Health Psychology Unit Klagenfurt

International clinical, family and health psychology research

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Family and Health Lab

Research on relationships, families and children

News

News

FREMO 2025

Katharina Buß & Michael Radloff presented at the Frontier Research in Educational Measurement (FREMO 2025) Conference at the University of Oslo (September 03–04, 2025)

Conference Program: https://www.uv.uio.no/cemo/english/about/news-events-and-publications/events/conferences/fremo2025/about-the-conference/program/fremo_2025_abstracts.pdf

Katharina Buß
Title: Psychometric properties of the Parental Stress Scale (PSS), evaluated using Item Response Theory
Authors: Katharina Buß, Adriana Baban, Catherine Ward, Jamie Lachman, Judy Hutchings, Nina Heinrichs, Heather Foran

Michael Radloff
Title: Are LLMs (Really) Ideological? An IRT-based Analysis and Alignment Tool for Perceived Socio-Economic Bias in LLMs
Authors: Jasmin Wachter, Michael Radloff, Maja Smolej, Katharina Kinder-Kurlanda

  • 13 Nov 2025
SMIP 2025

Katharina Buß attended the Statistical Modeling in Psychology Summer School (SMIP, 30.06-04.07.2025) at the University of Mannheim.

Katharina Buß attended the Statistical Modeling in Psychology Summer School (SMIP, 30.06-04.07.2025) at the University of Mannheim. She learned about Dynamic Longitudinal Modeling and the ctsem R package in the workshop led by Charles Driver and Manuel Voelkle.

Katharina presented:
Title: Psychometric properties of the Parental Stress Scale (PSS), evaluated using Item Response Theory
Authors: Katharina Buß, Adriana Baban, Catherine Ward, Jamie Lachman, Judy Hutchings, Nina Heinrichs, Heather Foran

  • 13 Nov 2025
Team

Defensio

Franziska Waller successfully completed her dissertation in August 2024!

  • 01 Sep 2024

What We Do?

Health behaviors and environmental risk factors contribute significantly to global burden of disease. Many of these global risk factors are preventable, and our research team is interested in understanding these risk factors and their causes. Our research also includes studies on screening, assessment, prevention, treatment, and implementation across countries. Current topics of interest include physical activity, family maltreatment, mental health, parenting, child behavioral symptoms, stress management, and interpersonal dysfunctions such as social isolation.

Family Psychology

Family problems and family maltreatment are major public health problems that can affect physical and mental health across the lifespan.

Digital Health

Digitalization presents opportunities and challenges for health research and health care.

Public Health

Behavioral risk factors such as low physical activity, alcohol use, and psychological disorders are important for reducing global burden of disease.

Research Methods and Assessment

Our team is interested in improving and evaluating measures in global mental research and analyses in international clinical trials.

Selected Projects

FLOURISH, Family-Focused Adolescent and Lifelong Health Promotion. Prevention of adolescent mental health problems in Eastern Europe. Funded by the European Union Horizon Europe research and innovation program, 2023-2026 https://www.flourish-study.org

Klagenfurt Team members: Univ.-Prof. Heather Foran, Dr. Antonio Piolanti, Dr. Janina Müller, Dr. Franziska Waller, Dr. Christina Glasauer, Michael Radloff

Virtual Reality for Healthy Youth. Novel virtual reality intervention for health promotion with youth. Funded by BABEG.

Assoc.-Prof. Mathias Lux, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heather Foran, Dr. Christian Kubb, Univ.-Prof. Hermann Hellwagner and Sebastian Uitz, MSc

RISE, “Prevention of child mental health problems in Southeastern Europe – Adapt, Optimize, Test, and Extend Parenting for Lifelong Health”. EU-Horizon 2020, Global Alliance for Chronic Diseases funded project, 2018-2022

Klagenfurt Team members: Univ.-Prof. Heather Foran, Dr. Janina Müller, Dr. Franziska Waller, Hugh Murphy

A Psychoeducation Family Intervention via Social Technology to Improve Social Support, Health and Well-Being among Elderly https://connect2family.aau.at

Klagenfurt Team: Dr. Janina Müller, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heather Foran

Klagenfurt Team: Dr. Christian Kubb, Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heather Foran

Klagenfurt Team members: Univ.-Prof. Heather Foran, Hugh Murphy, Katharina Buss

WELL, Testing new ways to improve well-being through self-care tools. The project is being conducted through a collaboration between the University of Klagenfurt and FAIR, Meta's Fundamental Artificial Intelligence Research team. https://wellsurvey.aau.at/well/project.html

Klagenfurt Team members: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heather Foran, Dr. Christian Kubb, Dr. Janina Müller

Co-Operation, Mental health among individuals in critical professions involved in complex crises. The project will be conducted in collaboration with the University of Ljubljana. Funded by the FWF from 2023-2027.

https://co-operation.aau.at/

Klagenfurt Team members: Prof. Heather Foran, Ass.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Heidi Ulrike Siller (on leave), Katharina Buss (Doctoral student), Dr. Janina Müller, Dr. Rita Helena Phillips

Development of a Criteria Catalog for Substance Abuse Prevention Among High Risk Families

Klagenfurt Team members: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heather Foran, Ao.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Brigitte Jenull, Dr. Franziska Waller

Collaboration with Amt der Kärntner Landesregierung, Abteilung 5 – Kompetenzzentrum Gesundheit

In collaboration with the Relational processes working group. See recent publications: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1697260018300073

Klagenfurt team: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heather Foran, Hugh Murphy, Katharina Prandstetter in collaboration with overall international lead (Prof. Isabelle Roskam & Prof. Moira Mikolajczak). This study was supported by a collaboration with FOKUS KIND Medien www.babyforum.at

This project examines the 10 year course of family functioning and psychopathology among German families who participated in a previously DFG-funded RCT of Triple P Parenting program. We also have been examining the associations between family functioning, psychopathology, and physical health outcomes over the ten year period. Klagenfurt Team: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heather Foran, in Collaboration with TU Braunschweig, Germany.




Our Past and Current Funders

 

Team

Univ.-Prof. Dr.
Heather Foran

Head of Department

Ao.Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr.
Brigitte Jenull

Professor

Iris Sternjak

Administrative Staff

Dr. Christina Glasauer,
BSc.MSc.

Post-Doctoral Scientist

Dr. Janina Müller,
BSc.MSc.

Post-Doctoral Scientist

Postdoc-Ass. Antonio Piolanti, Ph.D.

Post-Doctoral Scientist

Dr. Franziska Waller,
BSc.MSc.

Post-Doctoral Scientist

Katharina Buss,
BSc.MSc.

Research Project Staff

Dipl.Ing. Stefan Haan,
B.Sc.B.Sc.

Research Project Staff

Hugh Murphy,
BSc.MSc.

Doctoral Student

Univ.-Ass. Michael Radloff,
BSc.MSc.

Doctoral Student

Melanie Kern

Student Assistant

Alessandro Lombardi

Student Assistant

Eliana Suntinger

Student Assistant

Selected Publications

Piolanti, A., Schmid, I. E., Fiderer, F. J., Ward, C. L., Stöckl, H., & Foran, H. M. (2025). Global prevalence of sexual violence against children: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2024.5326

Foran, H. M., Kubb, C., Mueller, J., Poff, S., Ung, M., Li, M., Smith, E. M., Akinyemi, A., Kambadur, M., Waller, F., Graf, M., & Boureau, Y. L. (2024). An automated conversational agent self-help program: Randomized controlled trial. Journal of Medical Internet Research, 26, e53829. https://doi.org/10.2196/53829

Müller, J., Zhao, X., & Foran, H. M. (2024). A technology-supported psychoeducational intervention for older adults and their families to improve social isolation, loneliness, and intergenerational connectedness: A randomized controlled study. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 27(11), 835–845. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2023.0549

Frantz, I., Foran, H. M., Lachman, J. M., Gardner, F., McMahon, R. J., Ogden, T., Hutchings, J., Costin, M. R., Kunovski, I., Raleva, M., Mueller, J., & Heinrichs, N. (2024). Adverse event assessment in a parenting programme: Experiences from a multisite randomised controlled trial. Trials, 25(1), 547. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-024-08357-6

Dănilă, I., Balazsi, R., Tăut, D., Băban, A., Foran, H. M., Heinrich, N., Lachman, J. M., & Hutchings, J. (2024). Linking child adjustment difficulties with mother's maladaptive parental behavior: The mediating roles of parental cognitions and parenting stress. Family process. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.13011

Kubb, C., & Foran, H. M. (2024). Health anxiety by proxy among parents: Measuring health anxiety for self, child and partner and its associations with family functioning. Health Psychology Open, 11. https://doi.org/10.1177/20551029241251995.

Domínguez Martínez, T., Arango de Montis, I., Robles García, R., García, J. Á., Medina Mora, M. E., Burns, S. C., Kogan, C. S., Heyman, R. E., Foran, H. M., Smith Slep, A. M., Keeley, J. W., & Reed, G. M. (2024). Clinicians’ diagnostic accuracy of intimate partner relational problems and maltreatment: An international field study. Psychology of Violence, 14(3), 149–157. https://doi.org/10.1037/vio0000485

Shenderovich, Y., Piolanti, A., Babii, V., Calovska-Hertzog, N., Evans, R. E., Heinrichs, N., Burgund Isakov, A., Lesco, G., Moore, G., Mueller, J., Raleva, M., Shimbov, B., Simon, J., Waller, F., Wienand, D., & Foran, H. M. (2023). Family-focused intervention to promote adolescent mental health and well-being in Moldova and North Macedonia (FLOURISH): Feasibility study protocol. BMJ Open, 13(12), e080400. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-080400

Roskam, I., Aguiar, J., Akgun, E., Arena, A. F., Arikan, G., Aunola, K., ... & Mikolajczak, M. (2023). Three reasons why parental burnout is more prevalent in individualistic countries: a mediation study in 36 countries. Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-023-02487-z

Wood, M. D., Foran, H. M., & Britt, T. W. (2023). Limitations of benefit finding as a coping mechanism for combat-related PTSD symptoms. Military Psychology, 35(3), 233-244. https://doi.org/10.1080/08995605.2022.2112884

Piolanti, A., Waller, F., Schmid, I. E., & Foran, H. M. (2023). Long-term adverse outcomes associated with teen dating violence: a systematic review. Pediatrics, e2022059654. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-059654

Murphy, H., Prandstetter, K., Ward, C. L., Hutchings, J., Kunovski, I., Tăut, D., & Foran, H. M. (2023). Factor structure of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale among caregivers in Southeastern Europe. Family Relations, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12882

Waller, F., Prandstetter, K., Jansen, E., Nikolova, G., Lachman, J. M., Hutchings, J., & Foran, H. M. (2023). Screen use: Its association with caregiver mental health, parenting, and children's ADHD symptoms. Family Relations, 1-17. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12869

Zhao, X., Perle, I., & Foran, H. M. (2023). Emerging ideas. Filial piety, substance use, adverse childhood experiences, and parental support: An intergenerational perspective. Family Relations, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12857

Lin, G. X., Mikolajczak, M., Keller, H., Akgun, E., Arikan, G., Aunola, K., ... & Roskam, I. (2023). Parenting Culture (s): Ideal-Parent Beliefs Across 37 Countries. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 54(1), 4-24. https://doi.org/10.1177/0022022122112304

Prandstetter, K., Murphy, H., & Foran, H. M. (2023). The role of intimate partner violence, couple dissatisfaction and parenting behaviors in understanding parental burnout. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 32(1), 343-355.. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-021-02218-5

Piolanti, A., Jouriles, E. N., & Foran, H. M. (2022). Assessment of psychosocial programs to prevent sexual violence during adolescence: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Network Open, 5(11), e2240895. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.40895

Williams, M. E., Foran, H. M., Hutchings, J., Frantz, I., Taut, D., Lachman, J. M., ... & Heinrichs, N. (2022). Exploring Factors Associated with Parent Engagement in A Parenting Program in Southeastern Europe. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 31(11), 3097-3112. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02411-0

Martin, M., Lachman, J. M., Murphy, H., Gardner, F., & Foran, H. (2022). The development, reliability, and validity of the Facilitator Assessment Tool: An implementation fidelity measure used in Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children. Child: Care, Health and Development, 49(3), 591-604. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.13075

Kopystynska, O., Mueller, J., Bradford, K., Chandler, A. B., Foran, H. M., & Higginbotham, B. J. (2022). The influence of interparental conflict and violence on parenting and parent–child relationships. Personal Relationships, 29(3), 488-523. https://doi.org/10.1111/pere.12441

Jansen, E., Frantz, I., Hutchings, J., Lachman, J., Williams, M., Taut, D., ... & Foran, H. M. (2022). Preventing child mental health problems in southeastern Europe: Feasibility study (phase 1 of MOST framework). Family Process, 61(3), 1162-1179. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12720

Zhao, X., Prandstetter, K., & Foran, H. M. (2022). Using Dyadic Modeling in Nursing Research: Introduction of Theory and Application. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 44(8), 788-798. https://doi.org/10.1177/01939459211016486

Burns, S. C., Kogan, C. S., Heyman, R. E., Foran, H. M., Slep, A. M. S., Domínguez-Martínez, T., ... & Reed, G. M. (2022). Evaluating the relationship between intimate partner violence-related training and mental health professionals’ assessment of relationship problems. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(15-16), NP14262. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211005154

Prandstetter, K., Waller, F., Heinrichs, N., Hutchings, J., Ward, C. L., Dănilă, I., ... & Foran, H. M. (2022). Measuring dysfunctional parenting: Psychometrics of three versions of the Parenting Scale. Family Relations, 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1111/fare.12732

Piolanti, A., & Foran, H. M. (2022). Psychological violence in dating relationships among adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis of prevention programs. Preventive Medicine, 159, 107053. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107053

Zhao, X., Dichtl, F. F., & Foran, H. M. (2022). Predicting smoking behavior: intention and future self-continuity among Austrians. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 27(5), 1042-1051. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2020.1842898

Kubb, C., & Foran, H. M. (2022). Online Health Information Seeking for Self and Child: An Experimental Study of Parental Symptom Search. JMIR Pediatrics and Parenting, 5(2):e29618. https://doi.org/10.2196/29618

Foran, H. M., Mueller, J., Schulz, W., & Hahlweg, K. (2022). Cohabitation, relationship stability, relationship adjustment, and children’s mental health over 10 years. Frontiers in Psychology, 12:1-10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.746306

Roskam, I., Gallée, L., Aguiar, J., Akgun, E., Arena, A., Arikan, G., ... & Mikolajczak, M. (2022). Gender equality and maternal burnout: A 40-country study. Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, 53(2), 157–178. https://doi.org/10.1177/00220221211072813

Piolanti, A., & Foran, H. M. (2022). Efficacy of interventions to prevent physical and sexual dating violence among adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, 176(2):142–149. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.4829

Burns, S. C., Kogan, C. S., Heyman, R. E., Foran, H. M., Smith Slep, A. M., Dominguez-Martinez, T., ... & Reed, G. M. (2022). Exploring mental health professionals’ experiences of intimate partner violence–related training: results from a global survey. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 37(1-2), 124-150. https://doi.org/10.1177/0886260520908020

Piolanti, A., & Foran, H. M. (2021). Efficacy of interventions to prevent physical and sexual dating violence among adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA Pediatrics, E1-E8. https://doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.4829

Taut, D., Baban, A., Frantz, I., Danila, I., Lachman, J., Heinrichs, N., Ward, C.L., Gardner, F., Fang, X., Hutchings, J., Raleva, M., Lesco, G., Murphy, H., & Foran, H. M. (2021). Prevention of child mental health problems through parenting interventions in Southeastern Europe (RISE): study protocol for a multi-site randomised controlled trial. Trials 22, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-021-05817-1

Jansen, E., Frantz, I., Hutchings, J., Lachman, J., Williams, M., Taut, D., Baban, A., Raleva, M., Lesco, G., Ward., C., Gardner, F., Fang, X., Heinrichs, N., & Foran, H. M. (2021). Preventing child mental health problems in southeastern Europe: Feasibility Study (Phase 1 of the MOST framework). Family Process, 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12720

Zhao, X., Prandstetter, K., Jansen, E., Hahlweg, K, Schultz, W., & Foran, H.M. (2021). Interparental relationship adjustment, parenting, and offspring’s smoking at the ten-year follow-up. Family Process, 60, 523-537. https://doi.org/10.1111/famp.12598

Zhao X, Prandstetter K, Foran H. M. (2021). Using dyadic modeling in nursing research: Introduction of theory and application. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 1-11. https://doi:10.1177/01939459211016486

Burns, S.C. Kogan, C.S., Heyman, R.E., Foran, H.M., Smith Slep, A.M., Dominquez-Martinez, T., Grenier, J., Matsumoto, C., & Reed, G.M. (2021). Evaluating the relationship between intimate partner violence-related training and mental health professionals’ assessment of relationship problems. Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.1177/08862605211005154

Roskam, I., Gross, J., Aguiar, J., Akgun, E., Aunola, K., Bahati, M.E., Besson, E., Boujut, E., Brianda, M.E., et al. (2021). Parental burnout around the globe: A 40-country study. Affective Science, 2, 58-79. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42761-020-00028-4

Heyman, R. E., Baucom, K. J. W., Xu, S., Slep, A. M. S., Snarr, J. D., Foran, H. M., Lorber, M. F., Wojda, A. K., & Linkh, D. J. (2021). High sensitivity and specificity screening for clinically significant intimate partner violence. Journal of Family Psychology, 35, 80–91. https://doi.org/10.1037/fam0000781

Shenderovich, Y., Lachman, J. M., Wessels, I., Ward, C. L., Gardner, F. Tomlinson, M. Oliver, D., Janowski, R., Martin, M., Okop, K., Sacolo-Gwebu, H., Ngcobo, L.L., Fang, Z., Alampay, L., Baban, A., Baumann, A.A., Benevides de Barros, R., Bojo, S., Butchart, A., Dippenaar, W., Exavery, A., Fang, X., Ferdinandi, I, Foran, H. M., Heinrichs, N., Hutchings, J., Kisyombe, D., Massetti, G., Mazak, J., Mbuyi, H., Singh, P., Polsky, K., Rakotomalala,,S., Raleva, M., Savo, R., & Cluver, L. (2021). The science of scale for violence prevention: A new agenda of family strengthening in low- and middle-income countries. Frontiers in Public Health, Section Life-Course Epidemiology and Social Inequalities, 1-5. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.581440

Kubb, C. & Foran, H. M. (2020). Measuring COVID-19 related anxiety in parents: Psychometric comparison of four different inventories. JMIR Mental Health, 7, e24507. >https://doi:10.2196/24507

Zhao, X., Dichtl, F., & Foran, H. M. (2020). Predicting smoking behavior: Intention and self-continuity among Austrians. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1080/13548506.2020.1842898

Foran, H. M., Lorber, M., Malik, J., Heyman, R. E., & Slep, A. M. S. (2020). The intimate partner flooding scale. Assessment, 1-12. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191118755911

Kubb, C., & Foran, H. M. (2020). Online health information seeking by parents for their children: Systematic review and agenda for further research. Journal of Medical Internet Research, e19985, 1-19. https://doi:10.2196/19985

Foran, H. M., Fraude, I., Kubb, C., & Wamboldt, M. Z. (2020). Assessment of the parent-child relationship. In The Handbook of Systemic Family Therapy (Karen Wampler, Eds, et al.): Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/9781119438519.ch35

Jansen, E., Lachman, J., Heinrichs, N., Hutchings, J., Baban, A., & Foran, H. M. (2020) Hunger in vulnerable families in Southeastern Europe: Associations with mental health and violence. Frontiers in Public Health, 8, 115. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2020.00115

Foran, H. M. (2020). The military family: Dynamics, strengths, and challenges. Contemporary Military Challenges. http://dx.doi.org/10.33179/BSV.99.SVI.11.CMC.22.2.RE

Müller J., Foran, H. M. (2019). Connecting Older Adults and Their Families through Social Technology. (Abstract). European Journal of Public Health, 29,4. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurpub/ckz186.082

Del Vecchio, T., Heyman, R., Slep, A., & Foran, H. (2019). Child Abuse and Neglect. In A. Vazsonyi, D. Flannery, & M. DeLisi (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Violent Behavior and Aggression (Cambridge Handbooks in Psychology, pp. 366-381). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. https://doi:10.1017/9781316847992.021

Foran, H. M. (2019). Daniel K. O’Leary. In Jay L. Lebow, Anthony L. Chambers, & Douglas C. Breunlin (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy (pg. 2058-2060). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-419-49425-8

Foran, H. M. & Restle, L. (2019). Classification in Couples and Families. In Jay L. Lebow, Anthony L. Chambers, & Douglas C. Breunlin (Eds.), Encyclopedia of Couple and Family Therapy (pg. 448-454). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-419-49425-8.

Kliem, S., Lohman, A., Moeble, T., Hellmann, D. F., Foran, H. M., Hahlweg, K., Zenger, M., Stöbel-Richter, Y., & Brähler, E. (2018). Development and validation of an eight-item short form of the Parenting scale based on a German representative population sample. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 28, 30–41. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-018-1257-3

Heyman, R. E., Kogan, C. S., Foran, H. M., Burns. S. C., Slep, A. M. S., Wojda, A., K., Keeley, J. W., Rebello, T. J., & Reed, G. M. (2018). A case-controlled field study evaluating ICD-11 proposals for relational problems and intimate partner violence. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 18, 113-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2018.03.001

Heyman, R. E., Kogan, C. S., Foran, H. M., Burns. S. C., Slep, A. M. S., Wojda, A., K., Keeley, J. W., Rebello, T. J., & Reed, G. M. (2018). Estudio de campo con casos controlados para evaluar propuestas de la CIE-11 en problemas relacionales y de violencia de pareja. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 18, 113-123. (Spanish version) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2018.03.001