Sensitive parenting is important for promoting the parent-child relationship and children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. Parental factors related to sensitive parenting are...Show moreSensitive parenting is important for promoting the parent-child relationship and children’s emotional, cognitive, and social development. Parental factors related to sensitive parenting are depression and parental self-efficacy. The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between depression and sensitive parenting, and whether parental self-efficacy mediates this association. Participants were 17 Dutch mothers and 4 Dutch fathers of children aged 3-5 years. Parents played 5-10 minutes with their child during two measurement moments, while the researcher was present through a Microsoft Teams connection. A video of the playing was recorded. In between the two measurement moments, parents completed the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression-questionnaire (CES-D) and the Me as a Parent-questionnaire (MaaP). Afterwards, the video recordings were encoded according to the Ainsworth sensitivity scale. Only the relation between depression and sensitivity was significant, where depression was positively related to sensitivity. There was no indication found for a mediational role of parental self-efficacy in the relation between depression and sensitivity. Explanatory theories, limitations and practical implications were discussed. Future research will have to show which other factors can explain these unexpected findings.Show less
Depression and anxiety are increasingly prevalent and often co-occur in adolescence. Symptoms of stress are a commonality of these disorders. However, the role of this commonality in the co...Show moreDepression and anxiety are increasingly prevalent and often co-occur in adolescence. Symptoms of stress are a commonality of these disorders. However, the role of this commonality in the co-occurrence remains unknown. This cross-sectional study investigated the co-occurrence of depression, anxiety, and stress in adolescence using the network psychometrics approach. We obtained our data from the Open-Source Psychometrics Project. The data consisted of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS)-42 (N = 25,086, ages 13-24 years old). We estimated Gaussian Graphical Models (i.e., partial correlations between nodes) and analyzed the bridge nodes. Bridge nodes are nodes of the network that are most influential in connecting the different disorders. We expected the bridge nodes to be the overlapping symptoms found among depression, anxiety, and stress as indicated in the DSM-V. Moreover, to examine whether bridge nodes were consistent across adolescence, we divided our sample into three age groups: early adolescence (ages 13-15, N = 2,354), middle adolescence (ages 16-19, N = 9,476) and late adolescence (ages 20-24, N = 13,256). Our findings of the full sample adolescent network indicated that symptoms of restlessness (stress) and negative mood (depression) served as bridge nodes, which was in line with our hypothesis. Other bridge nodes, not in line with our hypothesis, were symptoms of subjective experience of anxiety (anxiety) and situational anxiety (anxiety). Bridge nodes exclusive to the late adolescent network were: Finding it hard to wind down (stress) and feeling terrified (anxiety). Moreover, relief after anxious situations (anxiety) was uniquely present in the early and late adolescent networks. This study expands the current theoretical knowledge by, for the first time to our knowledge, including stress symptoms in the network models and by comparing the different adolescent age groups using a broad age range (13 to 24 years). Future research should examine whether clinicians can successfully incorporate this knowledge into transdiagnostic treatment interventions, which could contribute to better overall mental health.Show less
Early maladaptive schemas (EMSs) are persistent dysfunctional beliefs that form in childhood and are thought to underlie chronic and recurring psychopathology. EMSs have been categorized into five...Show moreEarly maladaptive schemas (EMSs) are persistent dysfunctional beliefs that form in childhood and are thought to underlie chronic and recurring psychopathology. EMSs have been categorized into five broader schema domains. Transdiagnostic depressive symptoms entail depressive symptoms observed across various psychological disorders. We studied the relative contribution of the five EMS domains on transdiagnostic depressive symptoms in a cross-sectional within-subjects design. The sample consisted of students from Leiden University (N = 125) participating for course credit or monetary rewards, of which 91.2% were assigned the sex female at birth and 8.8% male (median age = 19, IQR = 2). Participants completed measures of the Young Schema Questionnaire 3 - short form (YSQ-S3) and the DSM-5 self-rated level 1 cross-cutting symptom measure – Adult (DSM-XC). Pearson correlations were inspected between each EMS domain and transdiagnostic depressive symptoms. A multiple regression analysis including the total scores of the five EMS domains as predictors was carried out. Individually, the EMS domains Disconnection & Rejection, Impaired Autonomy & Performance, Impaired Limits, Other-directedness, and Overvigilance & Inhibition were positively associated with transdiagnostic depressive symptoms (rs .451, .365, .289, .298, .345, p < .001), as hypothesized. The joint effect of the five EMS domains was positively associated with transdiagnostic depressive symptoms (Adj. R2 = .18, F(7, 117) = 4.88, p <.001). Interestingly, when holding the other domains constant, only the Disconnection & Rejection domain significantly predicted transdiagnostic depressive symptoms in the model (β = .44, 95% CI [.15, .74], p = .004). The domain groups the beliefs about expectations that one’s needs for security and stability will not be met predictably. Our findings suggest that each EMS domain is positively related to transdiagnostic depressive symptom severity in a university student population. The Disconnection & Rejection domain, relative to the other four domains, seems to uniquely contribute to transdiagnostic depressive symptoms. Future research could test whether identifying and changing the EMSs someone has in psychotherapy could reduce their transdiagnostic depressive symptoms across different psychological disorders. It remains a question if paying specific attention to the Disconnection & Rejection domain in psychotherapeutic treatment could improve the reduction of transdiagnostic depressive symptoms.Show less
Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are often co-morbid, and their prevalence is increased in the student...Show moreAttention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), major depressive disorder (MDD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) are often co-morbid, and their prevalence is increased in the student population. The dynamics between self-regulation problems and ADHD, MDD, and GAD may reveal insights into the co-occurrence of the three disorders. The present study focused on psychological factors that support or threaten successful self-regulation. Using cross-sectional data, a network analysis was performed based on a sample of 902 students currently enrolled in higher education programs in the Netherlands. The analysis featured 17 commonly studied risk and protective factors associated with all three disorders. The network showed that irritability and impairments in daily functioning were shared problems between ADHD, MDD, and GAD. The network further suggested that impaired cognition and a propensity for procrastination are shared features of ADHD and MDD. ADHD and GAD did not share a direct relationship, diverging from previous assumptions. The findings highlight that the relationship between the disorders may depend on shared vulnerabilities and outcomes that act as bridges in the network. The study illustrates that psychological constructs need to be more clearly defined to move forward when researching co-morbidity beyond the level of symptoms.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
closed access
Objective: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the course of core depressive symptoms and the course of insomnia symptoms in older adults with a depressive disorder, and to...Show moreObjective: This study aimed to clarify the relationship between the course of core depressive symptoms and the course of insomnia symptoms in older adults with a depressive disorder, and to identify predictors of an unfavorable versus a favorable course of core depressive symptoms and insomnia symptoms. Method: We examined 329 older adults (median age 69 (IQR 65-75), 66.9% women) with a depressive disorder within the Netherlands Study of Depression in Older persons (NESDO), a naturalistic cohort study with a six-year follow-up and assessments every six months in between. Core depressive symptoms and insomnia symptoms were assessed with 14 and 3 items, respectively, from the Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS). We applied growth mixture modelling to identify classes of participants with similar trajectories of core depressive symptoms and insomnia symptoms. The association between core depressive and insomnia symptom trajectories was examined with a chi-squared test. Finally, we investigated predictors of class membership for core depressive symptoms and for insomnia symptoms using multinomial logistic regression. Results: We identified three trajectories of core depressive symptoms: high and stable (22.2% of participants were assigned to this class), moderate and declining (37.4%), and low and declining (40.4%). We identified four trajectories of insomnia symptoms: high and stable (23.1%), moderate and stable (55.6%), low and increasing (7.6%), and moderate and declining (13.7%). There was a significant association between core depressive and insomnia symptom trajectories, in particular for the most and least favorable trajectories. Number of chronic diseases, a comorbid anxiety disorder, and functional limitations predicted less favorable core depressive symptom trajectories. We found no predictors for insomnia symptom trajectories. Conclusion: Persistent insomnia symptoms are highly prevalent in older adults with depression, even in those with improving core depressive symptoms. This highlights the need for separate treatment of insomnia symptoms in addition to depression interventions.Show less
College students experience a high prevalence of mood disorders, largely due to unstable life structure. This group encounters multiple barriers in accessing mental health treatment, including a...Show moreCollege students experience a high prevalence of mood disorders, largely due to unstable life structure. This group encounters multiple barriers in accessing mental health treatment, including a demanding schedules limited time, stigma, and a tight budget. Moodpep, an online eHealth intervention designed to address depressive symptoms, helps overcome these barriers. This study investigated the effectiveness of Moodpep, a Cognitive Behavioural Therapy based online intervention for students with depressive symptoms, and examined whether its effects persisted during follow-up. Additionally, this study explored the impact of gender, concurrent treatment, and the differential improvement between clinically and subclinically depressed participants. The sample consisted of 255 students from 9 universities in the Netherlands. Repeated measures ANOVA and independent samples t-tests were used for data-analysis. The findings indicated that depressive symptoms significantly reduced after completing Moodpep, with these improvements maintained at the six-month follow-up. Gender and concurrent treatments did not have a significant effect on the outcomes. Notably, participants with clinical levels of depression showed greater improvement compared to those with subclinical symptoms. Despite these promising results, the study faced limitations, including high dropout rates, uncertainty regarding the reasons for dropout, lack of a control group and regression toward the mean. Future research should focus on understanding dropout causes, conducting randomized controlled trials, evaluating long-term effects, and exploring the integration of eHealth interventions with traditional face-to-face treatments. Moodpep offers a promising early intervention for depressive symptoms by providing an anonymous, travel-free, flexible treatment option accessible to all students. The practical implication could be increased by raising awareness of Moodpep's availability.Show less
A social fear adolescents with and without a Social Anxiety Disorder experience very frequently is public speaking anxiety. The cognitions these adolescents have in public speaking situations play...Show moreA social fear adolescents with and without a Social Anxiety Disorder experience very frequently is public speaking anxiety. The cognitions these adolescents have in public speaking situations play an important role in the development and maintenance of their anxiety. Because of the impairments they experience in life, it is important to start treatment. The fact that only a small proportion of adolescents with social fears receive the focussed treatment they need, and that treatment outcomes are not optimal, is problematic. Blended care, the combination of face-to-face and online therapy, is a new type of treatment that appears to be promising for the treatment of mental health problems. This study aimed to research the feasibility of the blended care module ‘’Skills for Academic and Social Success’’ for treating adolescents with public speaking anxiety. Changes in cognitions and effects of comorbid depression were also explored. A total of 41 adolescents between 11 and 17 years, recruited from high schools in Leiden, The Netherlands, participated in this study. These adolescents followed the blended care module and were asked to, among others, fill out different self-report questionnaires on public speaking anxiety (PRPSA), cognitions (CATS-N/P) and depression (CDI-2) at four timepoints. The results show that the adolescents showed a decrease in public speaking anxiety during treatment. A higher level of anxiety at the start of the treatment was associated with a higher level afterwards, but also with greater, absolute improvements. Comorbid depression was also associated with a greater, absolute reduction in public speaking anxiety and there was a decrease in depression as well. The results also show that public speaking anxiety was negatively correlated with positive cognitions and positively with different types of negative cognitions. Some of these negative cognitions decreased during the treatment and were replaced with positive cognitions. However, there was almost no association between changes in cognitions and changes in public speaking anxiety. According to these findings, the blended care module appears to be feasible for the treatment of adolescents with public speaking anxiety, of which cognitions are part, and suitable for different levels of anxiety and for when comorbid depression is present.Show less
Background. Parenting plays an important role in the development of adolescent’s emotion regulation (ER). Parental psychological control (PC) is negatively and parental autonomy support (AS) is...Show moreBackground. Parenting plays an important role in the development of adolescent’s emotion regulation (ER). Parental psychological control (PC) is negatively and parental autonomy support (AS) is positively linked to adolescent ER. Impaired ER has been linked to internalizing- and externalizing problems. Parenting is usually examined trough observation or trough self-report methods, but these methods are not interchangeable. Research question. Is adolescent-perceived or observed parenting more important for ER in adolescents, while controlling for depression? Method. In this cross-sectional and multi-method study, 35 depressed and 80 control adolescents (11-17 years) reported on perceived parental PC and AS using the Parental Bonding Inventory and their own behavioral ER using the Children's Emotion Management Scale. Parental PC and AS was observed and scored on the Problem-solving Interaction task. A multiple regression analysis was used. Results. Depressed adolescents showed significantly lower adaptive ER. There were no significant results for adolescent-perceived and observed PC and AS in relation to ER. For the interaction effect of group status with autonomy support, parental support, and ER, no significant results were found. A trend effect was found for the moderating effect between depression and adolescent-perceived PC. Conclusions. Depressed adolescents showed significantly lower adaptive ER, demonstrating the need for ER focused interventions. For teens in middle adolescence, PC and AS parenting did not have a significant effect on their ER. Lastly, when depressed adolescents experienced their parents as more psychologically controlling, they had more difficulty with their ER, highlighting the potential benefit of cognitive behavioral therapy.Show less
Introduction: Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain and an increased pain sensitivity. Relating psychological symptoms of depression and anxiety to...Show moreIntroduction: Fibromyalgia is a condition characterized by chronic widespread musculoskeletal pain and an increased pain sensitivity. Relating psychological symptoms of depression and anxiety to pain sensitivity measures could potentially increase our understanding of the multifaceted nature of pain perception. In this study the specific relationship between depression and the pressure pain threshold (PPT) was investigated, as well as the network of associations between depression, anxiety, PPT, temporal summation (TS), and aftersensation (AS). Methods: Fifteen female participants were included in this cross-sectional study. Depression and anxiety were measured with the HADS questionnaire and baseline measures of the PPT, TS, and AS were collected on thumb and tibia muscle locations. The PPT was assessed by applying pressure with an algometer until it became painful; TS was assessed by applying 10 pain stimuli in a row at the PPT level; AS included a pain score 15 seconds after the tenth pain stimulation and a ratio for its relative size. Correlation analysis was performed both on the data of the thumb and tibia muscle, as well as on pooled data. Results: Correlation analysis found no significant correlations between depression and the PPT (rs(13) = .312, p = .257; rs(13) = .047, p = .867; rs(28) = .063, p = .741). Significant correlations were found for depression and anxiety (rs (13) = .800, p < .001; rs(28) = .800, p < .001), PPT and AS (rs(13) = .531, p = .041; rs(13) = .745, p = .001; rs(28) = .442, p = .014), PPT (l) and AS ratio (a) (rs(13) = .525, p = .044), depression and AS ratio (rs(28) = -.361, p = .050), for all correlations between AS and AS ratio, and for all correlations between the thumb and tibia muscle location of each variable (e.g., PPT (a) and PPT (l)). All other relationships were non-significant. Conclusion: Forming solid conclusions remains difficult due to research limitations and explorative analysis. This study does symbolize an innovative scientific step towards using a network approach for looking at a complex condition like fibromyalgia, with the aim to create a more integrative understanding.Show less
Objective: Both cognitive impairment and lower quality of life (QoL) are highly prevalent in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) compared to healthy controls. Despite a growing interest into...Show moreObjective: Both cognitive impairment and lower quality of life (QoL) are highly prevalent in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI) compared to healthy controls. Despite a growing interest into understanding the association between cognitive impairment and QoL in SCI patients, the results of studies conducted to date are conflicting. Therefore, we conducted a meta-analysis to have a better understanding of this association in SCI patients. Data sources: EMBASE, PubMed, and PsychInfo were systematically searched for all eligible articles with a cut-off date of March 21st, 2023. Study selection: Studies describing SCI patients, in which an association between cognitive factors and QoL was measured using validated questionnaires. Data Synthesis: Of 1824 studies, eight met inclusion criteria, reporting on 39 individual correlations and involving total sample size of 1142 SCI patients. Given the limited number of studies examining the association between cognitive factors and overall QoL, our meta-analysis focused on emotional QoL, specifically depression and anxiety. The random-effects meta-analysis for the association between cognitive factors and depression, included seven studies and 24 correlations, and the association between cognitive factors and anxiety, included four studies and 15 correlations. Results: Overall cognitive impairment was not associated with increased depression (𝑟 = -.095; 95% CI = -.214, .024; p = .142). However, cognitive impairment was significantly associated with increased anxiety (𝑟 = -.239; 95% CI = -.360, -.119; p < .001). Subgroup meta-analysis revealed an association between impaired perceptual-motor function and increased depression (-.171; 95% CI = -.192, -.151; p = .006). Impaired executive function (-.209; 95% CI = -.415, -.003; p = .047) and language (-.510; 95% CI = -.639, -.381; p < .001) were associated with increased anxiety. Conclusions: While depression was generally not associated with cognitive factors, subgroup analyses revealed that there was an association with impaired perceptual-motor functions. For anxiety, a more general negative association was found. In more specific analysis, only impaired language and executive functions associated with anxiety. The results need to be interpreted with caution due to limitations such as high heterogeneity. Follow-up longitudinal research could explore the causality between cognitive factors and QoL in SCI patients.Show less
This quantitative observational study is a sub-project of a larger prospective cohort study conducted at the Headache Center of Leiden University Medical Center about the use of an E-diary in the...Show moreThis quantitative observational study is a sub-project of a larger prospective cohort study conducted at the Headache Center of Leiden University Medical Center about the use of an E-diary in the clinical headache practice for migraine patients. The first objective was to evaluate the psychometric properties of the E-diary to assess migraine characteristics, as the recent development of remote testing makes it fundamental to validate novel E-health instruments. Moreover, migraine has been associated with depression and anxiety. Previous studies found that they predict an increase in migraine frequency years later. The second objective was to examine whether depression and anxiety symptom severity are associated with an increase in migraine frequency three months later. Migraine patients fill in the headache E-diary on a smartphone application, which keeps track of headache attacks daily. It included thirteen items about migraine symptoms, aura characteristics, headache duration and triptan use. Psychometric properties were assessed by conducting an item response theory analysis (n = 1417). Depression and anxiety symptom severity were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. A change in migraine frequency was defined as the difference in migraine days between the first and third month and was measured with the headache E-diary. Linear regressions were performed to test whether the depression and anxiety symptoms were associated with an increase in migraine frequency (n = 725). Twelve items had moderate to very high discrimination values and nine had sequential ordered and positive thresholds. The items properly differentiate migrainous headaches from non-migrainous headaches. The aura, aura duration and unilateral location items were the weakest items. Depression was not associated with a change in migraine frequency (F(1, 723) = 0.32, β = 0.02, p = .573, 95% CI [-0.06, 0.11]), and neither was anxiety (F(1, 723) = 1.07, β = -0.05, p = .301, 95% CI [-0.13, 0.04]). In conclusion, the headache E-diary measures migraine risk accurately and the findings of this study contribute to the validity of the E-diary. It could be that three months is too little time to show the relationship between depression, anxiety, and a change in migraine frequency.Show less
This research explores the interplay between social media usage, offline and online interactions, perceived social support, and depression levels among university students. Analyzing data from 430...Show moreThis research explores the interplay between social media usage, offline and online interactions, perceived social support, and depression levels among university students. Analyzing data from 430 participants, this cross-sectional study leverages the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) to assess depression symptoms and employs both multivariate and univariate linear regression analyses, as well as MANOVA and ANOVA tests, to understand the connections between online/offline social interactions, perceived social support, and depression. Key findings indicate a significant relationship between the level of perceived social support (β = -0.49, p < .001) and frequency of online interactions (β = 0.43, p < .05) with depression levels. Notably, individuals reporting higher levels of perceived social support tend to exhibit lower depression levels, while those with frequent online interactions often show higher depression levels. The study also identifies marked gender differences in social media use and depression, with females showing greater susceptibility. These results underscore a nuanced relationship between active/passive social media engagement, gender, and mental health. The research emphasizes the need for mental health strategies that consider individual differences, particularly focusing on the quality of social support and patterns of online engagement, to effectively address mental health concerns in young adults.Show less
Social Networking Sites (SNS) can be valuable tools to connect people with shared interests worldwide. However, SNS screentime has increased drastically over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic....Show moreSocial Networking Sites (SNS) can be valuable tools to connect people with shared interests worldwide. However, SNS screentime has increased drastically over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Excessive use of SNS has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in previous studies. Contrary to the majority of studies on SNS, which usually rely on correlations, this study used an experimental approach to examine the relationship between SNS use, depression, and anxiety. Fear of missing out (FOMO) was also investigated as a potential mediating factor. To manipulate SNS screentime a multifaceted intervention was built based on results from previous experimental studies and input from a focus group (N = 3). A convenience sample of first year psychology students (N = 122) had been collected and split into three groups. The intervention group was instructed to follow the smartphone use intervention, while participants in the active-control group received instructions with little expected influence on screentime. Both groups were instructed to reduce their smartphone use as much as possible for two weeks. The waitlist-control group was told their intervention would begin in two weeks. SNS screentime, anxiety, depression and FOMO were assessed pre- and post- intervention. The results show significantly lower post-intervention SNS screentime in both intervention groups but not in the waitlist-control group. Depression scores were significantly lower in the intervention group but not for the active-control or waitlist-control condition. No significant group differences for anxiety were found. The mediation analysis obtained no significant results for FOMO as a potential mediator variable. Overall, the findings suggest participants reduced their smartphone usage regardless of the received set of rules. However, only participants in the intervention group showed fewer depressive symptoms. Limitations and suggestions for future research on SNS use were discussed.Show less
Research into Adverse Life Events (ALE) is rarely focused on students. ALE are a common experience among students and may have significant effects on mental health outcomes such as depression,...Show moreResearch into Adverse Life Events (ALE) is rarely focused on students. ALE are a common experience among students and may have significant effects on mental health outcomes such as depression, anxiety, stress, and lifetime depression. In this study we use multiple measures for ALE, which assess several types of ALE, including life trauma, childhood trauma, bullying, childhood adversities and negative life experiences. These outcomes are measured by the PHQ-9, GAD-7, PSS-10 and the LIDAS. This study investigated the relationships between ALE and these mental health outcomes, together with the predictive role of childhood trauma, negative life experiences, being bullied and childhood adversities by using multiple regression. In addition, we explored the role of gender as a control variable and conducted an exploratory network analysis. A multicohort study provided data from a sample of 449 Dutch higher education students who completed self-report measures of mental health outcomes and ALE experiences. The results showed that negative life events are significant predictors for all four mental health outcomes. Childhood trauma predicted depression, lifetime depression and stress, and life trauma were predictive of depression. Overall, these findings were supported by network analysis. They suggest that negative life events may be more impactful to current mental health than life trauma, and that both can have a lasting impact on the mental health of students. The implications and alternative explanations for these findings are discussed, together with suggestions for future research.Show less
People with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) often experience symptoms that can have a significant impact on psychological and cognitive functioning. Research has previously shown a significant...Show morePeople with multiple sclerosis (PwMS) often experience symptoms that can have a significant impact on psychological and cognitive functioning. Research has previously shown a significant association between these two functions. The aim of this paper was to study the association between psychological factors (depression and fatigue) and cognitive functions (memory, verbal fluency, and information processing speed). Studying fatigue, depressed mood, and the combination between them can provide important indications to how psychological status relates to cognitive functioning. Cognitive functions of memory, verbal fluency, and information processing speed were measured through Buschke Selective Reminding test, Controlled Oral Word Association test, and the Symbol Digit Modalities test, respectively. Depressed mood was measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and fatigue was measured with the Fatigue Scale for Motor and Cognitive Functions. Patients (N=124; mean age = 50.77 [SD = 13.5]; 25% male, 93% female; 9.7% PPMS, 28.5% SPMS, 61.3% RRMS) were categorized into four groups based on their depression and fatigue scores using clinical cut-offs (i.e., psychologically intact [no depressive mood, not fatigued], depressive mood but not fatigued, fatigued but no depressive mood, and psychologically impaired [depressive mood and fatigued]). Group did significantly differ on MS type (p < .05), Group 1 (psychologically intact) and Group 4 (no depressive mood but fatigued) were more likely to have a relapse-remitting disease course. However, findings suggest no significant association between group and cognitive functioning. Scores on the cognitive tests were similar across all groups (p = .203). This indicates that cognitive functioning is independent of psychological status. However, in light of the limitations, it is important to build on future studies to investigate this relationship further, to indicate a next step in the treatment and intervention of MS in terms of psychological problems, cognitive deficits, or both.Show less
Social Networking Sites (SNS) can be valuable tools to connect people with shared interests worldwide. However, SNS screentime has increased drastically over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic....Show moreSocial Networking Sites (SNS) can be valuable tools to connect people with shared interests worldwide. However, SNS screentime has increased drastically over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic. Excessive use of SNS has been associated with adverse mental health outcomes in previous studies. Contrary to the majority of studies on SNS, which usually rely on correlations, this study used an experimental approach to examine the relationship between SNS use, depression, and anxiety. Fear of missing out (FOMO) was also investigated as a potential mediating factor. To manipulate SNS screentime a multifaceted intervention was built based on results from previous experimental studies and input from a focus group (N = 3). A convenience sample of first year psychology students (N = 122) had been collected and split into three groups. The intervention group was instructed to follow the smartphone use intervention, while participants in the active-control group received instructions with little expected influence on screentime. Both groups were instructed to reduce their smartphone use as much as possible for two weeks. The waitlist-control group was told their intervention would begin in two weeks. SNS screentime, anxiety, depression and FOMO were assessed pre- and post-intervention. The results show significantly lower post-intervention SNS screentime in both intervention groups but not in the waitlist-control group. Depression scores were significantly lower in the intervention group but not for the active-control or waitlist-control condition. No significant group differences for anxiety were found. The mediation analysis obtained no significant results for FOMO as a potential mediator variable. Overall, the findings suggest participants reduced their smartphone usage regardless of the received set of rules. However, only participants in the intervention group showed fewer depressive symptoms. Limitations and suggestions for future research on SNS use were discussed.Show less
The relationship between social media use and depression has been extensively studied but the current empirical evidence remains inconclusive. The present study aimed to explore how user specific...Show moreThe relationship between social media use and depression has been extensively studied but the current empirical evidence remains inconclusive. The present study aimed to explore how user specific characteristics, such as neuroticism, extraversion, and gender, are interconnected with social media use and symptoms of depression in a group-level cross-sectional network based on a student sample of young adults (18 to 30 years old). Participants (N = 430) filled in an online questionnaire measuring symptoms of depression, loneliness, social media use, neuroticism, extraversion, and stress. Regularized partial correlation networks were estimated to produce an aggregate network, and separate networks for men and women. The male and female network (n = 66 each) were compared in terms of structure and overall connectivity. Results showed that symptoms of depression and social media use were sparsely connected and if so, weakly positively related, but the relationship was not directly affected by either neuroticism or extraversion. No statistical differences were found between the male and female network. In sum, we found no evidence for personality and gender affecting the relationship between symptoms of depression and social media use. Future research could use temporal networks to discover potential causal relationships, specifically focusing on idiographic networks to reveal individual differences that would otherwise remain obscured.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
closed access
Introduction: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) are an effective treatment for many depressed patients, but their disadvantages include a wide range of side effects and a delayed...Show moreIntroduction: Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI’s) are an effective treatment for many depressed patients, but their disadvantages include a wide range of side effects and a delayed treatment response. In contrast, subanesthetic doses of ketamine show acute antidepressant effects. Previous functional connectivity findings implicate the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) and posterior cingulate cortex (PCC), key areas of the default mode network (DMN), in ketamine’s acute antidepressant effect. In addition, psilocybin has also shown acute antidepressant effects with a potential role for the claustrum, an area functionally connected to the DMN. However, pharmacological fMRI findings concerning acute antidepressant drug action may be moderated by the decision to include or exclude a controversial preprocessing step called global signal regression (GSR). In this study, we investigated ketamine’s acute effects on functional connectivity patterns in the brain in order to probe the underlying mechanism of its acute antidepressant effects. Hypotheses: Ketamine acutely decreases functional connectivity between the vmPFC and PCC and between the DMN and claustrum. In addition, these findings will not be affected by the decision to include or exclude GSR. Method: Twenty volunteers were administered ketamine as well as a placebo on separate days in a randomized, double-blind, crossover design. We acquired resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data before, during and immediately after the acute phase of administration. Results: No differences in functional connectivity patterns were found between ketamine and placebo. These results were unaffected by the inclusion or exclusion of GSR. Conclusion: It remains unclear which changes in functional connectivity occur in the acute phase of ketamine administration. Future research should investigate the influence of GSR on fMRI findings.Show less
Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects an estimate of 2.8 million people worldwide. Fatigue, impairments in processing speed, and depression are...Show moreMultiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic disease of the central nervous system that affects an estimate of 2.8 million people worldwide. Fatigue, impairments in processing speed, and depression are common symptoms reported by People with MS (PwMS). However, the relationship between these symptoms is not well understood. This study aimed to investigate this relationship and examine the (in)stability of fatigue levels over time in PwMS. The study utilized a longitudinal, retrospective cohort design and included participants diagnosed with MS (n= 141) who attended a specialized clinic in Overpelt, Belgium. Seventy-three percent of the sample was female, with a mean age of 51.88 (SD ±13.46). The average disease duration was of 16.94 years (SD ± 8.86), and a majority of the sample had the relapsing-remitting type of MS (RRMS) (n= 43). The median of disease severity, as measured by the EDSS, was of 3.50 (IQR – 3.5). The study hypothesized that fatigue levels would increase over time and that depression would moderate the relationship between fatigue and processing speed. Fatigue levels did not significantly change over time (p = 0.055). A significant relationship was found between fatigue and processing speed impairment (p < 0.05). However, depression did not significantly moderate this relationship (p = 0.215). These findings show that cognitive symptoms may influence each other in MS. Future research should look into the relationship of mood disorders, such as anxiety and depression, and cognitive impairment in PwMS.Show less
