optimusstudy.org

Country studies

Studies are currently being conducted in Switzerland (University of Zurich) and in China (University of Hong Kong). Additional countries on other continents will be added at a later point in time. This multi-country perspective is an important aspect of the Optimus Study, as hardly any comparative intercultural projects on this subject have been conducted up until now. These comparisons should contribute to a better understanding of the culturally-specific aspects of the subject. The findings are intended to make a contribution towards deriving more targeted prevention and intervention measures, making knowledge and experiences available in numerous countries and enabling the replication of any successful support systems at other locations.


The overall project was started in 2007 and is planned to run for ten years. Studies will be conducted within the countries in various cycles and at various times with each cycle lasting three to four years. The first major surveys are being conducted in Switzerland and China between 2009 and 2011.