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Publication Open Access Self-Help Plus for refugees and asylum seekers; study protocol for a series of individual participant data meta-analyses(Taylor _ Francis, 2021) Karyotaki, Eirini; Sijbrandij, Marit; Purgato, Marianna; Lakin, Daniel; Bailey, Della; Peckham, Emily; Uygun, Ersin; Tedeschi, Federico; Wancata, Johannes; Augustinavicius, Jura; Carswell, Ken; Valimaki, Maritta; van Ommeren, Mark; Koesters, Markus; Popa, Mariana; Leku, Marx Ronald; Anttila, Minna; Churchill, Rachel; White, Ross; Al-Hashimi, Sarah; Lantta, Tella; Au, Teresa; Klein, Thomas; Tol, Wietse A.; Cuijpers, Pim; Barbui, Corrado; Department of Psychology; Acartürk, Ceren; Faculty Member; Department of Psychology; College of Social Sciences and Humanities; 39271Background: refugees and asylum seekers face various stressors due to displacement and are especially vulnerable to common mental disorders. To effectively manage psychological distress in this population, innovative interventions are required. The World Health Organization (WHO) Self-Help Plus (SH+) intervention has shown promising outcomes in reducing symptoms of common mental disorders among refugees and asylum seekers. However, individual participant differences in response to SH+ remain largely unknown. The Individual Participant Data (IPD) meta-analysis synthesizes raw datasets of trials to provide cutting-edge evidence of outcomes that cannot be examined by conventional meta-analytic approaches. Objectives: this protocol outlines the methods of a series of IPD meta-analyses aimed at examining the effects and potential moderators of SH+ in (a) reducing depressive symptoms at post-intervention and (b) preventing the six-month cumulative incidence of mental disorders in refugees and asylum seekers. Method: RCTs on SH+ have been identified through WHO and all authors have agreed to share the datasets of the trials. The primary outcomes of the IPD meta-analyses are (a) reduction in depressive symptoms at post-intervention, and (b) prevention of six-month cumulative incidence of mental disorders. Secondary outcomes include post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms, well-being, functioning, quality of life, and twelve-month cumulative incidence of mental disorders. One-stage IPD meta-analyses will be performed using mixed-effects linear/logistic regression. Missing data will be handled by multiple imputation. Conclusions: these results will enrich current knowledge about the response to SH+ and will facilitate its targeted dissemination. The results of these IPD meta-analyses will be published in peer-reviewed journals.Publication Open Access Shifting evaluation windows: predictable forward primes with long SOAs eliminate the impact of backward primes(Public Library of Science, 2013) Fockenberg, Daniel A.; Koole, Sander L.; Lakens, Daniël; Department of Psychology; Semin, Gün Refik; Researcher; Department of Psychology; College of Social Sciences and Humanities; 58066Recent work suggests that people evaluate target stimuli within short and flexible time periods called evaluation windows. Stimuli that briefly precede a target (forward primes) or briefly succeed a target (backward primes) are often included in the target's evaluation. In this article, the authors propose that predictable forward primes act as ""go"" signals that prepare target processing, such that earlier forward primes pull the evaluation windows forward in time. Earlier forward primes may thus reduce the impact of backward primes. This shifting evaluation windows hypothesis was tested in two experiments using an evaluative decision task with predictable (vs. unpredictable) forward and backward primes. As expected, a longer time interval between a predictable forward prime and a target eliminated backward priming. In contrast, the time interval between an unpredictable forward primes and a target had no effects on backward priming. These findings suggest that predictable features of dynamic stimuli can shape target extraction by determining which information is included (or excluded) in rapid evaluation processes.Publication Open Access Neuropsychological function at first episode in treatment-resistant psychosis: findings from the ÆsOP-10 study(Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2019) Kravariti, Eugenia; Demjaha, Arsime; Zanelli, Jolanta; Ibrahim, Fowzia; Wise, Catherine; MacCabe, James H.; Reichenberg, Abraham; Pilecka, Izabela; Morgan, Kevin; Fearon, Paul; Morgan, Craig; Doody, Gillian A.; Donoghue, Kim; Jones, Peter B.; Dazzan, Paola; Lappin, Julia; Murray, Robin M.; N/A; Kaçar, Anıl Şafak; PhD Student; Graduate School of Health SciencesBackground: neuropsychological investigations can help untangle the aetiological and phenomenological heterogeneity of schizophrenia but have scarcely been employed in the context of treatment-resistant (TR) schizophrenia. No population-based study has examined neuropsychological function in the first-episode of TR psychosis. Methods: we report baseline neuropsychological findings from a longitudinal, population-based study of first-episode psychosis, which followed up cases from index admission to 10 years. At the 10-year follow up patients were classified as treatment responsive or TR after reconstructing their entire case histories. Of 145 cases with neuropsychological data at baseline, 113 were classified as treatment responsive, and 32 as TR at the 10-year follow-up. Results: compared with 257 community controls, both case groups showed baseline deficits in three composite neuropsychological scores, derived from principal component analysis: verbal intelligence and fluency, visuospatial ability and executive function, and verbal memory and learning (p valuesâ 0.001). Compared with treatment responders, TR cases showed deficits in verbal intelligence and fluency, both in the extended psychosis sample (t =-2.32; p = 0.022) and in the schizophrenia diagnostic subgroup (t =-2.49; p = 0.017). Similar relative deficits in the TR cases emerged in sub-/sensitivity analyses excluding patients with delayed-onset treatment resistance (p values<0.01-0.001) and those born outside the UK (p values<0.05). Conclusions: Verbal intelligence and fluency are impaired in patients with TR psychosis compared with those who respond to treatment. This differential is already detectable-At a group level-At the first illness episode, supporting the conceptualisation of TR psychosis as a severe, pathogenically distinct variant, embedded in aberrant neurodevelopmental processes.Publication Open Access Effectiveness of Self-Help Plus in preventing mental disorders in refugees and asylum seekers in Western Europe: a multinational randomized controlled trial(Karger Publishers, 2021) Purgato, Marianna; Carswell, Kenneth; Tedeschi, Federico; Anttila, Minna; Au, Teresa; Bajbouj, Malek; Baumgartner, Josef; Biondi, Massimo; Churchill, Rachel; Cuijpers, Pim; Koesters, Markus; Gastaldon, Chiara; Lantta, Tella; Nose, Michela; Ostuzzi, Giovanni; Papola, Davide; Popa, Mariana; Roselli, Valentina; Sijbrandij, Marit; Tarsitani, Lorenzo; Turrini, Giulia; Valimaki, Maritta; Walker, Lauren; Wancata, Johannes; Zanini, Elisa; White, Ross; van Ommeren, Mark; Barbui, Corrado; Department of Psychology; Acartürk, Ceren; İlkkurşun, Zeynep; Faculty Member; Master Student; Department of Psychology; College of Social Sciences and Humanities; Graduate School of Social Sciences and Humanities; 39271; N/AIntroduction: Self-Help Plus (SH+) is a group-based psychological intervention developed by the World Health Organization for managing stress. Objective: to assess the effectiveness of SH+ in preventing mental disorders in refugees and asylum seekers in Western Europe. Methods: we conducted a randomized controlled trial in 5 European countries. Refugees and asylum seekers with psychological distress (General Health Questionnaire score >= 3), but without a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) or ICD/10 diagnosis of mental disorder, as assessed with the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI), were randomized to SH+ or enhanced treatment as usual (ETAU). The primary outcome was the frequency of mental disorders with the MINI at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included the frequency of mental disorders at postintervention, self-identified problems, psychological symptoms, and other outcomes. Results: four hundred fifty-nine individuals were randomly assigned to SH+ or ETAU. For the primary outcome, we found no difference in the frequency of mental disorders at 6 months (Cramer V = 0.007, p = 0.90, RR = 0.96; 95% CI 0.52-1.78), while the difference significantly favored SH+ at after the intervention (secondary outcome, measured within 2 weeks from the last session; Cramer V = 0.13, p = 0.01, RR = 0.50; 95% CI 0.29-0.87). Conclusions: this is the first randomized indicated prevention study with the aim of preventing the onset of mental disorders in asylum seekers and refugees in Western Europe. As a prevention effect of SH+ was not observed at 6 months, but rather after the intervention only, modalities to maintain its beneficial effect in the long term need to be identified.Publication Open Access Second language tutoring using social robots: a large-scale study(Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), 2019) Vogt, Paul; van den Berghe, Rianne; de Haas, Mirjam; Hoffman, Laura; Mamus, Ezgi; Montanier, Jean-Marc; Oudgenoeg-Paz, Ora; Garcia, Daniel Hernandez; Papadopoulos, Fotios; Schodde, Thorsten; Verhagen, Josje; Wallbridge, Christopher D.; Willemsen, Bram; de Wit, Jan; Belpaeme, Tony; Goksun, Tilbe; Kopp, Stefan; Krahmer, Emiel; Leseman, Paul; Pandey, Amit Kumar; Department of Psychology; Kanero, Junko; Oranç, Cansu; Küntay, Aylin C.; Faculty Member; Department of Psychology; Graduate School of Social Sciences and HumanitiesWe present a large-scale study of a series of seven lessons designed to help young children learn english vocabulary as a foreign language using a social robot. The experiment was designed to investigate 1) the effectiveness of a social robot teaching children new words over the course of multiple interactions (supported by a tablet), 2) the added benefit of a robot's iconic gestures on word learning and retention, and 3) the effect of learning from a robot tutor accompanied by a tablet versus learning from a tablet application alone. For reasons of transparency, the research questions, hypotheses and methods were preregistered. With a sample size of 194 children, our study was statistically well-powered. Our findings demonstrate that children are able to acquire and retain English vocabulary words taught by a robot tutor to a similar extent as when they are taught by a tablet application. In addition, we found no beneficial effect of a robot's iconic gestures on learning gains.Publication Open Access MaR-T: designing a projection-based mixed reality system for nonsymbolic math development of preschoolers: guided by theories of cognition and learning(Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), 2019) Department of Psychology; Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering; Göksun, Tilbe; Ürey, Hakan; Salman, Elif; Özcan, Oğuzhan; Beşevli, Ceylan; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Department of Psychology; Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering; KU Arçelik Research Center for Creative Industries (KUAR) / KU Arçelik Yaratıcı Endüstriler Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi (KUAR); College of Social Sciences and Humanities; College of Engineering; Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering; 47278; 8579; N/A; 12532; N/ARecent developmental studies state that nonsymbolic number representation (i.e., more-less comparisons) is important for math development, and children's judgment about such non-numerical magnitudes can be affected by sensory properties (i.e., volume, space). Yet, to our knowledge, there are no tangible based systems for training this math concept. Building on theories of cognition and learning, we developed MaR-T, a projector-camera setup. This paper is a step towards investigating the effects of projection-based mixed-reality (MR) system with tangibles on nonsymbolic number representation of 3-to 5-year-old children. We present our user studies with a total of 14 participants, conducted to observe their interaction with the setup and the possible effects of our design on learning. The results indicate that MaR-T can provide active, engaging, and social learning, and our insights can inspire other interaction design and education studies.Publication Open Access Editorial: Representational states in memory: where do we stand?(Frontiers, 2015) Cowan, Nelson; Department of Psychology; Öztekin, İlke; PhD Student; Department of Psychology; College of Social Sciences and HumanitiesThis editorial discusses representational states in memory. For decades researchers have assessed the interactions and dissociations across memory systems and representational states using behavioral investigations, seeking for the key principles that govern them. Recent advances in neuroscience have provided the field with a new set of tools that can be employed to complement and extend previous efforts by means of assessing the corresponding underlying neural mechanisms. In an effort to move toward a more unified perspective, this research topic brought together a collection of empirical, theoretical and review articles that collectively advance our understanding of representational states in memory, as well as bear the potential to reconcile some of the differences across the models. The authors conclude by highlighting several venues for future research. Recent advances in neuroscience now enable powerful approaches that combine behavioral indices along with complementary neuroscience methods that can utilize univariate and multivariate analyses of neuroimaging data on healthy individuals, as well as transcranial magnetic stimulation and lesion studies to test and infer similarities and dissociations across the hypothesized states of memory. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved)Publication Open Access Interval timing by long-range temporal integration(Frontiers, 2011) Simen, Patrick; deSouza, Laura; Cohen, Jonathan D.; Holmes, Philip; Department of Psychology; Balcı, Fuat; Faculty Member; Department of Psychology; College of Social Sciences and Humanities; 51269Publication Open Access Prevalence and predictors of common mental disorders among Syrian refugees in Istanbul, Turkey: a cross-sectional study(Springer, 2020) McGrath, Michael; Roberts, Bayard; Cuijpers, Pim; Sijbrandij, Marit; Sondorp, Egbert; Ventevogel, Pieter; McKee, Martin; Fuhr, Daniela C.; Department of Psychology; Acartürk, Ceren; İlkkurşun, Zeynep; Faculty Member; Master Student; Department of Psychology; College of Social Sciences and Humanities; 39271; N/APurpose: the war in Syria has created the greatest refugee crisis in the 21st century. Turkey hosts the highest number of registered Syrian refugees, who are at increased risk of common mental disorders because of their exposure to war, violence and post-displacement stressors. The aim of this paper is to examine the prevalence and predictors of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms among Syrian refugees living in Turkey. Methods: a cross-sectional survey of adult Syrian refugees was conducted between February and May 2018 in Istanbul (Sultanbeyli district). Participants (N=1678) were randomly selected through the registration system of the district municipality. The Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL-25) was used to measure anxiety and depression and the Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Checklist (PCL-5) assessed posttraumatic stress. Descriptive and multivariate regression analyses were used. Results: the prevalence of symptoms of anxiety, depression and PTSD were 36.1%, 34.7% and 19.6%, respectively. Comorbidity was high. Regression analyses identified several socio-demographic, health and post-displacement variables that predicted common mental disorders including: being female, facing economic difficulties, previous trauma experience, and unmet need for social support, safety, law and justice. A lifetime history of mental health treatment and problems accessing adequate healthcare were associated with depression and anxiety but not with PTSD. Conclusions: mental disorder symptoms are highly prevalent among Syrian refugees in Turkey. The association with post-displacement factors points to the importance of comprehensive health and social services that can address these social, economic and cultural stressors.Publication Open Access L2 vocabulary teaching by social robots: the role of gestures and on-screen cues as scaffolds(Frontiers, 2020) Department of Psychology; Lira, Özlem Ece Demir; Kanero, Junko; Oranç, Cansu; Koşkulu, Sümeyye; Franko, İdil; Göksun, Tilbe; Küntay, Aylin C.; Faculty Member; Department of Psychology; Graduate School of Social Sciences and Humanities; College of Social Sciences and Humanities; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; N/A; 47278; 178879Social robots are receiving an ever-increasing interest in popular media and scientific literature. Yet, empirical evaluation of the educational use of social robots remains limited. In the current paper, we focus on how different scaffolds (co-speech hand gestures vs. visual cues presented on the screen) influence the effectiveness of a robot second language (L2) tutor. In two studies, Turkish-speaking 5-year-olds (n = 72) learned English measurement terms (e.g., big, wide) either from a robot or a human tutor. We asked whether (1) the robot tutor can be as effective as the human tutor when they follow the same protocol, (2) the scaffolds differ in how they support L2 vocabulary learning, and (3) the types of hand gestures affect the effectiveness of teaching. In all conditions, children learned new L2 words equally successfully from the robot tutor and the human tutor. However, the tutors were more effective when teaching was supported by the on-screen cues that directed children's attention to the referents of target words, compared to when the tutor performed co-speech hand gestures representing the target words (i.e., iconic gestures) or pointing at the referents (i.e., deictic gestures). The types of gestures did not significantly influence learning. These findings support the potential of social robots as a supplementary tool to help young children learn language but suggest that the specifics of implementation need to be carefully considered to maximize learning gains. Broader theoretical and practical issues regarding the use of educational robots are also discussed.