Everyone feels gloomy from time to time, to a greater or lesser extent, but can you predict when depression is lurking? Jonas Everaert (Medical and Clinical Psychology, Tilburg University and Quantitative Psychology and Individual Differences, KU Leuven) is researching the complex interplay between factors that contribute to the onset and course of depressive symptoms. He is using various methods to identify causal risk mechanisms underlying depression.

About one in three cancer patients will experience chronic fatigue after successful treatment. The REFINE project, which started four years ago, focuses on personal treatment of chronic cancer-related fatigue at the Helen Dowling Institute (HDI). TESC talks to Rosalie van Woezik (HDI) about the results so far, and about REFINE 2.0, a follow-up to the project in which the personal network treatment is being quantitatively tested in the HDI’s daily practice.

For children and adolescents with chronic illnesses, there is often more at play than the illness in itself. They may feel alone, depressed, anxious, angry, or misunderstood. These children and adolescents are more likely to develop mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety. Research shows that it helps to get involved early and that it is better to prevent mental health problems than to cure them afterwards. But how do you prevent these problems among children and adolescents with chronic illnesses?

Type in the keywords “young people” and “coronavirus” on Google and the articles don’t lie about it. The lockdown and accompanying measures have and have had a major impact on young people in the Netherlands. Researchers Loes Keijsers (Tilburg University), Manon Hillegers (Erasmus MC – Sophia), and Jeroen Legerstee (Erasmus MC – Sophia), together with a large research team, wanted to support young people during the corona crisis. They did this by launching the Grow It! app.