معرفی
Imke Baetens is a Professor at the Free University of Brussels (VUB), affiliated with the PRISM expertise center. She is an internationally recognized expert on self-harm and suicide prevention in young people, focusing on the development of practical school-based interventions to address the rising mental health challenges among adolescents.
Her research centers on child and adolescent psychology, particularly the prevention and treatment of emotional and behavioral problems. She has observed a near doubling of self-harm and suicidal thoughts among youth since the pandemic, with behaviors starting as early as primary school. Key interests include understanding maladaptive coping mechanisms (e.g., eating disorders, self-harm), the role of social media in mental health, and developing school-based prevention programs.
Baetens leads the development of several resources, including the Self-Harm Prevention Package for Schools, a two-day advisor training program, and a caregiver toolkit. She is currently conducting a large-scale study with 500 Limburg students to evaluate the impact of mental health lessons on well-being and symptom reduction. Her work emphasizes the critical role of schools in early intervention and the need for tailored support systems.
