Prof. Dr. David Kolar

My key interest in research lies in understanding why children, adolescents and young adults show highly dysfunctional behaviour despite the long-term negative consequences, such as disordered eating and compulsive exercise. I am convinced that a better understanding of short-term reinforcements (e.g., reduction of negative emotions, social attention) and how those maintain dysfunctional behaviour can contribute to the development of better functional models of mental disorders. If these models are being developed idiosyncratically, i.e. individualised, they can provide important starting points for personalised psychotherapeutic interventions. My actual focus in research is on eating disorders. In my research I use longitudinal and experimental methods as well as ecological momentary assessments to identify individual functionalities of disordered eating and compulsive exercise behaviours in the laboratory and in everyday life.
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In collaboration with the University Outpatient Psychotherapy Centre for Children and Adolescents another research focus is currently being developed, which aims to evaluate digital tools for individualised monitoring and therapy feedback in child and adolescent psychotherapy. We hope that this will enable us to identify difficulties in the process of psychotherapy at an early stage and to report these back to the therapists in order to further personalise and improve psychotherapy.
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You can find more about our current research?here.

Academic career

• since 05/2022?Professor for Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Regensburg, Germany
• 01/2021 - 04/2022?Post-Doc, AG Psychotherapy- and Healthcare Research, Department of Psychiatry, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Germany
• 01/2016 - 12/2020?Pre- and Post-Doc, Department of Child?and Adolescent Psychiatry, University Medical Centre Mainz, Germany
• 11/2014 - 12/2017?Clinical Psychologist with research activity, Rheinhessen-Fachklinik Mainz, Germany

Academic education

• 03/2017 Doctorate (Dr.rer.nat.) in psychology, Philipps-University Marburg, Germany
• 10/2014?Diploma in psychology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz, Germany

Clinical education and career

• since 08/2022?Lead of the University Outpatient Psychotherapy Centre for Children and Adolescents, University of Regensburg, Germany
• 03/2021 - 04/2022?Psychotherapist for Children and Adolescents at the University Outpatient Psychotherapy Clinic for Infants, Children, Adolescents
  and (future) Parents, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany
• 12/2020 Licensed Psychotherapist for children and adolescents (CBT)
• 09/2019?Accreditation as Triple-P Teen Group-Trainer

* student/postgraduate under supervision
? shared authorship

Under review

Kolar, D.R., Haynos, A.F., Wang, S.B., Lask, T., Murray, S.B., Voderholzer, U. & Gorrell, S. Identification of affective and social reinforcement functions of driven exercise: Evidence from three samples. Preprint: https://psyarxiv.com/ad3mq/

Peer-reviewed journal articles

2025

Asbrand, J., Calvano, C., Crombach, A., Hanisch, C., Hartmann, A. S., Hechler, T., Heinrichs, N., In-Albon, T., Jungmann, S. M., Kaurin, A., Kolar, D. R., Lindenberg, K., Linke, J. O., Lippert, M. W., Reck, C., Roesmann, K., Schuwerk, T., Sch?fer, S., Schmitz, J., Schneider, S., Schwenck, C., Szota, K., von Wirth, E., Zietlow, A.-L. & Christiansen, H. (2025). Das neue Psychotherapeutengesetz: Rückblick auf drei Jahre und Beispiele universit?rer Umsetzung in der Klinischen Kinder- und Jugendpsychologie und -Psychotherapie. Kindheit und Entwicklung.

Siccorello, M., Elsaesser, M. & Kolar, D. R. (2025). A German version of the State Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (S-DERS): Translation, Validation and Extended Factor Models. Borderline Personality Disorder and Emotion Dysregulation.

Monteleone, A. M., Carfagno, M., Meule, A., Naab, S., Cascino, G., Voderholzer, U. & Kolar, D. R. (2025). Effects of childhood emotional abuse on treatment outcome in adolescent inpatients with anorexia nervosa. International Jounal of Eating Disorders.

Tsarpalis-Fragkoulidis, A., Kolar, D., Schneckenreiter, C. & Zemp, M. (2025). Social Anxiety and Emotion Regulation in the Everyday Life of Adolescents - An Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) Study. Kindheit und Entwicklung.

Meule, A., Dieffenbacher, A. L., Kolar, D. R., & Voderholzer, U. (2025). Weight Suppression, Binge Eating, and Purging as Predictors of Weight Gain During Inpatient Treatment in Persons With Bulimia Nervosa. European eating disorders review: the journal of the Eating Disorders Association, 10.1002/erv.3197. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.3197?

Kolar, D. R. & Meule, A. (2025). The next ten years of emotion regulation research in anorexia nervosa: positive, interpersonal, and interventional. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 32(1), 23-25.

Meule, A., Ertl, S., Forbush, K. T., Mindrup, L. M., Ehrenthal, J. C. & Kolar, D. R. (2025). Psychometric properties of the German version of the Eating Pathology Symptoms Inventory. Journal of eating disorders, 13(1), 60. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-025-01253-7?

2024

Bauman, T., Kolar, D. R., Correll, C. U., Haas, V., & Voderholzer, U. (2024). Impact of Antipsychotic Medications on Weight Gain and Eating Disorder-Related Psychopathology in Adult Inpatients with Anorexia Nervosa. Pharmacopsychiatry. https://dx.doi.org/10.1055/a-2436-9552

Kolar, D.R., Ralph-Nearman, C., Swanson, T. & Levinson, C. Exercise Moderates Longitudinal Group Psychopathology Networks in Individuals with Eating Disorders. Comprehensive Psychiatry, 152543. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2024.152543

Kolar, D. R., Monteleone, A. M., Cascino, G., Ertl., S., Meule,A., Naab, S., & Voderholzer, U. (2024). Pathways between child maltreatment, psychological symptoms, and life satisfaction: a network analysis in adolescent inpatients. Research on child and adolescent psychopathology, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10802-024-01172-2

2023

Kolar, D. R.,? Meule, A.,? Zisler, E., Schwartz, C., & Voderholzer, U. (2023). Effects of acceptance-based strategies on psychological responses to disorder-relevant stimuli in inpatients with obsessive–compulsive disorder: an experimental study. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 81, 101890. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2023.101890

Monteleone, A. M., Cascino, G., Meule, A., Barone, E., Voderholzer, U., & Kolar, D. R. (2023). Pathways between childhood maltreatment and life satisfaction in adolescents with eating disorders: A network analysis. European Eating Disorders Review, 1– 10. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.3000

Meule, A., Kolar, D. R., Schlegl, S., Rauh, E. & Voderholzer, U. Comparing Illness Duration and Treatment Outcome of Anorexia Nervosa. (2023). Eating Disorders: The Journal of Treatment & Prevention, 31 (3), 274-284. https://doi.org/10.1080/10640266.2022.2114586

Meule, A., Kolar, D. R., G?rtner, T., Osen, B., Rauh, E., Naab, S., & Voderholzer, U. (2023). Depressive symptoms and weight change in inpatients with anorexia nervosa: a cross-lagged panel model. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 172, 111391. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2023.111391

Andres, F. E., Thornborrow, T., Bowie, W. N., Chamorro, A. M., De la Rosa, G., Evans, E. H., ..., Kolar, D. R., ... & Boothroyd, L. G. (2023). Validation of a Latin-American Spanish version of the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA-LA) in Colombian and Nicaraguan adults. Journal of Eating Disorders, 11(1), 219. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40337-023-00942-5

2022

Kolar, D. R. & Mebarak, M. 2022. An update on the epidemiology of eating disorders
in Latin America: Current state and future challenges. Current Opinion in Psychiatry.
https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000813

Kaurin, A. & Kolar, D. R. 2022. Ambulantes Assessment in der Klinischen Kinderund
Jugendpsychologie. Psychotherapie. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00278-022-00605-x

Meule, A., Kolar, D. R., Naab, S. & Voderholzer, U. 2022. Distance to home does not
influence treatment success during and after inpatient treatment in adolescents with
anorexia nervosa. European Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00787-022-02013-7

Meule, A., Kolar, D. R. & Voderholzer, U. 2022. Weight Suppression and Body Mass
Index at Admission Interactively Predict Weight Trajectories During Inpatient Treatment of Anorexia Nervosa. Journal of Psychosomatic Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychores.2022.110924

Kolar, D. R.?, Kaurin, A.?, Meule, A., Dittmer, N., Schlegl., S. & Voderholzer, U. 2022.
Interpersonal, Affective and Compulsive Features of Driven Exercise in Anorexia Nervosa.Journal of Affective Disorders. 307:53–61. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.03.044

Kolar, D. R., Meule, A., Naab, S., & Voderholzer, U. 2022. Early Within-person
Weight Gain and Variability During Inpatient Treatment for Anorexia Nervosa: Agedependent Effects on Treatment Outcome. European Eating Disorders Review. https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2893

Schlegl, S., Vierl, L., Kolar, D. R., Dittmer, N., & Voderholzer, U. 2022. Psychometric
Properties of the Compulsive Exercise Test in a Large Sample of Adolescent and
Adult Inpatients With Anorexia Nervosa and Bulimia Nervosa. International Journal
of Eating Disorders. 55(4):494–504. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23694

Barker, J., Kolar, D. R., Spotts-deLazzer, A., & Keel, P. K. 2022. Exercise Satiation:
A Novel Theoretical Conceptualization for Problematic Exercise Observed in Eating
Disorders. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 55(2):176–179. https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23635

2021

Peters, T.,?Kolar, D. R., F?cker, M., Bühren, K., Dahmen, B., et al. 2021. Reasons for
admission and variance of body weight at referral in female inpatients with anorexia
nervosa in Germany. Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health. 15:78.?https://doi.org/10.1186/s13034-021-00427-w

Sobanski,E., Hammerle, F., Dixius, A., M?hler, E., Ebner-Priemer, U., Koudela-
Hamila, S., Merz, C.J., In-Albon, T., Pollit, B., Christiansen, H.,?Kolar, D. R., Ocker, S., Fischer, N. & Huss, M. 2021. Study protocol to investigate efficacy of a low-threshold, dialectic behavior-based group treatment program (START Adolescents) in traumatized adolescent refugees. BMJ Open.11:e057968.?https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2021-057968

Perthes, K.*, Kirschbaum-Lesch, I., Legenbauer, T., Holtmann, M., Hammerle, F.
&?Kolar, D. R.?2021. Emotion Regulation in Adolescents With Anorexia and Bulimia
Nervosa: Differential Use of Adaptive vs. Maladaptive Strategies Compared To Healthy Adolescents. International Journal of Eating Disorders. 54(12):2206–2212.
https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23608

Preuss, H. M., Capito, K.*, Van Eickels, R., Zemp, M. &?Kolar, D. R.?2021. Cognitive
reappraisal and self-compassion as emotion regulation strategies for parents during
COVID-19: An online randomized controlled trial. Internet Interventions. (24):100388.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2021.100388

Kolar, D. R., Gorrell, S. 2021. A call to experimentally study acute affect-regulation
mechanisms specific to driven exercise in eating disorders. International Journal of
Eating Disorders. 54(3):280–286.?https://doi.org/10.1002/eat.23427

2020

Welsch, R., Hecht, H.,?Kolar, D. R., Witth?ft, M. & Legenbauer, T. 2020. Body image
avoidance affects interpersonal distance perception: a virtual environment experiment.
European Eating Disorders Review. 28(3):282–293.?https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2715

Kolar, D. R., Neumayr, C., Roth, M.*, Voderholzer, U., Perthes, K.* & Schlegl, S. 2020.
Testing an emotion regulation model of physical activity in adolescents with anorexia
nervosa: A pilot ecological momentary assessment study. European Eating Disorders
Review. 28(2):170–183.?https://doi.org/10.1002/erv.2706

Kaiser, T.,?Kolar, D. R., Kok, R. N. & Schuster, R. 2020. Was sagt die LAC-Depressionsstudie wirklich aus? Eine methodenkritische Betrachtung. Psychotherapeut. 65(1):22–26.?https://doi.org/10.1007/s00278-019-00392-y

2019

Mebarak Chams, M., Tinoco, L., Mejía-Rodríguez, D., Martinez-Banfi, M. L., Preuss,
H. M., Hammerle, F., Velez, J. I. &?Kolar, D. R.?2019. The Spanish Body Image State Scale: Factor Structure, Reliability and Validity in a Colombian Population. Frontiers
in Psychology 10:2553.?https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.02553

Jaite, C., Bühren, K., Dahmen, B., . . .?Kolar, D. R., et al. 2019. Clinical Characteristics
of Inpatients with Childhood vs. Adolescent Anorexia Nervosa. Nutrients. 11(11):2593.?https://doi.org/10.3390/nu11112593

2018

Kolar, D. R., Bühren, K., Herpertz-Dahlmann, B., Becker, K., Egberts, K. M., et al. 2018. Seasonal variation of BMI at admission in German adolescents with anorexia nervosa. PLoS ONE 13(9):e0203844.?https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0203844

2017

Kolar, D. R., Huss, M., Jenetzky, E. & Hammerle, F. 2017. A smartphone-enhanced
low-threshold intervention for adolescents with anorexia nervosa (SELTIAN): Study
protocol of a randomized controlled trial. BMJopen 7:e018049.?doi.org/10.
1136/bmjopen-2017-018049

Kolar, D. R., Huss, M., Jenetzky, E., Preuss, H.M., Bürger, A., Haynos, A.F., Hammerle,
F. 2017. Momentary emotion identification in adolescents with and without anorexia nervosa. Psychiatry Research 255:394–398.?https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychres.2017.06.075

2016

Kolar, D. R., Mejía Rodríguez, D. L., Mebarak Chams, M. & Hoek, H. W. 2016. Epidemiology of eating disorders in Latin America - a meta-analysis. Current Opinion in Psychiatry 29(6):363–371.?https://doi.org/10.1097/YCO.0000000000000279

Kolar, D. R., Hammerle, F., Jenetzky, E., Huss, M. & Bürger, A. 2016. Aversive tension
in female adolescents with Anorexia Nervosa: a controlled ecological momentary
assessment using smartphones. BMC Psychiatry 16:97.?https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-016-0807-8

2014

Kolar, D. R., Bürger, A., Hammerle, F., & Jenetzky, E. 2014. Aversive tension of adolescents with anorexia nervosa in daily course: A case-controlled and smartphone-based ambulatory monitoring trial (SMART). BMJopen 4:e004703.?https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2013-004703

Other

Radix, A.,?Kolar, D. R., & Legenbauer, T. 2021. Essst?rungen im Kindes- und Jugendalter. In: T. Legenbauer, M. Beutel & A. Benecke (Eds.), Diabetes Mellitus und
Essst?rungen. Berlin: DeGruyter.

Hammerle, F., Bürger, A., Kaess, M. &?Kolar, D. R.?2016. Meeting report of the
2nd German Dialectical Behavior Therapy for Adolescents (DBT-A) network meeting.
BMC Proceedings 10(Suppl 3):3.?https://doi.org/10.1186/s12919-016-0003-3