Achtergrond Wereldwijd zijn er 89,3 miljoen mensen gedwongen op de vlucht. De prevalentie van mentale ziektes zoals post-traumatische stressstoornis (PTSS), depressie en angst is hoger bij...Show moreAchtergrond Wereldwijd zijn er 89,3 miljoen mensen gedwongen op de vlucht. De prevalentie van mentale ziektes zoals post-traumatische stressstoornis (PTSS), depressie en angst is hoger bij vluchtelingen dan bij mensen die niet op de vlucht zijn. Er zijn verschillende behandelmethoden ontwikkelt die proberen de mate van PTSS, depressie en angst te verminderen, zoals cognitieve gedragstherapie (CGT), narrative exposure therapie (NET) of eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). Door culturele overtuigingen kunnen symptomen van mentale ziektes en denkbeelden over behandelmethoden verschillen tussen culturen. Het doel van deze systematische review is om door middel van een meta-analyse te achterhalen of er verschil is in de effectiviteit van psychosociale behandelmethoden voor PTSS, depressie en angst bij westerse versus niet westerse vluchtelingen. Resultaten Psychosociale behandelmethoden hebben een significant verlagend effect op de mate van PTSS, depressie en angst bij vluchtelingen. Voor PTSS is dit effect z = -13.883, p < .001, voor depressie is dit effect z = -9.062, p < .001 en voor angst is dit effect z = -9.375, p < .001. Er is geen significant verschil gevonden tussen de effectiviteit van behandelmethoden voor PTSS, depressie en angst voor westerse versus niet-westerse vluchtelingen. Conclusie De meta-analyse toont aan dat de psychosociale behandelmethoden de mate van PTSS, depressie en angst significant verminderen bij vluchtelingen. Er zijn geen significante verschillen in effectiviteit van de behandelmethoden tussen westerse versus niet-westerse vluchtelingen gevonden waaruit geconcludeerd kan worden dat de behandelmethoden voor alle vluchtelingen even goed inzetbaar zijn.Show less
Refugees form a population with a high prevalence of psychological disorders relative to non-refugee populations (WHO, 2021). It has been suggested that cultural adaptation of psychological...Show moreRefugees form a population with a high prevalence of psychological disorders relative to non-refugee populations (WHO, 2021). It has been suggested that cultural adaptation of psychological treatments can help to optimise the effectiveness of treatments for refugees, but there is a lack of clear research on this topic. The current work addresses this by investigating the following research question: Are culturally adapted psychological treatments more effective than non-adapted treatments in reducing symptoms of PTSD, depression and anxiety in refugees? It is hypothesized that culturally adapted treatments are more effective than non-adapted treatments. The research question is explored by performing a meta-analysis of treatment effects from a selection of studies. Results from the meta-analysis show significant treatment effects of culturally adapted treatments and non-adapted treatments for PTSD, depression and anxiety. However, no significant differences in treatment effects were found between culturally adapted treatments and non-adapted treatments. Therefore, the conclusion is that culturally adapted treatments for PTSD, depression and anxiety are not more effective for refugees than non-adapted treatments. The main implication of this is that it might not be necessary for clinicians and researchers to invest in cultural adaptation of psychological treatments.Show less
The Covid-19 pandemic has plunged many countries into a lockdown affecting the daily lives of students by limiting access to almost all public venues including universities. Students with pre...Show moreThe Covid-19 pandemic has plunged many countries into a lockdown affecting the daily lives of students by limiting access to almost all public venues including universities. Students with pre-existing mental health disorders might be more susceptible to the negative effects associated with Covid-19 on their levels of anxiety. This research compared the experienced anxiety levels and duration between students with and without pre-existing mental health disorders and determined if these effects were persistent after one-year of lockdown. Differences between the types of mental health disorders were also explored. Students (N = 478) from three different courses were asked to fill out an online questionnaire about their mental health history and experienced anxiety during the Covid-19 pandemic. Students suffering from pre-existing mental health disorders (n = 167) experienced significantly greater anxiety levels and this anxiety is of greater duration compared to otherwise healthy students (n = 311). These effects persisted over a one-year period. Nationality of students significantly contributed to the levels of experienced anxiety with non-Dutch students reporting higher levels of anxiety relative to Dutch students. No apparent differences between the types of mental health disorder were found. Students with a mental health history seem to be impacted more by the pandemic. Underlying reasons may include decreased psychological flexibility and inadequate coping strategies to counteract the drastic changes experienced by the pandemic and ensuing lockdown. These findings demonstrate the vulnerable position some students are in and emphasises the need for the development of prevention programs and adequate treatment.Show less
