For women with a diminished oocyte reserve, for example due to premature ovarian insufficiency, oocyte donation (OD) is their only possibility to conceive. However, OD is related to a higher...Show moreFor women with a diminished oocyte reserve, for example due to premature ovarian insufficiency, oocyte donation (OD) is their only possibility to conceive. However, OD is related to a higher incidence of pregnancy complications and psychosocial challenges. Preconception counselling (PC) helps women who might opt for OD by explaining the risks of a pregnancy, guiding them in their decision making and focussing on the psychosocial wellbeing. This thesis aims to explore the perspectives on PC of women who conceived through OD. Furthermore, using a quantitative questionnaire design, this thesis aims to investigate the differences on psychosocial constructs (quality of life (QoL), contentment, anxiety, and distress) between women who did and did not receive PC. The perspectives of these women were investigated by conducting qualitative focus-group research. To summarize the perspectives of these women, analyses of the focus groups were done by both deductive and inductive coding. The questionnaire was based upon the validated FertiQoL questionnaire (measures QoL in people with fertility problems) and the GAD-7 questionnaire (measures anxiety and distress). Analyses of the quantitative outcomes were done with an independent samples t-test or a Mann-Whitney U test. The sample included 87 women who did receive PC, and 24 women who did not receive PC before their OD treatment. Analyses of the focus groups indicated the need for more clarity on the process of OD (e.g., finding a donor, possible risks), possibly by the development of a guideline. Also, the participating women would have liked to receive more psychosocial support. Analyses of the questionnaire showed no significant differences between both groups on the psychosocial variables, except for one scale on contentment, U(NPC=no=21, NPC=yes= 80) = 599.50, z = -2.02, p = .043. Women who did receive PC were more content with the quality and availability of treatment. In conclusion, this research could be implemented into a national guideline, offering a helpful document on OD care for health care providers, and thereby improving OD care for these women and their partners.Show less
Research master thesis | Psychology (research) (MSc)
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Purpose. The current study aimed to research the relation between teleworking and distress levels, depressive symptoms, workload, work functioning and need for recovery. Age and gender were further...Show morePurpose. The current study aimed to research the relation between teleworking and distress levels, depressive symptoms, workload, work functioning and need for recovery. Age and gender were further tested as moderators on these relations, and workload was tested as a mediator between telework and distress level, depressive symptoms, work functioning and need for recovery. Methods. A sample of 87 employees working at a Dutch telecom organization were included. The group of employees who exclusively worked at the office (teleworkers; N = 37) was compared to the group of employees who worked remotely some of their time (teleworkers; N = 50) on all outcomes using independent t-tests. The indicators were measured cross-sectionally. Results. There was no significant difference between teleworkers and nonteleworkers in distress level (p = .161, d = 0.33), depressive symptoms (p = .575, d = 0.12), workload (p = .886, d = 0.01), work functioning (p = .266, d = 0.24) and need for recovery (p = .964, d = 0.01). Moreover, age and gender did not have a moderating effect on any of these relations. Results showed lastly that workload was not a significant mediator between telework and all four outcomes. Conclusion. The current study suggests that there is no difference between teleworkers in distress levels, depressive symptoms, workload, work functioning and need for recovery. Also, characteristics of the employees such as gender and age do not seem to relate to relations of telework with these outcomes. Results furthermore suggest that workload does not explain the effects of telework on the included outcomes.Show less
