Social Work, Education and Nursing Sciences Prof. Dr. rer. biol. hum. Dipl.-Psych. MPH Andrea Chmitorz

Health Sciences

Professional career: 

• Since 10/2019: Professor of Health Sciences                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          Esslingen University of Applied Sciences, Germany, Faculty of Social Work, Education and Nursing
• 2014 - 2019: Postdoctoral Fellow                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     University Medical Centre, Mainz, Germany, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy and Leibniz-Institute for Resilience Research
• 2012 – 2014: Epidemiologist                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Ingelheim, Germany, Corporate Department of Global Epidemiology
• 2010 - 2012: Doctoral student                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, University Medical Centre, Institute of Social Paediatrics and Juvenile Medicine
• 2010 - 2012: Researcher                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   Technical University, Munich, Germany, Institute of Sports and Health Promotion

Academic education: 

• 2015 - 2019: Psychotherapy training                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    Johannes Gutenberg-University, Mainz, Germany, Department of Psychology, Institute of Clinical Psychology                                                                                                                               Degree: Professional Board Certification in Cognitive-Behavioural Psychotherapy
• 2009 - 2010: Postgraduate student                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Cardiff University, School of Medicine, Cardiff, UK                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Degree: Master of Public Health (MPH)
• 2003 - 2009: Undergraduate student                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich, Germany, Department of Psychology                                                                                                                                                                                       University of Warwick, Coventry, UK, Department of Psychology                                                                                                                                                                                                               Degree: Psychology diploma (Master equivalent)

Peer-review: 

2025

Petri-Romão, P., Restrepo-Henao, A., Pulmann, L., Zerban, M., Ahrens, K., Barbui, C., Basten, U., Bayón, C., Chmitorz, A., Felez-Nobrega, M., Kollman, B., Lieb, K., McDaid, D., McGreevy, K., Melchior, M., Muñoz-Sanjose, A., Neumann, R., Park, A., Plichta, M., Purgato, M., Reif, A., Schenk, C., Schick, A., Sebastian, A., Sijbrandij, M., Smith, P., Tüscher, O., Wessa, M., Yuen, K., Haro, J., M., Ayuso-Mateos, J. L., Kalisch, R. & Witteveen, A. (2025). Evidence for a role for positive appraisal style in stress resilience. Nature Communications, 16(1), 10269.

Hülsemann, M. J., Kaurin, A., Kollmann, B., Chmitorz, A., Ahrens, K. F., Schenk, C., Plichta, M. M., Lutz, B., Basten, U., Fiebach, C. J., Kalisch, R., Lieb, K., Reif, A., Tüscher, O., Hermes, H., Schunk, D. & Wessa, M. (2025).  Self-oriented affective empathy is associated with increased negative affect. Scientific Reports, 15, 27767.

2024

Broll, J., Schäfer, S., Chmitorz, A., Meule, A., Voderholzer, U., Helmreich, I. & Lieb, K. (2024). Psychometric Properties of the German Version of the Brief Resilience Scale in Persons with Mental Disorders. BMC Psychiatry, 24(1), 631.

Petri-Romão, P., Engen, H. Rupanova, A., Puhlmann, L., Zerban, M., Neumann, R. J., Malyshau, A., Ahrens, K. F., Schick, A., Kollmann, B., Walter, H., Plichta, M. M., Reif, A., Chmitorz, A., Tuescher, O., Basten, U. & Kalisch, R. (2024). Self-report assessment of Positive Appraisal Style (PAS): development of a process-focused and a content-focused questionnaire for use in mental health and resilience research. PLoS ONE, 19(2). 

2023

Meule, A., Lieb, K., Chmitorz, A. & Voderholzer, U. (2023). Resilience and depressive symptoms in inpatients with depression: a cross-lagged panel model. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 31(1), e2926. 

Köber, G., Kalisch, R., Puhlmann, L. M. C., Chmitorz, A., Schick, A., Binder, H. (2023). Deep learning and differential equations for modeling changes in individual-level latent dynamics between observation periods. Biometrical Journal, 65, 2100381. 

Kalasauskas, D., Ottenhausen, M., Irene, I., Chmitorz, A., Lieb, K., Ringel, F. (2023). How do spine surgeons cope with psychological distress: results of a cross-sectional study. Neurosurg Rev, 46(1), 182.

2022

Kunzler, A., Chmitorz, A., Röthke, N., Schäfer, S. K., Stoffers-Winterling, J & Lieb, K. (2022). Interventions to foster resilience in nursing staff: A systematic review and meta-analyses of pre-pandemic evidence. International Journal of Nursing Studies, 134. 

Köber, G., Pooseh, S., Engen, H., Chmitorz, A., Kampa, M., Schick, A., Sebastian, A. Tüscher, O., Wessa, M., Yuen, K. S. L., Walter, H., Kalisch, R., Timmer, J. & Binder, H. (2022). Individualizing deep dynamic models for psychological resilience data. Scientific Reports, 12(8061). 

Neumann, R. J., Ahrens, K. F., Kollmann, B. Goldbach, N., Chmitorz, A., Weichert, D., Fiebach, C. J., Wessa, M., Kalisch, R., Lieb, K., Tüscher, O., Plichta, M. M., Reif, A., Matura, S. (2022). The impact of physical fitness on resilience to modern life stress and the mediating role of general self-efficacy. EuropeanArchives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 272(4), 679-692. 

2021

Chmitorz, A., Ottenhausen, M., Kalasauskas, D., Irene, I., Lieb, K., Ringel, F. (2021). Pharmacological neuroenhancement and the ability to recover from stress in spine surgeons. World Neurosurgery, 158, e265-e276.

Kalisch, R., Köber, G., Binder, H., Ahrens, K., Basten, U., Chmitorz, A., Choi, K., Fiebach, C., Goldbach, N., Neumann, R., Kampa, M., Kollmann, B., Lieb, K., Plichta, M. M., Reif, A., Schick, A., Sebastian, A., Walter, H., Wessa, M., Yuen, K. S. L., Tüscher, O., Engen, H. (2021). The frequent stressor and mental health monitoring (FRESHMO)-paradigm: A proposal for the operationalization and measurement of resilience and the identification of resilience processes in longitudinal observational studies Short title: Operationalizing resilience in longitudinal studies, Frontiers in Psychology, 26(12), 710493. 

Chmitorz, A., Kunzler, A., Lieb, K. & Tüscher, O. (2021). Interventionen zur Steigerung der Resilienz: Eine narrative Übersicht. Nervenheilkunde, 40(04), 236-241.

2020

Chmitorz, A.*, Horstmann, R.*, Kollmann, B.*, Ahrens, K. F., Öhlschläger, S., Goldbach, N., Weichert, D., Schick, A., Lutz, B., Plichta, M. M., Fiebach, C. J., Wessa, M., Kalisch, R., Tüscher, O., Lieb, K.#, Reif, A. (2020). Longitudinal determination of resilience in humans to identify mechanisms of resilience to modern-life stressors: The longitudinal resilience assessment (LORA) study. European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience, 271(6), 1035-1051. * shared first, # shared last 

Kunzler, A., Helmreich, I., Chmitorz, A., König J., Binder, H., Wessa, M. & Lieb, K. (2020) Psychological interventions to foster resilience in healthcare students. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 20;7(7), CD013684. 

Kunzler, A., Helmreich, I., Chmitorz, A., König J., Binder, H., Wessa, M. & Lieb, K. (2020). Psychological interventions to foster resilience in healthcare professionals. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 5;7(7), CD012527.

Wiegand, H. F., Saam, J., Marschall, U., Chmitorz, A., Kriston, L., Berger, M., Lieb, K., Hölzl, L. P. (2020). Probleme beim Übergang von der stationären zur ambulanten Depressionsbehandlung - Analyse administrativer Versorgungsdaten einer großen deutschen Krankenkasse. Deutsches Ärzteblatt, 117, 472-479. 

Mey, L. K.*, Chmitorz, A.*, Kurth, K., Wenzel, M., Kalisch, R.,Tüscher, O., Kubiak, T. (2020). Increases of Negative Affect following Daily Hassles are not moderated by Neuroticism: an Ecological Momentary Assessment Study. Stress and Health, 36(5), 615-628. * shared first 

Sebastian, A., Sandner, M., Werzlau, R., Chmitorz, A., Schick, A., Lieb, K. & Tüscher, O. (2020). High and low threat modulate response inhibition. Emotion. 21(4), 801–811.

Chmitorz, A., Kurth, K., Mey, L. K., Wenzel, M., Lieb, K., Tüscher, O.*, Kubiak, T.* & Kalisch, R.* (2020). Assessment of Microstressors in Adults: Questionnaire Development and Ecological Validation of the Mainz Inventory of Microstressors. Journal of Medical Internet Research - Mental Health, 24, 7(2). * shared last

2019

Linz, S., Helmreich, I., Kunzler, A., Chmitorz, A., Lieb, K. & Kubiak, T. (2019). Interventionen zur Resilienzförderung bei Erwachsenen – Eine Übersichtsarbeit. Psychotherapie Psychosomatik Medizinische Psychologie (PPmP), 70(1), 11-21. 

2018

Kunzler, A., Chmitorz A., Bagusat, C., Kaluza, A., Hoffmann, I., Schäfer, M., Quiring, O., Rigotti, T., Kalisch, R., Tüscher, O., Franke, A. G., van Dick, R. & Lieb, K. (2018). The ability to recover from stress in Germany – Construct validity and population-based norms of the German Brief Resilience Scale (BRS). European Journal of Health Psychology, 25, 107-117. 

Bagusat, C., Kunzler, A., Schlecht, J., Franke, A., Chmitorz, A.* & Lieb, K.* (2018). Pharmacological neuroenhancement and the ability to recover from stress – a representative survey among the German population. Substance Abuse Treatment, Prevention, and Policy, 13(37). * shared last.

Lehr, D., Kunzler, A., Helmreich, I., Behrendt, A., Chmitorz, A., & Lieb, K. (2018). Internetbasierte Resilienzförderung und Prävention psychischer Erkrankungen. DerNervenarzt, 89, 766-772. 

Chmitorz, A., Wenzel, M., Kunzler, A., Stieglitz, R.-D., Helmreich, I., Gerlicher, A., Kampa, M., Kubiak, T., Kalisch, R., Lieb, K. & Tüscher, O. (2018). Population-based validation of a German version of the Brief Resilience Scale (BRS) in a population-based sample. PLoS One, 13 (2).

Chmitorz, A.*, Kunzler, A.*, Helmreich, I., Tüscher, O., Kalisch, R., Kubiak, T., Wessa, M. & Lieb, K. (2018). Intervention studies to foster resilience - A systematic review and proposal for a resilience framework in future intervention studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 59, 78-100. * shared first

2017

Kalisch, R., Baker, D. G., Basten, U., Boks, M. P., Bonanno, G. A., Brummelman, E., Chmitorz, A., et al. (2017). The resilience framework as a strategy to combat stress-related disorders. Nature Human Behaviour, 1, 784-790.

2016

Helmreich, I., Kunzler, A., Chmitorz, A., König J., Binder, H., Wessa, M. & Lieb, K. (2016). Psychological interventions for resilience enhancement in adults (Protocol). Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews.  

2013

Nehring, I., Chmitorz, A., Reulen, H., von Kries, R. & Ensenauer, R. (2013). Gestational diabetes predicts the risk of childhood overweight and abdominal circumference independent of maternal obesity. Diabetic Medicine, 30(12), 1449-56. 

Von Kries, R.*, Chmitorz, A.*, Bayer, O., Rasmussen, K.M. & Ensenauer, R. (2013). Late pregnancy reversal from excessive gestational weight gain lowers risk of childhood overweight – a cohort study. Obesity, 21(6),1232-7. * shared first

Ensenauer, R., Chmitorz, A., Riedel, C., Fenske, N., Hauner, H., Nennstiel-Ratzel, U., von Kries, R. (2013). Effects of suboptimal or excessive gestational weight gain on childhood overweight and abdominal adiposity: results from a retrospective cohort study. International Journal of Obesity, 37(4), 505-12.

2012

Chmitorz, A.*, von Kries, R.*, Rasmussen, K. M., Nehring, I. & Ensenauer, R. (2012). Do trimester-specific cut-off values predict whether women ultimately stay within the Institute of Medicine/National Research Council guidelines for gestational weight gain? Findings of a retrospective cohort study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 95(6), 1432-1437. * shared first

2011

von Kries, R., Beyerlein, A., Müller, M. J., Heinrich, J., Landsberg, B., Bolte, G., Chmitorz, A. & Plachta-Danielzik, S (2011). Different age specific incidence and remission rates in pre-school and primary school suggest need for targeted obesity prevention of childhood. International Journal of Obesity, 36(4), 505-10. 

2010

Schwerdtfeger, A., Eberhardt, R., Chmitorz, A. & Schaller, E. (2010). Momentary affect predicts bodily movement in daily life: An ambulatory monitoring study. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 32(5), 674-693. 

2009

Donath, C., Metz, K., Chmitorz, A., Gradl, S., Piontek, D., Flöter, S., Kröger, C. & Reschke, K. (2009). Prediction of alcohol addicted patients' smoking status through hospital tobacco control policy: A multi-level-analysis. Drugs: education, prevention and policy, 16, 53-70.  

2008

Schwerdtfeger, A., Eberhardt, R. & Chmitorz, A. (2008). Is there an association between everyday-life physical activity and psychological wellbeing? – A methodological study using ambulatory monitoring. Zeitschrift für Gesundheitspsychologie, 16, 2-11.  

Non peer-review:

Chrysidis, S., Zürn, T. & Chmitorz, A. (2023). Einführung einer digitalen interprofessionellen Visite zwischen Pflegedienst, hausärztlicher Praxis und Patient*in zur Verbesserung der Versorgung und der Patientensicherheit – Das Projekt Telecare. Spektrum – Magazin der Hochschule Esslingen. 

Chmitorz, A. & Heidenreich, T. (2022). Der alltägliche akademische Stress: das Potential von Entspannungsmethoden für Mitarbeitende in Forschung und Lehre. Forschung und Lehre. 6 

Köber, G., Pooseh, S., Engen, H., Vedishchev, A., Chmitorz, A., Kampa, M., Schick, A., Sebastian, A., Tüscher, O., Wessa, M., Yuen, K. S. L., Kalisch, R., Timmer, J. & Binder, H. (2020). Individualizing deep dynamic models for psychological resilience data. medRxiv. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.08.18.20177113v1

Chmitorz, A., Gilan, D., Kunzler, A., Lieb, K., Mahler, C., Gödecke, C., Heidenreich, T. & Elsbernd, A. (2020). Die psychische Gesundheit stärken – Schutz für Pflegende in der Corona-Krise. Die Schwester, der Pfleger, 05.

Kalisch, R., Köber, G., Binder, H., Ahrens, K. F., Basten, U., Chmitorz, A., … Engen, H. (2020). A generic solution for the operationalization and measurement of resilience and resilience processes in longitudinal observations: rationale and basic design of the MARP and LORA studies. PsyArXiv. https://doi.org/10.31234/osf.io/jg238

Books, Monographs:

Heidenreich, T., Kröger, P., Chmitorz, A. & Michalak, J. (2025). Entspannungsverfahren, In: E.-L. Brakemeier & F. Jakobi (Hrsg.), Verhaltenstherapie in der Praxis (S. 385 - 396, 2. Aufl.). Weinheim: Beltz.

Heidenreich, T., Michalak, J. & Chmitorz, A. (accepted). Stressregulation, In: M. Quirin, E. Jona & C. Graßmann (Hrsg.), Coaching-Psychologie: Ein wissenschaftlich-integratives Lehrbuch zu Mechanismen, Methoden und Anwendungsgebieten. Berlin: Springer

Heidenreich, T., Chmitorz, A. & Michalak, J. (2025). Embodiment, In: H. Gunia & S. Saurgnani (Hrsg.), Der Körper in der Verhaltenstherapie - Methoden und Interventionen für die Praxis (S. 18-31). München: Reinhardt, Ernst Verlag.

Heidenreich, T. & Chmitorz, A. (2024). Nachhaltigkeit und Resilienz, In: Hartung, S. & Wihofszky, P. (Hrsg.), Gesundheit und Nachhaltigkeit. Springer Reference Pflege – Therapie – Gesundheit. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg, 1-6.

Chmitorz, A., Nething; E. & Heidenreich, T. (2023). Gesundheitspsychologische Ansätze in der Gesundheitsförderung und Prävention, In: M. Bonse-Rohmann, H. Burchert, K. Schulze & B. Wulfhorst (Hrsg.), Gesundheit im Studium. Bielefeld: Wilhelm Bertelsmann Verlag, wbv.

Heidenreich, T. & Chmitorz, A. (2022). Entspannung. In: Hautzinger, M., Lincoln, T., Margraf, J., Rief, W. & Tuschen-Caffier, B. (Hrsg.), Standards der Psychotherapie. Göttingen: Hogrefe

Michalak, J., Heidenreich, T. & Chmitorz, A. (2022). Achtsamkeit und Resilienz – Zusammenhänge und Fallstricke. In: T. Breyer & J. Sautermeister (Hrsg.), Resilienz im Horizont menschlichen Handelns. Stuttgart: Kohlhammer.

Other contributions:

Chmitorz, A., (2025). Resilienz verstehen, messen und fördern – aktuelle Erkenntnisse aus Forschung und Praxis. World Schema Therapy Day 2025, Psychiatrische Universitätsklinik Zürich und International Society of Schema Therapy, Zürich, Switzerland.

• Resilience research
• Health promotion in the field of mental health
• Health promotion for vulnerable groups
• Mental health and climate change
• Intercultural aspects of resilience and mental health
• Resilience and mental health in the workplace

Professional memberships and associations:

• Institute for Health Care and Nursing Sciences (IGP), Esslingen University of Applied Sciences https://www.hs-esslingen.de/en/research/projects/research-institutes-groups/institute-for-health-care-and-nursing-sciences-igp
• German Public Health Association
• European Public Health Association (EUPHA), Public Mental Health Section
• German Psychological Society (DGPs)
• Baden-Wurttemberg Chamber of Psychotherapists
• Intresa – International Resilience Aliance
• Global Stress & Resilience Network

Reviewer for:

• American Journal of Epidemiology
• American Psychologist
• BMC Geriatrics
• BMC Medical Education
• BMC Public Health
• BMC Psychology
• BMC Psychiatry Advances in Mental Health
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health
• European Journal of Health Psychology
• European Psychologist
• International Journal of Nursing Studies
• Journal of Personality
• Scientific Reports
• Social Psychiatry and Psychiatric Epidemiology
• Stress and Health
• Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie

Research Projects: 

• 2025 - 2028: Member of the scientific network ‘Health, Behaviour, and Environment-Related Challenges (HeBEC Network)’, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG); More information at: https://www.hebec-network.eu/
• 2024 - 2026: Student Health Management - Project Healthy University; For more information, visit: https://www.hs-esslingen.de/soziale-arbeit-bildung-und-pflege/forschung/projekte/laufende-projekte/studentisches-gesundheitsmanagement-projekt-healthy-hochschule
• 2021- 2024: Introduction of a digital interprofessional ward round between nursing services, general practitioners, and patients to improve care and patient safety; For more information, see: Telecare | Hochschule Esslingen (hs-esslingen.de)