NewsSome people are more sensitive to depression than others. But why is that the case? Clinical psychologist Niki Antypa studied how vulnerability to depression is influenced by cognition. She also found a first careful indication that a treatment with omega-3 fatty acids might provide a solution.
The VALK Foundation aims to help those who suffer from fear of flying. It is in the process of launching a mobile application (‘Vlieg App’) to counter flying phobia. 'Vlieg App' can support people who suffer light to moderate phobia when confronted with air travel. It has been developed as part of the psychotherapeutic research programme at Leiden University.
Anxiety and depression have to date primarily been studied as separate psychiatric disorders, whilst they often occur in combination. Marie-José van Tol has has discovered that there is an overlap in the activity and volume of parts of the brain in anxiety and depression, but that both disorders have unique characteristics. PhD defence with honours 26 May.
Clinical psychologist Dr Bernet Elzinga has been appointed as Professor of a personal chair at the Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences. This professorship will contribute both nationally and internationally to the broader promotion of Leiden University in the field of stress and psychopathology.
An intensive, multi-disciplinary approach, targeted at both child and parents, has a modest effect on the weight, fitness and quality of life of obese children. These are the findings of a comparative study conducted in The Hague. Health researcher Rimke Vos obtained her PhD on 7 April.
If you want to explore your personal functioning and future goals in more detail, we offer you a series of 6 coaching sessions with a personal coach, free of charge. The coaching trajectory will take place in April and May 2011 in individual sessions, in the context of the master's educational trajectory of Clinical psychology.
We have known for some time that laboratory animals are affected and it has now been demonstrated in humans: emotional maltreatment during childhood is linked to structural changes in the brain. Psychologists and psychiatrists at Leiden University, the Vrije Universiteit, the University of Groningen and the medical centres of these three universities have published their findings in Biological Psychiatry.
What effect has the ban on smoking in cafes and restaurants had on smokers' behaviour? Do they smoke less, or do they visit cafés and restaurants less frequently? Sander van der Heiden (Health Psychology, non-smoker) will carry out research to answer this question.
It is already well understood that maltreatment, sexual abuse or emotional neglect in childhood are risk factors for depression and anxiety disorders later in life. A new study shows which types of youth trauma are related to which types of psychological disorder.
Tuesday 16 March: Oliver C. Schultheiss, Friedrich-Alexander University, Erlangen, Germany, on 'Behavioral, endocrine, and brain correlates of the implicit need for power'.
In October 2009, Yvette Meuleman started her PhD research project at the Medical Psychology department of the Leiden University Medical Center (LUMC), under supervision of Prof. dr. Stan Maes and dr. Sandra van Dijk. The ESMO project is a cooperation between the LUMC, Hans Mak Instituut, Nierpatiënten Vereniging Nederland (Dutch Renal Patient Association ), Nierstichting Nederland (Dutch Kidney Foundation) and Medimate. The goal of the ESMO project is to develop, test and evaluate a self-management program directed at hypertension control and supporting hypertensive Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) patients.
Cardiovascular disease is the leading fatal illness worldwide, claiming more deaths and disability than any other disease. The modification of risk factors and related lifestyle behaviors lies at the very core of cardiac rehabilitation programs. However, research on the maintenance of lifestyle changes shows that many cardiac patients slip back into old habits. Clearly, mere will alone is not sufficient to sustain behavior change.
Omega-3 fatty acids have received a lot of attention lately. Scientific studies show beneficial effects for cardiovascular problems and several psychiatric disorders, including depression. Advertisement agencies have been trying to reap from that by portraying Omega-3 supplements as a cure to everything. Even the animal food industry tries to benefit from the increasing popularity of omega-3 fatty acids as you can now even buy cat food that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. However, how much do you benefit from omega-3 supplementation when you are healthy and young?
Muriel Hagenaars, Department of Clinical, Health and Neuropsychology, has won a NWO subsidy of 250.000 euro for a three-year research project.
It is one of the most urgent problems which can confront a psychotherapist: a patient who is deliberately inflicting self-harm. How can you protect someone from doing themselves further injury? Nadja Slee has developed a therapy which appears to be more effective than standard treatment.
‘Although antidepressants are prescribed on a large scale, we still do not know precisely how they work,' says clinical psychologist Wendelien Merens. She has obtained her PhD on Thursday 6 December 2007 based on her research into serotonin manipulations in depressed patients.
To predict whether a person is likely to suffer from dementia in the near future, the individual has to carry out memory tasks while an EEG scan is being made. This discovery has been made by Leiden neuro-psychologist Karin van der Hiele. She has obtained her PhD on 29 November 2007.
Bernet Elzinga and Karin Roelofs have been awarded a Vidi subsidy by NWO (the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research).