The European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD) is an international, non-profit organisation dedicated to two main objectives: improving the treatment of individuals with depression and preventing suicidal behaviour. The EAAD currently comprises 31 members from Europe, Canada, South America, Africa, and Australia.
The EAAD was established in 2008 after the completion of a European Union (EU) funded research project that had implemented and evaluated a community-based intervention programme (so-called “4-level intervention”) targeting depression and suicide in various regions in Europe. Ever since, one main goal of the EAAD has been to sustain and expand the 4-level intervention activities worldwide.
Furthermore, the EAAD established an awareness website (www.ifightdepression.com) providing comprehensive information about depression and where to get help. The EAAD further provides a cost-free, guided online self-management programme for depression (“iFightDepression® tool”).
The EAAD is coordinating MENTBEST and several other EU-funded research projects.
Project Staff
Professor Ulrich Hegerl (Project Lead)
PhD in Psychiatry
Prof. Ulrich Hegerl is the President of the EAAD. He is also the President of the German Depression Foundation and holder of the Johann Christian Senckenberg Distinguished Professorship at the Goethe University Frankfurt. Prof. Hegerl is an international expert in depression research and suicide prevention and has coordinated several large EU-funded projects on these topics, including EAAD-Best, PREDI-NU, and OSPI Europe.
Team Members
Dr. Katharina Schnitzspahn
Dr. Katharina Schnitzspahn works as a project manager and international coordinator at the EAAD. She supports the EU-funded projects MENTBEST, MENTUPP, MESUR and EAAD-Best and is also involved in other EAAD activities. Katharina holds a PhD in psychology and conducted research on cognitive and emotional development at different Universities across Europe for over 10 years before joining the EAAD.
Dr. Maider Prieto Vila
Dr. Maider Prieto Vila earned her PhD from the Complutense University of Madrid, where she also taught and mentored students. Her research focuses on prognostic modeling and patient profiling, with a particular contribution to PsicAP, a large-scale project within the Spanish primary care system.
She has conducted research stays at University College London and the University of Valencia, fostering international collaborations. Her work has been published in high-impact journals. In recognition of her contributions to clinical psychology, she received the Rafael Burgaleta Award (2024), the most prestigious Spanish prize in the field. In addition to her research, she has worked as a practicing psychologist and serves on the editorial board of Ansiedad y Estrés. She is currently a Scientific Leader at the European Alliance Against Depression (EAAD).
Dr. Petr Winkler
Since September 2025, Petr Winkler has served as Scientific Lead of the European Alliance Against Depression. Previously, from June 2021 to August 2025, he was Director of the National Institute of Mental Health in the Czech Republic. He earned his Ph.D. in Mental Health Services and Population Research from the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London.
In 2015, Petr Winkler founded and developed the Public Mental Health Research Program at the National Institute of Mental Health. The programme was later designated a World Health Organization Collaborating Centre, where he served as Director from February 2021 to September 2025.
His research and professional work focus primarily on improving mental health care in Central and Eastern Europe. For more than a decade, he has played a significant role in the development and implementation of mental health care reform in the Czech Republic, leading several national projects and contributing to key strategic initiatives, including the National Action Plan for Mental Health 2030 and the National Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2030.
Petr Winkler currently serves as Senior Editor for Cambridge Prisms: Global Mental Health and is a board member of the international non-profit Federation on Global Initiatives in Psychiatry.
Carolina Piña
Carolina Piña holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and completed her Master of Science degree in Health Science. She has several years of experience in academia and has been involved in various research projects. She currently works as a Project Manager at EAAD and supports the administration of the EU-funded projects, MENTBEST, MentBox and PROSPERH, as well as other EAAD activities.