Consideration of future consequences (CFC) and future self-identification (FSI) play crucial roles in the psychosocial development and well-being of young individuals. Promoting CFC and FSI can...Show moreConsideration of future consequences (CFC) and future self-identification (FSI) play crucial roles in the psychosocial development and well-being of young individuals. Promoting CFC and FSI can lead to positive outcomes, including improved health, better financial management, and reduced likelihood of engaging in criminal behavior. This study aims to examine the changes in CFC and FSI resulting from an intervention and their correlation with age. The original sample consisted of 130 participants aged 17 to 39 years (M = 19.51; SD = 2.642) of whom 93.1% were women and 6.9% were men. A multiple linear regression was conducted to investigate whether the level of CFC could be predicted by FSI and age. Additionally, changes in CFC and FSI following an app-based intervention were assessed. The findings reveal a significant effect of FSI on CFC and a significant increase in FSI after the app-based intervention. This suggests that FSI plays a vital role in promoting future-oriented thinking, and the app intervention effectively enhances FSI. Identifying and fostering FSI can be a valuable strategy for improving future-oriented thinking. Although not all results were statistically significant, the substantial effect of FSI following the app intervention indicates promising possibilities for using app interventions to enhance FSI. Future research should involve more male participants, diverse educational levels, and geographical areas to enhance generalizability. Longitudinal studies are needed to understand the effectiveness and sustainability of the app intervention in promoting future-oriented thinking. Furthermore, expanding the research to different regions and cultures can provide insights into cultural variations in future-oriented thinking. Further investigation requires a broader age range to better comprehend the role of age in CFC.Show less
Child abuse has many different effects on the development of a child. One such consequence is that parents who have suffered from child abuse in their early life are more likely to be less...Show moreChild abuse has many different effects on the development of a child. One such consequence is that parents who have suffered from child abuse in their early life are more likely to be less sensitive towards their own children than parents who have not experienced child abuse. A key component herein is most likely the amount of stress that abused children have experienced throughout their life in general. A study has been done regarding the relationship between the sensitivity of a parent who has been subject to child abuse and their sensitivity towards their own children. More specifically this study has looked into whether stress acts as a mediator between these two variables. To provide an answer to the research question 114 parent-child pairs have taken part in this study, ninety percent of which were mothers. On average, the children in these pairs were 19,2 months old. Two at-home visits have been held prior to the gathering of data. Whether the parents had experienced child abuse has been derived from Childhood Trauma Questionnaire that said parents had filled in. Their sensitivity has been indexed through observation with the Ainsworth Maternal Sensitivity Scale. Stress has been indexed based on the negative affect of the PANAS questionnaire. This study implies that parents who have been abused do not display different amounts of sensitivity towards their children as to parents who had not been abused, the same applies for parents who had experienced more stress, indicating that stress does not function as a mediator between the variables. The results contradict the hypotheses, which might be a consequence of protective factors, socioeconomic status and different forms of child abuse. Follow-up research might be focussed on these three factors in order to eventually lessen the amount of child abuse. Sensitiviteit is het vermogen van een ouder om signalen van een kind te ontvangen, deze goed te interpreteren en prompt en gepast op deze signalen te reageren (Ainsworth, Bell, & Stayton, 1974). Wanneer de ouder sensitief is, kan het kind zich veilig hechten aan de ouder. Een kind dat veilig gehecht is aan zijn of haar ouder, leidt mogelijk tot positieve kinduitkomsten (Malmberg et al., 2016). Voorbeelden van positieve kinduitkomsten zijn het ontwikkelen van meer zelfvertrouwen en een positievere omgang met leeftijdsgenoten waardoor zij hechtere vriendschappen kunnen opbouwen (Schneider, Atkinson, & Tardif, 2001). Wanneer de ouder insensitief is, kan dit leiden tot een onveilige gehechtheid van het kind aan de ouder. Een kind dat onveilig gehecht is, heeft een grotere kans om negatieve kinduitkomsten te ontwikkelen (Malmberg et al., 2016). Voorbeelden van deze negatieve kinduitkomsten zijn internaliserende problemen, als depressie en angst (Groh et al., 2012) en externaliserende problemen, als agressie en ongehoorzaamheid (Malmberg et al., 2016). Het is van belang om ouders met een geschiedenis van mishandeling te ondersteunen, aangezien de kans groter is dat zij hun eigen kinderen zullen mishandelen (Jaffee et al., 2013; Madigan et al., 2019; Gibert et al., 2009). De kans is dan groter dat zij insensitief en intrusief zijn tegenover hun eigen kinderen (Fuchs, Möhler, Resch, & Kaess, 2015). Hierdoor kan kindermishandeling overgedragen worden van generatie op generatie. Het fenomeen dat ouders die zelf kindermishandeling hebben meegemaakt en hun eigen kinderen mishandelen, wordt de cycle of abuse genoemd. Zo blijkt dat de sensitiviteit van een ouder verstoord kan worden door het meemaken van kindermishandeling (Fuchs et al., 2015). Feldman (2015) beschrijft dat ouders die in hun jeugd mishandeling hebben meegemaakt, moeite hebben met twee aspecten van sensitiviteit; (1) zij hebben moeite met het gepast waarnemen, ervaren en aanvoelen van de emoties van de kinderen en (2) de ouders ervaren moeite met het cognitief waarnemen van de behoefte van het kind. Het moeite hebben met deze twee aspecten van sensitiviteit, kan worden verklaard door onder andere de methylatie in het brein (Feldman, 2015). Methylatie is het binden van een methyl proteïne aan het DNA dat ervoor zorgt dat een bepaald gebied van het gen niet getranscribeerd kan worden (Feldman, 2015). Hierdoor wordt dit gebied van het gen non-actief gemaakt en kan het zijn functie niet meer uitoefenen. Deze verandering kan ervoor zorgen dat de ouder minder sensitief is.Show less
This study examines whether the personality traits neuroticism and agreeableness mediate the relationship between traumatic experiences of parents and parenting stress. This research was conducted...Show moreThis study examines whether the personality traits neuroticism and agreeableness mediate the relationship between traumatic experiences of parents and parenting stress. This research was conducted among families who were registered at Veilig Thuis under a notification of domestic violence. A sample of 1172 parents (862 female, 310 male) completed self-report questionnaires about trauma, personality traits and parenting stress. Trauma is directly related to parental stress. Neuroticism is a partial mediator in the relationship between traumatic experiences of parents and parenting stress. Agreeableness is not a mediator in this relationship. The findings suggest that parents with a trauma score high in neuroticism, subsequently, parents high in neuroticism experience more parental stress. This was not found for agreeableness. Directions for future research regarding personality and parental stress and the limitations of present study are discussed.Show less
Child maltreatment is an age-old, common problem with a variety of short-term and long-term consequences. Child maltreatment can even have an impact on future generations, resulting in the...Show moreChild maltreatment is an age-old, common problem with a variety of short-term and long-term consequences. Child maltreatment can even have an impact on future generations, resulting in the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. Despite the gravity of the consequences there remains few to no effective interventions to disrupt the vicious cycle of child maltreatment. To develop effective interventions, it is crucial to conduct research on specific factors that may contribute to the intergenerational transmission. Therefore, this study aims to explore the mediating role of emotion recognition in the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. This investigation takes into account the differences between abuse and neglect and considers the influence of gender. A total of 237 participants (96 men, 141 women) from 63 families were assessed for their experiences of perpetrating and experiencing abuse and neglect through self-report measures. Moreover, they performed an emotion recognition task, which involved the gradual presentation of photos displaying various emotional expressions, ranging from neutral to intense. Findings from this investigation confirm the intergenerational transmission of both abuse and neglect, with abuse exhibiting a stronger transmission compared to neglect. Unexpectedly, emotion recognition did not serve as a mediating factor in the relationship between experienced and perpetrated child abuse and neglect. However, emotion recognition did reveal a significant association with perpetrated neglect. Additionally, the control variable of gender was found to be linked to perpetrated neglect. These outcomes underscore the significance of distinguishing between abuse and neglect, as well as considering gender differences in the context of intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment. Future research focusing on a exploration of all aspects of emotion processing may provide greater insight into the underlying mechanisms of the intergenerational transmission of child maltreatment.Show less
The current study focused on the future orientation of students with low mental wellbeing and the effectivity of the smartphone-based FutureU-intervention. FutureU intended to stimulate the...Show moreThe current study focused on the future orientation of students with low mental wellbeing and the effectivity of the smartphone-based FutureU-intervention. FutureU intended to stimulate the development of a future- oriented mindset and goal attainment by strengthening people’s ability and motivation to consider their future. The aims of the study were to examine if FutureU was an effective intervention to improve students’ future orientation and mental wellbeing, and to identify if and how self-efficacy mediated the effect of the intervention on future orientation. First-year students (N=166) were randomly assigned to two conditions: 1) the smartphone-based intervention FutureU, or (2) a goal-setting control group. The intervention consisted of three week-long modules, data was collected at the start of the intervention and directly after the intervention. With a median split, the group was divided into two groups based on mental wellbeing. Results showed that there were no significant differences in the future-orientation of students with low mental wellbeing compared to those with high mental wellbeing post-intervention. There were no significant differences between the future orientation of students with low mental wellbeing who received the intervention compared to the students in de control group. Self-efficacy did not mediate the effectivity of the intervention on future orientation of students with low mental wellbeing. The wellbeing of students with low metal well-being who received the intervention did not improve significantly more than that of students with low mental wellbeing in de control group. This study will help clarify why the intervention was not effective in the way that was expected and how it did lead to improving mental health but not future orientation. Future research should further examine the working elements of the intervention in order to develop a future-oriented mindset.Show less
Gender stereotypes have a profound impact on individuals' lives, shaping behaviors, emotional expressions, and career paths from an early age. Even if not overtly discussed, these stereotypes...Show moreGender stereotypes have a profound impact on individuals' lives, shaping behaviors, emotional expressions, and career paths from an early age. Even if not overtly discussed, these stereotypes manifest implicitly through actions and language choices. Facial mimicry, (in this study: Corrugator supercilii and Zygomaticus major) reflecting empathy and feedback, can unveil these implicit biases. This study probes whether contextual cues about a child's behavior elicit gender-stereotyped facial mimicry reactions in adults, and whether emotions influence these responses. The research engaged 26 participants (77% female, age M = 22.72) in an electromyography (EMG) exploration. Initially, participants viewed children's happy, sad, or angry expressions. Contextual information about a child's externalizing or internalizing behavior followed. A posttest replicated the initial phase. Interestingly, contextual information didn't yield distinct facial mimicry responses. However, gender-based analysis revealed that participants showed heightened zygomaticus major muscle activation when observing girls with internalizing behavior compared to boys with internalizing behavior. This effect was not evident in the corrugator supercilii muscle or externalizing behavior. Gender and emotion analysis highlighted congruence between zygomaticus major activation and anger in girls with internalizing behavior. The findings imply a negative attitude of adults towards internalizing and externalizing behavior of children. Results also validate the stereotype linking girls to internalizing behavior, but also the gender stereotype association that anger is not linked to girls. Interestingly, no gender bias surfaced among boys' facial mimicry in behavior or emotions. However, low statistical power and unreliable zygomaticus major measurement could have affected the outcomes. Further research is needed to establish in larger samples.Show less
Er is in de (inter)nationale literatuur al veel onderzoek gedaan naar coalitievorming. Deze spitst zich voornamelijk toe op nationale overheden. Dit onderzoek richt zich op een schaars onderzocht...Show moreEr is in de (inter)nationale literatuur al veel onderzoek gedaan naar coalitievorming. Deze spitst zich voornamelijk toe op nationale overheden. Dit onderzoek richt zich op een schaars onderzocht fenomeen: de formatieperiode in gemeenten. Iedere vier jaar wordt een nieuwe gemeenteraad gekozen in de ruim 340 gemeenten in Nederland. Tegenwoordig kiest bijna de helft van de gemeenten voor een externe formateur ter begeleiding van de coalitievorming. Daarom is in dit onderzoek aan de hand van acht semigestructureerde interviews onderzocht welke factoren formateurs overwegen wanneer zij partijen uitnodigen voor coalitiegesprekken. Hierbij is gekeken naar verschillende door de literatuur aangedragen factoren, zoals hoe de onderhandelende partijen zich politiek verhouden, hoe de partijen willen samenwerken, welke rol het verleden en ervaring speelt en welke rol persoonlijke verhoudingen spelen. Uit het onderzoek is een aantal interessante bevindingen gekomen. Zo blijkt dat naast inhoudelijke verschillen persoonlijke verhoudingen en ervaringen een cruciale rol spelen in de formatiestrategie van formateurs. Daarnaast blijkt dat de theorie met betrekking tot nationale coalitievorming goed toepasbaar is op gemeenten.Show less
Mothers who endured domestic violence are at more risk of developing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially after interpersonal violence. Having a parent with symptoms of PTSD...Show moreMothers who endured domestic violence are at more risk of developing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially after interpersonal violence. Having a parent with symptoms of PTSD is significantly related to negative outcomes for children. Mothers who endured domestic violence are also at a higher risk of having different forms of psychopathology. Examining this relations will provide more information about the development of behavioral problems of children. This thesis examined the relation between symptoms of PTSD of mothers settled in domestic violence shelters in The Netherlands and the behavioral problems of their children, with psychopathology of mothers added in as a moderating factor. The sample, collected from July 2021 until June 2022, consisted of fourteen mothers. No significant relations were found between the PTSD-symptoms of mothers and the behavioral problems of their children. A significant positive relation was found between psychopathology of mothers and the behavioral problems of their children. Psychopathology of mothers did not influence the relation between PTSD-symptoms of mothers and the behavioral problems of their children. Further research should examine the complexity of the possible relation between psychological problems of mothers and behavioral problems of children to obtain more information about the development of behavioral problems of children.Show less
This retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the influence of stress on atypical symptom amelioration to first-choice psychostimulant medication in individuals with attention deficit...Show moreThis retrospective cohort study aimed to investigate the influence of stress on atypical symptom amelioration to first-choice psychostimulant medication in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Understanding the impact of stress on the effectiveness of psychostimulant medications is crucial, given the high prevalence of stress-related psychiatric comorbidity in ADHD and the potential stress effects on psychostimulant effectivity. It was hypothesized that cardiovascular stress and stress-related psychiatric comorbidity are related to atypical symptom amelioration and that these two characteristics are interrelated. Additionally, the effect of medication and time will be explored. A unique subset from the SOPHISTICATE cohort was analysed, comprising of 460 patients diagnosed with ADHD who exhibited atypical treatment response following first-choice medication registration and were switched to a second-choice medication within 3 weeks. The adult version of the Quantified Behavioral Test (QbTest), a computerized tool that quantifies the core symptoms of ADHD was used to determine baseline symptom severity and treatment response, i.e. QbActivity (QbAct); QbImpulsivity (QbImp); and QbInattention (QbIna). Patients were divided into groups based on stresscharacteristics, and linear mixed models were employed to examine the impact of stresscharacteristics, first-choice medication and time on symptom amelioration (i.e. QbTest score after first- or second-choice medication – QbTest score at baseline; ∆). The results reveal that stress-characteristics were not related to atypical symptom amelioration after first-choice medication. However, patients with stress related psychiatric comorbidity show more inattentive symptom amelioration after second-choice medication registration β=.21, SE=.10, 95% CI [.02, .41], p=.031. Importantly, the effect of time was significant for all three symptom domainssuggesting a role of time to enable a typical response, i.e. ∆QbAct (F(1,462) = 387.818, p < .001), ∆QbImp (F(1, 462) = 235.224, p < .001) and on ∆QbIna (F(1, 463) = 319.655, p = .242). Additionally it was found that baseline symptom severity confounds the medication effect for ∆QbImp and for ∆QbAct. In conclusion, the results indicate that stress characteristics nor medication is related to an atypical response pattern to first-choice medication. The current study did reveal an important role of time to enable a ‘typical’ response. Limitations of the study included the lack of a reference group, the possibility of random effects, and quality of the cardiovascular data. In conclusion, while the impact of stress on treatment response could not be definitively determined based on the available data, future research should explore the complex interplay between stress, psychiatric comorbidity, and medication types to optimize treatment strategies and improve outcomes for patientsShow less
Abstract Background: Externalizing behaviour in childhood is related to future criminal behaviour. To prevent crime, it is important to investigate factors related to externalizing behaviour in...Show moreAbstract Background: Externalizing behaviour in childhood is related to future criminal behaviour. To prevent crime, it is important to investigate factors related to externalizing behaviour in childhood, in order to design interventions accordingly. One of those factors is self-worth. The relation between self-worth and externalizing behaviour has been widely studied, but it is unclear if low self-worth, high self-worth, or both predict externalizing behaviour in primary school children. Therefore, there might be a factor moderating this relationship. An important risk-factor in the development of anti-social and criminal behaviour is empathy. This study aimed to explore the relationship between self-worth and externalizing behaviour and a possible moderating effect of empathy on this relationship. Methods: Participants were 173 Dutch primary school children (130 boys, 43 girls) aged 6 to 12 years (M = 9.88, SD = 1.43). Teacher report questionnaires were used to assess externalizing behaviour and self-report questionnaires were used to determine levels of self-worth and empathy. Multivariate variance analysis was used to examine differences in externalizing behaviour between groups with low, average, and high self-worth. Then, curve estimation was used to explore whether self-worth and externalizing behaviour had a linear- of quadratic relationship. Lastly, multiple regression analysis was used to analyse the moderating effect of empathy on the relationship between self-worth and externalizing behaviour. Results: Results did not show significant differences in externalizing behaviour between the groups. However, a significant negative linear relationship between self-worth and externalizing behaviour was found, meaning children with lower self-worth showed more externalizing behaviour. Moreover, there was a significant moderating effect of empathy on this relationship, indicating that the negative association between self-worth and externalizing behaviour was stronger for children with lower levels of empathy. Discussion: These findings suggest that self-worth and empathy are important factors in predicting externalizing behaviour in primary school children. The findings have implications for the development of interventions aimed at reducing externalizing behaviour (thus crime) in children, particularly those with low self-worth and low empathy levels. However, the cross-sectional nature of the study, the small and generally male sample and the methods of measuring self-image and empathy limit the generalizability of the findings. Also, this small study does not cover the need of research on the relationship between self-worth and externalizing behaviour. Further longitudinal and multi-method studies are needed to confirm these results.Show less
When a child protection measure is pronounced the lack of stability and continuity can have a negative effect on the development of the child. To ensure stability and continuity of the child there...Show moreWhen a child protection measure is pronounced the lack of stability and continuity can have a negative effect on the development of the child. To ensure stability and continuity of the child there has been a law review in 2015. The ‘acceptable term’ has been added to the legal bases of the supervision order and the authority-ending measure. This thesis examines how the acceptable term is shaped in practice and whether stability and continuity of the child is guaranteed. Interviews were held with judges, employees of certified institutions and employees of the Council for Child Protection. It emerges from interviews with these professionals (n = 29) that there are a lot of factors that must be taken along in determining the acceptable term. In addition, the lack of availability of help and the major impact of the authority-ending measure make it difficult for professionals to work with the acceptable term. Also, not all employees of a certified institution seem well informed about the application of the acceptable term. All in all, the addition of the acceptable term does not seem to contribute to ensuring the stability and continuity of the child. Implications and suggestions for further research are discussed.Show less
The reading performance of primary school children has declined in recent years, potentially leading to more significant problems over time. Reading interventions have the potential to improve...Show moreThe reading performance of primary school children has declined in recent years, potentially leading to more significant problems over time. Reading interventions have the potential to improve reading performance. This study examined the effects of an intensive and individualized reading intervention on the reading performance of children with reading difficulties. Three aspects of reading were studied, word reading, reading fluency and reading comprehension. The reading intervention was the Universele Interventie voor Lezen (UIL), an online and intensive reading intervention. The control condition was the Read Along (RA), where children spent time reading with a tutor. The participants were 29 primary school children with reading difficulties from grade 5 and 6. A repeated measured ANOVA with one within-subjects factor (time: pretest vs. posttest) and one between-subjects factor (intervention: UIL vs. RA) was conducted to examine the effects of the reading intervention. The results showed that the reading skills of the children in both the UIL and the RA improved from pretest to posttest. The effects of the UIL and the RA were similar on most aspects of reading, except for word reading. In this result, a marginal difference was measured between the interventions in favour of the UIL. The research demonstrates that it is feasible to offer an online intervention in reading. In addition, the results suggest that children with reading difficulties may benefit from the UIL and the RA. Further research is needed before conclusively determining the effectiveness of the reading intervention. It is recommended to add a treatment-free control group and to recruit younger and a larger group of participants.Show less
Reading is one of the most important academic skills, because it is a requirement to be able to learn. The reading skills of Dutch students have worsened over the last years and the COVID- 19...Show moreReading is one of the most important academic skills, because it is a requirement to be able to learn. The reading skills of Dutch students have worsened over the last years and the COVID- 19 pandemic has had a negative influence on that. That is why it is important to help struggling readers. This study examined the effects of two intensive, individual reading interventions aimed at improving the reading skills of students with reading difficulties. The effects of the Universele Interventie voor Lezen, a structured online reading intervention, were compared to the RA, the control condition. Additionally, the effects of the interventions on reading enjoyment were examined. Two research questions were formulated. Firstly, "What are the relative effects of the Universele Interventie voor Lezen and Read-Along reading interventions on the reading performance of children with reading difficulties?" Secondly, "What are the relative effects of the Universele Interventie voor Lezen and Read-Along reading interventions on the reading enjoyment of children with reading difficulties?" The Universele Interventie voor Lezen is a structured intervention that uses explicit, direct instruction. The Read-Along intervention, on the other hand, is based on the idea that more reading is sufficient to improve the reading skills of struggling readers. During this study, both interventions were administered through online, individual meetings. The sample consisted of 29 struggling readers from fifth and sixth grade. A significant effect over time was found for reading performance, but not for intervention. No significant effect was found for reading enjoyment. These findings suggest that it can be beneficial to implement reading interventions such as the Universele Interventie voor Lezen and the Read-Along for struggling readers.Show less
More and more students with (behavioral) special needs join regular primary schools. With no extra training or support, teachers face difficult situations every day. Teachers’ self-efficacy is an...Show moreMore and more students with (behavioral) special needs join regular primary schools. With no extra training or support, teachers face difficult situations every day. Teachers’ self-efficacy is an important feature which is under pressure due to lack of knowledge how to deal with difficult situations of their students. This study examined the effectiveness of an intervention in active perspective taking in an online experiment in a questionnaire on teachers’ student specific self-efficacy (L-TSES), while controlling for the teacher-student relationship and the baseline feeling of teachers’ self-efficacy. A total of 60 teachers completed the questionnaire. They were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. A univariate Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA) showed no significant difference between both groups. For student engagement (SE), emotional support (ES) and the total feeling of self-efficacy, there seems to be an effect stemming from the baseline feeling of teachers’ self-efficacy. Behavior management (BM) seem to be affected by the relationship (domain conflict) between the teacher and student. Even though none of the self-efficacy domains turn out to be significant related to the condition perspective taking, this study triggers further investigations. Especially the direct and latency effects in teachers’ self-efficacy after the intervention in active perspective taking could be further investigated.Show less
The COVID-19 pandemic worsened the existing reading problems for children in grades five and six. It is important that schools address the reading problems of these children because reading...Show moreThe COVID-19 pandemic worsened the existing reading problems for children in grades five and six. It is important that schools address the reading problems of these children because reading problems can have severe consequences for children. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to examine the relative effectiveness of two methods for ameliorating the reading difficulties of struggling readers. Two research questions were investigated. The first research question is ‘What are the relative effects of the Universele Interventie voor Lezen and Read-Along reading interventions on the reading performance of struggling readers in grades five and six?’ The second question is: ‘Do the relative effects of the Universele Interventie voor Lezen and Read-Along differ for near transfer texts and far transfer texts?’ The Universele Interventie voor Lezen is based on a combination of different reading instruction methods. The Read-Along is based on the idea that ‘reading more’ sufficient is to ameliorate the reading difficulties of struggling readers. Both interventions were offered during online, individual meetings. This study included 29 participants, whom were struggling readers from grades five and six. The results showed significant effects for time, but not for intervention or intervention by time. Further, the students made more progress on the near transfer text than on the far transfer texts. These results suggest that it may be useful to implement online reading-tutoring interventions like the Universele Interventie voor Lezen and the Read-Along for struggling readers, although due to the lack of a no-tutoring control group, firm conclusions cannot be drawn.Show less
Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people's mental health. People were faced with stressors they had not previously encountered in which the effects of these...Show moreIntroduction: The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on people's mental health. People were faced with stressors they had not previously encountered in which the effects of these stressors can vary from person to person. Individuals with a history of childhood maltreatment may be more susceptible to stress, making them a vulnerable group. Social support can potentially serve as a protective factor for the degree of COVID-19 related stress. The aim of this study is to investigate whether the severity of childhood abuse is linked to the level of COVID-19 related stress. It is hypothesized that a more severe degree of childhood maltreatment will result in higher levels of COVID-19 related stress. Moreover, it is expected that social support will have a moderating role in this relationship. Methods: A total of 79 adolescents (𝑀𝑎𝑔𝑒= 22.4, SD = 2.645) were participating in the REACT-study in Cambridge. This study uses data collected with self-questionnaires during the first lockdown in April 2020. COVID-19 related stress was measured with the COVID-19 Adolescent Symptom and Psychological Experience Questionnaire (CASPE), the severity of childhood maltreatment was assessed with the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and social support was evaluated through the Childhood Friendship Questionnaire (CFQ). Results: No relationship was found between COVID-19-related stress and the severity of child maltreatment (F(1,73)=1.308, p=.256). Additionally, no moderating effect was observed for social support (p>.05). Nevertheless, a significant effect of social support on COVID-19-related stress was identified (r=-.395, p<.01). Discussion: This study found that individuals who experienced higher levels of child abuse did not exhibit higher levels of stress related to COVID-19. Friendships were found to have a positive impact on stress, which could be useful when designing stress interventions. However, more research is needed to confirm the role of social support in mitigating stress.Show less
Children at risk for future criminal behavior may display externalizing behavior which is linked to deficits in executive functions (EF). This study aimed to investigate this relationship between...Show moreChildren at risk for future criminal behavior may display externalizing behavior which is linked to deficits in executive functions (EF). This study aimed to investigate this relationship between EF and externalizing behavior in at-risk children for criminal behavior, as well as whether executive functions predicted behavioral change following preventive interventions to prevent future criminal behavior.Show less
