Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
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Research into Dutch substance-dependent youths who have committed crimes (age 16-22) is scarce, even though this population might benefit from more targeted treatment (e.g., addition of anger...Show moreResearch into Dutch substance-dependent youths who have committed crimes (age 16-22) is scarce, even though this population might benefit from more targeted treatment (e.g., addition of anger management to treatment for youths who have committed violent crimes) and is more likely to exhibit recidivism. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the relation between different types of drugs (alcohol, cannabis, and hard drugs) and different types of crime (violent, drug-related, and property). It was expected that (1) alcohol users were more likely to commit violent crimes than cannabis or hard drug users, (2) cannabis users were less likely to commit drug-related crimes than alcohol or hard drugs users, and (3) hard drug users were more likely to commit property crimes than alcohol or cannabis users. Gender, SES, education, polydrug use, and conduct disorder were also taken into account. All variables were assessed using a structured interview in a sample of 209 youths who came into treatment for SUD at different treatment centers across the Netherlands. The key finding of this study was that the majority of this sample had committed multiple types of crime and were using multiple types of drugs, which made confirmatory analyses impossible. Exploratory analyses indicated that cannabis users were more likely to commit drug-related crimes than non-cannabis users and that there was no specific type of drug that increased the likeliness that a youth would commit multiple crimes.Show less
Objective: Child maltreatment poses a severe global concern and has been identified as an influential factor in the trajectory of psychopathology. Given that parental bonding has a direct effect on...Show moreObjective: Child maltreatment poses a severe global concern and has been identified as an influential factor in the trajectory of psychopathology. Given that parental bonding has a direct effect on depressive symptoms, and buffers adversity-related pathogenesis, the current study aimed to investigate whether child maltreatment is related to elevated levels of adult depression, and whether parental bonding (maternal and paternal bonding respectively) has a moderating effect on this relationship. In addition, within the context of intrafamilial abuse, the current study aimed to investigate the buffering effect of parental bonding when the abuse is linked to the perpetrating versus the non-perpetrating parent. Method: The study’s data was obtained from NESDA, an ongoing longitudinal cohort study. Information of 2069 participants, on depressive symptoms, parental bonding (at the 9-year follow up) and childhood trauma (assessed at baseline), was collected using self-reports and interviews. Results: The findings reveal that all four types of child maltreatment yielded a positive correlation with depressive symptoms. Furthermore, maternal bonding did have a moderating effect on the relationship between child maltreatment (physical and sexual abuse) and adult depression. The buffering effect of optimal maternal bonding was however stronger when maltreatment was absent. Moreover, paternal bonding did not moderate the relationship between child maltreatment and adult depression. Lastly, the impact of parental bonding was linked to the non-perpetrating parent. Conclusion: The yielded findings extend prior research on the association between child maltreatment and adult psychopathology, and the impact of parental bonding on this relationship. These findings highlight the importance of promoting optimal parental bondingShow less
This study (N = 153) investigated the relationship between academic stress, mental health – consisted of anxiety and depression scores – and self-efficacy in university students, and the effect of...Show moreThis study (N = 153) investigated the relationship between academic stress, mental health – consisted of anxiety and depression scores – and self-efficacy in university students, and the effect of perceived parental autonomy support and psychological control on their mental health and self-efficacy. Online survey entries were collected over three weeks. Multiple regression analyses were conducted and also tested for moderating effects. Academic stress was associated with higher anxiety and depression levels. General self-efficacy buffered against elevated anxiety and depression from academic stress. Perceived parental autonomy support was associated with higher self-efficacy, and the association between academic stress and depression was stronger for students reporting high perceived maternal psychological control, but using a post hoc correction both findings became non-significant. Limitations, study conclusions, and further research directions are also discussed.Show less
