M.Sc. Parzheen Jabar Mohammad
Parzheen Jabar Mohammad studied Education and Psychology at the University of Sulaimanyah and completed her M.Sc. in Abnormal and Clinical Psychology at Swansea University, UK. Since October 2023, she has been pursuing her PhD in Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy at Bielefeld University, Germany.
Before beginning her doctoral studies, she worked for several years as a lecturer, psychotherapist, clinical supervisor, trainer, and coordinator in academic and mental health settings in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Her professional experience includes positions at Charmo University, Koya University, the Jiyan Foundation for Human Rights, private clinics, and the SEED Foundation, where she was involved in mental health and psychosocial support services, trauma-informed care, and gender-based violence programs.
In 2020, she collaborated with the Global Mental Health Lab at Teachers College, Columbia University, on an IREX-funded project focused on the cultural adaptation of Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) for university students in Iraq.
Her current doctoral research focuses on the etiology of perinatal mental health problems in conflict-affected settings, with a particular emphasis on trauma, adversity, intimate partner violence, social devaluation, and culturally informed treatment approaches among women in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. Her work combines longitudinal quantitative and qualitative methods and aims to contribute to the development of trauma-informed interventions for perinatal mental health in low-resource and conflict-affected contexts.
Since 2023, she has been funded by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) and has also received research funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) for her doctoral project.
Contact
Research Interests
- Perinatal mental health in conflict-affected and low-resource settings
- Trauma, intimate partner violence, intergenerational adversity, and women鈥檚 mental health
- Trauma-informed psychosocial interventions and global mental health in post-conflict contexts
Academic & Conference Contributions
- Presenter, Jahrestagung der Deutschsprachigen Gesellschaft f眉r Psychotraumatologie (DeGPT) 2026 鈥淩assismus, Diskriminierung und gesellschaftliche Ungleichheit 鈥� Psychotraumatologie intersektional gedacht鈥�, Berlin, Germany (March 2026). Paper presented: Understanding the aetiology of antenatal mental health problems in the context of trauma and adversity.
- Presenter, 10th ISIPT Conference 鈥� International Society of Interpersonal Psychotherapy, Newcastle, UK (March 2024). Paper presented: Interpersonal Psychotherapy and Interpersonal Counseling for University Students in Iraq
- Presenter, 16th Annual International Conference on Psychology, Athens, Greece (May 2022): Paper presented: Psychological Distress and decision-making among Women seeking protection from intimate partner violence in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.
Grants & Awards
- 2024: German Research Foundation (DFG) 鈥� Full PhD Project Funding
- 2023: DAAD Scholarship for PhD Studies, Germany
- 2020: IREX Grant (U.S.鈥揑raq Higher Education Partnerships Program.
- 2020: Research Grant (SEED Foundation, Kurdistan)
- 2010: HCDP Scholarship for MSc Studies in the UK
- 2010: KRG Prime Minister鈥檚 Award (Top Graduate)
- 2009 & 2008: Hiwa Project for Talented Students
Current Project
Mohammad, P. J., Neuner, F, Wilker, S., (2025).
Understanding the etiology of perinatal mental health problems in a context of trauma and adversity 鈥� towards the development of a trauma-informed treatment. A Doctoral and post-doctoral project with multiple publications. Women in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq have been interviewed and assessed twice during pregnancy and 2 months postpartum.