as Oberpfalz TV, Niederbayern TV, TVA Ostbayern, TV Mainfranken, TV Oberfranken, Franken Fernsehen, München TV, Ingolstadt TV, RFO – Regional Fernsehen Oberbayern, Regio TV Schwaben, Augsburg TV, and Allgäu TV.
Link to the Assistant Professorship of Psychology and Digital Mental Health Care website
Link to the Kulturpreis Bayern website
Link to video interview with Prof. Dr. Fanny Kählke
Contact:
Prof. Dr. David Daniel Ebert
Assistant Professorship of Psychology and Digital Mental Health Care
Technische Universität München
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
Email: david.daniel.ebert(at)tum.de
Prof. Dr. Fanny Kählke
Assistant Professorship of Psychology and Digital Mental Health Care
Technische Universität München
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
Email: fanny.kaehlke(at)tum.de
Text: Jasmin Schol
Photos: Alex Schelbert/Bayernwerk AG/Privat