Severity and complexity of psychological symptoms and mental disorders are concepts directly related to treatment complications and overall issues with the successful rates of psychotherapy. While...Show moreSeverity and complexity of psychological symptoms and mental disorders are concepts directly related to treatment complications and overall issues with the successful rates of psychotherapy. While previously proven stable over the course of time, findings from recent years have discovered an increase in severity and complexity of mental disorders in a sample of Dutch mental healthcare patients. The present paper aimed to primarily investigate the existence of the potential trend of severity and complexity changes over time and subsequently explore its directionality. The data used extended further than previous populations of university students from different countries and instead examined mental health clinic patients in the Netherlands. The severity and complexity of three disorders of interest, namely Substance Use Disorder, Personality Disorder, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, were analyzed. Severity and complexity of psychological symptoms were operationalized using self-report symptom questionnaires and a comorbidity index, respectively. Patients from two separate clinics were analyzed, comparing individuals assessed in 2017 with those of 2023. Statistical analyses such as t-tests, chi-square tests, and linear regressions were run in SPSS to assess for statistical significance. Results showed that severity changes appeared in line with the hypothesis and most recent findings, showing a significant increase over time, while complexity changes were contrary to expectations and significantly decreased across the years. Future research should build atop this quantitative research and investigate in more qualitative manners the possible underlying mechanisms associated with the observed changes.Show less
Supply chain attacks have emerged as a significant threat to national and international security, these attacks enable states to get political leverage which can help them further exploit their...Show moreSupply chain attacks have emerged as a significant threat to national and international security, these attacks enable states to get political leverage which can help them further exploit their opponents. However, states often deny involvement in such attacks, contributing to the issue of attributing responsibility and ensuring accountability in cyber warfare. Thus, it is crucial to study the use of plausible deniability in supply chain attacks. This thesis investigates the relationship between plausible deniability and supply chain attacks in state-sponsored cyber operations. The main inquiry question is: To what extent is plausible deniability used as a tactic when states engage in supply chain attacks? To answer this question, the severity of the attacks and the targeted infrastructures were examined in relation to the use of plausible deniability. A quantitative research design was employed, involving descriptive and correlational research methods to determine the extent to which plausible deniability is utilised as a tactic in state-sponsored supply chain attacks. This study aims to bridge the gap between research on supply chain attacks and plausible deniability by establishing a relationship between the type of targeted infrastructures and the use of plausible deniability. The findings of this study provide compelling evidence that states employ plausible deniability as a strategy to avoid attribution for sponsored supply chain attacks. Specifically, a clear causal mechanism is observed between the target type and the occurrence of supply chain attacks. Overall, this research contributes to a deeper understanding of the tactics employed by states in supply chain attacks, focusing on the role of plausible deniability in cyber warfare.Show less
