BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam//NONSGML v1.0//EN NAME:PhD defence E. Eigenhuis METHOD:PUBLISH BEGIN:VEVENT DTSTART:20260513T114500 DTEND:20260513T131500 DTSTAMP:20260513T114500 UID:phd-defence-e-eigenhuis@8F96275E-9F55-4B3F-A143-836282E12573 CREATED:20260924T210547 LOCATION: SUMMARY:PhD defence E. Eigenhuis X-ALT-DESC;FMTTYPE=text/html:

Improving accessibil ity and outcome of treatment for depression and anxiety

Better access and tailored care crucial in the fight against de pression and anxiety

Research by clinical psychologis t Eline Eigenhuis shows that the approach to depression and anxiety c an be more effective - provided people receive help sooner and treatm ents better align with their needs. Her study sheds new light on why many patients still fall through the cracks and offers concrete start ing points to bring about change.

The research reveals that you ng people, in particular, often seek help too late for depressive sym ptoms. Shame, a lack of knowledge about mental health, and long waiti ng times constitute significant barriers. As a result, symptoms persi st unnecessarily long, and the risk of worsening increases.

More input
There are also gains to be made within th e treatment itself. Patients regularly discontinue therapy prematurel y, but when they are given more input—for example, through shared d ecision-making regarding the form of treatment - both their satisfact ion and adherence to therapy increase. This increases the chance of r ecovery and reduces the risk of dropout.

One of the findings is that even mild personality traits, such as difficulty regulating emo tions or unstable relationships, increase the risk of both the onset and recurrence of depression. According to Eigenhuis, this argues for more attention to these factors in both prevention and treatment.

In addition, she investigated new treatment methods for people fo r whom existing therapies are insufficient. This shows that intervent ions such as memory specificity training and group-based schema thera py are feasible and demonstrate promising results in complex or treat ment-resistant patients.

Addressing early
B y intervening earlier, reducing stigma surrounding mental health, and better tailoring treatments to the patient, mental healthcare can be organized more effectively. Especially for young people, this offers opportunities to address psychological problems at an early stage an d prevent long-term symptoms.

At the same time, Eigenhuis empha sizes that further study remains necessary, particularly regarding wh ich treatment works best for which patient. Nevertheless, the message is clear: a more accessible and person-centered approach can make a difference for large groups of people with anxiety and depressive dis orders.

~~More information on the thesis~~

DESCRIPTION: Improving accessibility and outcome of treatment for depr ession and anxiety Better access and tailored care crucial in the fight against depression and anxiety

Research by clinical psychologist Eline Eigenhuis shows that the approach to dep ression and anxiety can be more effective - provided people receive h elp sooner and treatments better align with their needs. Her study sh eds new light on why many patients still fall through the cracks and offers concrete starting points to bring about change.The research re veals that young people, in particular, often seek help too late for depressive symptoms. Shame, a lack of knowledge about mental health, and long waiting times constitute significant barriers. As a result, symptoms persist unnecessarily long, and the risk of worsening increa ses.More input
There are also gains to be made wi thin the treatment itself. Patients regularly discontinue therapy pre maturely, but when they are given more input—for example, through s hared decision-making regarding the form of treatment - both their sa tisfaction and adherence to therapy increase. This increases the chan ce of recovery and reduces the risk of dropout.One of the findings is that even mild personality traits, such as difficulty regulating emo tions or unstable relationships, increase the risk of both the onset and recurrence of depression. According to Eigenhuis, this argues for more attention to these factors in both prevention and treatment.In addition, she investigated new treatment methods for people for whom existing therapies are insufficient. This shows that interventions su ch as memory specificity training and group-based schema therapy are feasible and demonstrate promising results in complex or treatment-re sistant patients.Addressing early
By intervening earlier, reducing stigma surrounding mental health, and better tailor ing treatments to the patient, mental healthcare can be organized mor e effectively. Especially for young people, this offers opportunities to address psychological problems at an early stage and prevent long -term symptoms.At the same time, Eigenhuis emphasizes that further st udy remains necessary, particularly regarding which treatment works b est for which patient. Nevertheless, the message is clear: a more acc essible and person-centered approach can make a difference for large groups of people with anxiety and depressive disorders.More informati on on the thesis END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR