The prevalence of mental health disorders in urban areas is increasing due to the exposure to environmental stressors. Research has shown that sensory urban design interventions can have positive...Show moreThe prevalence of mental health disorders in urban areas is increasing due to the exposure to environmental stressors. Research has shown that sensory urban design interventions can have positive impacts on mental health and well-being. This research paper aims to investigate how TU Delft students experience sensory design interventions on campus and how these interventions can contribute to improving mental health and well-being among students in Dutch cities. The study was conducted using a qualitative and observational research design and data was collected through a questionnaire composed of multiple-choice and open questions. The research suggested that environments that include sensory design interventions, such as the TU Delft campus library, the botanical garden and Pulse, positively impacted the students’ mental health and well-being. Furthermore, several themes were discovered that played a big role in the sensory experience of the participants. These themes were availability, comfort, aesthetics, noise levels and light. The results provide insights for urban planners to implement sensory urbanism on other campuses and decrease mental health problems among students in Dutch cities. The study highlights the importance of considering sensory urban design interventions in urban planning to improve the mental health and well-being of city residents.Show less
The treatment of mental health problems has had limited success in both England and Ireland. Since the Percy Commission in 1957 in England, and the Commission of Inquiry into Mental Illness in 1966...Show moreThe treatment of mental health problems has had limited success in both England and Ireland. Since the Percy Commission in 1957 in England, and the Commission of Inquiry into Mental Illness in 1966 in Ireland, both countries have strived to modernise and improve the quality of their mental healthcare systems. Despite this, they have experienced several shortfalls surrounding funding, staffing and community care amongst other issues. As a result of these problems, both countries have some of the highest rates of mental illness in Europe, with 18.5 percent of Irish people and 17.7 percent of English people experiencing at least one mental illness. While both England and Ireland inherited a similar system based around asylums and a focus on long-term institutionalisation the outcomes for the respective countries were vastly different. Additionally, both countries have moved towards a community-based approach in the hope to rehabilitate and reintegrate patients into the community. Though, England has seen lower rates of hospitalisation and shorter hospital stays for mental illness than in Ireland, as well as historically having lower rates of mental illness. However, since the 1990s, English rates of mental illness have been increasing gradually. As a result, English rates of mental illness are nearly that of Ireland. By discussing the historic developments in mental healthcare in the two countries and issues around welfare and healthcare, the causes for this discrepancy as well as the recent increases in the rate of mental illness can hopefully be explained.Show less
Deze studie richt zich op het effect van multidimensionale armoede op de mentale gezondheid van Nederlanders met behulp van de EU 2020 Poverty Index. Deze index combineert verschillende elementen,...Show moreDeze studie richt zich op het effect van multidimensionale armoede op de mentale gezondheid van Nederlanders met behulp van de EU 2020 Poverty Index. Deze index combineert verschillende elementen, waaronder inkomensarmoede, materiële deprivatie en werkloosheid. Eerdere studies die het effect van armoede op de mentale gezondheid hebben onderzocht zijn voornamelijk gericht op inkomensarmoede. Echter brengen indicatoren van inkomensarmoede onvoldoende de diversiteit in de levensomstandigheden van huishoudens in armoede in beeld (Fusco et al., 2011). Mensen die leven in armoede ervaren aanzienlijke stress als gevolg van hun levensomstandigheden. Het is daarom van cruciaal belang om deze levensomstandigheden in overweging te nemen om het effect van armoede op de mentale gezondheid te kunnen begrijpen. In dit onderzoek wordt eerst het effect van elke armoededimensie op de mentale gezondheid afzonderlijk onderzocht. Vervolgens worden deze gecombineerd tot één meetschaal waarbij moet worden voldaan aan minimaal één van de dimensies: hetzij onder de inkomensarmoededrempel, op of boven de materiële deprivatiedrempel of zich verkeren in een onvrijwillige werkloosheid status. Aansluitend wordt getoetst of multidimensionale armoede een sterkere voorspeller is van de mentale gezondheid dan inkomensarmoede. Het onderzoek maakt gebruik van het LISS-panel en past het fixed effects model toe. Uit de resultaten blijkt dat inkomensarmoede en werkloosheid geen significant effect hebben op de mentale gezondheid, terwijl materiële deprivatie wel een negatief significant effect toont. Hoewel de rol van multidimensionale armoede als voorspeller van mentale gezondheid nog niet duidelijk is, zijn er aanwijzingen dat het mogelijk een betere voorspeller is dan inkomensarmoede. De bevindingen van dit onderzoek benadrukken de noodzaak van verder onderzoek naar multidimensionale armoede en de impact ervan op de mentale gezondheid. Het begrijpen van de bredere context van armoede kan helpen bij het ontwikkelen van effectiever beleid ter bevordering van de mentale gezondheid van mensen die leven in armoede.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
open access
Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) is a data collection method in which participants’ current behaviors and experiences are sampled repeatedly in their natural environment. EMA has advantages...Show moreEcological momentary assessment (EMA) is a data collection method in which participants’ current behaviors and experiences are sampled repeatedly in their natural environment. EMA has advantages over retrospective research methods, in that it reduces retrospective bias, increases ecological validity, and offers the possibility to observe dynamical changes of variables. However, EMA protocols are burdensome for participants and may interfere with their daily activities. This can lead to non-compliance over the course of a study. Missing data can subsequently decrease statistical power, and even induce bias. This paper explored whether missing data can be predicted by various variables related to students’ primary motivation to participate, mental health, stress levels, and demographics. We analyzed data of the first cohort (N = 418) of the ongoing WARN- D project on student mental health. Participants completed a comprehensive baseline survey and took part in an 85-day long EMA study. We predicted overall rates of non- compliance by participant characteristics at baseline (Analysis 1) and weekly rates of non- compliance by time-varying factors during the EMA stage (Analysis 2). Analysis 1 showed that overall non-compliance can be predicted by baseline measures such as age, depression, substance use, and primary motivation to participate. Analysis 2 showed that weekly assessed time-varying measures like time into study, enjoyment of the study, weekly stress, anxiety, and depression may predict weekly rates of non-compliance. Participant’s sex and smartphone operating system were not related to overall non-compliance. Summarizing, non-compliance rates of participants can be predicted by participant characteristics at baseline as well as by time-varying predictors. Our findings may inform future research on potential mechanisms behind noncompliance in EMA designs that should be considered to maximize participation rates while avoiding biased conclusions.Show less
Background: Previous studies have shown that parental bonding (PB) is directly and in interaction with stressful events linked to mental health outcomes. Sexism affects many young women and is...Show moreBackground: Previous studies have shown that parental bonding (PB) is directly and in interaction with stressful events linked to mental health outcomes. Sexism affects many young women and is often associated with psychopathology. This research aimed to further investigate the relation between PB, sexual discrimination and mental health outcomes. Non-optimal maternal and paternal bonding styles and higher frequency of sexual discrimination were expected to be related to greater depressive and anxiety-related symptoms. Furthermore, PB was examined as a moderator on the sexism-symptomatology (depression and anxiety) links. Methods: In a cross-sectional study design, female university students (N = 186) self-reported perceived PB, sexist events, and symptoms of depression and anxiety. Results: Regression analyses revealed that compared to optimal PB, both maternal and paternal affectionless control and neglectful parenting significantly predicted depressive symptoms, whereas symptoms of anxiety were only significantly higher in paternal affectionless control profiles. Frequent sexual discrimination significantly predicted greater depression and anxiety symptomatology, and paternal but not maternal bonding moderated these relations. Non-optimal paternal bonding strengthened the relationships of sexism with symptoms of depression and anxiety, while for optimal paternal bonding, no significant link between sexism and depression was present. Conclusion: The findings indicate direct associations of both non-optimal PB and sexual discrimination with symptoms of depression and anxiety, and provide preliminary evidence that the sexism-symptomatology link might be more pronounced in non-optimal than optimal paternal bonding profiles. This study highlights the centrality of positive father-daughter relationships and sets implications for future research, parenting practices and intervention programs.Show less
This thesis explores the unusual cultural phenomenon that is South Korea’s high suicide rate. Although influential, South Korea’s competitive society, lack of attention to mental health and...Show moreThis thesis explores the unusual cultural phenomenon that is South Korea’s high suicide rate. Although influential, South Korea’s competitive society, lack of attention to mental health and cultural stigma cannot fully account for why this rate is so high. Therefore, a different aspect must be looked at, namely, The Werther Effect. Through the analysis of the case study of Choi Jin-Ri (Sulli), this research demonstrates how the K-Pop industry may be causing celebrities to take their own lives, thus through mechanism of the Werther Effect, aiding the increase of South Korea’s national suicide rate.Show less
Background: Depression symptoms are common in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients. This could be caused by the limited activities of daily life experienced by RA patients as well as by the...Show moreBackground: Depression symptoms are common in Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) patients. This could be caused by the limited activities of daily life experienced by RA patients as well as by the inflammation pathways altered by RA which are known to influence depression. Bright light therapy (BLT) has previously shown to be effective to tackle depression caused by an altered circadian rhythm. As a disrupted circadian rhythm is also common in RA patients, BLT might be effective as therapy to treat depression in RA. Objective: The goal of the present study is to examine the effects of BLT on depression and mental health, as well as to explorative examine whether this effect is mediated by changes in circadian rhythmicity in RA patients. Method: This study is a randomized, double-blind, parallel-arm, placebo controlled single center pilot trial study. It consists of 48 RA patients, divided into intervention group with active BLT, and control group with sham BLT. Measurements were taken at three periods: baseline (T0), at the end of the 4-week with BLT (T1), and at follow-up four weeks after BLT (T2). Measurement tools used consisted of a depression scale (HADS) and a mental health scale (RAND 36), as well as the time point of melatonin onset measured by the Dim Light Melatonin Onset test (DLMO). BLT was administered with Luminette glasses which emitted a different color for the intervention group (blue light, to induce circadian phase shift) compared to control group. Results: The results suggest that there is no significant difference with regards to depression, mental health and DLMO between the two groups in the changes between the measurement points from T0 to T1 and from T0 to T2. No significant results were found with regards to the mediating role of DLMO in the relationship between group and depression and mental health. Conclusion: No significant effects of group were found in the present study, with regards to changes in depression, mental health and DLMO, and no mediation effect of the DLMO in the relation between group, depression, and mental health was found. A possible explanation is the low levels of depression reported by the participants at baseline. Further studies are required before disregarding BLT as a potential therapeutic tool to treat depression in RA patients.Show less
