Suicide attempts are a major global public health concern with wide-ranging tragic consequences. Trait anger has been shown to be a predictor of suicide attempts in past studies, with people higher...Show moreSuicide attempts are a major global public health concern with wide-ranging tragic consequences. Trait anger has been shown to be a predictor of suicide attempts in past studies, with people higher in trait anger having an increased risk of attempting suicide. Nevertheless, the underlying mechanisms as to why this relationship persists are still mostly unknown. The aim of this research was to investigate the prospective relationship between trait anger and suicide attempts. Based on the idea that frequent anger may harm social relationships, we proposed loneliness to mediate the relationship between trait anger and suicide attempts. The study design was longitudinal, and data was collected using ecological momentary assessment over a study period of one year. The sample consisted of participants with a history of suicide attempt or suicidal ideation (N = 65). Survival analysis was used to analyze the data. Against our predictions, higher trait anger was not related to an increased risk of attempting suicide. The hypothesized mediation effect of loneliness was also not significant. Possible reasons for this may be sample characteristics and our operationalizations of trait anger and loneliness. Nevertheless, our findings contribute to the literature on suicide attempts by utilizing comprehensive data collection and analysis methodologies as well as proposing important considerations for future research. Awareness of suicide attempts and corresponding prevention interventions are discussed.Show less
Anxiety is a prevalent mental health disorder among children and adolescents, affecting over 30% of individuals aged 13 to 18 years and can lead to significant long-term consequences if left...Show moreAnxiety is a prevalent mental health disorder among children and adolescents, affecting over 30% of individuals aged 13 to 18 years and can lead to significant long-term consequences if left untreated. Parental behaviour and mental health play pivotal roles in the development and persistence of childhood anxiety. One empirically supported preventative option is a group-based parenting intervention that is targeted to children with sub-clinical anxiety symptoms. Although this type of intervention focuses on reducing sub-clinical anxiety symptoms in children indirectly by working through the parents, some gains for the parents themselves have been hypothesised. In analogous research exploring universal group- based interventions and interventions for conduct disorder, parents have benefitted from these interventions themselves. Proposed mechanisms for this secondary effect include symptom reduction in the child and cognitive-behavioural changes in their parents, as parents may apply the techniques to themselves as well. Together, these lead to a reduction in stress in the wider family and parent marital relationship. Despite research into this mechanism in treatment of other disorders, there has been no such study directed at childhood anxiety specifically. Accordingly, the current systematic review and meta- analysis investigated the impact of targeted group-based parenting interventions on parental mental health in childhood anxiety prevention. It was predicted that results would mirror prior analogous research with the interventions positively impacting parental mental health. In January 2024, PsychInfo and relevant meta-analyses were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of targeted group-based parenting interventions for childhood anxiety. A total of 193 articles were screened by independent researchers, identifying 11 eligible studies. A mixed-effects model was used, and a moderation analysis was conducted to investigate potential sources of heterogeneity, exploring low- and high-intensity interventions. This did not account for the observed heterogeneity. While previous research indicated positive effects of these interventions on parental mental health, the current meta-analysis found no effect. Limitations, including variability in measures across studies and the absence of pre-existing psychopathology in parents, may account for the observed results. Future research should address these limitations, considering parental characteristics and extend the scope of the review by including additional databases in the literature search.Show less
Background:. This project investigates the effectiveness of a peer-led exposure therapy to help adolescents with mild-to-borderline intellectual disability (MBID) and a clinical level of anxiety...Show moreBackground:. This project investigates the effectiveness of a peer-led exposure therapy to help adolescents with mild-to-borderline intellectual disability (MBID) and a clinical level of anxiety symptoms. Focus groups were held to assess the implications of this mode of therapy. In this thesis the importance of matching between the peer and the adolescent as well as the possible characteristics to use during matching were assessed. Method: We assessed 40 stakeholders divided into three groups (15 therapists, 17 experienced experts and 8 parents of youth with MBID) by conducting 1 to 1.5 hour focus-groups or 45 minute individual interviews. Transcriptions were coded and afterwards both qualitatively (thematic analysis) and quantitatively analysed (chi-square tests and Fisher’s exact test). Results: Matching was found to be important by all groups, though therapists found it less important than the other stakeholders (3.2% of the transcription compared to 5.5% and 4.5%). Possible characteristics to match on were equal age, experiencing a connection, similar levels of social-emotional competence and same type of anxiety. The three stakeholder groups did not agree on how the characteristic intelligence should be implemented in the matching process. Conclusions: This study reveals the importance that is attributed to the process of matching between a peer and an adolescent with MBID and anxiety by the three stakeholder groups. Possible characteristics to match on are suggested.Show less
This study examines the effectiveness of gain-framed messages in promoting psychological detachment among self-employed workers and the moderating role of financial stress and message involvement....Show moreThis study examines the effectiveness of gain-framed messages in promoting psychological detachment among self-employed workers and the moderating role of financial stress and message involvement. A two-wave online study was conducted with a sample size of 350 participants. The three conditions in this study were those receiving work performance gain messages, health gain messages and control group. The results show that gain-framed messages had no significant effect on psychological detachment. In fact, the control group showed significantly higher levels of detachment than those who received gain-framed messages, which could indicate a reactance effect in which individuals resist attempts to change their behaviour. Financial stress was not a significant moderator in the message type on psychological detachment. Message involvement was also not a significant moderator of gain-framed messages on psychological detachment. These findings suggests to find alternative strategies to motivate self-employed workers to psychologically detach from work.Show less
Background. There is a growing body of research indicating the importance of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to evaluate quality of life. The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is...Show moreBackground. There is a growing body of research indicating the importance of patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) to evaluate quality of life. The health-related quality of life (HRQoL) is additionally of increasing interest when examining individuals with chronic conditions. PROMs can enhance patient care and monitor progress, possibly contributing to the improvement of HRQoL. The purpose of the current study was to compare the self-reported HRQoL of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and patients who were three months post-stroke. Methods. A sample of n = 419 patients with ALS (66.1% male, mean age M = 65) and a sample of N = 360 patients with a stroke (60.3% male, mean age M = 70) completed the Patient-Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Global Health (PROMIS-10). Analyses were performed to compare the physical and mental HRQoL scores between the patient samples. Prior research has established Dutch reference norms for the PROMIS-10. Since the current study took place in the Netherlands, the results of the patient samples were also compared to the scores of the Dutch population. Additional analyses examined the influence of covariates such as age and sex. Results. The results showed that patients with a stroke reported significantly lower mental HRQoL than the general population, with a mean difference of T = -0.96 (p < .05). Patients in the ALS sample did not report significantly different mental HRQoL compared to stroke or the general population. Regarding physical HRQoL, ALS reported significantly lower scores than the stroke sample, with a mean difference of T = -2.69 (p < .001), as well as the general population (T = -5.71, p < .001). Age did not have a significant influence on the self-reported HRQoL. Finally, analyses revealed that the women (n = 285) of both patient populations reported lower physical and mental HRQoL than men, with mean differences of T = -2.11 (p < .001) and T = -1.47 (p = .015), respectively. Conclusion. Patients with ALS reported significantly lower physical HRQoL than patients who were three months post-stroke. There were no significant differences in the self-reported mental HRQoL. Compared to the general Dutch population, patients with ALS and patients with stroke both reported lower physical HRQoL, while patients with stroke also reported lower mental HRQoL. The findings of the current study provide support for the integration of HRQoL short-form measures such as PROMIS-10 into clinical care, to identify the need for intervention or for monitoring progress.Show less
Background: This study on gut feelings investigates the correlation between microdiversity in the gut and cognitive reactivity in the brain with sex as a potential moderator. Research on potential...Show moreBackground: This study on gut feelings investigates the correlation between microdiversity in the gut and cognitive reactivity in the brain with sex as a potential moderator. Research on potential correlations and moderators is relevant to gain further insight into the networks involved in the gut-brain axis. The findings can influence treatment approaches in the field of clinical psychology to a greater focus on the gutbrain axis. Two hypotheses were examined: 1) a higher microdiversity in the gut is correlated with less emotion regulation difficulties, and 2) there are sex differences in the correlation between microdiversity and emotion regulation. Methods: This research was an observational between-subjects design with a total number of 75 participants. The primary outcome was the alpha score, assessed with the Shannon Index, which gives insight into individual microdiversity. The Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale was used to assess self-reported difficulties in emotion regulation to have insight into individual cognitive reactivity. Sex was conceptualised as the moderator variable. A correlational analysis for alpha scores and DERS scores was carried out, followed by a multiple regression analysis, which tested for a moderation with the variable sex. Results: There was no evidence for a negative correlation between high microdiversity and few emotion regulation difficulties. Sex did not have a significant moderation on this correlation either. Implications: Further research is needed on the gut-brain axis and sex differences in gut microdiversity and emotion regulation to adapt the treatment of stress-related disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or other anxiety-related disorders from a cognitive- to a more holistic approach.Show less
This study explored cognitive function in patients with hypothyroidism who continue to experience complaints despite achieving biochemical euthyroidism with standard care. These subjective...Show moreThis study explored cognitive function in patients with hypothyroidism who continue to experience complaints despite achieving biochemical euthyroidism with standard care. These subjective complaints are related to fatigue and subjective feelings of cognitive difficulties. Although the link between untreated hypothyroidism and neurocognitive complaints has been thoroughly studied, there is limited data on such complaints among treated hypothyroid patients experiencing cognitive complaints, despite its clinical relevance in their care. This study evaluated whether patients with feelings of cognitive difficulties show objective cognitive deficits in attention, working memory, learning ability, executive function, and psychomotor speed. Additionally, the study investigated whether health-related quality of life (hr-QoL) could be predicted by objective overall neurocognitive function. The cognitive domains were measured in patients with hypothyroidism and subjective complaints despite normalized levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) (N = 17) using several standardized tests and compared to normative data with one sample t-tests. To measure hr-QoL, a widely used thyroid patient-reported questionnaire was used. Subsequently, a linear regression analysis was conducted to determine the predictive relationship between objective cognitive function on hr-QoL. Patients showed significantly lower test scores on the domains of working memory (p < .001, Cohen’s d = .69) and memory and learning (p = .008, Cohen’s d = .77). The total composite score of the objective test measures was not a determinant of hr-QoL (p = .963, R² = 0.00). The observed memory deficiencies emphasize the importance of addressing subjective cognitive complaints, while the absence of significant deficiencies in the other domains highlights the complexity of the relationship between subjective and objective neurocognitive measures. Additionally, this study did not find a predictive relationship between cognitive test scores and hr-QoL, which calls for future investigation into individual cognitive domains or other explanations for the lower hr-QoL of this patient group. This is the first study that distinguished the patient group experiencing subjective neurocognitive complaints from the overall group of patients with hypothyroidism. Consequently, this research contributes valuable insights to enhance future care in managing neurocognitive symptoms, particularly for the subgroup that frequently discusses such concerns with their healthcare provider.Show less
Objective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by a wide range of symptoms, of which physical and cognitive impairments are prominent. Cognitive functioning in...Show moreObjective: Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neurological disorder characterized by a wide range of symptoms, of which physical and cognitive impairments are prominent. Cognitive functioning in MS has received increasing attention due to its significant impact on quality of life. However, the exact relationship between physical functioning and cognitive functioning in people with MS (PwMS) remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to explore the predictive value of physical outcome measures on cognitive functioning. Furthermore, the influence of disease severity and anxiety and depression on the relationship between physical outcome measures and cognitive functioning is explored. Methods: Conducted as part of the ‘Don’t be late!’ project, this study included 23 PwMS (Mean age = 46.63, SD = 11.13; 60.9 % female). Physical functioning was assessed using balance, walking speed, grip strength, dexterity and endurance. Furthermore, cognitive functioning was assessed using the Minimal Assessment of Cognitive Functions in MS and disease severity and anxiety and depression were measured using the Expanded Disability Status Scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, respectively. Multiple regression analyses were performed to determine the predictive value of physical functioning on cognitive functioning. Mediation analyses were performed with disease severity and anxiety and depression as mediating factors. Results: No significant model for the predictive value of physical outcome measures on cognitive functioning was found (p = .117). Furthermore, the study found no significant mediating effects of disease severity (p = .979) or anxiety and depression (p = .633) on this relationship. Due to missing values on the Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT), a post-hoc analysis was conducted. Significant effects were found for the predictive value of balance (p = .016), dexterity (p = .045) and walking speed (p = .008) on cognitive functioning. Conclusion: The study identified significant links between balance, dexterity, walking speed, and cognitive functioning in PwMS. It faced limitations including a small sample size and its cross-sectional nature. Despite these limitations, this study suggests that the interplay between physical and cognitive domains in MS is multifaceted and warrants more nuance investigation.Show less
This research was performed to see how useful dynamic testing of reading and writing would be for children with and without dyslexia and to explore the relationship between dynamic testing of...Show moreThis research was performed to see how useful dynamic testing of reading and writing would be for children with and without dyslexia and to explore the relationship between dynamic testing of reading and writing and intelligence, specifically fluid and crystallised intelligence. To research this, this research had an experimental pretest-training-posttest design with two groups—dyslexic and non-dyslexic—as well as two conditions—training and no-training. The participants were children in primary school between the ages of 7 and 9. The study consisted of two sessions: a preliminary investigation and a dynamic test. The dynamic test used was the EPALE-NL. It consists of four subtests: phonemic awareness, prosodic awareness, sounds and verbs, and context words. A significant difference was found between the group that was trained and the group that was not trained, in specific for the subtest prosodic awareness, with the trained group showing more improvement in accuracy. For the performance on the posttest by the dyslexic group and non-dyslexic group, no significant difference was found between the groups. No significant relationship was found between the gain score and fluid and crystallised intelligence. Dynamic testing of reading and writing has shown potential to be used in the classroom for its previously discovered benefits, as well as its ability to teach both dyslexics and non-dyslexics of varying intelligence.Show less
In order to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change (e.g. increase in the global average temperature), it is important to transition to renewable energy sources, such as onshore wind energy...Show moreIn order to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change (e.g. increase in the global average temperature), it is important to transition to renewable energy sources, such as onshore wind energy, that contribute to the reduction of one of the main cause of climate change, namely global CO2 emissions. The successful implementation of wind farms largely depends on the community acceptance of the wind project. Previous studies have shown that providing citizens with a voice opportunity results in higher levels of wind farms project acceptance via increase in the perception of fair decision making and trust in the project developer. The current study was conducted on a sample of UK citizens (N = 450). It used an experimental scenario to replicate these findings and additionally to examine whether the effects of voice opportunity on project acceptance depend on expectations regarding receiving voice opportunity. We manipulated voice expectations and voice opportunity, and found support that voice opportunity has positive effects on community acceptance of wind farm projects. Additionally, we found support for our prediction that these effects are mediated by perceived procedural fairness and trust in the project developer. We did not find support about the moderating role of voice expectations on the effects of voice opportunity on project acceptance. We discussed the implications of these findings for research and practice.Show less
The current study investigated interactions in Dutch adolescents (N = 160, M age = 15.45) between alexithymia, self-concept clarity, and emotional regulation, as well as gender differences, using...Show moreThe current study investigated interactions in Dutch adolescents (N = 160, M age = 15.45) between alexithymia, self-concept clarity, and emotional regulation, as well as gender differences, using data from the first time-point of a longitudinal study. Participants completed the Alexithymia questionnaire for children (AQC), self-concept clarity scale (SCC), and strengths and difficulties questionnaire (SDQ). Results showed a negative relationship between self-concept clarity and alexithymia. In addition, the relationship between self-concept clarity and emotional regulation was partially mediated by alexithymia, and this effect was stronger in females than males. Females demonstrated better emotional regulation, but contrarily to prior research, no significant gender differences were identified in alexithymia or self-concept clarity. In this study, the complexity of these psychological constructs is highlighted, emphasizing the need for targeted interventions for improving adolescent emotional regulation and self-concept clarity. Developing a better understanding of emotional disorders and improving adolescent mental health through further research into gender differences and alexithymia-focused interventions could be beneficial.Show less
In an educational setting, every individual may not have equal access to opportunities (such as educational or financial resources) or outcomes (such as grades or evaluations), which could create a...Show moreIn an educational setting, every individual may not have equal access to opportunities (such as educational or financial resources) or outcomes (such as grades or evaluations), which could create a sense of inequality in the individual. Individuals may then attribute these inequalities to their personal efforts and abilities or to their circumstances. Past studies have focused on associations between inequalities (such as social or gender inequality) and educational aspirations (e.g., Guyon & Huillery, 2017; Chen et al., 2022). The present study assesses the main effects of perceived inequality and the attribution of outcomes to internal or external factors (also known as locus of control) on educational aspirations. The study also assesses whether the academic locus of control significantly moderates the impact of perceived inequality on educational aspirations. Utilizing a 1 (continuous measure of academic locus of control) x 3 (inequality: control vs. perception of inequality of outcome vs perception of inequality of opportunity) study design, participants’ aspiration scores were assessed. The participants included N= 190 students enrolled in an undergraduate program. The results from a moderated multiple regression analysis indicated that perceived inequality did not significantly affect educational aspirations. Academic locus of control significantly positively affected aspirations. Academic locus of control also has a significant moderating effect on the impact of inequality. Specifically simple effects analysis indicated that perceived inequality has a significant positive effect on educational aspirations when there is an external locus of control. The study provides an understanding that inequality in an educational context may not impact every individual in the same manner and may differ according to specific factors (such as locus of control).Show less
Many problems in the world are social dilemmas wherein uncertainty whether collective efforts are effective is a threat to cooperation. This experiment investigates whether productivity uncertainty...Show moreMany problems in the world are social dilemmas wherein uncertainty whether collective efforts are effective is a threat to cooperation. This experiment investigates whether productivity uncertainty undermines cooperation because people who distrust institutions and are overconfident estimate a public good to be unproductive. We did this by presenting people with two public good games. Productivity uncertainty was manipulated by telling respondents in one of the games that all contributions could be wasted. Although the results show that productivity uncertainty undermines cooperation, no support was found for the before mentioned underlying mechanisms. Future research with different methodology could encounter other results.Show less
