Eva Van Assche

Eva Van Assche is a lecturer-researcher at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences, affiliated with the People and Well-being research group under the Psychology and technology research line. She teaches in the Applied Psychology programme while conducting practice-oriented research on digital applications in mental health care, focusing on sustainable implementation and user-centered design.

Her educational background includes a master's degree in Theoretical and Experimental Psychology and a PhD from Ghent University (UGent).

Dr. Van Assche's research centers on integrating digital technologies like smartphone applications and websites into mental health services. She investigates user attitudes toward mental health apps, implementation barriers in clinical practice, and strategies for effective technology adoption. Her work bridges technological innovation with real-world mental health service delivery, emphasizing practical applicability and user experience.

Analysis of her publication record reveals a strong trajectory in digital mental health interventions, with recent work examining pandemic-era telehealth adoption, comparative effectiveness of guided/unguided digital care, and platform evaluations like Belgium's well-being app ecosystem. Her research consistently addresses implementation challenges while exploring emerging areas such as augmented reality (HoloLens applications for phobia treatment) and AI-driven mental health tools.

Dr. Van Assche's research is supported by significant external funding including:

• The European eMEN project (Interreg-funded), which produced cross-border policy recommendations for upscaling e-mental health services
• Onlinehulp Vlaanderen, a current Flemish initiative providing digital mental health support

She actively contributes to the People and Well-being research group through workshops on digital mental health applications, formations at Thomas More's Experience Hub in Antwerp, and development of platforms like m-Path, while collaborating with researchers across Northwest Europe on projects including AI-CARES and ZeroOCD.