Head of the Sociomedical Institute, Principal Research Associate
+386 1 470 64 39
lilijana.sprah@zrc-sazu.si
Psychologist, PhD in Medical Sciences
Research fields
- developing of tools for better mental health literacy and eimplementation of psychoeducational protocols
- neuropsychological indicators of cognitive and emotional dysfunctions in persons with mood disorders; mental health literacy
- functional remediation in mood disorders and implementation of support programs (psychoeducation, cognitive remediation); domestic violence (support programs)
- recognition and management of occupational stress and its negative outcomes (absenteeism, presenteeism, burnout, turnover); health and well-being in the workplace
- development of screening tools for psychological, neuropsychological and clinical features of persons with mental health problems and development of risk assessment tools for consequences of occupational stress and its related phenomena
- development of the methodology for evaluation of accessibility, availability and use of mental health and long term care services.
Research projects:
As project leader:
2024-2026: Wellbing on the farms: strengthening resources and skills (PoljaMoči)
2023-2025: Literacy about mood disorders and associated disorders
2020-2022: Literacy about mood disorders and personality disorders
2013-2014: Care for the Health of Employees over Focused Management of Psychosocial Loads
2002–2005: Neuropsychological factors of suicidal behaviour in persons with alcohol dependence
2001-2004: Fertility and suicide behaviour: multidisciplinary views
As a member of the project team
2023-2028: Studies on Distress and Being Well
2023-2025: SafeHabitus
2021-2024 Mental health difficulties among migrants: experiences of recognition and treatment
2020-2023: Changes in Agriculture through the Farmers’ Eyes and Bodies
2020-2022: Response of farming families to the consequences of accidents at work and occupational diseases
2014-2017: Psychological and reproductive disturbances in men exposed to prenatal stress
2013-2016: Joint Action "Mental health and well-being"
2013-2014: With Knowledge to Healthy Employees
2013: Collective Memory and Cultural Dynamics
2012: Language, memory and politics of representation
2010 – 2012: Employee and employers assistance program for reducing work related stress and its harmful effects
2009–2011: Intergenerational solidarity in farm families
2008–2011: Electronic standard coding and mapping of services for long-term care (eDESDE-LTC)
2006 – 2008: Development of the quality and availability of preventive health services on mental health at the primary level
2006–2008: Relationships between generations and genders in Slovenian rural environment
2004–2007: Social background of low fertility among university-educated in Slovenia
2003–2005: Auto- and hetero-aggressive behaviour in the family
2003: Domestic violence against women or how to achieve a zero tolerance?
Membership:
The Expert Council of the National Program for Mental Health 2018-2028
National Expert Group of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) in the field of future work - https://gpai.ai/projects/future-of-work/
WADD - World Association of Dual Disorders
Member of the Slovenian Neuroscience Association (SiNAPSA)
Pedagogic work:
2023: Lecturer in Medical Psychology, Sigmund Freud University, Vienna - Ljubljana branch
2003 – 2008: Assistant Professor (Psychology in Nursing Care; Communication in Nursing Care), College of Nursing Studies Izola, University of Primorska
2000 – 2002: Lecturer in Psychology Courses, Grammar School Bežigrad Ljubljana;
ŠPRAH, Lilijana, ČERNIČ ISTENIČ, Majda. Is there a need to monitor the health statistics of people who farm?. Anthropological notebooks. [Spletna izd.]. 2023, vol. 29, issue 2, str. 128-163. ISSN 2232-3716. https://anthropological-notebooks.zrc-sazu.si/Notebooks/article/view/618/468, Digitalna knjižnica Slovenije - dLib.si, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.10417582.
MANZONI, Dino, ŠPRAH, Lilijana. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the mental health of refugees : a systematic literature review. Dve domovini : razprave o izseljenstvu. [Tiskana izd.]. 2024, [št.] 60, str. 21-47, tabele. ISSN 0353-6777. https://ojs.zrc-sazu.si/twohomelands/article/view/13872/12060, DOI: 10.3986/2024.2.03.
ŠPRAH, Lilijana, DERNOVŠČEK HAFNER, Nataša. Mental health literacy : a useful measure to promote early detection od mental disorders, reduce stigma and improve help-seeking behaviour. V: HODUN, Miłosz (ur.), SAWICKI, Michał (ur.), TĘCZA, Michał (ur.). FundaMENTAL health : addressing mental health crisis in Europe. [Brussels]: European Liberal Forum EUPF, [2024]. Str. 89-107, graf. prikazi. ISBN 978-2-39067-078-0. https://liberalforum.eu/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/Fundamental-Health-Addressing-Mental-Health-Crisis-in-Europe.pdf. [COBISS.SI-ID 222124803]
ŠPRAH, Lilijana. Evalvacija učinka spletnih delavnic "Stres povzroča stiske, okrepite svoje moči!" na raven pismenosti o motnjah razpoloženja = Evaluating the impact of online workshops "Stress worries, strengthen your strengths!" on the level of mood disorders literacy. V: ŠPRAH, Lilijana (ur.). Od seznanjenosti s težavami v duševnem zdravju do učinkovitega odzivanja z manj stigme : zdaj je čas, da znanje prenesemo v prakso! = From mental health awareness to effective responses with less stigma : now is the time to put knowledge into practice!. 1. izd. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2022. Str. 113-137. ISBN 978-961-05-0675-1. https://omp.zrc-sazu.si/zalozba/catalog/view/2026/8318/1754-1, DOI: 10.3986/9789610506768_9.
ŠPRAH, Lilijana. Vpliv psihoedukacijskih delavnic "Čustveni vrtiljak odnosov: prepoznajmo osebnostne motnje med nami" na raven pismenosti o osebnostnih motnjah = The impact of the psychoeducational workshops "Emotional carousel of relationships: let's recognize personality disorders among us" on the level of literacy about personality disorders. V: ŠPRAH, Lilijana (ur.). Od seznanjenosti s težavami v duševnem zdravju do učinkovitega odzivanja z manj stigme : zdaj je čas, da znanje prenesemo v prakso! = From mental health awareness to effective responses with less stigma : now is the time to put knowledge into practice!. 1. izd. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, 2022. Str. 91-111. ISBN 978-961-05-0675-1. https://omp.zrc-sazu.si/zalozba/catalog/view/2026/8318/1753-1, DOI: 10.3986/9789610506768_8.
CRESSWELL-SMITH, Johanna, DONISI, Valeria, RABBI, Laura, SFETCU, Raluca, ŠPRAH, Lilijana, STRASSMAYR, Christa, WAHLBECK, Kristian, ÅDNANES, Marian. "If we would change things outside we wouldn't even need to go in ---" : supporting recovery via community-based actions : a focus group study on psychiatric rehospitalization. Health expectations. 2020, 11 str. ISSN 1369-6513. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/hex.13125, DOI: 10.1111/hex.13125.
KATSCHNIG, Heinz, STRAßMAYR, Christa, ENDEL, Florian, BERGER, Michael, ZAUNER, Günther, KALSETH, Jorid, SFETCU, Raluca, WAHLBECK, Kristian, TEDESCHI, Federico, ŠPRAH, Lilijana. Using national electronic health care registries for comparing the risk of psychiatric re-hospitalisation in six European countries: opportunities and limitations. Health policy 2019; 123 (11): 1028-1035. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168851018303701?via%3Dihub , doi: 10.1016/j.healthpol.2019.07.006.
ÅDNANES, Marian, CRESSWELL-SMITH, J., MELBY, L., WESTERLUND, H., ŠPRAH, Lilijana, SFETCU, Raluca, STRAßMAYR, Christa, DONISI, Valeria. Discharge planning, self-management, and community support : strategies to avoid psychiatric rehospitalisation from a service user perspective. Patient education and counseling 2019; 22. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0738399119305452?via%3Dihub , doi: 10.1016/j.pec.2019.12.002.
ŠPRAH Lilijana, DERNOVŠEK Mojca Zvezdana, WAHLBECK Kristian, HAARAMO Peija. Psychiatric readmissions and their association with physical comorbidity : a systematic literature review. BMC psychiatry, 2017 ISSN 1471-244X https://bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-016-1172-3
ZORJAN, Saša, SMRKE, Urška, ŠPRAH, Lilijana. The role of attitudes to, and the frequency of, domestic violence encounters in the healthcare professionals handling of domestic violence cases = Vloga stališč in pogostosti srečevanja z nasiljem v družini pri ukrepanju zdravstvenega osebja. Zdravstveno varstvo : Slovenian journal of public health, 2017; Vol 56, No 3 : 166-171. www.degruyter.com/downloadpdf/j/sjph.2017.56.issue-3/sjph-2017-0022/sjph-2017-0022.pdf
DOLENC, Barbara, DERNOVŠEK, Mojca Zvezdana, ŠPRAH, Lilijana, TAVČAR, Rok, PERUGI, Giulio, AKISKAL, Hagop S. Relationship between affective temperaments and aggression in euthymic patients with bipolar mood disorder and major depressive disorder. Journal of affective disorders, 2015; vol. 174: 13-18.
ŠPRAH, Lilijana, NOVAK, Tatjana, FRIDL, Jerneja. The wellbeing of Slovenia's population by region : comparison of indicators with an emphasis on health = Blaginja prebivalcev Slovenije po regijah : primerjava kazalnikov s poudarkom na zdravju. Acta geographica Slovenica, 2014; vol.54, No 1: 67-87.
SALVADOR-CARULLA, Luis, ŠPRAH, Lilijana, et al. Evaluation of an integrated system for classification, assessment and comparison of services for long-term care in Europe : the eDESDE-LTC study. BMC Health Services Research, 2013; 13:218.
Course of education
2000- Doctor’s Degree: University of Ljubljana, Medical School;
Area/Field: University Programme for Nervous System and Sensory Organ Physiology/ "The effect of compound LEK-8829 on dopamine receptors in rats with unilateral striatal lesion "
1997- Master’s Degree: University of Ljubljana, Medical School;
Area/Field: University Programme for Nervous System and Sensory Organ Physiology / "Dopaminergic activity of ergoline derivative LEK-8829"
1987 - Bachelor’s Degree: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Arts, Department of Psychology;
Area/Field: Programme for Clinical Psychology / "Motivation and Effectiveness of ESAP (elementary school with adjusted programme) Pupils"
Employment:
2001 - … .Researcher, Sociomedical Institute, The Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Ljubljana
2003 - 2008: Assistant Professor (Psychology in Nursing Care; Communication in Nursing Care), College of Nursing Studies Izola, University of Primorska
2000 - 2002: Postdoctoral Research Assistant, Scientific Institute of the Faculty of Arts Ljubljana
2000 - 2001: Lecturer in Psychology Courses, Grammar School Bežigrad Ljubljana
1993 – 2000: Associated Research Assistant, PhD. Student and Young Researcher, Institute of Pathophysiology, Brain Research Laboratory, Medical School, Ljubljana