Biography
Dr Yara Toenders is a Healthy Start Fellow at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. She works in the Clinical Psychology team and the SYNC lab. Her research focusses on mental wellbeing of adolescents, from the biological to the societal level. Biological factors she studies are brain development and sleep. Societal factors include the smartphone ban and performance pressure. At the same time, she emphasises the importance of positive influences, such as having inspiring role models.
Yara previously obtained her PhD at the University of Melbourne, where she studied depression onset in young people, and the neural correlates associated with depression.
Research interests: Mental health, Brain development, Adolescence, Sleep, Screentime
Onderzoeksinteresses: Mentaal welzijn, Hersenontwikkeling, Adolescentie, Slaap, Schermtijd
Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Researcher | Clinical Psychology
- toenders@essb.eur.nl
More information
Work
- Lia Ferschmann, Simone Dobbelaar, Christian Krog Tamnes, Stella Tsotsi, Yara Jo Toenders & Niamh MacSweeney (2026) - Longitudinal Associations Between Pubertal Development and Youth Behavioral Adjustment in the Context of Parent and Peer Relationships - Social Development, 35 (3) - doi: 10.1111/sode.70068 - [link]
- Anne Wil Kramer, Judith van de Wetering, Suzanne van de Groep, Lysanne W. te Brinke, Yara J. Toenders, Kayla H. Green & Eveline A. Crone (2026) - Youth Perspectives on the Climate Crisis: Motivation and Action Pathways - Developmental Science, 29 (4) - doi: 10.1111/desc.70217 - [link]
- Chao Gan Yan, Zi Han Wang, Laura K.M. Han, Nina Alexander, Dag Alnæs, Zeynep Başgöze, Stéphanie E.E.C. Bauduin, Jochen Bauer, Francesco Benedetti, Klaus Berger, Bianca Besteher, Tiana Borgers, Robin Bülow, Li Ping Cao, Guan Mao Chen, Jian Shan Chen, Si Cheng Chen, Tao Lin Chen, Tao Lin Chen, Xiao Chen, Yan Rong Chen, Yu Qi Cheng, Zhao Song Chu, Romain Colle, Colm G. Connolly, Emmanuelle Corruble, Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, Xi Long Cui, Kathryn R. Cullen, Udo Dannlowski, Christopher Davey, Danai Dima, Annemiek Dols, Tracy Erwin-Grabner, Jennifer W. Evans, Kira Flinkenflügel, Cynthia H.Y. Fu, Paola Fuentes-Claramonte, Qing Lin Gao, Qi Yong Gong, Ali Saffet Gönül, Ian H. Gotlib, Roberto Goya-Maldonado, Hans J. Grabe, Nynke Groenewold, Dominik Grotegerd, Wen Bin Guo, Tim Hahn, Geoffrey B. Hall, J. Paul Hamilton, Ben Harrison, Sean Hatton, Can Can He, Marco Hermesdorf, Ian B. Hickie, Tiffany C. Ho, Zheng Jia Yi Hu, Qian Huang, Neda Jahanshad, Hamidreza Jamalabadi, Alec Jamieson, Xin Lei Ji, Feng Nan Jia, Toshiharu Kamishikiryo, Tilo Kircher, Sheri Michelle Koopowitz, Anna Kraus, Axel Krug, Li Kuang, Jim Lagopoulos, Thomas Lancaster, Nils Inge Landrø, Elisabeth J. Leehr, Meng Li, Bao Juan Li, Feng Li, Hui Xian Li, Tao Li, Xue Ying Li, Yi Fan Liao, Ze Di Lin, David E.J. Linden, Hai Long Liu, Xiao Yun Liu, Zhe Ning Liu, Yan Song Liu, Yi Cheng Long, Jian Ping Lu, Bin Lu, Frank P. MacMaster, Luigi A. Maglanoc, Andrew M. McIntosh, Sarah Medland, David M.A. Mehler, Susanne Meinert, Benson Mwangi, Amar Ojha, Go Okada, Mardien L. Oudega, Brenda W.J.H. Penninx, Sara Poletti, Edith Pomarol-Clotet, Maria J. Portella, Jiang Qiu, Liesbeth Reneman, Henning S. Rise, Elena Rodriguez-Cano, Matthew D. Sacchet, Raymond Salvador, Hendrik Schlieper, Anouk Schrantee, Xiao Xiao Shan, Hotaka Shinzato, Tian Mei Si, Kang Sim, Jair C. Soares, Dan J. Stein, Benjamin Straube, Lachlan T. Strike, Peng Feng Sun, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Sophia I. Thomopoulos, Paul M. Thompson, Yara Toenders, Aslihan Uyar, Nic J.A. van der Wee, Steven J.A. van der Werff, Ilya M. Veer, Dick J. Veltman, Henry Völzke, Margot Wagenmakers, Henrik Walter, Martin Walter, Chuan Yue Wang, Han Lin Wang, Hua Ning Wang, Xiang Wang, Xin Yu Wang, Ying Wang, Yu Wei Wang, Lars Tjelta Westlye, Heather C. Whalley, Sarah Whittle, Nils R. Winter, Katharina Wittfeld, Mon Ju Wu, Xiao Ping Wu, Xin Ran Wu, Yan Kun Wu, Chen Nan Wu, Chun Ming Xie, Guang Rong Xie, Peng Xie, Xiu Feng Xu, Zhen Peng Xue, Tony T. Yang, Hong Yang, Jian Yang, Hua Yu, Yong Qiang Yu, Min Lan Yuan, Yong Gui Yuan, Yu Feng Zang, Carlos A. Zarate, Ai Xia Zhang, Ke Rang Zhang, Wei Zhang, Jing Ping Zhao, Wen Yi Zhong, Jia Jia Zhu, Giovana B. Zunta-Soares, Xi Nian Zuo, Elena Pozzi & Lianne Schmaal (2026) - Vertex-wise cortical abnormalities in major depressive disorder from 64 cohorts from the DIRECT and ENIGMA MDD consortia - Nature Mental Health - doi: 10.1038/s44220-026-00667-9 - [link]
- Ethell-Marjorie Dubois, Yara J. Toenders, Sophie Sweijen, Suzanne van de Groep, Kayla Green, Lysanne te Brinke, Jeroen van der Waal & Eveline Crone (2026) - Longitudinal changes in adolescents' prosocial giving to those in need during and following the COVID-19 pandemic - Frontiers in Developmental Psychology, 4 - doi: 10.3389/fdpys.2026.1748280
- Roberto Goya-Maldonado, Tracy Erwin-Grabner, , Ling-Li Zeng, Christopher R K Ching, Andre Aleman, Alyssa R Amod, Zeynep Basgoze, Francesco Benedetti, Bianca Besteher, Katharina Brosch, Robin Bülow, Romain Colle, Colm G Connolly, Emmanuelle Corruble, Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, Kathryn Cullen, Udo Dannlowski, Christopher G Davey, Annemiek Dols, Jan Ernsting, Jennifer W Evans, Lukas Fisch, Paola Fuentes-Claramonte, Ali Saffet Gonul, Ian H Gotlib, Hans J Grabe, Nynke A Groenewold, Dominik Grotegerd, Tim Hahn, J Paul Hamilton, Laura K M Han, Ben J Harrison, Tiffany C Ho, Neda Jahanshad, Alec J Jamieson, Andriana Karuk, Tilo Kircher, Bonnie Klimes-Dougan, Sheri-Michelle Koopowitz, Thomas Lancaster, Ramona Leenings, Meng Li, David E J Linden, Frank P MacMaster, David M A Mehler, Susanne Meinert, Elisa Melloni, Bryon A Mueller, Benson Mwangi & Yara J Toenders (2026) - Classification of major depressive disorder using vertex-wise brain sulcal depth, curvature, and thickness with a deep and a shallow learning model - Molecular Psychiatry, 31 (3), 1517-1529 - doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03273-w - [link]
- Yara J Toenders, Kayla H Green, Lysanne W Te Brinke, Sophie W Sweijen, Suzanne van de Groep, Matthijs Fakkel, Danielle Remmerswaal & Eveline A Crone (2026) - Mood trajectories showing resilience and recovery in young people during and after the COVID-19 pandemic - Scientific Reports, 16 (1) - doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-39808-6 - [link]
- Xueyi Shen, Yara J Toenders, , , Laura K M Han, Antoine Weihs, Nina Alexander, Till F M Andlauer, Katharina Brosch, Andreas J Forstner, Dominik Grotegerd, Tim Hahn, Marco Hermesdorf, Norbert Hosten, Hamidreza Jamalabadi, Susanne Meinert, Yuri Milaneschi, Philipp G Sämann, Frederike Stein, Aleks Stolicyn, Lea Teutenberg, Gladi Thng, Mark J Adams, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Paula Usemann, Uwe Völker, Katharina Wittfeld, Marisol Herrera-Rivero, Yunxuan Jiang, Chao Tian, Nynke A Groenewold, Sheri-Michelle Koopowitz, Lachlan T Strike, Udo Dannlowski, Andreas Jansen, Tilo Kircher, Igor Nenadić, Kang Sim, Benjamin Straube, Henry Völzke, Dan J Stein, Sarah E Medland, Klaus Berger, Hans J Grabe, Axel Krug, Katie L McMahon, Greig de Zubicaray, Elena Pozzi, Dick J Veltman, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Neda Jahanshad, Paul M Thompson, Lianne Schmaal, Andrew M McIntosh & Heather C. Whalley (2026) - Association between polygenic risk for Major Depression and brain structure in a mega-analysis of 50,975 participants across 11 studies - Molecular Psychiatry, 31 (2), 611-621 - doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03136-4 - [link]
- Roos Capel, Yara Toenders, Ilse van de Groep & Michelle van der Horst (2025) - Niet Zonder Ons?!: Een onderzoek naar kans en knelpunten van jongerenparticipatie bij drugspreventie - [link]
- Chaira Serrarens, Yara J Toenders, Elena Pozzi, André Aleman, Nina Alexander, Zeynep Başgöze, Vladimir Belov, Klaus Berger, Katharina Brosch, Robin Bülow, Geraldo Filho Busatto, Liliana P Capitão, Colm G Connolly, Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, Kathryn R Cullen, Udo Dannlowski, Christopher G Davey, Greig I de Zubicaray, Danai Dima, Katharina Dohm, Verena Enneking, Tracy Erwin-Grabner, Ulrika Evermann, Cynthia H Y Fu, Paola Fuentes-Claramonte, Beata R Godlewska, Ali Saffet Gonul, Ian H Gotlib, Roberto Goya-Maldonado, Hans J Grabe, Nynke A Groenewold, Dominik Grotegerd, Oliver Gruber, Tim Hahn, Geoffrey Hall, Ben J Harrison, Walter Heindel, Marco Hermesdorf, Tiffany C Ho, Naho Ichikawa, Eri Itai, Neda Jahanshad, Hamidreza Jamalabadi, Alec J Jamieson, Andreas Jansen, Tilo Kircher, Bonnie Klimes-Dougan, Bernd Krämer, Axel Krug, Thomas M Lancaster, Elisabeth J Leehr, Meng Li, David E J Linden, Frank MacMaster, Katie L McMahon, Sarah E Medland, David M A Mehler, Susanne Meinert, Benson Mwangi, Igor Nenadić, Go Okada, Yasumasa Okamoto, Nils Opel, Julia-Katharina Pfarr, Edith Pomarol-Clotet, Maria J Portella, Ronny Redlich, Liesbeth Reneman, Jonathan Repple, Kai Ringwald, Elena Rodriguez-Cano, Pedro G P Rosa, Matthew D Sacchet, Philipp G Sämann, Raymond Salvador, Anouk Schrantee, Hotaka Shinzato, Kang Sim, Egle Simulionyte, Jair C Soares, Dan J Stein, Frederike Stein, Benjamin Straube, Lachlan T Strike, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Paul M Thompson, Marie-Jose van Tol, Paula Usemann, Aslihan Uyar, Nic van der Wee, Steven van der Werff, Yolanda Vives-Gilabert, Henry Völzke, Martin Walter, Sarah Whittle, Katharina Wittfeld, Adrian Wroblewski, Mon-Ju Wu, Tony T Yang, Giovana B Zunta-Soares, Dick J Veltman, Lianne Schmaal & Laura S van Velzen (2025) - Regional brain morphology and current antidepressant use: findings from 32 international cohorts from the ENIGMA major depressive disorder working group - Molecular Psychiatry, 30, 5625-5636 - doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03310-8 - [link]
- Matthijs Fakkel, Lysanne W. Te Brinke, Yara J. Toenders, Kayla H. Green, Sophie W. Sweijen, Suzanne van de Groep & Eveline A. Crone (2025) - Young people's poverty attributions: The role of demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors in the Dutch context - Personality and Individual Differences, 247 - doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2025.113441 - [link]
