Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are often co-morbid, and their prevalence is increased in the student...Show moreAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are often co-morbid, and their prevalence is increased in the student population. The dynamics between self-regulation problems and ADHD, MDD, and GAD may reveal insights into the co-occurrence of the three disorders. The present study focused on psychological factors that support or threaten successful self-regulation. Using cross-sectional data, a network analysis was performed based on a sample of 902 students currently enrolled in higher education programs in the Netherlands. The analysis featured 17 commonly studied risk and protective factors associated with all three disorders. The network showed that irritability and impairments in daily functioning were shared problems between ADHD, MDD, and GAD. The network further suggested that impaired cognition and a propensity for procrastination are shared features of ADHD and MDD. ADHD and GAD did not share a direct relationship, diverging from previous assumptions. The findings highlight that the relationship between the disorders may depend on shared vulnerabilities and outcomes that act as bridges in the network. The study illustrates that psychological constructs need to be more clearly defined to move forward when researching co-morbidity beyond the level of symptoms.Show less
Objective: The period after successfully coming off treatment (SCOT) following a childhood cancer diagnosis is known to be a vulnerable time for parents in which increased levels of distress can...Show moreObjective: The period after successfully coming off treatment (SCOT) following a childhood cancer diagnosis is known to be a vulnerable time for parents in which increased levels of distress can play a significant role. It is important to know more about the distress experienced by parents during this period to determine whether an intervention should be used to help parents return to ‘normal life’. The aim of this study was therefore to gain better understanding of parental distress and factors related to their distress during the first year after their child has successfully completed treatment. Methods: A sample of 283 parents of children who had successfully completed cancer treatment in the previous year were included in this cross-sectional study. These parents, who were part of the SCOT group, were invited to complete the Distress Thermometer for Parents (DT-P) within one year after treatment completion. The DT-P consists of a thermometer score to measure experienced distress and problem domains (practical, social, emotional, physical, cognitive, and parenting). Parents in the SCOT group were compared with parents in the general population (NORM group) to see if their distress levels were higher. In addition, the association between distress and the problem domains and child- or parent-related factors (time since the end of treatment, cancer type, child’s age, parental disease, and perceived support) was examined. Results: Parents (73.9% mothers) in the SCOT group experienced higher levels of distress in the first year after SCOT compared to the general population (fathers SCOT: M=3.5, SD=2.6 vs. fathers NORM: M=2.8, SD=2.5; p=.032; mothers SCOT: M=4.1, SD=2.7 vs. mothers NORM: M=3.5, SD=2.7; p=.001). Emotional (p<.001), practical (p=.016), and physical (p=.005) problems were predictors of higher distress levels. Parents’ perceived support from their environment contributed also to their level of distress (p<.001). Conclusions: Parents of children who have successfully completed cancer treatment experience increased levels of distress in the first year after treatment compared to parents in the general population. There may be value in developing an intervention to ease this transition that specifically addresses their emotional well-being and highlights the importance of their social network during this vulnerable period.Show less
Abstract Introduction. Sickness Presenteeism (SP) describes the phenomenon of going to work despite being ill. As SP might be related to more burnout complaints and lower general health and is...Show moreAbstract Introduction. Sickness Presenteeism (SP) describes the phenomenon of going to work despite being ill. As SP might be related to more burnout complaints and lower general health and is associated with higher job demands and lower job resources, the influences of SP were investigated. The research contributed to previous research by targeting a general, diverse population and by exclusively focusing on health instead of motivational reasons for SP. Further, research that investigated the effects of SP as a moderator between working conditions and health factors was lacking. Thus, this study hypothesized, that higher job demands, and lower job resources increase burnout complaints and decrease general health and that this association is strengthened by SP. Methods. Altogether, 115 participants participated in this correlational study. Job resources and job demands were measured with the Demand-Control-Support questionnaire. A new SP variable was created for this research and tested for internal consistency. Burnout was measured with the Burnout-Assessment-Tool and general health with a one-item question. Two multiple regression analyses were conducted. The first analysis measured if higher job demands, and lower job resources were associated with (more) burnout complaints and how this association was moderated by SP. The second analysis measured the same association but with (lower) general health as an outcome variable. Results. SP did not moderate the relationship between job demands and burnout complaints (p=.20), job resources and burnout complaints (p=.70), job demands and general health (p=.49), and job resources and general health (p=.65). Consequently, all hypotheses were rejected. Job demands were directly related to more burnout complaints (p=.005). Discussion. This study found that high job demands were associated with higher burnout complaints in a general and diverse working population, highlighting the importance of reducing workloads. This study did not find significant SP interaction effects. Possible reasons could be sample size limitations and the statistical test choice. Network analyses might better measure a construct like SP, which includes many control factors and associations. According to this study, it seems that to increase general health and decrease burnout complaints, changing working conditions is more appropriate than addressing worker´s SP.Show less
Background: Individuals with psychotic disorders (PD) often experience cognitive challenges, particularly in executive functioning (EF), crucial for daily functioning. Sleep disruptions, notably...Show moreBackground: Individuals with psychotic disorders (PD) often experience cognitive challenges, particularly in executive functioning (EF), crucial for daily functioning. Sleep disruptions, notably insomnia, are prevalent in PD, worsening symptoms and affecting overall well-being and treatment outcomes. Moreover, individuals with PD frequently engage in cannabis use, which can further impact EF. Gender differences may also play a role in how cannabis affects EF, though findings are varied. This study aims to deepen our understanding of the interplay between insomnia, EF, and cannabis use in PD individuals, while considering gender influences. We hypothesize that higher insomnia rates correlate with poorer EF in PD, with cannabis mediating this relationship. Additionally, we expect gender disparities to influence how cannabis affects EF. This study sheds light on critical factors affecting cognitive function in PD, aiding in tailored intervention strategies. Method: Data were collected from a randomly selected sample of patients (N=262) undergoing treatment at a mental health care clinic in the South-western part of the Netherlands at time of inclusion. Participants, aged between 18 and 65 at inclusion, had a primary diagnosis of a psychotic disorder. The current study utilized data from the Lichamelijke Klachten Vragenlijst (LKV), the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function for Adults (BRIEF-A), and the Measurements in Addictions for Triage and Evaluation (MATE). Results: Significant correlations indicated a moderate positive association between insomnia and EF problems. However, mediation analysis did not support cannabis use as a mediator between insomnia and EF. Gender differences were explored through residual variances analysis, suggesting potential unaccounted factors impacting variability. Model fit indices revealed areas for improvement in explaining variance, warranting further examination and potential adjustments to refine the overall model fit. Conclusion: Higher rates of insomnia were related to higher rates of EF problems. There is no evidence for a mediating effect of cannabis use in this relationship. Gender differences did not seem to play a significant role in the effect of cannabis on EF. Future research should incorporate performance-based tasks alongside self-report measures to improve measurement precision. Future treatments could potentially benefit from incorporating interventions that address insomnia, as this may lead to potential enhancements in executive functioning.Show less
In dit artikel staat de volgende onderzoeksvraag centraal: Welke handvatten hebben de leerkrachten van een basisschool in een middelgrote stad nodig om formatief te evalueren? Hierbij werd verwacht...Show moreIn dit artikel staat de volgende onderzoeksvraag centraal: Welke handvatten hebben de leerkrachten van een basisschool in een middelgrote stad nodig om formatief te evalueren? Hierbij werd verwacht dat de leerkracht voornamelijk kennis over formatief evalueren en zelfvertrouwen in het toepassen hiervan nodig heeft. Om antwoord te geven op de onderzoeksvraag is in de literatuur gekeken naar de aspecten die belangrijk zijn voor het formatief evalueren. Vervolgens zijn op basisschool X interviews gehouden onder zes proefpersonen om te meten in hoeverre formatief evalueren reeds wordt toegepast. Deze interviews zijn vervolgens getranscribeerd en gecodeerd om een vergelijking met de literatuur te kunnen maken. Uit de vergelijking blijkt dat het voor leerkrachten op een basisschool in een middelgrote stad belangrijk is om de autonomie van de leerlingen te vergroten; flexibel te differentiëren in alle bouwen van de school; tijd in te plannen voor self- en peer-assessment en feedback te geven op regelmatige en vaststaande momenten om correct formatief te evalueren. In volgend onderzoek is het belangrijk om de steekproefgrootte uit te breiden, zodat de conclusie beter generaliseerbaar is naar verschillende scholen in middelgrote steden. Ook is het belangrijk om onderzoek te doen naar specifieke benodigdheden om elk handvat dat nu is aangereikt toe te passen in de klas.Show less
Understanding the social world around us is important to function in today’s society. Gaining understanding can be achieved through cognitive empathy. In the current study, the main question ‘Is...Show moreUnderstanding the social world around us is important to function in today’s society. Gaining understanding can be achieved through cognitive empathy. In the current study, the main question ‘Is the effect of acute stress on the level of cognitive empathy in female students moderated by experienced childhood trauma?’ has been examined in 119 female students between 18 and 25 years old (M = 21.19, SD = 1.66). The relationship between acute stress, cognitive empathy and experienced childhood trauma has been examined with three sub-questions that focus on 1. the effect of acute stress on cognitive empathy, 2. the effect of subjective acute stress on the level of cognitive empathy and 3. Is the effect of acute stress on cognitive empathy moderated by experienced childhood trauma? These questions have been answered with an experimental study with a between-subjects design and a sequentially assigned stress or no stress manipulation provided by the Trier Social Stress Test (Kirschbaum et al., 1993). Before and during the manipulation acute stress has been measured with the Visual Analogue Scale (Freyd, 1923). Cognitive empathy has been measured with the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (Baron-Cohen et al., 2001) and the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (Thombs et al., 2009) was used for measuring experienced childhood trauma. The current study shows no significant results for the main question and its sub-questions. This contributes to other studies who used the RMET to measure cognitive empathy and didn’t find any significant results, meaning they should use a different instrument in future research. In addition, it is important to re-examine the main research question using physiological measures of acute stress. This study contributes to the scientific knowledge of this moderation effect, but more research is needed to get a better understanding and help for people who experienced childhood trauma.Show less
This thesis describes an experimental study with a between-subjects and within-subjects design on the possibility to train inferential skills by using expository video. Over the past years the...Show moreThis thesis describes an experimental study with a between-subjects and within-subjects design on the possibility to train inferential skills by using expository video. Over the past years the level of reading comprehension among Dutch students decreases. A low motivation may perhaps explain this downward trend. One way to increase the motivation of Dutch students could be by using digital resources. Inferential skills are crucial during reading to create a mental representation of the text. This is an important part of reading comprehension. This research focusses on the progression in inferential skills of students, when these skills are taught using expository video. The progression made is compared to the progression in inferential skills of students who were taught inferential skills using expository text, and students in the control condition. Furthermore, the relation between this progression and the level of reading fluency was studied. Participants were 105 Dutch student (age 8 to 11 years) in grade six from four different primary schools. They were randomly assigned to one of the conditions, namely video condition, text condition and control condition, where they received either eight trainings with expository video or text, or no training at all. The inferential skills of all participants were tested using a pretest and a posttest, before and after the training was given. Results show that the training, either with expository video or text, is not effective in teaching inferential skills to Dutch students in grade six. In addition was the level of reading fluency not related to the effectivity of the training with expository video or text.Show less
Background: Childhood emotional maltreatment by a primary caregiver is a key predictor for PTSD symptoms, yet limited research explores connections with specific symptoms, especially in children....Show moreBackground: Childhood emotional maltreatment by a primary caregiver is a key predictor for PTSD symptoms, yet limited research explores connections with specific symptoms, especially in children. Literature reports gender differences on emotional maltreatment and the experience of PTSD, so it is worth investigating the existence of differences when looking at separate symptoms. Objective: This study aims to investigate the correlation between childhood emotional maltreatment and PTSD symptomatology and identify gender differences in children and adolescents. Method: A sample of 237 children (mean age 15.5) with PTSD symptoms from a Dutch mental health institution (2012-2015) underwent assessment using anonymous questionnaires. Network analysis examined partial correlations between emotional abuse, neglect, intrusions, avoidance, arousal, and negative mood. Results: The network analysis showed a high correlation between emotional abuse and most PTSD symptoms. However, emotional neglect only exhibited a strong association with emotional abuse. Gender differences in how emotional maltreatment and PTSD symptoms interacted were found. Girls reported higher PTSD symptoms and emotional maltreatment than boys. Conclusions: This study highlights the important role of childhood emotional maltreatment in the development of PTSD, among children and adolescents. These results emphasize the need for the customization of PTSD treatment based on the type of maltreatment and gender.Show less
There are many instruments available to measure parental sensitivity, however each has its own limitations. In search of a more efficient instrument, an adapted mini-MBQS is proposed, in which...Show moreThere are many instruments available to measure parental sensitivity, however each has its own limitations. In search of a more efficient instrument, an adapted mini-MBQS is proposed, in which parents sort the cards instead of professionals. In this study, parent’s accuracy to report about their own parental sensitivity with this adapted Q-sort was explored. Additionally, it has been explored whether sex of the parent and parental reflective functioning influence parent’s accuracy on the Q-sort. To answer these questions, two online home visits were conducted with twenty parent-child pairs. During the home visits parent and child played together. Afterwards, the parent sorted the Q-sort about how sensitive s/he thought s/he was to the child during the play task. The play task was recorded and later coded on parental sensitivity with the Ainsworth Maternal Sensitivity Scale by a professional. Furthermore, parents filled in a questionnaire between the two online home visits, which contained questions about the family’s background and parental reflective functioning. The results from parent-reported and observed sensitivity were compared, which showed a positive, but weak and non-significant correlation of .22, suggesting a mismatch between parent’s own judgement and that of a professional about the level of sensitive parenting. Next, two ANCOVAs were conducted and showed that sex of the parent (F (1,16) < .01; p = .95) and parental reflective functioning (F (1,16) = .06; p = .81) did not moderate the relationship between observed and parent-reported sensitivity. From these results, it can be concluded that parents are not accurate when reporting about their parental sensitivity with the Q-sort. In addition, the results showed that gender or self-reported level of parental reflective functioning do not influence this accuracy. Therefore, it is not recommended to use the current form of the adapted MBQS as an instrument to measure parental sensitivity.Show less
Parental sensitivity refers to the degree to which parents are aware of their child’s signals, and respond quickly and appropriately to those signals. This parental sensitivity plays an important...Show moreParental sensitivity refers to the degree to which parents are aware of their child’s signals, and respond quickly and appropriately to those signals. This parental sensitivity plays an important role in raising children. In this study, correlations between sensitive parenting, parental self-confidence in raising children, child temperament and child age were investigated. Twenty-one parents participated in an online meeting in which they played for eight minutes with their 3-5 year-old child. Two to four weeks after the first meeting, parents participated in a second online meeting in which they also played for eight minutes with their child. After the first meeting, parents filled in a questionnaire about their sensitivity, their self-confidence in raising their child, and child temperament. The following questions were investigated: ‘are parental self-confidence in raising children and parental sensitivity correlated?’; ‘is child temperament or parental self-confidence in raising children more closely correlated with parental sensitivity?’; and ‘to what extent does child temperament affect the correlation between child age and parental sensitivity?’. Using a correlation, multiple regression and moderator analysis, no correlations were found. Parental sensitivity was not correlated to parental self-confidence in raising children, child temperament or child age. These results indicate that interventions for increasing parental sensitivity must not focus on parental self-confidence or child temperament, but for example on how parents can practice sensitive parenting or how parents can react sensitively when their child is angry.Show less
Teenagers spend a lot of time online, which may cause worry to their parents as the internet can bring a lot of risks. To protect their children from these dangers, parents might implement rules or...Show moreTeenagers spend a lot of time online, which may cause worry to their parents as the internet can bring a lot of risks. To protect their children from these dangers, parents might implement rules or restrictions of phone use for their teenagers. These restrictions can keep them away from risky apps or reduce their time online. However, it is unknown if these restrictions result in less encounters of dangerous situations. This study focusses specifically on exposure to sexual content online. The aim of this study is to find out if there is a relation between phone restrictions someone might have had while growing up and exposure to sexual online content. Participants were asked to anonymously fill in an online questionnaire about their online experiences and possible phone restrictions. Using this data, an ordinal regression analysis was used to examine the relation between the presence of phone restrictions and the exposure to sexual content online. In addition, this study looks if there is a relation between what type of restriction someone might have had and the type of online exposure to sexual content: unwanted exposure and wanted exposure for the participant. The results of this study have found no significant effect, implying there is no relationship between the presence of phone restrictions and exposure to online sexual content. Furthermore, no evidence was found to indicate a relationship between the type of restrictions and wanted exposure to online sexual content. Only a significant, positive relationship was found between a limited screen time and wanted exposure to online sexual content.Show less
During this study, the decision-making process of ‘de Jeugdbeschermingstafel’ in complex divorce was examined. ‘De Jeugdbeschermingstafel’ from the Netherlands is a multidisciplinary meeting there...Show moreDuring this study, the decision-making process of ‘de Jeugdbeschermingstafel’ in complex divorce was examined. ‘De Jeugdbeschermingstafel’ from the Netherlands is a multidisciplinary meeting there professionals from various fields and parents come together to assess and discuss the well-being and safety of a child or young person who may be at risk. At ‘de Jeugdbeschermingstafel’, an assessment is conducted to determine the necessity of conducting a counsil investigation (‘raadsonderzoek’). It was examined whether this decision-making differs between families with a high or low socioeconomic status who are going through a complex divorce. The main question of study was: ‘To what extent is a complex divorce related to a custody investigation, and is this relationship moderated by the socioeconomic status of parents?’ To investigate this question a correlational research design was used. For this study, various research requests from ‘de Jeugdbeschermingstafel’ across the Netherlands were investigated. These research requests had been anonymized, read and coded. Seventy-one requests of investigations have been utilized. The distribution between complex divorce and non-complex divorce cases, as well as between socio-economic disadvantage and no socio-economic disadvantage could be improved. It was expected that a counseling investigation would be chosen more often for families going through complex divorce than for families without complex divorces, particularly in cases of high socioeconomic status, as these divorces tend to be more prolonged. Results showed that ‘de Jeugdbeschermingstafel’ does not indicate custody investigation more often for families with complex divorces, than it does in families without complex divorces. Furthermore, this relationship is not moderated by the socioeconomic status of families. However, due to the use of a small sample, this conclusion may be challenging to generalize to the broader population.Show less
