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
Functioneren is een belangrijk concept in de zorg, maar dit wordt nog niet uitgevraagd als single item vraag in gezondheidsmonitors, zoals dat bij ervaren gezondheid gebeurt. De verwachte stijgende...Show moreFunctioneren is een belangrijk concept in de zorg, maar dit wordt nog niet uitgevraagd als single item vraag in gezondheidsmonitors, zoals dat bij ervaren gezondheid gebeurt. De verwachte stijgende prevalentie van ouderdomsziektes door vergrijzing levert een behoefte aan een oplossing voor de hoge werkdruk bij zorgpersoneel en single item vragen verminderen werklast bij zorgpersoneel en patiënt. Het doel van dit onderzoek was om te onderzoeken of ervaren functioneren en ervaren gezondheid twee verschillende constructen zijn. De hypothese was dat dit twee verschillende constructen zouden zijn. Deze zouden naast elkaar uitgevraagd kunnen worden in gezondheidsmonitors en gezondheidsevaluatielijsten in de zorg om aanvullende informatie te geven over kwaliteit van leven en welzijn van een patiënt. Uit verschillende bestaande gezondheidsmonitors is een vragenlijst samengesteld. Hieraan zijn items over demografische kenmerken en de ervaren gezondheid en zelf ontworpen ervaren functioneren vraag toegevoegd. De vragenlijst bestond uit 47 vragen en is verspreid via sociale media. De dataset bestond uit 281 respondenten, waarvan 42,3 % man, 55,9% vrouw en 1,1% non-binair. 65,5% van de respondenten had geen ervaring met een langdurige ziekte, 22,8 % met één langdurige ziekte en 11,7% met twee of meer langdurige ziekten. De correlaties tussen drie van vijf items van de EQ-5D5L (mobiliteit, pijn/ongemak en angst/somberheid) en ervaren functioneren waren significant verschillend met de correlaties tussen de items en de ervaren gezondheid vraag. Ook de EQ-VAS correleerde significant verschillend. Hoewel ervaren functioneren en ervaren gezondheid niet significant verschillend correleerden op elk item van de EQ-5D5L, reageerden ze niet identiek. Dit kan een aanwijzing zijn dat ervaren functioneren en ervaren gezondheid twee verschillende constructen zijn. Er is meer onderzoek nodig naar de domeinen waarop ervaren functioneren en ervaren gezondheid wel dan niet verschillen.Show less
Het aanleren van woordenschat aan NT2-leerlingen (leerlingen met Nederlands als tweede taal) in kleuterklassen is een cruciaal onderdeel voor de taalontwikkeling van de leerlingen en hun algehele...Show moreHet aanleren van woordenschat aan NT2-leerlingen (leerlingen met Nederlands als tweede taal) in kleuterklassen is een cruciaal onderdeel voor de taalontwikkeling van de leerlingen en hun algehele academisch succes. Echter is het effectief vormgeven van woordenschatonderwijs aan deze doelgroep een uitdaging voor basisscholen. Dit onderzoek richt zich op het identificeren van effectieve strategieën voor het geven van woordenschatonderwijs aan NT2-leerlingen in kleuterklassen alsmede onderzoek naar het gebruik van deze strategieën op een specifieke basisschool. Middels een literatuurstudie zijn er drie principes vastgesteld die bijdragen aan effectief woordenschatonderwijs: 1. Integreer de moedertaal in het onderwijs, 2. Verhoog de hoeveelheid verbale interactiemomenten 3. Werk met directe instructiemomenten. Uit semi-gestructureerde interviews met vijf werknemers van een basisschool die zich met het kleuteronderwijs bezighouden blijkt het volgende. Als eerste heeft de school de integratie van de eerste taal in haar onderwijs nog niet in grote mate geïmplementeerd. Daarnaast blijkt dat leerkrachten actief didactische impulsen geven om interactie tussen leerlingen te bevorderen. Ten slotte wordt vastgesteld dat de school bekend is met het concept van directe instructiemomenten, maar dat er niet altijd voldoende tijd beschikbaar is om dit toe te passen. Deze bevindingen bieden inzichten voor leerkrachten en ondersteunend personeel om woordenschat effectiever te implementeren voor NT2-leerlingen in kleuterklassen.Show less
Problematic behaviour remains a problem within healthcare of individuals with dementia, especially as its patient group is set to expand. Problematic behaviour is often caused by pain and places a...Show moreProblematic behaviour remains a problem within healthcare of individuals with dementia, especially as its patient group is set to expand. Problematic behaviour is often caused by pain and places a heavy burden on both professional and family caregivers. Especially since family caregivers are often overlooked as a factor in care. This study therefore investigates the effectiveness of the STA OP! method (SOM), a stepwise approach to address problematic behaviour and pain in individuals with dementia, as well as how the efficacy of SOM is moderated by family involvement. The study, conducted within the CARED-4 project, utilizes a quasi-experimental longitudinal design with measurements at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months after implementing SOM. It included 84 residents with dementia from 10 Dutch nursing homes units paired with their family caregivers. Problematic behaviour was examined using the Neuropsychiatric Inventory Questionnaire (NPI-Q) and family involvement was examined through a tailored questionnaire. Analysis was performed with RM Anova for problematic behaviour and family involvement and a general linear model for the moderation of SOM by family involvement. Results indicated that SOM effectively reduces problematic behaviour overall (F(2,55) = 3.81, p = 0.028), after 3 months (Mean Difference = 5.47 SE= 1.97, p = 0.007), but not after 6 months (Mean Difference = 5.70 SE = 3.36, p = 0.095). Family involvement did not change overall (F(1.62,30) = 2.12, p = 0.138). Accordingly, family involvement did not moderate the impact of SOM on problematic behaviour (F(2) = 1.43, p = 0.243). Despite methodological challenges mainly due to missing data, the study takes a first step towards understanding how the effectiveness of SOM interacts with family involvement. So, although family involvement did not moderate a significant reduction in problematic behaviour, the efficacy of SOM has further been established.Show less
In this research, we study the oxidation process of the Transition Metal Dichalcogenide (TMD) niobium diselenide, NbSe2. TMDs are a category of van der Waals materials, of which samples are...Show moreIn this research, we study the oxidation process of the Transition Metal Dichalcogenide (TMD) niobium diselenide, NbSe2. TMDs are a category of van der Waals materials, of which samples are obtained by exfoliation. The measurements are performed with the Low Energy Electron Microscope (LEEM), which measures reflectivity at different energy, resulting in the so-called IV curves. To analyze oxidation, we have developed a new method to obtain in situ exfoliated flakes in the LEEM set-up. First, we measure in situ cleaved NbSe2 flakes (bulk). The reflectivity upon adding (pure) oxygen is followed. Additionally, the reflectivity of ex situ cleaved NbSe2 flakes is assessed. Here, an intensity boundary between flake’s edge and center is recognized. The reflectivity measurements show that the electronic structure is different across the boundary: a V-shaped reflectivity minimum appears, which sharpens over time upon oxidation. The boundary is further researched with Atomic Force Microscopy and Energy Dispersive X-ray analysis. Additionally, we perform roughness analysis and Principal Component Analysis. The latter provides an alternative method to follow the change in electronic properties over time. We propose that already degraded NbSe2 flakes are more susceptible to oxidatin damage, compared to in situ exfoliated flakes. Upon further measurements, the in situ cleaved samples do not show any degradation signs, therefore we attribute the presence of an intensity contrast with the associated IV features, to oxidized NbSe2.Show less
Research shows that many students don’t have enough reading comprehension to understand texts. One way of improving students’ reading comprehension could be by providing feedback to students while...Show moreResearch shows that many students don’t have enough reading comprehension to understand texts. One way of improving students’ reading comprehension could be by providing feedback to students while they answer questions about a text. To use feedback efficiently in the future, it’s important to know how elaborate effective feedback should be. Considering this, the current study examined the relation between feedback and the use of reading strategies in general, and for the use of reading strategies while reading a text. Moreover, the relation between the amount of information provided in the feedback and the use of reading strategies was examined. Experimental data of 97 participants aged 10 and 11 years (52.6% boys, M = 10.45, SD = 0.52) was collected using questionnaires, namely the Metacognitive Awareness of Reading Strategies Inventory and the Task-Specific Strategy Self-Report. Participants were pre- and post-tested and had three intervention sessions. They were randomly assigned to a condition, namely no feedback, short feedback, or elaborate feedback. During the intervention sessions, participants had to read a text, and answer questions about the text. Depending on their condition, they either received feedback or not. If they did, the amount of information in the feedback differed. Every session ended with a questionnaire. Using SPSS, two repeated measures ANOVA were completed. According to the results, there was no relation between feedback and the use of reading strategies. Furthermore, no differences were found for the different amounts of information in feedback and the use of reading strategies. The biggest limitation of the current study was the lack of a motivational component in the used intervention. Therefore, future research should use motivation as part of the intervention to investigate if feedback could help in improving the use of reading strategies for youth aged 10 to 11.Show less
Insomnia is highly prevalent in patients with long-term medical conditions. Although fatigue is the most common daytime symptom of insomnia, it is still largely unknown which underlying components...Show moreInsomnia is highly prevalent in patients with long-term medical conditions. Although fatigue is the most common daytime symptom of insomnia, it is still largely unknown which underlying components are associated with fatigue in a broader population of insomnia patients. Previous literature stated that dysfunctional sleep-related beliefs (DSRB) and pre-sleep arousal (PSA) could explain the relationship between insomnia and fatigue. Additionally, subjective sleep characteristics, such as insomnia severity, number of nocturnal awakenings (NoA) and sleep efficiency might also be components of this relationship. This study aimed to investigate how these factors affect fatigue in a broad medical population with insomnia. It was hypothesized that more disturbed sleep-related psychological factors and subjective sleep characteristics were associated with increased fatigue. This cross-sectional study, derived from the ongoing TIMELAPSE study, consisted of 154 participants. Participants completed questionnaires assessing fatigue (Checklist Individual Strength-20), DSRB (Dysfunctional Beliefs and Attitudes about Sleep-16), PSA (Pre-Sleep Arousal Scale), and insomnia severity (Insomnia Severity Index). The Consensus Sleep Diary tracked NoA and sleep efficiency daily for one week. Two multiple regression analyses were performed to assess the relationship between sleep-related psychological factors (DSRB, PSA), subjective sleep characteristics (insomnia severity, NoA, sleep efficiency) and fatigue. Age, gender, and depression were included as controlling variables. Results showed that DSRB (β = .174, p = .027), PSA (β = -.160, p = .036), and insomnia severity (β = .243, p = .002) were factors associated with fatigue in insomnia patients. More severe DSRB and higher insomnia severity predicted elevated levels of fatigue. Contrary to expectations, PSA was negatively associated with fatigue. Lastly, NoA and sleep efficiency were not related to fatigue. This study uncovered connections between more severe DSRB, lower PSA, and higher insomnia severity that led to higher levels of fatigue. The current study suggests that improvements in DSRB and reducing insomnia severity may reduce fatigue of insomnia patients with long-term medical conditions. Sleep interventions should emphasize on challenging these DSRB. Future research is needed to examine the complex relationship between PSA and fatigue, as well as whether changes in DSRB during CBT-I treatment reduce fatigue symptoms in this population.Show less
This thesis explores the impact of gain-framed messages on psychological detachment from work among self-employed workers, considering the moderating effects of financial stress and message trust....Show moreThis thesis explores the impact of gain-framed messages on psychological detachment from work among self-employed workers, considering the moderating effects of financial stress and message trust. Using an experimental between-subject design with online surveys, 225 UK-based participants were randomly assigned to control or gain-framed message conditions. The gain-framed message conditions included health-gain and work-performance-gain. Surprisingly, participants in the control group showed more detachment than those in the message conditions, challenging previous literature. Contrary to the expectations, the moderating effects of financial stress and message trust were not found. Despite limitations, such as a sample limited to the UK and the use of a questionnaire, the research contributes new insights into messaging effects on preventive behaviors. It underscores the importance of context and individual differences in message reception and behavior, and urges future research to consider the effectiveness of gain-framed messages in motivating people to adopt certain behavior.Show less
Met de vergrijzing van de bevolking groeit ook het belang van een vroege en nauwkeurige diagnose van neurodegeneratieve aandoeningen zoals de ziekte van Alzheimer (AD). Dit onderzoek richt zich...Show moreMet de vergrijzing van de bevolking groeit ook het belang van een vroege en nauwkeurige diagnose van neurodegeneratieve aandoeningen zoals de ziekte van Alzheimer (AD). Dit onderzoek richt zich specifiek op het verkennen van de verschillen tussen twee vormen van AD, namelijk Early-Onset Alzheimer's Disease (EOAD) en Late-Onset Alzheimer's Disease (LOAD), met als doel het verbeteren van classificatiemodellen. We hebben vier classificatiemodellen ontworpen, elk gericht op specifieke hersengebieden die mogelijk atrofie vertonen, met Model 1 en 2 gericht op respectievelijk LOAD en EOAD, Model 3 als een gecombineerd model en Model 4 dat de algehele hersenatrofie omvat. Deze modellen zijn geanalyseerd aan de hand van Area Under the Curve (AUC) en zijn ontwikkeld met behulp van logistische regressie en LASSO om de meest relevante variabelen te selecteren. Onze bevindingen suggereren dat EOAD en LOAD verschillende neuropathologische patronen vertonen, waarbij EOAD mogelijk wordt gekenmerkt door specifiekere neuropathogenese patronen, terwijl LOAD meer uniforme hersenveranderingen vertoont. Model 3, dat specifieke hersengebieden combineerde, presteerde het beste bij het classificeren van beide groepen, terwijl Model 4, dat alle hersengebieden omvatte, een lagere classificatie-accuratesse vertoonde voor EOAD. Deze resultaten benadrukken dat AD patiënten geen homogene groep zijn en benadrukken het belang van gedifferentieerde diagnostische benaderingen om rekening te houden met de heterogeniteit binnen deze aandoening.Show less
The global prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease is expected to rise from 50 to 152 million cases by 2050 due to the limited availability of therapeutic and preventive strategies and ageing populations...Show moreThe global prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease is expected to rise from 50 to 152 million cases by 2050 due to the limited availability of therapeutic and preventive strategies and ageing populations. Although digital tools can address the growing gap between healthcare supply and demand, their implementation is difficult, and personal factors can influence individuals’ intention to use such tools. Thus, this study explores the relationship between various personal factors, as self-reported by healthy individuals (N = 507) who are part of a brain research registry, and their intention to use and promote using digital tools in the context of brain health and dementia. According to the hypothesis formulated for the research, higher financial scarcity, lower educational attainment, and lower employment status predict lower intention to use and promote digital tools for brain health. The study examined four distinct digital tools: (1) MijnBreincoach (a prevention tool), (2) cCog (a diagnostic tool), (3) ADappt (a patient- orchestrated care tool), and Neurokeys (a prediction tool). It was found that Neurokeys exhibited the highest score for intention to use but the lowest score for intention to promote. In addition, medium and high educational attainment predicted higher behavioral intention to use MijnBreincoach, while the most beneficial (i.e., most secure, stable, and safe) employment status predicted higher intention to promote MijnBreincoach and cCog. In conclusion, it is important to recognize differences in intention to use and promote different types of digital tools across potential users and the influence of personal characteristics on the intention to use and promote digital tools for brain health. During the development of a digital tool, it is recommended to consider which target audience would derive the greatest benefit from it and tailor it accordingly.Show less
This 3-wave study aims to examine the relationship between cognitive empathy (awareness and understanding of another’s emotion), affective empathy (experience of emotions consistent with those of...Show moreThis 3-wave study aims to examine the relationship between cognitive empathy (awareness and understanding of another’s emotion), affective empathy (experience of emotions consistent with those of the observed person), and self-perception of close friendships (one’s perception of the ability to form and maintain close friendships), both directly and indirectly through prosocial behavior (voluntary behavior intended to benefit another person) from late childhood to early adolescence. Participants were 127 adolescents aged between 10 and 14 years old who reported on their empathy, prosocial behavior, and self-perception of close friendships in three consecutive years, respectively. Simple mediation analyses revealed that cognitive and affective empathy did not have a significant positive effect on adolescents’ self-perception of close friendships two years later. Considering these findings, prosocial behavior was not found to be a mediator between adolescents’ cognitive or affective empathy and their self-perception of close friendships from late childhood to early adolescence. Moreover, cognitive and affective empathy did not significantly predict prosocial behavior one year later, whereas prosocial behavior did significantly predict the self-perception of adolescents’ close friendships one year later. These results underline the significance of developing tailored intervention programs targeting prosocial behavior to foster adolescents’ self-perception as close friends, a competence that is crucial during this developmental period considering the greater influence of peers.Show less