Mental health is an essential prerequisite for quality of life, performance and social participation. The term represents the entire spectrum from health, stress or strain symptoms to mental disorders. Risk and protective factors, resources and needs as well as knowledge about mental disorders and their acceptance are considered to be key determinants of mental health on a social, psychological and biological level.
Practical experience shows that business families are exposed to particular challenges due to the combination of business and family, which can have an impact on their mental health. However, there is no empirical data on the question of the beneficial or detrimental influence of this mixture on the mental health of family members, nor on the prevalence of possible mental disorders in business families.
Due to the increasing prevalence of mental disorders in the population as a whole, we assume that business families also experience mental stress symptoms or mental disorders – either currently or in the past. As we are interested not only in stress factors but also in factors that promote health, we are also researching processes in which business families have been able to maintain their mental health or restore their mental health after phases of severe mental stress.
The aim of the interdisciplinary research project is to empirically investigate mental health in business families based on a systemic understanding. In the literature, for example, systemic family therapy perspectives, such as the concept of delegations and related individuation, provide initial attempts to explain the development, maintenance and change of mental health. The project aims to open up the field of mental health in business families for research, so that the rather secretive topic is de-tabooed and thus members of business families are offered a context in which an open exchange about mental health is possible.
The project is a cooperation between the Witten Institute for Family Business (WIFU) and the Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy III of the Faculty of Health at Witten/Herdecke University. The research team is made up of Prof. Dr. Tom Rüsen, Chairman of the WIFU Foundation, Prof. Dr. Heiko Kleve, Chair of Organization and Development of Business Families and Managing and Academic Director of WIFU, Prof. Dr. Christina Hunger-Schoppe, Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy III, specializing in Systemic and Family Therapy, Witten/Herdecke University, Magdalena Wendt, M.Sc, M.A., clinical psychologist, mediator and research assistant in the research project, and Philipp Wichelhaus, M.A., family therapist, child and adolescent psychotherapist (retired) and research assistant in the research project.
Title: Mental Health in Business Families (MAIN-ERA)
Duration: since September 2022
Sponsoring: WIFU Foundation
The research project aims to examine the research topic as comprehensively as possible using different scientific methods. In the qualitative sub-study, led by Magdalena Wendt, interviews will be conducted with members of business families in order to analyze what significant experiences exist on the topic of mental health. With the help of a representative survey, led by Philipp Wichelhaus, anonymized data will be collected in cooperation with a German independent opinion research institute. Participation in a sub-study can take place completely independently of participation in another sub-study and does not require participation in a subsequent sub-study.
Would you like to learn more about our project or can you imagine participating in one of our sub-studies?
Please fill out our contact form and we will get in touch with you! E-Mail:SeelischeGesundheit@uni-wh.de
CONTACT PERSONS:
At the international research conference from 19 – 21 June 2024 in Lisbon, Philipp Wichelhaus and Magdalena Wendt presented the research project and the two sub-studies (qualitative and quantitative research) to international research colleagues. The great importance of the research topic was emphasised by the participants. Valuable impulses were also gained through the exchange with the international researchers.
Philipp Wichelhaus presented the design of the scoping review as part of a poster session during the congress taking place in Berlin from 11 – 15 June 2024. During the congress days, he was able to discuss the research project with many psychotherapy researchers and visualise family entrepreneurship and the business family as the focus of the study.
From 13-14 May 2024, the WIFU Summer Camp took place in Witten, in which Philipp Wichelhaus and Magdalena Wendt took part. In addition to lectures and workshops, the two team members were able to discuss the further development of the research approach with experienced family business researchers and incorporate the newly acquired suggestions into both the qualitative and the qualitative research part of the overall project.
As part of the congress, Prof. Dr Christina Hunger-Schoppe, Philipp Wichelhaus and Magdalena Wendt held the workshop “Mental health in business families – knowledge impulses for a health-promoting lifestyle” with members of business families on 15 March 2024. Through keynote speeches on the main topic, small exercises and small groups on the topics of “The importance of mental disorders for holistic family management”, “Possibilities for (re)activating resources” and “Transgenerationality and succession in business families”, the participants were introduced to theoretical principles, health-promoting methods were made tangible and a space for exchange was offered.
On 14 March 2024, Prof. Dr Christina Hunger-Schoppe presented the progress of the research project “Mental health in business families” to the more than 65 family entrepreneurs in attendance at the biannual WIFU sponsors’ meeting. In particular, she discussed the relevance of the research topic and preliminary results from the first qualitative survey phase.
The 13th Conference of German-speaking Research Centres and Institutes for Family Business (FIFU) took place in Munich from 11-13 March 2024. Magdalena Wendt presented the entire research project “Mental Health in Business Families” to family business and business family researchers. Valuable suggestions were taken away from the feedback and dialogue during the conference and incorporated into the further development of the project.
The WIFU research camp took place in Witten from 6 to 9 November 2023. By participating, Magdalena Wendt and Philipp Wichelhaus had the opportunity to discuss the research project with academics from the field of family entrepreneurship and to network, as well as to obtain feedback on the research project from family entrepreneurs and members of business families as part of a workshop.
At the 25th anniversary celebration of the Witten Institute for Family Business (WIFU) on 29 June 2023, Prof. Dr Christina Hunger-Schoppe and Johanna Wichmann presented the research project as part of a poster session. They networked with practice partners and answered questions about the research project.
Prof. Dr Christina Hunger-Schoppe and Johanna Wichmann offered the workshop “Mental health in the business family – knowledge impulses for a health-promoting lifestyle” on 15-16 March 2023 as part of the congress. Members of business families from different generations took part. In addition to imparting knowledge about mental health and mental disorders, the participants were encouraged to share their own experiences.
On 14 March 2023, the WIFU Foundation hosted the 37th sponsors’ meeting. Prof Dr Christina Hunger-Schoppe and Johanna Wichmann presented the research project to the participants. As part of a poster session, the WIFU sponsors had the opportunity to ask questions and contribute practical suggestions to the project.
Witten/Herdecke University hosted the Faculty of Health’s Research Day on 20 January 2023. This event brings together researchers from various disciplines within the university. Johanna Wichmann presented the research project with the aim of publicising the topic of “Mental health in business families” in the research world and incorporating suggestions from colleagues into the research project.
Johanna Wichmann presented the research project to other family business researchers and four entrepreneurs for the first time at the WIFU research camp in Witten from 7 to 10 November 2022. The exchange provided valuable impetus for the research approach as well as helpful aspects regarding practical relevance, which benefited the project, which is only two months old.
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