There is increasing evidence for the negative effect of external aid programs on public health. Accordingly, it is essential to research how donors could effectively allocate their aid. It is...Show moreThere is increasing evidence for the negative effect of external aid programs on public health. Accordingly, it is essential to research how donors could effectively allocate their aid. It is established that institution-building in the health sector is crucial for enhancing public health, for example by fostering accountability and transparency. Aid that is spent on institution-building is expected to have a positive effect on public health. However, there is no empirical evidence for that, and therefore, this research contributes to the existing literature by answering the following research question: What is the effect of aid targeting institution building in the health sector on public health outcomes? Several linear regressions are performed to test the effect of Official Development Assistance for institution-building in the health sector on infant mortality, life expectancy, and immunization rates. The overall research findings show a positive, but small and insignificant relationship between health institutional aid and public health.Show less
Background. Emergency department (ED) nurses are prone to develop burnout, however, they also tend to be engaged in their work. The goals of this study were twofold: (1) to establish the frequency...Show moreBackground. Emergency department (ED) nurses are prone to develop burnout, however, they also tend to be engaged in their work. The goals of this study were twofold: (1) to establish the frequency of ED nurses in four burnout - work engagement profiles, and (2) to investigate which work characteristics best separated the four burnout – work engagement profiles. Method. A cross-sectional study was done among 967 ED nurses working in one of 28 hospitals in the Netherlands (response rate 74%). The data was gathered using an online questionnaire. A frequency analysis and a descriptive discriminant analysis were performed. Two separate analyses were done for emotional exhaustion and depersonalization. Results. For emotional exhaustion, the engaged profile was most prevalent among the ED nurses in this sample, followed by the burnout, unengaged and engaged-burnout profiles. For depersonalization, the engaged profile was also most prevalent, followed by the burnout, engaged-burnout and unengaged profiles. Two functions were generated by the descriptive discriminant analysis: (1) the Job Demands-Resources (JDR) function and (2) the mastery function. The JDR function separated the burnout from the engaged profile. When nurses scored high on job demands and low on job resources, they were more likely to be in the burnout profile, and vice versa for the engaged profile. Work-time demands and autonomy were primarily responsible for group separation for burnout overall. For emotional exhaustion staffing was also primarily important, whereas for depersonalization, educational and developmental possibilities and (financial) appreciation were also primarily important for group separation. The mastery function separated the engaged-burnout from the unengaged profile. When nurses had educational and developmental possibilities, and experienced a higher frequency of emotionally demanding and conflict/aggression situations, they were more likely to be in the engaged-burnout profile, and vice versa for the unengaged profile. Conclusion. This study provided insight in the interplay between burnout, work engagement, job demands and job resources. This study shows the importance to improve the ED working environment as many nurses are burned out, and showed that ED nurses can be burned out and engaged simultaneously. The findings support the Job Demands-Resources Model, and show that enhancing job demands and job resources is important to facilitate engaged ED nurses.Show less
Abstract Young adulthood is the phase of life during which the most alcohol is consumed. This can have negative consequences and long-term effects. These effects might be explained by risk taking...Show moreAbstract Young adulthood is the phase of life during which the most alcohol is consumed. This can have negative consequences and long-term effects. These effects might be explained by risk taking behaviour. The association between risk taking behaviour and alcohol use has already been studied. However, to our knowledge, the relationship between alcohol use and the different domains of risk taking (health/safety, recreational, ethical, social and financial risks) has not been studied. Understanding these different contexts is essential to develop targeted interventions on the relationship between alcohol use and the specific domains to reduce excessive risk behaviours and alcohol use. Therefore, this research studies the extent to which risk taking in different domains is associated with, and predicts, alcohol use in young adults from 18 to 25 years old. The different domains of risk taking are measured by the Domain-Specific Risk Taking questionnaire and alcohol use is measured by the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test. This study was conducted cross-sectionally and longitudinally. The cross-sectional part consisted of 89 participants and studies the extent to which there is an association between risk taking in different domains and alcohol use. It is hypothesised that young adults who take risks in different domains also consume more alcohol. From the results, it can be concluded that young adults who consume alcohol are more likely to take health/safety risks, but they are less likely to take social risks. The longitudinal part consisted of 35 participants and studies the extent to which risk taking in different domains predicts alcohol use two years later. It is hypothesised that risk taking in different domains predicts alcohol use two years later. However, results show that risk taking is not predictive of alcohol use two years later. This result could be due to the small sample size of this study. Given these conclusions, it is important to continue with the interventions on health/safety risks and alcohol use and to target new interventions on social risks and alcohol use. In the future, this study could be repeated in other countries with an Eastern culture or in countries with different legal drinking ages.Show less
There is evidence to suggest that child post traumatic symptoms (PTSD) develop within the family system where psychopathology exist. Existing literature indicates that parent and child PTSD are...Show moreThere is evidence to suggest that child post traumatic symptoms (PTSD) develop within the family system where psychopathology exist. Existing literature indicates that parent and child PTSD are associated with each other. The present study aimed to examine the relation between PTSD-symptoms from parents and PTSD-symptoms from their children and whether boys or girls would experience more PTSD-symptoms with a sample of Dutch families (N = 1017). Additionally, it was examined whether quality of life (QoL) would influence this relationship. Mothers, fathers and children completed a questionnaire on trauma symptoms. The same children did also complete a questionnaire on QoL. The PTSD-symptoms from parents and their children were significant related. Furthermore, was there no significant difference between boys or girls in experiencing PTSD-symptoms. The addition of QoL to the relation between PTSD-symptoms from parents and children did not generate a significant result either, the relation became not stronger or weaker. It is possible that there were no significant results due the fact that PTSD is a complex disorder. The relation between PTSD-symptoms from parents and their children is influenced by multiple factors and this may have an impact on the results. It would be beneficial if future research would examine these factors.Show less
In deze scriptie wordt de relatie tussen het eeuwenoude Pyrronistisch Scepticisme en gemoedsrust onderzocht. Aan de hand van Sextus Empiricus worden we meegenomen in de zoektocht naar ataraxia....Show moreIn deze scriptie wordt de relatie tussen het eeuwenoude Pyrronistisch Scepticisme en gemoedsrust onderzocht. Aan de hand van Sextus Empiricus worden we meegenomen in de zoektocht naar ataraxia. Ataraxia oftewel gemoedsrust, is een staat waarin men vrij is van zorgen en angsten. Volgens Sextus is het bereiken van gemoedsrust niet alleen een therapeutische vaardigheid, maar ook een manier van leven. Deze Pyrronistische manier van leven houdt in dat overtuigingen ten aanzien van non-evidente zaken worden opgeschort om zo gemoedsrust te bereiken. In dit onderzoek is onderzocht of de filosofie van het Pyrronisme ons kan helpen in ons dagelijks leven met onze angsten en stress. Om Pyrronisme te meten is er een vragenlijst opgesteld met non-evidente stellingen (NE-Q). Voor het meten van angst is de GAD-7 gebruikt en voor het meten van stress is de PSS gebruikt. De eerste hypothese was dat sterkere overtuigingen een negatieve relatie hebben met gemoedsrust. De tweede hypothese was dat de relatie tussen sterkere overtuigingen en gemoedsrust verzwakt wanneer men aan mindfulness doet. De hoofdrelatie was niet significant met zowel de GAD-7 als de PSS als afhankelijke variabele. Ook was de moderatieanalyse in beider gevallen niet significant. Wel bleek bij verdere visuele inspectie dat het doen van mindfulness leidde tot meer angst en stress, in tegenstelling tot wanneer men niet aan mindfulness deed. Dit onderzoek wijst uit dat de filosofische stroming van het Pyrronisme als psychotherapie niet toepasbaar is voor de behandeling van angsten en stress in de hedendaagse tijd. Ook kan geconcludeerd worden dat mindfulness de relatie tussen het hebben van sterkere overtuigingen en gemoedsrust niet beïnvloedt.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
In an era marked by escalating environmental challenges and the imperative to address climate change, this study explores the relationship between social mindfulness (SoMi) and environmental...Show moreIn an era marked by escalating environmental challenges and the imperative to address climate change, this study explores the relationship between social mindfulness (SoMi) and environmental concern (EC) on an individual level. It builds on previous research that identified correlations between SoMi and EC at a country level. This study hypothesizes a positive relationship between SoMi and EC, examining this relationship across three facets: attitude, intention, and behavior. Additionally, it investigates the connection between SoMi and concern for future generations. This study consists of a lab study with (N = 108). The results indicate a significant association between SoMi and environmentally concerned intentions, suggesting the significance of promoting social mindfulness to enhance pro- environmental intentions. However, no significant relationship was found between SoMi and EC across the facets of attitude, behavior, or concern for future generations. These non- significant findings align with recent studies emphasizing differences in the relationship between SoMi and EC at country level and individual level. Practical implications of this study include the development of educational programs to promote social mindfulness and enhance pro-environmental intentions. The study highlights the complexities of bridging the gap between intention and behavior in environmental concern and the need for future research to address this challenge comprehensively.Show less
Background: Intensified Prolonged Exposure (iPE) therapy has proven its efficacy in reducing PTSD symptoms. However, its effectiveness in naturalistic settings and underlying mechanisms of action...Show moreBackground: Intensified Prolonged Exposure (iPE) therapy has proven its efficacy in reducing PTSD symptoms. However, its effectiveness in naturalistic settings and underlying mechanisms of action are still under investigation. Objective: The current study investigates the effectiveness of iPE in reducing PTSD symptoms in a naturalistic setting. Additionally, the role of trauma-related maladaptive cognitions in predicting changes in PTSD symptoms was examined, thereby testing the cognitive model of PTSD. Methods: The study is based on anonymous data provided by the LUBEC mental health care facility in Leiden, following the iPE procedure outlined by Oprel et al. (2017). Patients with PTSD received 12 sessions of iPE administered over four weeks and two booster sessions at one-month intervals. Assessment of PTSD symptoms, including maladaptive cognitions, was conducted using the PCL-5 questionnaire at eight measurement time points: before the beginning of the treatment (baseline), during each of the four weeks of active treatment, after the two monthly booster sessions, and three months after the end of the treatment (end evaluation). Results: data of 58 participants was included in the study. The treatment resulted in a large improvement in PTSD symptoms, with 43.1% of the patients showing a clinically significant change in symptoms. Maladaptive trauma-related cognitions significantly decreased throughout the course of treatment. In contrast with expectations, preceding changes in maladaptive cognitions did not predict changes in PCL-5 score, while preceding changes in PCL-5 score predicted later changes in maladaptive cognitions. Conclusion: iPE is effective in reducing PTSD symptoms and maladaptive cognitions in a naturalistic setting. Preceding decrease in PTSD symptoms predicts a decrease in trauma-related cognitions; conversely, changes in cognitions do not impact later PTSD symptoms severity.Show less
Background: Emotions mostly depend on the context in which they are experienced. Given how important emotions are for our social life and relationships, they need to be understood and adequately...Show moreBackground: Emotions mostly depend on the context in which they are experienced. Given how important emotions are for our social life and relationships, they need to be understood and adequately regulated. However, not all people can regulate their feeling appropriately. In more recent research, emotions have been studied within their social context and regarding the impact they have on interpersonal relationships. This study attempted to examine if one of the reasons why people cannot regulate their emotions in interpersonal contexts may depend on the severity of childhood trauma and if these associations may contribute to borderline personality disorder (BPD) symptoms. Methods: Data from N=196 participants were collected via an online survey where they completed questionnaires regarding traumatic childhood experiences, interpersonal emotion regulation techniques and a self-report regarding borderline personality disorder symptoms. Results: Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that there was a statistically significant correlation between childhood trauma severity and interpersonal emotion regulation, aligning with the first hypothesis. The associations with BPD symptoms were different for each interpersonal emotion regulation factor. Conclusion: The findings suggest that childhood trauma can have lasting effects on emotional regulation abilities in interpersonal contexts and contribute to the manifestation of BPD symptoms.Show less
Background: Previous studies have indicated a robust association between child maltreatment and a plethora of symptoms, such as somatic and PTSD symptoms. More specifically, sexual and emotional...Show moreBackground: Previous studies have indicated a robust association between child maltreatment and a plethora of symptoms, such as somatic and PTSD symptoms. More specifically, sexual and emotional abuse are linked to a higher likelihood of experiencing gastrointestinal symptoms. Furthermore, neglect and non-sexual abuse (emotional and physical abuse) have also been significantly associated with the re-experiencing and avoidance symptom clusters of PTSD. Objective: Subsequently, the purpose of this cross-sectional study was to examine the relationship between the different forms of child maltreatment, somatic, and PTSD symptoms; and to identify whether differences exist in individuals with a PTSD diagnosis versus those without a diagnosis. Methods: Data were collected from 237 participants (mean age 15.6 years, SD: 2.07) between February 2012 and April 2015. The participants completed the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), the Children’s Somatization Inventory (CSI-35), the Children’s Response to Trauma Inventory (CRTI), and the Children’s Depression Inventory (CDI), at baseline. Partial correlation networks were estimated from the baseline measure to investigate the association between child maltreatment, somatic, and PTSD symptoms. Results: Overall, emotional abuse emerged as the most central node within the network. Out of the five forms of child maltreatment, emotional abuse formed the strongest associations with gastrointestinal symptoms, and the avoidance symptom cluster of PTSD, while sexual abuse formed the strongest association with non-gastrointestinal symptoms. Among individuals with and without a PTSD diagnosis, discrepancies were present in regard to the interrelationships of child maltreatment, somatic, and PTSD symptoms. Conclusion: Consequently, individuals who experience emotional abuse may also experience other forms of maltreatment, thus, mental health professionals need to take into consideration that multiple forms of maltreatment are often present, and implement personalized interventions based on the forms of child maltreatment and the associated symptoms.Show less
The relationship between financial scarcity and persistence was examined using an online performance-based measure of persistence, the Anagram and Riddles task (ART). It was hypothesized that...Show moreThe relationship between financial scarcity and persistence was examined using an online performance-based measure of persistence, the Anagram and Riddles task (ART). It was hypothesized that feelings of financial scarcity leads to less persistence, measured by time spent on the hard and unsolvable anagrams and riddles. The Household Task was used to provoke feelings of financial scarcity in the experimental group and the scores on the PIFS were used to measure each person’s financial scarcity in real life. Results showed a marginally significant relationship between persistence time on unsolvable trials and the ‘PIFS’. This would suggest that people who experience more financial scarcity, show more persistency than people without financial scarcity when trying to solve the unsolvable. Possible explanations for the lack of other significant findings include uncontrolled settings and absence of personal motivation during the task.Show less
The International Monetary Fund has often been criticised on account of its tendency to be lenient in loan conditionality to certain countries that it considers important. This research seeks to...Show moreThe International Monetary Fund has often been criticised on account of its tendency to be lenient in loan conditionality to certain countries that it considers important. This research seeks to narrow in on the effect of economic importance from the perspective of western donor states on IMF loan efficacy. Apart from providing a gap in the research, this topic is deemed important because of its value for developmental economics and upcoming issues in that field. Moreover, the results allow concrete policy decisions to be made. Employing a bivariate and multiple linear regression analysis, this paper seeks to answer the question what is the effect of the perceived economic importance of states for western actors on the efficacy of loans by the IMF? In foreshadowing results, this paper finds that a higher economic importance, and high rates of accountability and corruption, lead to a lower efficacy of IMF loans. It is argued that this is the case because of the moral hazard issue, time-inconsistency problem, and the structure of the IMF. The model does however lack full robustness.Show less
Presenteeism has negative consequences for both the individual and the employer, such as increased levels of stress and poorer psychological health. It can be found across countries and in various...Show morePresenteeism has negative consequences for both the individual and the employer, such as increased levels of stress and poorer psychological health. It can be found across countries and in various professions. Millennials will soon comprise the majority of the global workforce, however, this costly phenomenon is poorly understood in this population. The predictors and the reasoning behind opting for presenteeism in working millennials (n=192) were investigated in this study. Self-reports were used to measure presenteeism, neuroticism, optimism, and job satisfaction. Relationships between the variables were explored using partial correlations and hierarchical regression. The moderation pathway was examined using PROCESS macro. The results showed that job satisfaction was able to predict presenteeism regardless of the employee's age, level of education, and general health. Neuroticism and optimism shared significant negative associations with presenteeism but were unable to predict it. Optimism was also not found to moderate the relationship between job satisfaction and presenteeism. A qualitative exploration suggested that the most likely reason millennials opt for working while sick is not feeling sick enough or feeling able to work despite their illness. The findings of this study suggest that being satisfied with one’s job plays a more significant role in presenteeism, while personality characteristics such as optimism and neuroticism might not. Predictors of presenteeism should be further investigated in the millennial workforce. Finally, suitable interventions should be explored in order to decrease the negative effects of presenteeism.Show less
Peer acceptance and social standing become more important in adolescence. The consequence of this is that adolescents are more vulnerable to the effects of social stress. When exposed to social...Show morePeer acceptance and social standing become more important in adolescence. The consequence of this is that adolescents are more vulnerable to the effects of social stress. When exposed to social stress, the body produces an initial stress response which is then followed by an inflammation response by the immune system. Cytokines are proteins that have been implicated in the immune system inflammatory response after exposure to social stress. Victimisation by peers has been found to elevate cytokine reactivity after exposure to acute social stress. Social stress can be induced in a lab using the Trier Social Stress Test. Having quality relationships with peers and parents is a protective factor to the impact of peer victimisation. In adults, quality of relationships has been shown to reduce immune reactivity to social stress. Therefore, it was hypothesised that in adolescents’ quality of relationship would act as a mediator to acute social stress for those who have experienced peer victimisation. To investigate this hypothesis 79 Dutch adolescents (48% females, 52% males) with an age range of 14-16 years participated in the study. The procedure involved the completion of a series of questionnaires, a period of relaxation, pre-test dried blood spot sampling, participation in the TSST and then post-test dried blood spot sampling. Peer victimisation was measured using the Revised Experiences Questionnaire. The level of cytokines Il6, IL8, IL10 and TNFα detected in the pre and post test blood spot samples were used to measure the inflammatory response to social stress. Quality of relationship with best friend and primary parent were measured using the Network of Relationship Inventory. A mediation analysis was conducted with peer victimisation as the predictor variable, quality of relationship as the mediator variable and cytokine reactivity as the outcome variable; based on previous research BMI, sleep quality, physical health and cognitive stress appraisal were included as control variables. The results of the mediation analysis did not support the hypothesis that quality of relationship in adolescence mediates cytokine reactivity to acute social stress for prior peer victimisation. However, a post-hoc analysis with extreme outliers removed from the cytokine reactivity scores revealed a significant effect between negative quality relationships and TNF-α. This study extends previous research by exploring cytokine reactivity to social stress in a group of healthy adolescents. It highlights the need for further investigation in this population particularly in relation to negative quality relationships and cytokine reactivity, specifically TNF-α. This would enable a more comprehensive understanding of the interplay between social experience and immune response in typically developing adolescents.Show less
