Prof. Dr. Karina Weichold

Academic Career

Karina Weichold studied Psychology at the University of Jena, Germany and the University College of Galway, Ireland. Besides that, she completed training in Family and Systemic Therapy, and finished her studies with an internship at the World Health Organization (WHO) in Geneva. In 2002, she received her Ph.D summa cum laude, and in 2012 completed her Habilitation. Six years later, Karina Weichold was appointed as Professor of Psychology at the University of Jena. Currently, she is the leader of the Department of Youth Research at the Institute of Psychology and the Dean of Study Affairs of the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Jena.

Research Interests

In her research, Professor Weichold is studying psychosocial adaptation under a life-span perspective, following a biopsychosocial and culturally-sensitive research paradigm with an explicit focus on the application of findings to intervention and social policy. Thereby, she primarily investigates the developmental periods of puberty and adolescence. Findings of her research were discussed in more than 120 presentations and symposia at conferences; she has published over 70 national and international papers and contributed numerous book chapters. Professor Weichold published a book, is currently working on two additional book projects, and she edited several special issues in high-ranking scientific journals.

Positions

Professor Weichold has a broad network with many national and international institutions in the scientific arena, but also in politics and practice. She is a member of several interdisciplinary expert groups, and serves as Main Editor of the ISSBD Bulletin for the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD).

Teaching

For many years, Professor Weichold has delivered lectures and taught courses in Developmental Psychology, Developmental Psycholpathology, Life Span Psychology, General Psychology, Youth Research, and Methods of Psychology at the University of Jena. In addition, she is involved in the education of psychological therapists and she is a frequent guest lecturer at other European universities. Concomitant with her teaching reponsibilities, she has supervised more than 50 qualification theses.

Professor Weichold is the coordinator of the course of studies leading to an B.A. in Psychology at the University of Jena.

Selected Publications

• Weichold, K. (2014). Translation of aetiology into evidence-based prevention: The Life Skills program IPSY. New Directions for Youth Development, 141, 83-94. doi: 10.1002/yd.20088. Full text
  
  
• Spaeth, M., Weichold, K., & Silbereisen, R. K. (2015). The Development of Leisure Boredom in Early Adolescence: Predictors and Longitudinal Associations with Delinquency and Depression. Developmental Psychology. 51(10), 1380-1394. Full text
  
  
• Weichold, K. & Blumenthal, A. (2016). Long-term effects of the Life Skills program IPSY on substance use: Results of a 4.5-year Longitudinal Study. Prevention Science, 17(1). Full text
  
  
• Weichold, K., & Blumenthal, A. (2018). Problemverhalten. In A. Lohaus (Hrsg.), Entwicklungspsychologie des Jugendalters, S. 169-196. Springer Verlag. Book
  
  
• Weichold, K. & Silbereisen, R. K. (2018). Jugend. In W. Schneider & U. Lindenberger (Hrsg.), Entwicklungspsychologie, S. 239-264. Beltz. Book

Complete CV (in German language)

CV short version [pdf, 149 kb] de