• Home
• The Problem
• Project Description
• Results
• Links
• Sitemap/Contacts

• 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 Phrenos, 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

Catholic University Leuven - LUCAS, Leuven, BE

LUCAS is a multidisciplinary research centre of the Catholic University Leuven. Its objectives are: research, training and consultancy in the field of mental health care, welfare and international solidarity. LUCAS was founded in 1988 as an interface between the Catholic University of Leuven (K.U.Leuven) and Caritas Catholica Vlaanderen.

LUCAS conducts research in a wide range of topics and plays along with actuality and policy in the sectors to which it is directed. A specialisation concerning some research themes exists: the care for (demented) elderly, mental health care, quality of care, youth care, care of the disabled and mobbing. In these domains, more or less long-term or subsequent research projects are realised.

LUCAS is specialised in practice and policy related research. The question of the customer is always the starting point. The interfaces between the different projects lead to fundamental visions, answers or solutions concerning generic policy problems. Moreover, we strive to develop products that bear the scrutiny of international scientific quality criteria. Witnesses of this are the international publications and presentations. Training and service activities have become important pillars of LUCAS. They are aimed at translating the gathered research findings in usable instruments, at supporting the different care sectors in working methodologically and at implementing scientific sound changes.

As of January 2007, the Support Centre of Welfare, Public Health and Family was established. Its aims are:

1. To acquire insight and knowledge about the prevalence of problems, with special attention to specific target groups,
2. To acquire insight in the results of the care and prevention offer,
3. To formulate policy recommendations concerning the issuing of rules, organisational forms and network development
4. To develop a knowledge and documentation centre for policy related research

Mission Statement

The mission of this centre involves research, training and services related to care.

LUCAS specializes in practice- and policy-oriented research. Research projects are commissioned by diverse organizations and authorities and cover a broad range of topics, currently divided into four main research domains:

1. Care for the elderly
2. Mental Health Care
3. Welfare
4. Doctor-patient communication

LUCAS also participates in several international networks.

Important research themes and topics within one or more domains are: innovations in care, needs and care assessment, the prevention of depression and suicide, communication and patient participation, balanced care for severe and enduring mentally ill persons, innovations in welfare, etc.

In addition, LUCAS coordinates the knowledge and research platform on health care and social welfare . This platform was initiated to improve the collaboration between the Catholic University of Leuven and the associated Flemish institutions of higher education and to join forces with respect to research on health care and social welfare.
Finally, LUCAS hosts the policy research centre for welfare, health and family a comprehensive five year research program funded by the Flemish government with the aim of supporting the Flemish minister of welfare, health and family in pursuing a thorough, effective, innovative and inclusive policy on the basis of scientific research results.

Research findings are translated in training programmes to support caregivers in their daily practice and make a contribution to desirable changes in the policy of organizations and networks. In addition, LUCAS offers consultancy by providing evidence-based methodologies, useful tools, effective implementation strategies, etc. to a variety of interested public and private bodies.

Team Members

• Chantal Van Audenhove, PhD, Professor of Psychology
Director of LUCAS since 1996.
Promotor of the Policy Research Centre for Welfare, Health and Family Coordinator of the communication skills training programme at the Department of Medicine Main areas of interest: Mental Health Care (towards a stepped care for people with depression, psychosocial rehabilitation for people with severe and enduring mental illness, the development of instruments and decision aids) and care for persons with dementia.


• Anja Declercq, PhD, Sociologist
MA, Applied Economics
Project leader in LUCAS.
Professor at the Department of Sociology (Social Policy and Qualitative Research)
Main areas of interest: Transitions in the care for persons with dementia: small-scale normalized living, research, training and support on the use of the RAI/ MDSinstrument


• Koen Hermans, Sociologist
Project leader in LUCAS.
Assistant at the Department of Sociology.
Main areas of interest: local social policy/care and innovation in Social Welfare.


• Iris De Coster, MA, Psychologist
Project leader in LUCAS.
Teacher in HUB (hogeschool universiteit Brussel)
Specialist in training and consultancy in mental health care.
Main areas of interest: psychosocial rehabilitation, depression.

Research Assistants:

• Marian De Groof, MA, Psychologist
• Gert Scheerder, MA, Psychologist
• Johanna Mello, MA, Applied economics
• Anja Daems, PhD, Psychologist
• Renilt Vranken, MA, Sociologist
• Elke Detroyer, MA, Nurse
• Else Tambuyzer, MA, Psychologist
• Karolien Vermeulen, MA, Criminologist

Administrative Assistants:

• Lut Van Hoof
• Sabine Vanden Bossche

Contact

LUCAS, K.U.Leuven
Kapucijnenvoer 35
3000 Leuven
BELGIUM
Phone: +32 16 33 69 10
Fax: +32 16 33 69 22
Email: lucas(at)med.kuleuven.be
www.kuleuven.be/lucas