Research Sara De Bruyn

Abstract

The combination of the growing mental health care burden and the limited human and monetary resources for health stresses the clear need for effective prevention strategies. It is increasingly demonstrated that regulatory problems in infancy – resulting from co-regulation difficulties within the caregiver(s)-child relationship – hold extreme importance for mental health, constituting the seeds for emergent developmental psychopathology and persistent mental health problems later in life. However, to date, there has been limited fundamental research which aims to intervene in this vicious cycle of mental health problems, especially with respect to (1) understanding the vicious cycle of regulatory problems within a larger social context and (2) exploring how to structurally prevent and treat infant regulatory problems. In the current FWO-proposal, I will address these gaps using a mixed-method multi-stakeholder design focusing on 3 research objectives: (1) disentangling the micro vicious cycle of dysregulation within the parent(s)-child interaction and understanding how this vicious cycle is impacted by and impacts environmental stressors, taking into account gender and SES differences, (2) investigating the experiences of professional childcare workers in addressing regulatory problems, and (3) exploring effective strategies to structurally optimize infant mental health care around self- and co-regulation.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Wouters Edwin
• Fellow: De Bruyn Sara

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The university or college experience is often viewed as a time of transition, experimentation and risk-taking, especially with regard to substance misuse. While there has been an abundance of research on alcohol and marijuana misuse, other areas of this research field remain relatively unexplored, in particular the scientific knowledge on the misuse of prescription stimulants – generally prescribed to treat Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorders (AD(H)D) – by students as a means for performance enhancement. Exploratory research in Flanders reported a prevalence of up to 10% of Flemish students using prescription stimulants during the exams, resulting in considerable attention in the news media. However, there is a clear dearth in scientific knowledge on (1) which student groups are vulnerable to such drug misuse and why they misuse these stimulants (demand side) and (2) how these students access the prescription drugs (supply side). The proposed study aims to fill these research gaps and generate scientific knowledge on stimulant misuse in Flanders. From a theoretical point of view, a comprehensive theoretical model, the theory of triadic influence, will be used to disentangle the complex mechanisms through which the decision to misuse ADHD drugs can be explained. From a methodological point of view a comprehensive mixed-methods research design will be used focusing on three vital stakeholders: students, general practitioners and pharmacists.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Wouters Edwin
• Co-promoter: Ponnet Koen
• Co-promoter: Van Hal Guido
• Fellow: De Bruyn Sara

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

The university or college experience is often viewed as a time of transition, experimentation and risk-taking, especially with regard to substance misuse. While there has been an abundance of research on alcohol and marijuana misuse, other areas of this research field remain relatively unexplored, in particular the scientific knowledge on the misuse of prescription stimulants – generally prescribed to treat Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorders (AD(H)D) – by students as a means for performance enhancement. Exploratory research in Flanders reported a prevalence of up to 10% of Flemish students using prescription stimulants during the exams, resulting in considerable attention in the news media. However, there is a clear dearth in scientific knowledge on (1) which student groups are vulnerable to such drug misuse and why they misuse these stimulants (demand side) and (2) how these students access the prescription drugs (supply side). The proposed study aims to fill these research gaps and generate scientific knowledge on stimulant misuse in Flanders. From a theoretical point of view, a comprehensive theoretical model, the theory of triadic influence, will be used to disentangle the complex mechanisms through which the decision to misuse ADHD drugs can be explained. From a methodological point of view a comprehensive mixed-methods research design will be used focusing on three vital stakeholders: students, general practitioners and pharmacists.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Wouters Edwin
• Co-promoter: Ponnet Koen
• Co-promoter: Van Hal Guido
• Fellow: De Bruyn Sara

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project

Abstract

Background: From a large-scale survey among Flemish university and college students, it is known that a substantial part of these students (almost 7%) use stimulant drugs – mainly methylphenidates, such as Ritalin®, prescribed to treat ADHD – as a means for performance enhancement. Apart from the question of unfair competition during the exams, the misuse of prescription stimulants can also have detrimental psychological and physical health effects, rendering it a research priority. Although we have a view on the prevalence of the prescription stimulant misuse by students, almost nothing is known about the characteristics of these users, its impact on students' physical and mental well-being, and the sociological and psycho-social motives to misuse stimulants. In addition, there is a dearth of knowledge on the supply side of this public health problem. Research Objectives: The proposed study aims to fill the above-cited research gaps and generate scientific knowledge on the misuse of methylphenidates in Flanders using an innovative, comprehensive research design. In particular, the proposed research program aims to study (1) which students groups misuse these stimulants as well as the subsequent impact of this use on their well-being, (2) why these students perform this behavior and (3) how these students access the prescription drugs. Methods: The study uses an exploratory mixed methods research design comprising three phases, each addressing an above-cited research objective. Firstly, the available dataset from the quantitative survey among Flemish university and college students (n = 18,000) will be employed to identify the user population and measure their well-being (1). Secondly, a more focused quantitative and qualitative data gathering will be executed to identify the mechanisms underlying the misuse by testing two alternative conceptual models described in the literature (2). Finally, a web-survey among medical doctors and pharmacists will be employed to create scientific knowledge on the supply system of the research issue (3). Expected outcomes: The proposed study can have both theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, it is the first study to explore the complex mechanisms underlying stimulant drug use among a large student population. Practically, the resulting scientific knowledge potentially enables according effective preventative interventions to steer students away from these detrimental health choices.

Researcher(s)

• Promoter: Wouters Edwin
• Co-promoter: Van Hal Guido
• Fellow: De Bruyn Sara

Research team(s)

• Centre for Population, Family and Health

Project type(s)

• Research Project