Berno van Meijel

Berno van Meijel is a Professor of Mental Health Nursing at Inholland University of Applied Sciences, affiliated with the Health, Sports and Welfare domain and the Centre of Expertise Prevention in Care & Welfare. He also holds a special professorship at Amsterdam UMC's Department of Psychiatry. His work bridges academic research, clinical practice, and education, focusing on improving mental health care through evidence-based interventions.

Education:

• PhD in Nursing Science (2003, Utrecht University)
• MSc in Social Sciences (1991, Utrecht University)
• Training as an A-nurse and HBO-V

Research Interests:

• Mental health nursing practices
• Relapse prevention in schizophrenia
• Lifestyle interventions for severe mental illness (e.g., SMILE program)
• Palliative care for psychiatric patients
• Agitation management in dementia
• Therapeutic relationships in conflict scenarios

Key Contributions:

• Developed guidelines for reducing agitation in dementia patients
• Evaluated cost-effectiveness of lifestyle interventions (e.g., SMILE trial)
• Advocated for nurse-led physical health screening in mental health care
• Pioneered collaborative care models for personality disorders and bipolar disorder

Collaborations: Works with Parnassia Group, Training Institute for Mental Health Nursing Specialists, and academic partners like VU Medical Center.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Mental Health Nursing Lectorate, focusing on interprofessional collaboration and translating research into educational programs.