PhD defence M.G. (Maya) Meentken

Medical procedures and hospitalizations are commonly occurring potentially traumatic experiences (PTE’s) during childhood and adolescence. These experiences can result in subthreshold posttraumatic stress symptoms or even a diagnosis of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Furthermore, PTE’s frequently lead to symptoms of anxiety and depression, sleep problems, and lower health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an innovative trauma-focused intervention aiming to reduce (medically related) PTSD symptoms and associated problems (e.g. anxiety, depression, sleep problems, and lower HRQoL). During EMDR, the vividness and intensity of a traumatic memory can be decreased by engaging in bilateral stimulation (e.g. horizontal eye movements) while thinking about a distressing event. This thesis describes the psychological consequences of pediatric hospitalizations (part I) and a randomized controlled trial (RCT) that investigated the effectiveness of EMDR for children and adolescents with medically related subthreshold PTSD (part II).

Due to corona, the PhD defences do not take place publicly in the usual way in the Senate Hall or in the Professor Andries Querido Room. The candidates will defend their dissertation either in a small group or online.