Dr. Dr. rer. nat. Heike Saßmann
(Dipl.-Psych.)
Phone: +49 511 532-4433
Fax: +49 511 532-4214
E-mail: Sassmann.Heike@mh-hannover.de
Professional background
- since 2006 Research and Teaching Unit Medical Psychology at the MHH
- until 2005 Research and Teaching Unit Medical Sociology at the MHH; project "The influence of life-changing events on the course of breast cancer"
- until 2003 Research assistant in the research project "Prevention of behavioral problems in children", at the TU Braunschweig, funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
- until 2001 Research assistant in the research project "Counseling centers as seismographs for changes in society", funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth
- since 2000 Psychological psychotherapist in private practice1996-1999 Scholarship holder of the Christoph Dornier Foundation for Clinical Psychology at the Technical University of Braunschweig;
- until 1999 Research project "Partnership as a stress factor: acute and chronic stress reactions in couples depending on conflict management style"; employee of the outpatient clinic of the TU Braunschweig
- Until 1996, reference therapist at the Deister-Weser-Clinical Department Bad Münder, Clinical Department for Psychosomatics and Behavioral Medicine
Training
- since 2020 Specialist psychologist DDG
- 2001 Training in psychological psychotherapy with a focus on behavioral therapy (Society for Applied Psychology and Behavioral Medicine, Münster); licensed psychological psychotherapist
- 2000 Doctorate at the TU Braunschweig
- 1994 Diploma (degree in psychology at the TU Braunschweig)
Further training
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
- MI (Motivational Interviewing)
- Triple P (Positive Parenting Program) trainer
- EPL (A Partnership Learning Program) Trainer
- since 2006 Lectures, seminars and internships (Hannover Medical School, HannibaL model degree program in medicine):
- Module 101: Propaedeutic (pain experience; psychological aspects of breast cancer)
- Module 201: Psychological and sociological foundations of medicine
- Module 202: Diagnostic methods: Doctor-patient communication
Selected publications:
Framme, J. R., Kim-Dorner, S.-J., Heidtmann, B., Kapellen, T. M., Kordonouri, O., Lange, K., & Saßmann, H. (2023). Health-related quality of life among adolescents with type 1 diabetes since the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Family Medicine and Community Health, 11(4), Article e002415. https://doi. org/10.1136/fmch-2023-002415
Karakus, K. E., Sakarya, S., Saßmann, H., Yıldırım, R., Özalkak, Ş., Özbek, M. N., Yıldırım, N., Delibağ, G., Eklioğlu, B. S., Haliloğlu, B., Aydın, M., Kırmızıbekmez, H., Gökçe, T., Can, E., Eviz, E., Yesiltepe-Mutlu, G., Hatun, Ş.. (2023). Disparities in responsibility sharing and gender differences in diabetes care: Changes in occupational life of parents of children with type 1 diabetes. Pediatric Diabetes, Article 7166604. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/7166604
Saßmann, H.*, Kim-Dorner, S. J.*, Framme, J., Heidtmann, B., Kapellen, T., Kordonouri, O., Krosta, K. M. E., Pisarek, N., & Lange, K. (2023). Psychometric properties of the German teen and parent versions of the Problem Areas in Diabetes Scale (PAID). Psychological Assessment, 35(7), e31-e42. https://doi.org/10.1037/pas0001243
Saßmann, H.*, Kim-Dorner, S. J.*, Berndt, V., Biester, T., Dehn-Hindenberg, A., Heidtmann, B., Jorch, N., Lilienthal, E., Nellen-Hellmuth, N., Neu, A., Schaaf, K., Ziegler, R., & Lange, K. (2022). Understanding daily, emotional, and physical burdens and needs of parents caring for children with type 1 diabetes. Journal of Diabetes Research, Article 9604115. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/9604115
Dehn-Hindenberg, A.*, Saßmann, H.*, Berndt, V., Biester, T., Heidtmann, B., Jorch, N., Kim-Dorner, S. J., Konrad, K., Lilienthal, E., Nellen-Hellmuth, N., Neu, A., Ziegler, R., & Lange, K. (2021). Long-term occupational consequences for families of children with type 1 diabetes: The mothers take the burden. Diabetes Care, 44(12), 2656-2663. https://doi. org/10.2337/dc21-0740
Dehn-Hindenberg A, Saßmann H, Dierks ML, Haack M, Meyer A, Walter U, Lange K. (2020). "The first three entries..." Information behavior of women with gestational diabetes. Prev Gesundheitsf. https//doi.org10.1007/s11553-020-00811-y
Saßmann H, Dehn-Hindenberg A, Jördening M, Huhn F, Landgraf R, Lange K. (2020). Disturbed eating behavior and psychosocial care situation of young people with type 1 diabetes. Psychother Psychosom Med Psychol, 70(11): 449-456. https//doi.org/10.1055/a-1142-6705
Hevelke LK, Albrecht C, Busse-Widmann P, Kranz J, Lange K, Markowitz JT, Marshall LF, Meurs S, de Soye IH, Saßmann H. (2016). Prevalence of disordered eating behavior in type 1 diabetes in childhood and adolescence: assessment options and comparison with healthy peers - results of a multicenter questionnaire study. Psychotherapy - Psychosomatics - Medical Psychology, 66 (3-4):128-35.
Sassmann H, Lange K. (2016). psychosocial care of children and adolescents with diabetes. daily practice, 57:113-122.
Saßmann H, Lange K. (2015). Delfin - the training book for parents of children with diabetes. Kirchheim publishing house, Mainz, p. 1-86.
Saßmann H, Lange K. (2015). Delfin - the training book for parents of children with diabetes. Guide for trainers. Kirchheim publishing house, Mainz, p. 1-66.
Saßmann H, Albrecht C, Busse-Widmann P, Hevelke LK, Kranz J, Markowitz JT, Marshall LF, Meurs S, de Soye IH, Lange K. (2015). Psychometric Properties of the German Version of the Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised (DEPS-R): additional benefit of disease specific screening in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Diabet Med, 32:1641-1647.
- Development and evaluation of psychometric measurement instruments in the field of type 1 diabetes
- Development and evaluation of parent training programs for parents of chronically ill children
- Further development and evaluation of training programs for adolescents with type 1 diabetes and prevention programs for children and adolescents with obesity
- Development of psychometric measurement instruments in the field of diabetes
- Implementation of training programs for children and adolescents with obesity
- Educational counseling, family counseling, parent training, communication training for couples and families
- Eating disorders and type 1 diabetes
- Prevention of nosocomial and community-associated infections
- Compliance with infection prevention measures, including hand hygiene
- Behavior modification
- Implementation of guidelines
- Utilization of care in the healthcare system
School and type 1 diabetes: the perspective of children, young people and their parents
Identification of needs and support in the school sector on the basis of expert interviews and surveys of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes and their parents. Construction and provision of a screening instrument to record diabetes-specific school-related stress in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Funded by the German Diabetes Society (DDG).
PAID Children Study
Problem areas in the treatment of diabetes in pediatrics (PAID): Translation and psychometric validation of the English-language PAID questionnaires for parents and children. Assessment of psychosocial influencing factors such as partnership quality, parenting behavior and health-related quality of life in connection with type 1 diabetes in a child. Funded by the German Diabetes Association (DDG).
Take Care
Awareness of the risk of type 2 diabetes among adults in the first half of life - materials, measures, information behavior, needs and development of best practice models for the preparation and communication of information ("Take Care!"). Survey of the information behavior, information status and information needs of adults in the first half of life with regard to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim was to develop recommendations for action for the Federal Center for Health Education.
Focus: Women with gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with an increased risk of pregnancy and birth complications as well as the development of manifest T2DM. The risk of conversion to manifest diabetes is also increased in preconceptually obese women. In the project, the level of awareness regarding T2DM, preferred sources of information and the need for training in this specific target group were recorded in order to develop offers to promote health-relevant behaviors on this basis.
- 2021 Poster Prize of the German Diabetes Society for a short poster presentation, DDG Diabetes Congress 2021
- 2015 Heinrich Sauer Prize for research work in the field of clinical diabetology (Heart and Diabetes Center NRW) together with Prof. Dr. K. Lange
- 2008 Menarini Prize of the German Diabetes Society (DDG) for outstanding scientific projects in diabetes therapy and research together with Prof. Dr. K. Lange
- German Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Endocrinology and Diabetology (DGPAED, board member)
- Diabetes and Psychology Working Group, DDG, "Diabetes und Psychologie e.V."
- German Diabetes Society (DDG)