Clinical Psychology · Persistent somatic symptoms · Chronic Fatigue · Behavioural Interventions · Psych-oncology

Hans Knoop is a full professor in evidence-based behavioural and psychological interventions in medical conditions. He heads the outpatient clinics and the expert centre for chronic fatigue at the Department of Medical Psychology, Amsterdam University Medical Centers, The Netherlands. Knoop's research group focuses on the development of 1) evidence-based behavioural interventions for chronic fatigue and other persistent somatic symptoms and 2) interventions aimed at improving adaptation to long term medical conditions . The overarching goal is to improve patient outcomes.

Determinants and interventions for chronic fatigue associated with long term medical conditions
The research is partly concentrated on identifying the determinants of chronic fatigue associated with long-term medical conditions. This involves exploring the role of cognitive-behavioural factors of fatigue in various medical conditions, such as cancer, infectious diseases (COVID-19), and neurological conditions. With the help of the findings of this research evidence-based behavioural interventions for chronic fatigue have been developed. They have been tested in randomized controlled trials in a range of medical conditions, like neuromuscular disease, cancer, multiple sclerosis, diabetes, and post-infectious syndromes.

Behavioural interventions to aid daptation to long-term medical condtions
The research team focuses on creating behavioural interventions that aim to improve adaptation to chronic diseases. This includes the personalization of treatment for common symptoms in cancer patients, such as depression, fear of disease recurrence, fatigue  and  loss of meaning.

Activities

• Full professor in evidence based behavioural and psychological interventions in medical conditions, head of the outpatient clinics and expert centre for chronic fatigue at the Department of Medical Psychology at the Amsterdam UMC.
• Senior Lecturer (honorary status) at the School of Community and Social Medicine, University of Bristol, United Kingdom.
• Principal Investigator at the Amsterdam UMC
• Member of the International Collaborative on Fatigue Following Infection (COFFI)