Social Interaction Processes and Mental Health

Social interactions form the foundation of our connected lives and have a significant impact on our mental health. But what makes an interaction beneficial or stressful? When do interpersonal encounters become a risk for mental well-being?

These questions motivate our research. We want to understand how social contacts influence our mental health - from everyday life to complex conflict situations. We are particularly interested in how social contacts and relationships contribute to the development or maintenance of mental disorders. We also investigate which characteristics of interactions promote resilience and strengthen mental well-being.

In this context, emotions play a key role. They control our behavior and at the same time are themselves shaped by interactions. How does someone react to rejection? How do we perceive the other person? What role do early life experiences play? We use a wide range of methods to research social interactions: from classic questionnaires to behavioral observations, and from virtual reality scenarios to smartphone-based momentary assessments.

An additional focus lies on the biological processes behind social encounters. We investigate how social interactions literally “get under the skin” - from skin conductance to brain activity. We want to understand how interpersonal experiences shape our health in the long term.

By combining basic research and clinical application, we build bridges between science and practice - for better mental health and new approaches to prevention and therapy in an increasingly interconnected and complex world.