Khat-Research-Program

Khat is a plant and everyday stimulant that is traditionally consumed in east-African countries and in the Arabian Peninsula. Its effect is anecdotally described as comparable with that of a mild amphetamine. With the increasing number of migrants from these regions, khat is also increasingly consumed in Central Europe. However, there is hardly any systematic research about the short- and long-term effects of consuming khat so far.  In an international research network, which is organized in the Khat Research Program, the effects of khat are investigated. Amongst other, we study the relationship between consume of khat and regulation of emotions, especially between anger and consume of khat as a behavior in the acculturation process of east-African migrants.

In this area, we cooperate closely with Prof. Dr. Mustafa al'Absi (http://www.d.umn.edu/~bml/people/alabsi.html) and Dr. Michael Odenwald ( http://www.psychologie.uni-konstanz.de/forschung/clinicalpsychology/mitarbeiter/mitarbeiter-detailseite/odenwald-michael-45/7347/7149/)

Contact: Prof. Dr. Stephan Bongard (bongard@psych.uni-frankfurt.de)