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
Changes in social cognition, encompassing all cognitive processes that underlie social interaction, have been noted in various types of dementia. Theory of Mind (ToM) is a key aspect of social...Show moreChanges in social cognition, encompassing all cognitive processes that underlie social interaction, have been noted in various types of dementia. Theory of Mind (ToM) is a key aspect of social cognition, defined as the ability to understand the mental state of another person, including their emotions, intentions and beliefs. Cartoon tests aim to adopt humour using cartoon jokes to assess ToM. In this study, a new Dutch cartoon test aimed to be applicable in clinical assessment of dementia was developed and validated. The test includes 12 cartoons (6 requiring ToM to understand the joke and 6 that do not), which were collected through an extensive search and were rated by experts (n = 17) on content and funniness. Normative data for the selected cartoons was obtained by control participants (n = 39), through annotation of these, scoring categories were formed. The test was then validated in a clinical sample, including patients referred to a memory clinic for cognitive complaints and suspected dementia (n = 9), in an observational cross-sectional study with a case-control type selection of participants. Patients were expected to score lower on the cartoon test than controls. An ANCOVA with demographic variables as covariates was performed: no significant differences between patients (n = 9) and control participants (n = 9) were found (p > .05). Further, the internal validity (Cronbach’s α of .864 for the total cartoon test) and convergent validity of test was good. Divergent validity was found to be questionable. Regarding demographics: females were expected to score higher than males; older participants were expected to score higher than younger participants; and higher educated participants were expected to score higher than lower educated participants on the cartoon test. A Mann-Whitney U analysis showed no gender differences (p > .05); assessment of Spearman-rank order correlation coefficients showed age was significant in its negative relation to cartoon test performance (p < .05); and education level significant in its positive relation to test performance (p < .05). Future investigation with a larger patient sample including differential dementia diagnoses is recommended to substantiate the results and make the test clinically applicable.Show less
Background: Many patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) suffer from self-stigma. Self-stigma can lead to a decrease in recovery speed and treatment adherence. Psychoeducation for depression...Show moreBackground: Many patients with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) suffer from self-stigma. Self-stigma can lead to a decrease in recovery speed and treatment adherence. Psychoeducation for depression has shown to be effective in improving treatment adherence and self-stigma. In recent years, researchers investigated Virtual reality (VR) as a potential tool in the treatment of depression. Studies have shown that VR interventions can reduce, among other things, self-stigma and depressive symptoms. We investigated the impact of a VR experience combined with psychoeducation compared to traditional, non-VR psychoeducation on self-stigma and depressive symptoms in individuals with MDD. We expected the VR intervention to have a more positive effect in reducing self-stigma and depressive symptoms than non-VR. Methods: The 31 recruited participants, aged 18-65 years old, were randomized into two groups: VR and non-VR. Two 360-degree VR videos were developed to experience a day in the life of a patient with depression. Self-stigma and depressive symptoms were measured before intervention (T0), directly after intervention (T1, only self-stigma), after 1 week (T2), and a follow-up after 10 weeks (T3). A repeated measures ANOVA was used for comparing the treatment groups. Results: Contrary to the hypothesis, the repeated measures ANOVA results indicated no significant interaction effect between time and treatment group for self-stigma (p = .393). In terms of depressive symptoms, a repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant interaction effect between time and treatment group (p = .027), with a medium effect size (η2 = .095). Post hoc testing using Bonferroni showed that non-VR significantly decreased depressive symptoms across different time points compared to VR. Additionally, post hoc testing revealed that self-stigma and depressive symptoms may be positively correlated. Conclusion: No significant difference was found between the two treatment conditions in terms of decreasing self-stigma. However, the non-VR condition demonstrated a significant decrease in depressive symptoms compared to the VR condition. Additionally, positive correlations were observed between self-stigma and depressive symptoms, which emphasize the value of incorporating psychoeducation into treatment plans for people with MDD.Show less
Abstract Objectives: Adverse Life Events (ALEs) are seen as a risk factor for both psychiatric and cognitive difficulties later in life. There is a growing interest in understanding the...Show moreAbstract Objectives: Adverse Life Events (ALEs) are seen as a risk factor for both psychiatric and cognitive difficulties later in life. There is a growing interest in understanding the relationship between ALEs and their impact on the developing individual due to the various types of consequences of ALEs (e.g., anxiety, substance use, depression, attention deficits, or language impairments). This study aimed to identify the relationship between the moment of the occurrence of ALEs (i.e., age) and intelligence (i.e., IQ) in adolescents who have experienced one or multiple ALE(s). It was hypothesized that more experiences of ALEs endured during a lifetime led to lower intelligence as experiences of ALEs lead to lower intelligence. Furthermore, it was expected that ALEs during early childhood led to lower intelligence as these experiences may result in smaller brain volume, which is associated with decreased intelligence. Additionally, experiences of ALEs during late childhood were expected to predict lower intelligence as these children tend to have a more thorough understanding of their endured ALEs. This study also examined the moderating effect of marijuana use on the relationship between age and intelligence. Here, the expectation was that individuals who reported marijuana use had lower intelligence as substance use can have a negative effect on intelligence. Methods: In total, 713 adolescents were included in this cross-sectional study design. Adolescents with a high risk to develop psychiatric disorders were oversampled for the cohort used. During this study, ALEs were assessed with the Adverse Life Events questionnaire. Intelligence was assessed with the Snijders-Oomen Non-Verbal Intelligence Test-Revised. Marijuana use was measured by using a single item of the Self-Reported Early Delinquency scale. Results: Multiple linear regressions were conducted in this study. The analyses showed that more lifetime experiences of ALEs predicted lower intelligence (partial r = -.090, p < .001). This study did not find evidence for a decrease in intelligence when experiencing ALE at a younger age. The study did find evidence that experiences of ALE at an older age predicted lower intelligence (partial r = -.088, p = .019). However, when controlling for age, gender, and socioeconomic status this effect did not remain significant (partial r = -.019, p = .607). These confounders most likely confounded the effect. No evidence was found for a stronger relationship between ALE and intelligence among marijuana users. Conclusions: In line with the expectations, more lifetime ALEs seem to negatively affect intelligence. Contradictory to the expectations, this study found that the timing of ALEs did not play a role in the relationship between ALEs and intelligence. This may be attributed to the study design where all different ALE types were combined in a total sum score and were not examined individually.Show less
