Deliberate Practice (DP) is widely associated with positive outcomes in skill-based contexts, prompting an investigation into its role in psychotherapists' management of challenging therapy...Show moreDeliberate Practice (DP) is widely associated with positive outcomes in skill-based contexts, prompting an investigation into its role in psychotherapists' management of challenging therapy scenarios for possible future implications into therapist training. This study delves into the intricacies of challenging therapy situations as recounted by psychotherapists and examines the influence of Deliberate Practice (DP) on the themes of these situations and therapists' sentiments. A total of 254 participants engaged in the study via an online survey, facilitated by various psychotherapy organizations, each representing different therapeutic frameworks. The survey, utilizing a mixed-methods approach, encompassed closed and open-ended questions. Participants DP levels were assessed using the Deliberate Practice Scale, while thematic analysis provided a rich comprehension of the qualitative data. The results indicate that there is no relationship between the number of hours a participant spent in DP and the themes they describe as challenging. Next to this, a relationship between confidence and number of hours in DP was found. The nature of the relationship revealed that the more hours a participant spent in DP, the less confident they were. Participants regardless of their DP engagement, described similar themes as challenging. However, a negative relationship between confidence and DP hours surfaced, prompting speculation about potential explanations such as impostor syndrome, burnout, and perfectionism. This correlation underscores the complexity of psychotherapists' experiences and asks for further in-depth exploration.Show less
Background: Poor parental bonding experiences have been associated with the development of hazardous alcohol use. University students are a group especially at risk to engage in risky drinking...Show moreBackground: Poor parental bonding experiences have been associated with the development of hazardous alcohol use. University students are a group especially at risk to engage in risky drinking patterns. In this study, the mediational role of anxiety on the relationship between parental bonding and alcohol use in university students was investigated. Methods: University students (N=213) completed an online survey measuring their parental bonding style (affectionate constraint, affectionless control, optimal parenting, and neglectful parenting) using the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI). Moreover, anxiety symptoms were measured with the Becks Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and level of alcohol use was measured with the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Results: Parental bonding significantly predicted anxiety, indicating that an optimal parental bond was negatively related to anxiety symptoms. No significant association between parental bonding and alcohol use was found. Besides that, anxiety and alcohol use showed no significant association. Moreover, no significant mediation effect of anxiety on the relationship between parental bonding and alcohol use was found. Conclusions: The current study highlights the risk of poor parenting for the possible development of anxiety. The knowledge gained by this study is relevant to the issue of preventing possible negative psychological effects of poor parental bonding styles.Show less
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is associated with increased levels of suicide ideation, as well as being highly comorbid with depression. Nonetheless, research on sleep characteristics and...Show moreBorderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is associated with increased levels of suicide ideation, as well as being highly comorbid with depression. Nonetheless, research on sleep characteristics and suicidality in personality psychopathology remains understudied. Hence, this study analyzed the connection between BPD, eveningness chronotype (i.e. delayed sleep-wake pattern), depression and suicide ideation. It was expected that eveningness would significantly elevate suicide risk in the BPD population and that depression would control for some of the variance but not hinder the moderation of eveningness. This research drew upon data from the Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA). A subset of 1713 eligible participants was selected, among whom 246 were diagnosed with BPD. Questionnaires included the Personality Disorder Questionnaire (PDQ4+), the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ), the Beck Suicidal Ideation questionnaire (BSI) and the Composite Interview Diagnostic Instrument (CIDI). Multiple tests were conducted, such as linear regressions and two simple moderation analyzes using the PROCESS extension by Hayes. Results demonstrated that: (a) BPD significantly predicted suicide ideation (b = .62, p < .001); (b) eveningness did not significantly moderate the relation between BPD and suicide ideation; (c) eveningness did not significantly predict suicide ideation with or without controlling for depression; and lastly (d) depression contributed to the explained variance in the elevation of suicide ideation (b = .67, p < .001). To explore the impact of sleep disturbances on suicide ideation, future research should focus on Delayed Sleep Wake Phase Disorder (DSWPD) and insomnia since they have been both linked to BPD, eveningness and suicide ideation.Show less
Background: Parental bonding is a key contributing factor in psychosocial development, since experiencing optimal versus non-optimal bonding has been linked to various mental health outcomes. In...Show moreBackground: Parental bonding is a key contributing factor in psychosocial development, since experiencing optimal versus non-optimal bonding has been linked to various mental health outcomes. In the recent years, mood disorders such as depression, as well as loneliness have been on the rise among university students. However, studies examining the link between parental bonding and depressive symptoms among this population have been limited, while the potential role of loneliness on the aforementioned relationship has not been investigated to date. Aim: This study explores the association between parental bonding and depressive symptoms, along with the potential mediating effect of loneliness, among university students. Method: A total of 207 Leiden University students (87.4% female) aged 18-33 years (Μ = 20.17, SD = 2.61) completed a self-reported questionnaire regarding parental bonding, depressive symptoms and loneliness. Results: Non-optimal maternal and paternal bonding significantly predicted higher depressive symptoms, after controlling for a number of sociodemographic variables, b = 6.16, 95% CI [3.52, 8.81], p < .001; b = 6.14, 95% CI [3.52, 8.77], p < .001 respectively. Moreover, there were significant indirect effects of non-optimal maternal and paternal bonding on depressive symptoms through loneliness, after controlling for participants’ living situation, b = 1.40, 95% CI [.53, 2.57]; b = 1.75, 95% CI [.79, 2.89]. Conclusion: Loneliness plays a mediating role in the relationship between parental bonding and depressive symptoms among young adult students. Present study findings could contribute to a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms linking parental bonding with depression and related mood disorders.Show less
Previous research found that personality and chronotype both are significant predictors of alcohol consumption. This study examined the personality type neuroticism and the evening chronotype as...Show morePrevious research found that personality and chronotype both are significant predictors of alcohol consumption. This study examined the personality type neuroticism and the evening chronotype as possible correlates of increased alcohol consumption. Additionally, we aimed to find a moderating effect of eveningness in the relationship between neuroticism and alcohol consumption. The Netherlands Study of Depression and Anxiety (NESDA) included 2,981 participants between the ages of 18 and 65 and a total of more than eight questionnaires, from which we used the Munich Chronotype Questionnaire (MCTQ), Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test (AUDIT) and Neuroticism-Extraversion-Openness Five-Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI). Results showed a significant association between eveningness and alcohol consumption. The predicted moderation effect of eveningness was not found. The findings of this study may give a better understanding of possible risk factors for increased alcohol consumption, by verifying the predicted association between eveningness and increased alcohol consumption. Future research may however look further into the working mechanisms of eveningness with respect to the susceptibility of increased alcohol consumption.Show less
University students experience heightened sleep disturbances and anxiety symptoms, which may lead to a decrease of life satisfaction. Research suggests that there are apparent associations between...Show moreUniversity students experience heightened sleep disturbances and anxiety symptoms, which may lead to a decrease of life satisfaction. Research suggests that there are apparent associations between sleep disturbances, life satisfaction, and anxiety symptoms. Previous studies have assessed the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) on the reduction of sleep outcomes in university students, but the present study is the first one to incorporate various therapeutic approaches (CBT for insomnia, mindfulness, lifestyle guidance) into one short and cost-effective treatment protocol tailored to university students. This study assesses the effectiveness of such group sleep-mood intervention. It is hypothesised that the intervention, compared to a waiting-list group, will enhance life satisfaction and reduce anxiety symptoms in a sample of university students suffering from sleep disturbances. Participants (n = 35) were randomised into intervention group and waitlist control group, with pre- and post- testing on life satisfaction, anxiety symptoms, and insomnia. The intervention group consisted of four weekly therapy sessions. Results showed no significant time x group allocation interaction for quality of life and anxiety. Higher life satisfaction was associated with less sleep disturbances at post-intervention. Although not significant, the findings follow the correct trend and future research should replicate this study with a larger sample size. The current study points to the need to implement and utilise effective interventions for university students to maintain their psychological well-being and life satisfaction.Show less
Background: Functioning and treatment outcome of persons with a major depressive disorder (MDD) is not only impacted by comorbid anxiety disorders, but also by comorbid anxiety symptoms not...Show moreBackground: Functioning and treatment outcome of persons with a major depressive disorder (MDD) is not only impacted by comorbid anxiety disorders, but also by comorbid anxiety symptoms not fulfilling the DSM-criteria for an anxiety disorders. Previous findings suggest that MDD in older age may differ in symptom profile with respect to anxiety symptomatology, with higher rates of anxiety in older age. However, findings remain inconsistent. Considering its clinical relevance further insight into symptom profiles of depression with anxiety symptomatology across the lifespan is needed. This study examined if and to what extent anxiety symptomatology in persons with MDD differs across age groups in the general population, as research in the general population is largely lacking and previous research mostly refers to clinical samples. Method: Data were derived from a large, general population cohort study, the Netherlands Mental Health Survey and Incidence Study-2 (NEMESIS-2). Selected were 365 subjects (aged 21-72 years) with a MDD episode, of any duration, during three years prior to baseline (e.g. a 3-year MDD). To analyse impact of age on symptom profile, logistic regression analyses were conducted examining the association between age and presence of symptoms, including MDD and anxiety symptoms, using items derived from the Composite International Diagnostic Interview 3.0 (CIDI 3.0). Results: Overall, logistic regression analyses did not yield significant results with regard to a different association of symptomatology in older persons with MDD, as compared to younger age. Only older age was more strongly associated with feeling anxious (OR = 2.20; 95% CI = 1.22– 3.97) in comparison to younger age. Conclusion: In general, anxiety symptomatology in depressed persons does not differ across the lifespan. However, we demonstrated that feeling anxious has been found to increase over the lifespan. Since this more anxious presentation in older depressed persons may blur the underlying MDD, attention from clinicians is required to be aware that depression in later-life can present itself with more anxious feelings.Show less
Suicide is the second leading cause of death among university students. Insomnia symptoms have been established as a risk factor for suicidal ideation and feelings of thwarted belongingness have...Show moreSuicide is the second leading cause of death among university students. Insomnia symptoms have been established as a risk factor for suicidal ideation and feelings of thwarted belongingness have been proposed to explain the link between insomnia symptoms and suicidal ideation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between insomnia symptoms and suicidal ideation, with thwarted belongingness mediating the relationship, in a sample of Dutch university students. The study assessed participants crosssectionally (n = 218) and after six months (n = 83). Participants completed the Insomnia Severity Index, Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation, the Interpersonal Needs Questionnaire, Beck Depression Inventory, and the Beck Anxiety Inventory. Logistic regression and mediation analyses were conducted. Symptoms of depression and anxiety were controlled for. Crosssectionally, insomnia symptoms were significantly associated with suicidal ideation. When adjusting for symptoms of depression and anxiety, the association became nonsignificant and only symptoms of depression emerged as an independent predictor. Thwarted belongingness mediated the relationship between insomnia symptoms and suicidal ideation cross-sectionally. When depressive symptoms were controlled for, the mediation model became nonsignificant. Longitudinally, results suggested no predictive effect of insomnia symptoms on suicidal ideation and no mediation effect of thwarted belongingness on the relationship. The results did not support insomnia symptoms as an independent risk factor for suicidal ideation in university students, which underscores the need for more rigorous research to clarify this relationship for the future.Show less
Psychopaths are known for their lack of empathy and immoral behaviours, and have shown to be unable to distinguish moral from conventional violations. Research demonstrated that morality can be...Show morePsychopaths are known for their lack of empathy and immoral behaviours, and have shown to be unable to distinguish moral from conventional violations. Research demonstrated that morality can be influenced by empathy, as well as developmental changes. The current study therefore aimed to investigate differences in moral decision-making behaviours between healthy males and psychopathic males in the evaluation of complex social situations. A total of 39 participants took part in this study, with 20 healthy male controls and 19 psychopathic males. The participants observed and evaluated pictures depicting various social situations. These included offenders of intentional pain (IP), offenders of accidental pain (AP), victims of IP, and victims of AP. Participants were then instructed to distribute coins between themselves and a random target from the social situation. The results showed that the controls could differentiate between more conditions than the psychopaths. More specifically, the controls and psychopaths both showed most prosocial behaviour towards victims of IP, followed by victims of AP, and showed most punishing behaviour towards offenders of IP, followed by offenders of AP. However, the psychopaths showed less prosocial behaviour than the controls towards victims of IP and AP. No significant differences were found in punishing behaviour between the controls and psychopaths towards offenders of AP. Finally, no significant correlation was found between age and prosocial behaviour in both the controls and psychopaths towards victims. Taken together, these findings further support the notion that psychopaths’ lack of prosocial behaviour stems from an empathy deficiency, rather than an impairment in moral judgement.Show less
