International sharing of knowledge and expertise
on the assesment of psychological and psychiatric comorbidity
in adults with vision impairment
PsyCoDiVIA project
Background
In the previous PsyCoVIA-project the focus was on the complexity of supporting people with vision impairment and additional mental health problems. During this project professionals and clients mentioned the struggles with assessing mental health (psychological and psychiatric) problems in people with vision impairment.
There is hardly any literature available on how to perform psychological assessment with this specific target group. Within the total population of people with vision impairment, this is a relatively small group. Therefore, it is essential to collect good practices to develop more expertise regarding the assessment challenges.
This project aims to bring assessment of the mentioned multiple disabilities in a more holistic perspective to avoid that people of this target group will have to tell their story over and over, that they are heard and seen as individuals with disabilities instead of the other way around, and that the best suitable care can be arranged to ultimately improve their participation in society.
Goal
During five Transnational Project Meetings (TPM), professionals and clients from five countries will share their knowledge, experiences and tools on assessment in people with vision impairment and additional mental disorders. They will bring together their expertise on psychological, low vision and daily functioning assessment, and share the current situation on multidisciplinary consultation.
Five ‘Transnational Project Meetings’ (TPM)
Every partner will organize a TPM of two days in which a specific comorbid mental disorder will be the theme of the meeting. The following TPM’s with specific themes will be organized:
| Organisation | Country | Theme |
| Robert Coppes Foundation | The Netherlands | Personality Disorders and psychoses |
| Centar za odgoj I obrazovanje Vinko Bek | Croatia | Addiction and eating disorders |
| Vakok Ovodaja, Altalanos Iskolaja | Hungary | Posttraumatic stress disorder and behavioral disorders |
| Blindenzorg Licht en Liefde | Belgium | Autism spectrum disorders |
| Berufsförderungswerk Halle | Germany | Depression and anxiety |
Book of Good Assessment Practices
All collected good practices from the five TPMs will be brought together in a digital ‘Book of Good Assessment Practices’. This book will be shared on different platforms and can be used for training.
Duration
December 2023 – November 2026.
Contact
Edine van Munster
Researcher and Research coordinator
Dep. Expertise, Innovation & Knowledge
Robert Coppes Foundation