HEALTH Lab | Competence Centre for Medical and Health Psychology

The “HEALTH Lab | Competence Center for Medical and Health Psychology” is an interdisciplinary competence centre of the Faculty of Psychology that specialises in researching and improving the quality of life of different populations. One focus is on people with health restrictions, in particular rare and chronic diseases. Another focus is on the quality of life of healthy populations, such as rainbow families.

The HEALTH Lab’s research approaches include qualitative, quantitative and mixed-methods studies as well as intervention-based approaches. This variety of methods is used to gain comprehensive and in-depth insights into the quality of life of the target groups and to develop effective intervention strategies.

The HEALTH Lab is interdisciplinary and brings together experts from various fields such as psychology, psychotherapy science, medicine and computer science in order to jointly develop innovative solutions and sustainably improve the quality of life of people in various life situations.

Fields of activity at a glance

  • Conducting studies on quality of life
  • Development and evaluation of intervention-based approaches
  • Interdisciplinary collaboration in the field of medical and health psychology
  • Research focus on rare and chronic diseases and special populations such as rainbow families

Medical psychology: Rare and chronic diseases are often accompanied not only by physical but also by a wide range of psychosocial effects. Medical and clinical research is working hard to make the lives of people with rare and chronic diseases easier in the future. But what about now? What can make it easier to deal with such a disease now? The main aim of the research area is to investigate stressful factors as well as helpful aspects of dealing with the disease. Depending on the illness in question, the relationship between the state of health, quality of life, burdens and resources of those affected and their relatives will be analysed. At the same time, several quality of life measurement instruments for EB that are already established in English are being translated into German and validated.

Health psychology: Health psychology is concerned with the psychological and social factors that influence health and illness. A central area of research is the promotion and maintenance of health and the prevention of illness. Various populations are studied, including healthy people and specific groups such as rainbow families. The main aim of the research area is to identify the determinants of health and well-being and to develop effective strategies for health promotion. Factors such as stress management, health behaviour, social support and life satisfaction are investigated. Research will be conducted into how these factors influence quality of life and general well-being and what measures can be taken to promote positive health behaviours and minimise negative influences. In addition, interventional approaches are developed and evaluated to strengthen health literacy and promote mental well-being. These measures are developed and integrated on an interdisciplinary basis to ensure comprehensive and sustainable health strategies.

Research team

Lead

Portrait Gudrun Salamon

MMag. DDr. Gudrun Salamon

gudrun.salamon@sfu.ac.at

“I love doing research that makes a difference and at the same time contributes to the understanding of how the quality of life of people in various life situations can be improved.”

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Research team

Portrait Sophie Strobl

Sophie Strobl, MSc.

sophie.strobl@sfu.ac.at

“Getting to know the life stories of people with EB and their relatives, to scientifically process their experiences in order to sustainably support and strengthen their quality of life, is a special honour and a matter close to my heart.”

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Current student team

Our students come from the fields of psychology, medicine and psychotherapy. They accompany the HEALTH Lab for one year at a time, during which they familiarise themselves intensively with the topic, conduct research together with us and write their theses. The results obtained in this way are incorporated into further research and, if the work is of an appropriate quality, lead to joint publications.

Research projects by and with students:

in cooperation with the Rehab Centre Stadlau Institute

  • Anna Pia Kienbacher: Resource-orientated analysis of pain management in patients with spinal pain in physical therapy institutes

in co-operation with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology and salumentis

  • Vania Chen King: SUpporting REsilience of Caregivers (SURE)

Individual projects

  • Wiktoria Glück: Quality of life in rainbow families. A psycholinguistic study
  • Eva Laimböck: Life realities of rainbow families in German-speaking countries: A qualitative interview study on the burdens and resources of ‘social parenthood’
  • Stephanie Pfeffer: Health identity, understanding of health and illness in the context of epidermolysis bullosa

Research projects

Research project | Epidermolysis bullosa

Ongoing:

  • Visions of quality of life with a rare disease. A transdisciplinary approach to identify, measure and improve quality of life with epidermolysis bullosa (2024-2027)
  • BUR-EB: Changes in the Socio-economic Burden of Epidermolysis Bullosa in Europe (2023-2025)

Completed:

  • Burdens and helpful aspects for achieving and maintaining quality of life with epidermolysis bullosa (2021-2023)
  • Epidermolysis bullosa in Ireland: Burdens and helpful aspects for achieving and maintaining quality of life (2022)
  • Epidermolysis bullosa: Patient relevant outcomes and helpful factors for the quality of life (2019-2021)

Publications

Salamon, G., Field-Werners, U., Strobl, S., Hübl, V., & Diem, A. (2024). The psychosocial impact of a chronic disease in Ireland: Burdens and helpful practices for a life with epidermolysis bullosa. Health Expectations, 27(3), 1-15. doi: 10.1111/hex.14088 (IF: 3.2)

Salamon, G., Strobl, S., Field-Werners, U., Hübl, V., & Diem, A. (2024). Facing the complex challenges of people with epidermolysis bullosa in Austria: A mixed methods study on burdens and helpful practices. Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases, 19(211), 1-14. doi: 10.1186/s13023-024-03163-4 (IF: 3.7)

Salamon, G., Strobl, S., Field-Werners, U., Welponer, T., Murrell, D. F., & Diem, A. (2024). Translation, cultural adaptation and validation of the German Quality of Life in Epidermolysis Bullosa (QOLEB) questionnaire. Journal of Health Psychology, -(-), 1-15. doi: 10.1177/13591053231221369 (IF: 3.2)

Salamon, G., Strobl, S., Field-Werners, U., Diem, A., Schwieger-Briel, A., & Pope, E. (2024). Psychometric Properties of the Instrument for Scoring Clinical Outcomes of Research for Epidermolysis Bullosa patient score (iscorEB-p): a patient-reported outcome measure. British Journal of Dermatology, -(-), 1-7. doi: 10.1093/bjd/ljae019 (IF: 10.3)

Nosek, N. M., & Salamon, G. (2023). Psychological and psychotherapeutic intervention methods in rare and chronic diseases. Family Dynamics, 48(1), 4-13. doi: 10.21706/fd-48-1-4

Reinprecht, C., Salamon, G., Hunger-Schoppe, C., Klaps, A., Auersperg, F., & Stetina, B. (2023). Therapy and intervention options for dermatillomania (skin picking). Family Dynamics, 48(1), 14-25. doi: 10.21706/fd-48-1-14

Salamon, G., & Hunger-Schoppe, C. (2023). The systemic view of chronic and rare diseases. Family Dynamics, 48(1), 1. doi: 10.21706/fd-48-1-1

Salamon, G., & Hübl, V. (2020, January). Facilitating factors for the quality of life of people living with epidermolysis bullosa and their families, identified by health care professionals and experts. In ACTA DERMATO-VENEREOLOGICA (Vol. 100, pp. 49-49).

Salamon, G., Ruberl, A., & Maar, L. (2020, January). Psychosocial aspects of epidermolysis bullosa and quality of life. A systematic review. In ACTA DERMATO-VENEREOLOGICA (Vol. 100, pp. 73-73).

Final theses

New research project “Quality of Life and Health Identity in Rare and/or Chronic Diseases” at SFU’s Health LAB awards Master’s theses:

If you are interested in another topic for theses (Bachelor, Master, PhD), please contact us with specific ideas.

Vacancies

As part of the establishment of the new research unit “HEALTH Lab | Competence Centre for Medical and Health Psychology” under the direction of DDr. Gudrun Salamon, the Faculty of Psychology at the Sigmund Freud University Vienna is looking for highly motivated employees (m/f/d).

Currently no vacancies.

If you are interested in a co-operation, please contact gudrun.salamon@sfu.ac.at

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