Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
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Objective: The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) is the gold standard to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although the CAPS-5 was developed and validated in Western...Show moreObjective: The Clinician-Administered PTSD Scale for DSM-5 (CAPS-5) is the gold standard to assess post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although the CAPS-5 was developed and validated in Western populations, many clinicians and researchers also use it to assess PTSD in non-Western refugee populations. In this study we investigated whether PTSD as assessed with the CAPS-5 has the same structure and meaning across trauma-exposed, treatment-seeking individuals with either a Dutch (i.e. Western) background or a non-Western refugee background. Method: We evaluated commonly accepted DSM-5 PTSD factor models and tested different levels of measurement invariance (configural and scalar invariance) in a clinical sample of non-Western refugee patients (N = 710) and Dutch patients (N = 1162) suffering from prolonged complaints of psychotrauma, using confirmatory factor analyses (CFA). Results: CFAs showed that the Hybrid model of PTSD fit the data best in the Dutch and non-Western refugee subsample, as well as in the combined sample, indicating that configural invariance was met. The model representing scalar invariance showed a worse fit compared to the model representing configural invariance, indicating that factor loadings and/or symptom severity differed between the subsamples. Further investigation showed that this result could mainly be attributed to non-Western refugee patients often manifesting higher scores on the CAPS-5 items than Dutch patients. Conclusions: Non-Western refugee patients showed a similar structure of DSM-5 PTSD symptoms as Dutch patients. Furthermore, the relative contribution of the majority of symptoms to its belonging symptom cluster was similar between non-Western refugee patients and Dutch patients. This meant that both groups understood these symptoms in the same way. However, non-Western refugee patients often manifested a higher symptom severity than Dutch patients.Show less
Background Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare, neurodevelopmental disorder which presents itself with severe cognitive and physical developmental delay. AS is characterized by frequent laughing and...Show moreBackground Angelman syndrome (AS) is a rare, neurodevelopmental disorder which presents itself with severe cognitive and physical developmental delay. AS is characterized by frequent laughing and smiling, but recent evidence suggests that individuals with AS, especially those with non-deletion genotypes, may experience high levels of anxiety. The aim of the current study was to examine the influence of genotype on anxiety and emotional/behavioral problems in general in Angelman syndrome (AS), and to test whether relationships between genotype and anxiety or emotional/behavioral problems were mediated by cognitive developmental level. Methods For this purpose, 79 children with AS were included from a Dutch clinical record study. The children were separated into two groups according to genotype, namely the deletion and non-deletion group (predictor). The Bayley Scales of Infant Development-III NL cognition subscale was used to measure cognitive developmental levels (mediator) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) was used to measure anxiety and emotional/behavioral problems in general (outcome). The study is cross-sectional in nature. A mediation analysis was performed, including four linear regression analyses. Results Genotype did not significantly predict anxiety levels (𝛽 = .18, p = .117) or emotional/behavioral problems (𝛽 = .06, p = .589). Genotype significantly predicted cognitive developmental level (𝛽 = .63, p < .001), as children with a non-deletion had a higher cognitive developmental level than children with a deletion. Cognitive developmental level neither predicted anxiety (𝛽 = .16, p = .155) nor emotional/behavioral problems in general significantly (𝛽 = .07, p = .554). Genotype did not significantly predict anxiety (𝛽 = .13, p = .387) or emotional/behavioral problems (𝛽 = .05, p = .746) with cognitive developmental level taken into account. This indicates that cognitive developmental level does not mediate the relationship between genotype and anxiety or emotional/behavioral problems. Key conclusions In conclusion, the findings of the current study suggest that emotional/behavioral problems, and specifically anxiety, are not affected by genotype or cognitive developmental level in children with AS. Therefore, the mediation model was not found to be significant. These findings may be taken to indicate that attention should be given to children of both genotype subgroups in clinical practice.Show less
This study has investigated the (possibly) mediating role of stress in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and quality of life (QoL) in adolescents with substance use...Show moreThis study has investigated the (possibly) mediating role of stress in the relationship between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and quality of life (QoL) in adolescents with substance use disorder (SUD), whilst correcting for the severity of the addiction. Adolescents are vulnerable to developing SUD and as substance misuse has a neurodegenerative effect, it is important to understand the mechanics behind SUD in adolescents. This current study consisted of 334 adolescents with SUD, with the age ranging from 16 to 23 years old. Cannabis was the primary substance for which participants entered treatment (63.5%), followed by alcohol (17.7%) and cocaine (11.1%). The WHODAS-2.0 was used to measure Qo. To measure self-reported stress the DASS-21 was used, whereas hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was used to measure chronic stress. The YIT-Q was used to measure the ACEs and finally, the MATE-Y was used to measure the SUD severity. HCC is a proposed biomarker for chronic stress. As it is relatively new, HCC has not yet been investigated for adolescents with SUD. Two mediations were investigated, one with HCC as variable for stress, and one with self-reported stress. Study findings showed that the relationship between ACEs and QoL was fully mediated by self-reported stress, whereas no mediation was found for HCC. This indicates a difference in HCC and self-reports as a measure of stress and highlights the importance for continued research into HCC as biomarker for chronic stress. A recommendation for future research is to further investigate the usability of HCC as a biomarker for chronic stress, for example by continuing investigating HCC in adolescents with SUD, as current study was the first to do so. Additionally, it is recommended to repeat the mediation analysis in a broader population to investigate whether HCC does have a mediating role in other populations.Show less
In the face of neoliberalist trends, Indigenous Peoples’ ways of life are, and have been constantly under threat. Women in particular face heightened discrimination and sexual violence. Holding...Show moreIn the face of neoliberalist trends, Indigenous Peoples’ ways of life are, and have been constantly under threat. Women in particular face heightened discrimination and sexual violence. Holding roughly half of the world’s biodiversity and 23% of global forests, Latin America plays a central role within this discussion (OECD 2023). The combination, then, of Latin America and Indigenous Peoples is paramount. This research embarks on the issue of climate change, and the resulting “Energy Transition”, starting with a broad lens and zooming into one specific and crucial component: the Indigenous world. Therein, Indigenous female positionality within the Energy Transition, and specifically the impacts that lithium mining have on them is discussed. This thesis aims to elucidate how green initiatives can have negative consequences, providing information which may be utilized to ensure that the transition does not “perpetuate the violations and abuses currently plaguing extractive and other fossil-fuel related projects” (United Nations, General Assembly 3, 2023). It does so by positing: “How have Indigenous women in Bolivia been impacted by the “Energy Transition”? The inspiring stories of empowered women that follow provide an insight into the resilience and determination that a historically overlooked societal group has, and continues to show in Bolivia. Key works of Decolonial Feminism and Colonialism are used throughout.Show less
This study aims to investigate whether parental sensitivity is related to the level of correspondence within parent-child dyads in terms of the strategies that they use while monitoring animations...Show moreThis study aims to investigate whether parental sensitivity is related to the level of correspondence within parent-child dyads in terms of the strategies that they use while monitoring animations of social interactions. Higher levels of synchrony, or the level of correspondence in behavior between parents and their children, is related to better social and emotional developmental outcomes for the children. In total, 69 parents and their 12-months-old baby’s participated in an eye-tracking study, in which an animation was shown that depicted a situation, wherein a “baby figure” shows distress after it is separated from a “parent figure”. This so-called separation segment of the animation was followed by the so-called response segment, wherein either a reunion or further separation of the two characters was shown. Both the parental sensitivity during free-play and the relative fixation duration to the “parent figure” in regards to the “baby figure” were measured. Within this study, no relationship between parental sensitivity and the level of correspondence in monitoring strategies has been found. Moreover, there was no proof for the statement that overall the monitoring strategies of parents and their children correspond with each other while watching animations that depict a social interaction. The baby’s tend to look more at the “parent figure” than their parents do. The focus on the “parent figure” increased from the separation segment to the response segment, for both the parents and their baby’s, although this increase in fixation is bigger for the parents than for their baby’s. These results imply that further research into the possible precursors or influences on the correspondence of behaviors within parent-child dyads is necessary.Show less
Research master thesis | Developmental Psychopathology in Education and Child Studies (research) (MSc)
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Both youth with a substance use disorder (SUD) and youth who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) show heightened vulnerability to psychopathology. We aimed to quantify the risk of...Show moreBoth youth with a substance use disorder (SUD) and youth who have experienced adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) show heightened vulnerability to psychopathology. We aimed to quantify the risk of comorbid disorders in SUD youth with ACE-history. Additionally, we aimed to examine relations between ACEs, overall household experience, and general distress. We used cross-sectional YIT-study data from interviews with Dutch youth (aged 16-22) upon SUD treatment entry for cannabis, alcohol, or stimulant use. We measured ACE-types experienced up until 15 years of age, past-year DSM-5 disorders, general distress (DASS-21), and overall household experience rating. Logistic regressions quantified relations between ACE sum score and anxiety, depressive, behavior, and any disorder. Higher ACE sum scores related to increased risks for a(n) anxiety (OR = 1.12, highest odds = 2.84; χ2(1) = 6.71, p < .010; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.2), depressive (OR = 1.21, highest odds = 5.43; χ2(1) = 18.11, p < .001; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.6), behavior (OR = 1.20, highest odds = 5.24; χ2(1) = 17.41, p < .001; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.6), and any (OR = 1.25, highest odds = 7.58; χ2(1) = 17.26, p < .001; Nagelkerke R2 = 0.7) disorder. Exploratory analyses revealed that frequency of parental fighting, being hit/abused, getting belittled, emotional neglect, physical neglect, insufficient household income, long parental sickness, and overall household experience positively related to DASS-21. In a hierarchical regression analysis with all ACEs and overall household experience, only emotional neglect related to DASS-21 (B = 3.68, t(373) = 2.41, p = .017). Overall household experience did not improve the model (F(12) = 3.51, p < .001; R2change < .001). In hierarchical regression analyses containing ACE sum score and overall household experience, overall household experience was not uniquely related to DASS-21 (t = -0.22, p = .824; R2change < .01). In conclusion, ACEs relate to comorbid disorders in SUD youth. Our exploratory research suggests that ACE frequency might influence this relation, while overall household experience does not further explain this relation. Further research should investigate which ACE measures (a.o., type, frequency) strongly relate to SUDs and psychopathology and examine improved treatment options.Show less
Tien procent van de bevolking van 16 jaar en ouder meldt in de afgelopen vijf jaar slachtoffer te zijn geweest van een of meerdere vormen van dwingende controle als vorm van huiselijk geweld (CBS,...Show moreTien procent van de bevolking van 16 jaar en ouder meldt in de afgelopen vijf jaar slachtoffer te zijn geweest van een of meerdere vormen van dwingende controle als vorm van huiselijk geweld (CBS, 2023). Het is een vorm van huiselijk geweld waar nog relatief weinig over bekend is. Daarom is de organisatie Enver bezig met het opstellen van een nieuw protocol voor het werken met deze problematiek. In dit adviesrapport staat beschreven wat de kennis over dwingende controle is binnen Enver en wat de behoeften zijn van medewerkers in het verbeteren van de kennis en de aanpak. Hierbij is gezocht in reeds bestaande literatuur naar de definitie, de mogelijke gevolgen en waarop gelet moet worden bij het signaleren van dwingende controle. Daarnaast is onderzocht welke kennis de medewerkers van Enver al hebben en waar eventuele behoeften liggen, door middel van een vragenlijst die is verspreid onder de medewerkers van Enver. Uit de resultaten van de literatuur komt naar voren dat er verschillende definities worden gehanteerd voor dwingende controle. De definitie van Stark (2007) is het meest passend. Hierin definieert Stark dwingende controle als een strategische reeks onderdrukkend gedrag die verder gaat dan fysiek geweld. Daarnaast zijn in het literatuuronderzoek ook resultaten gevonden over de signalering van dwingende controle. Hieruit is een helder dader- en slachtoffer profiel naar voren gekomen. Verder blijkt in de literatuur geen consensus te zijn over concrete richtlijnen van signalering van dwingende controle. Wel zijn twee recente gidsen (Instrumenten Voor Opsporing van Dwingende Controle, z.d.), een gespreksinstrument (DASH; Myhill & Hohl, 2019) en een training voor professionals gevonden (Geweldspatroon van Dwingende Controle in (Ex-)Partnerrelaties - het Verschil Tussen Wat Er Gebeurt op het Toneel en in de Coulissen | RINO Groep Utrecht, z.d). Als laatste is uit de literatuur gebleken dat er verschillende negatieve gevolgen zijn op persoonlijke en relationele vlakken voor partners. Ook kunnen er gevolgen zijn voor een kind. Uit het empirisch onderzoek blijkt dat, als er gekeken wordt naar de afdelingen, ‘gedragswetenschappers’ de hoogste score behalen en deze significant hoger scoren dan de ‘jeugdhulpverleners’. Verder is naar voren gekomen dat op het cluster gevolgen beter wordt gescoord dan op de clusters signaleren en gedragskenmerken. Wat betreft de behoeften blijkt dat medewerkers behoefte hebben aan duidelijke richtlijnen binnen de organisatie over hoe te handelen in het geval van dwingende controle. Het advies voor Enver is om richtlijnen op te stellen voor gepaste hulpverlening na signalering van dwingende controle en eventuele bijscholing voor afdelingen te overwegen.Show less
Verbal information transmission has been proposed as one of the most influential fear learning pathways in the acquisition of social fears among children. Empirical studies have demonstrated that...Show moreVerbal information transmission has been proposed as one of the most influential fear learning pathways in the acquisition of social fears among children. Empirical studies have demonstrated that the content of parental verbal information regarding social situations plays a crucial role in shaping children’s development of social fear. Specifically, verbal threat (versus safety) information by the parent regarding novel stimuli significantly influenced children’s reported fear of the social scenario. The current study aims to further investigate whether such verbal threat and safety messages affect children's reported fear in social situations. Additionally, the study explores the potential moderating influence of parental social anxiety on this relationship, as evidence suggests that socially anxious parents convey more negative information regarding novel stimuli, thereby amplifying children's fear beliefs. A total of 69 children (mean age = 11.92 years; 38 girls) received standardized threat and safety information regarding a stranger from their primary caregivers. Subsequently, children engaged in three social tasks with each stranger and reported their fear beliefs about the stranger at the end of the social tasks. Results indicate significantly higher fear beliefs among children who received threat information compared to safety information regarding the stranger. However, parental social anxiety did not moderate the effects of negative verbal information on children’s reported fear beliefs. These findings underscore the role of negative verbal information transmission in children's acquisition of social fears while highlighting the complexity of factors within social anxiety that could contribute to the intergenerational transmission of these fears.Show less
This study investigated whether the different conditions of the Eprent-ABC language intervention can be used to stimulate the development of deep vocabulary in preschoolers. In addition, it was...Show moreThis study investigated whether the different conditions of the Eprent-ABC language intervention can be used to stimulate the development of deep vocabulary in preschoolers. In addition, it was tested whether the conditions of the intervention had different effect on students with a strong or weakly developed working memory and which condition appeared to be the most effective for the latter group. The intervention offers the language domains semantics, print knowledge and phonology in different conditions in combination with living picture books, to promote early reading skills. The study had seven conditions in total, including a control condition and pretest. A total of 90 preschoolers from eight different groups participated in the study. Based on results, the condition with a focus on semantics seems to have a small positive effect on the development of deep vocabulary in preschoolers. The condition with a focus on print knowledge may also have a small positive effect on the development of deep vocabulary, however, this result is more debatable. The conditions of the intervention do not appear to have a different effect on participants with a strong or weakly developed working memory. The semantic condition is best suited for students with weak working memory.Show less
Mensen worden zich steeds bewuster van de potentie van ademhalingsoefeningen. Uit voorgaande onderzoeken blijken deze oefeningen zelfs de hartslagvariabiliteit te verhogen. Dit wijst op de...Show moreMensen worden zich steeds bewuster van de potentie van ademhalingsoefeningen. Uit voorgaande onderzoeken blijken deze oefeningen zelfs de hartslagvariabiliteit te verhogen. Dit wijst op de activatie van het parasympathische zenuwstelsel. Ademhalingsoefeningen blijken vooral effectief te zijn bij onder andere angststoornissen. Bij deze stoornissen ligt de hartslagvariabiliteit gemiddeld hoger dan in de gezonde populatie. Een groot deel van de mensen met een angststoornis zoekt geen hulp omdat ze een hoge mate van angst ervaren bij sociaal contact. Vooral jongeren blijken hier last van te hebben. Om toch deze groep te helpen, kunnen er behandelingstechnieken worden ingezet waarbij er geen sociaal contact nodig is. In deze studie is er onderzoek gedaan naar het effect van de ademhalingstechniek ‘slow breathing’ bij jongeren met sociale angst. Dit is onderzocht bij een subklinische populatie om te kijken of de ademhalingstechniek ook bij deze groep effectief is. De meeste onderzoeken zijn namelijk uitgevoerd bij de gezonde of klinische populatie. Om te kijken of de ademhalingsoefening effectief is, is tijdens een sociaal stressvolle taak de hartslagvariabiliteit gemeten. Uit de resultaten is gebleken dat slow breathing significant de hartslagvariabiliteit van de interventiegroep verlaagt. Ook is er een significant verschil gevonden in de hartslagvariabiliteit tussen de interventie- en controlegroep na het uitvoeren van de oefening. De ademhalingstechniek is dus effectief bij het op de korte termijn verlagen van de hartslagvariabiliteit bij jongeren met sociale angst. In vervolgonderzoek is het interessant om te kijken naar het langetermijn effect van de slow breathing oefening.Show less
The prevalence of overweight children in the Netherlands poses a threat to both mental and physical health. While genetic factors are important, the environment, particularly parental influence,...Show moreThe prevalence of overweight children in the Netherlands poses a threat to both mental and physical health. While genetic factors are important, the environment, particularly parental influence, also plays a significant role in the development of childhood overweight, as children of overweight parents are more often overweight. Parents pass on their genetic predispositions but also their learned eating behaviors to their children. This thesis explores how three different parental feeding styles moderate the intergenerational transmission of BMI between mothers and children: Restriction, Pressure to Eat, and Responsiveness to Child Fullness Cues. Participants were recruited through the Baby's First Bites project and were visited repeatedly at home. This study included 205 mother-child dyads, and children were assessed aged 36 months. Responsiveness to Child Fullness Cues and Pressure to Eat were assessed through observations, while Restriction was measured using the Infant Feeding Style Questionnaire. Both mothers and children were weighed at home and their BMIs were calculated using their height and age. The moderation analysis revealed a significant relationship between maternal and child BMI. Pressure to Eat acted as a negative moderator, with high levels of Pressure to Eat weakening the BMI relation between mothers and children. When analyzing the effect of gender, the full model was not significant for boys. However, for girls, Pressure to Eat remained a significant negative moderator, with high levels of Pressure to Eat weakening the BMI relation between mothers and children . These findings suggest that maternal BMI is a significant predictor of BMI in 36-month-old girls but not in boys, and that maternal Pressure to Eat moderates this relation. Intervention programs should consider these gender differences. However, due to the cross-sectional nature of this study, causal relationships cannot be inferred.Show less
