Belgian Sample Research Articles

Optimism, mindfulness, and resilience as potential protective factors for the mental health consequences of fear of the coronavirus

The COVID-19 pandemic has a substantial impact on mental health. Prior reports have shown that depression, anxiety, and stress have increased throughout the pandemic. Nonetheless, not everyone is affected by these negative consequences and some people may be relatively unaffected. In this online study in a predominantly Dutch and Belgian sample (N = 546), we investigated whether positive personality traits such as optimism, mindfulness, and resilience may protect against the negative mental health consequences (i.e., fear of the coronavirus, depression, stress, and anxiety) of the COVID-19 pandemic. We found that fear of COVID-19 was related to higher depression, stress, and anxiety. However, for participants scoring high on mindfulness, optimism, and resilience, this relationship was weakened. In addition to these findings, we present the results of network analyses to explore the network structure between these constructs. These results help to identify possible ways through which psychological well-being can be promoted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Changes in sleep timing and subjective sleep quality during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy and Belgium: age, gender and working status as modulating factors

Italy and Belgium have been among the first western countries to face the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency, imposing a total lockdown over the entire national territories. These limitations have proven effective in slowing down the spread of the infection. However, the benefits obtained in public health have come with huge costs in terms of social, economic, and psychological well-being. In the current study, we aimed to investigate how the period of home confinement affected self-reported sleep characteristics in Italians and Belgians, with special regard to sleep timing and subjective quality. Using an online survey we collected data from 2272 participants, 1622 Italians (Mage = 34.1 ± 13.6 years, 1171 F), and 650 Belgian (Mage = 43.0 ± 16.8 years, 509 F). Participants reported their sleep pattern (eg, bedtime, risetime) and perceived sleep quality during and, retrospectively, before the lockdown. During the lockdown, sleep timing was significantly delayed, time spent in bed increased, and sleep quality was markedly impaired in both Italians and Belgians. The most vulnerable individuals appeared to be women, subjects experiencing a more negative mood, and those perceiving the pandemic situation as highly stressful. However, the two samples differed in the subgroups most affected by the changes, possibly because of the different welfare systems of the two countries. In fact, in the Italian sample sleep quality and timing underwent significant modifications especially in unemployed participants, whereas in the Belgian sample this category was the one who suffered less from the restrictions. Considering that the novel coronavirus has spread across the whole globe, involving countries with different types of health and welfare systems, understanding which policy measures have the most effective protective role on physical and mental health is of primary importance.

Validating the Pro-Environmental Behavior Task in a Japanese Sample

Controlled experimentation is critical for understanding the causal determinants of pro-environmental behavior. However, the potential of experimental pro-environmental behavior research is limited by the difficulty to observe pro-environmental behavior under controlled conditions. The Pro-Environmental Behavior Task (PEBT) was developed to address this limitation by facilitating the experimental analysis of pro-environmental behavior in the laboratory. Previous studies in Belgian samples have already supported the validity of the PEBT as a procedure for the study of actual pro-environmental behavior. Here, we aimed for a cross-cultural replication of this finding in a sample of N = 103 Japanese college students. Along the lines of previous studies, we found PEBT choice behavior to be sensitive to within-subject manipulations of its behavioral costs and environmental benefits. This implies that participants take these consequences into account when choosing between PEBT options. In addition, we showed, for the first time, that such consequence effects can also be detected in a less powerful between-subjects design. These results support the generality of consequence effects on PEBT choice behavior as well as the validity and utility of the PEBT for use in samples from different cultural backgrounds.

Non-suicidal self-injury and its association with identity formation in India and Belgium: A cross-cultural case-control study.

The aim of the present study was to compare different features of Non-Suicidal Self-Injury (NSSI) in India and Belgium. We also explored whether the strength of the association between NSSI and disturbances in identity formation-a risk factor that can increase vulnerability to NSSI-was similar in young adults from India and Belgium. Data regarding NSSI and identity formation were collected from 182 young adults in India (56% females, mean age = 21.5 years, SD = 3.70, range = 17-38 years). The Belgian data used for matching were derived from four existing datasets. Of the 182 Indian cases, 138 cases could be matched with the Belgian sample on age, gender, and lifetime prevalence of NSSI. Lifetime prevalence of NSSI in the Indian sample was found to be around 21.4%, with higher prevalence in females than in males. Comparison of features of NSSI in India and Belgium indicated that the age of onset of NSSI was higher in the Indian sample (around 17 years) than the Belgian sample (around 15 years). Additionally, self-bruising behavior was more commonly reported in India and scratching/cutting was more often reported in Belgium. Finally, the Belgian sample reported intra-personal functions of NSSI more often than the Indian sample. Moderation analysis indicated that the associations between NSSI and identity confusion/integration were stronger in the Belgian sample compared to the Indian sample. Higher self-knowledge was protective against NSSI in both the Indian and the Belgian sample.

Is providing informal care risky? A mental health perspective in a Belgian population-based sample

Abstract Background Informal caregiving refers to providing unpaid assistance to a relative or friend who has a disease or a disability. The assumption that providing informal care leads to deleterious health outcomes is widespread and commonly accepted. However, several comments have been made about the need to question this belief. Methods To put this assumption to test, the Belgian National Health Survey from 2013 was used. In this nationwide sample, the association between informal care and mental health was investigated through the GHQ-12 and the SCL (depression, anxiety, and sleep subscales). Three complementary comparison were performed: (1) between informal caregivers and non-caregivers; (2) between informal caregivers at home, outside of home, and non-caregivers; (3) between informal caregivers providing care for more than 20 hours a week, those providing between 1 and 20 hours a week, and non-caregivers. Statistically significant differences were controlled afterwards for gender, age, and perceived quality of social support. Results Overall, the results show that, with a population-based point of view, informal caregivers are not particularly at risk. Few comparisons were statically different, and when they were, the effect sizes remained low. Conclusions Far from settling this debate, these results rather suggest that the key point might lie elsewhere, as informal caregivers represents a diverse population in itself. Therefore, the focus should probably not be on the sole investigation of the differences between informal caregivers and the general population, but rather on how and why some caregivers differ from other caregivers and how such difference can represent a risk for them. Key messages Informal caregiving is often seen as a risk factor for mental health, but our results point to non-significant and little differences. By questioning this assumption, we call for a better understanding of what could be at risk in informal care.

The challenge of defining chronic illness for health monitoring in children: opening a can of worms

Abstract Background A straightforward health monitoring definition of chronic illness in children would have great utility for estimation of health care and social service needs as well as resource allocation. Methods This study analyses various definitions of chronic illness in children and adolescents in cross-sectional national health surveys in Germany based on: the Children with Special Health Care Needs (CSHCN) 14-item-questionnaire, a list of 15 self-reported medical diagnoses in the past 12 months, and a generic single-question parent-reported chronic condition from the Minimum European Health Module (MEHM), also used in EU-SILC and EHIS surveys. Results 13.7% (95% CI 13.0-14.4) of children and adolescents aged 0-17 years had special health care needs in the first National Interview and Examination Survey in Children and Adolescents in Germany KiGGS 2003-2006. However, surprisingly, the prevalence was less than half in children with a migration background and was not associated with social status or income. The list of diagnoses identified a very high proportion of 31.5 (30.7-32.4) of children aged 0-17 years as chronically ill but does not take into account disease severity or impact. The generic MEHM-question in the KiGGS 2009-2012 survey identified 16.2% (15.3-17.1) of 0- to 17-year-olds as chronically ill, however, only one in five was affected in their daily activities. Parents denied chronic illness in 11.2% of children with epilepsy, 18.8% of children with asthma and 62.8% of children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Conclusions None of the three definitions of chronically ill children is entirely satisfactory so far: CSHCN may need an adaptation of the German version to better capture inequalities, the disease list needs further severity differentiation and MEHM has recently shown low test-retest reliability (kappa 0.56) when administered twice within 6 months in a large Belgian sample and may need revisiting as well.

Normal Personality, the Dark Triad, Proactive Attitude and Perceived Employability: A Cross-Cultural Study in Belgium, Switzerland and Togo.

The current research examined the link between both normal and malevolent personality, proactive attitude, and self-perceived employability across some highly investigated (Belgium, Switzerland) and under-investigated populations of sub-Saharan Africa (e.g., Togo), considering proactive attitude as a potential mediator and self-perceived employability as an outcome. Conducting such a study in contexts which present notable differences in political organization and linguistic diversity, might contribute to enriching the literature on the relationships between personality and self-perceived employability. A sample of 968 participants aged 18 to 85 including 335 Belgians (50% women), 279 Swiss (58.1% women) and 354 Togolese (43.5% women) completed a French version of the Zuckerman-Kuhlman-Aluja Personality Questionnaire (ZKA-PQ/SF), Short Dark Triad (SD3), Proactive Attitude Scale (PAS), and Perceived Employability Scale (PES). All four instruments exhibited metric invariance but did not systematically show scalar invariance across the three countries. ZKA-PQ/SF’s activity and neuroticism and SD3’s narcissism dimensions predicted perceived employability, and these relations were fully or partially mediated by proactive attitude in all cultural contexts. Moreover, perceived employability was predicted by aggressiveness and psychopathy in the Swiss sample and by sensation seeking in both the Swiss and the Belgian samples. Finally, proactive attitude fully mediated between sensation seeking and employability in Belgium and partially between psychopathy and employability in Switzerland. This study illustrates that the link between personality and employability may be mediated by proactive attitude and that these links may be quite robust across cultures.

Using counterframing strategies to enhance anti-stigma campaigns related to mental illness.

Despite the prevalence of media-based anti-stigma campaigns, there is little empirical evidence of their effectiveness and little guidance regarding which communicative strategies can bolster their message. Using a Belgian sample (N=737) recruited in March-April 2019, the current experimental study manipulated a campaign message using counterframing strategies. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to investigate the effectiveness of the resulting nine variants. Campaign effectiveness was most increased by stating that people with a mental illness are "not free-riders or poseurs", or by redefining them as "go-getters" who are "certainly not abnormal or crazy". These variants decreased desired social distance, and significantly reduced stereotype endorsement for people with a high need for cognitive closure. Whereas several campaigns decreased attitudinal stigma for people with a high need for cognitive closure, they inadvertently increased it for people with a low need for cognitive closure. This study indicates that small changes in the body copy can impact a campaign's destigmatizing potential. As such, empirical testing is essential to avoid ineffective or counter-productive anti-stigma interventions. Moreover, this study demonstrates that refuting stigmatizing statements can be a valid strategy in anti-stigma interventions, even though previous literature has argued against it.

Attitudes Towards Outgroups Before and After Terror Attacks

ABSTRACT In light of the recent terrorist attacks in Paris and Brussels, the aim of the current set of studies was to examine if attitudes towards terrorists and—by extension—uninvolved outgroups (i.e., Muslims, refugees, and immigrants) changed before vs. after these attacks. In a Belgian student sample (Study 1a), we investigated the impact of the Paris attacks on various facets of outgroup attitudes: feelings towards terrorists, Muslims, and refugees, immigrant trust, immigrant threat, and immigrant prejudice. The impact of the Brussels attacks was studied in a Belgian convenience sample (Study 1b), specifically focusing on feelings towards refugees, refugee trust, refugee threat, and avoidance of contact with refugees. Results from frequentist and Bayesian analyses in both samples revealed no significant short- and long-term longitudinal changes in outgroup attitudes after both the Paris (Study 1a) and Brussels (Study 1b) attacks. We discuss these findings and connect them to the alleged refugee crisis; another recent event that polarized European societies.

Psychometric properties of the Highly Sensitive Child scale across developmental stage, gender, and country

Adolescents differ in their degree of Environmental Sensitivity, that is, the ability to perceive and process information about their environment. The present study aimed to investigate the psychometric properties of the Highly Sensitive Child scale (HSC), a self-report measure of Environmental Sensitivity, in two Belgian and UK samples with a total of 3056 adolescents. First, the factor structure, internal consistency, dimensionality, and construct validity of the HSC scale were examined. Second, measurement invariance of the HSC scale across developmental stage, gender, and country was tested. Results supported a bifactor model with a general sensitivity factor and three group factors: Ease of Excitation (EOE), Low Sensory Threshold (LST), and Aesthetic Sensitivity (AES). Cronbach’s alpha and McDonalds’s (hierarchical) omega indicated that the HSC scale is a reliable measure of Environmental Sensitivity, except for AES. Furthermore, AES was associated with different personality traits than EOE and LST. Second, the HSC scale was partially measurement invariant across developmental stage, gender, and country. The results provide important insights in the psychometrics of a first measurement of Environmental Sensitivity in early to late adolescents. Implications for further research are discussed.

Obsessions Across Two Cultures: A Comparison of Belgian and Turkish Non-clinical Samples.

There is a growing interest in the role of culture in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, yet cultural studies to date have suffered from methodological limitations and lack a clear theoretical framework. In the current study, we adopted a rigorous methodological approach, and a clear cultural psychological framework. We compared the structure and frequency of obsessions in non-clinical samples (N = 706) from Belgium, a Western culture, and Turkey, a non-Western cultural context. Obsessions were measured by a newly compiled instrument that included a broad range of obsessions. Cross-cultural equivalence of the structure of obsessions was assessed both in the pooled data, and in each culture separately. At an abstract level, we found a two-factor structure that was cross-culturally invariant, and that fit both cultures equally well. These two types of obsessions each corresponded with a different model of agency. Compared to the Turkish sample, the Belgian sample reported more obsessions that can be understood from a disjoint (independent) model of agency as frequently found in Western cultures, whereas the Turkish sample, compared to their Belgian counterparts, reported more obsessions that can be tied to a conjoint (shared) model of agency as frequently found in non-Western cultural contexts. Differences in the prevalent types of obsessions were systematic and interpretable, therefore. In addition to the cross-culturally equivalent two-factor structure, we found culture-specific factor solutions; these solutions point to cultural differences in the experience of obsessions that have yet to be fully understood. In the Discussion, we outline future directions of the research on culture and obsessions.

Political efficacy and interest as mediators of expected political participation among Belgian adolescents

Citizenship education intends to prepare students to become politically active citizens. However, studies investigating the relationship between citizenship education and political participation have largely neglected the mediating role of political attitudes. This study examines whether political efficacy and political interest are mediators of expected political participation, using the data of the Belgian (Flemish) sample of the ICCS 2016 study. The results indicate that three educational strategies (i.e., classroom discussions, civic learning opportunities, and student participation at school) are positively associated with expected political participation (i.e., institutionalized and noninstitutionalized participation) in a distinct way. A substantial part of this relationship is mediated by political interest and political efficacy. Future research should take this underlying mechanism into account when studying the development of civic engagement amongst adolescents in a school context. The findings of this study call for a broad approach to citizenship education for the development of political attitudes, as well as behavior.

Decisional conflict of physicians during the decision-making process for a simulated advanced-stage cancer patient: an international longitudinal study with German and Belgian physicians

BackgroundDecision making with advanced cancer patients is often associated with decisional conflict regarding treatment outcomes. This longitudinal multicenter study investigated German physicians’ course of decisional conflict during the decision-making process for a Simulated advanced-stage cancer Patient (SP). Results were compared to a matched sample of Belgian physicians.MethodsGerman physicians’ (n = 30) decisional conflict was assessed with the Decisional Conflict Scale (DCS) at baseline (t1) and after the four steps of a decision-making process: after reviewing the SP chart (t2), after viewing an assessment video interview with the SP (t3), after reviewing the team recommendations (t4), and after conducting the patient-physician decision-making interview (t5). The results were compared to those of a Belgian matched sample (n = 30).ResultsDecisional conflict of German physicians decreased during the Decision-Making process (M = 53.5, SD = 11.6 at t2 to M = 37.8, SD = 9.6 at t5, p < 0.001). This was similar to the pattern in the Belgian sample (M = 53.5, SD = 12.5 at t2 to M = 34.1, SD = 10.9 at t5, p < 0.001). There was no significant difference between the two groups for Decisional conflict end scores (p = 0.171). At the end of the Decision-making process, in both groups, still 43.3% of the physicians among each group (n = 13) reported a high Decisional Conflict (DCS > 37.5).ConclusionsPhysicians’ decisional conflict decreases during the decision-making process for an advanced cancer SP, though it remains at a high level. Culture, language and different health care systems have no influence on this process. The results emphasize the influence of psychosocial factors. We conclude that this issue should be considered more intensively in future research and in clinical care.

Shift Work and Occupational Accident Absence in Belgium: Findings from the Sixth European Working Condition Survey.

(1) Background: Irregular and non-standard work arrangements have become a serious determinant to the health and safety of workers. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between shift work and occupational accident absence. A representative Belgian sample considering several sociodemographic and work characteristics is used. (2) Methods: This study is based on the data of the sixth European Working Condition Survey (EWCS). The sample is restricted to 2169 respondents from Belgium. By using multivariate logistic regression modeling techniques and adjusting several confounders, the associations between shift work and occupational accident absence are studied. (3) Results: It is found that about 11.1% of the workers undergo an occupational accident absence. A multivariate regression model demonstrates an increased occupational accident absence risk for workers who have shift work (odds ratio, or OR, 1.92, 95% CI 1.06–3.46). Also, gender and biomechanical exposure were significantly associated with occupational accident absence ((OR 2.07, 95% CI 1.16–3.69) and (OR 2.03, 95% CI 1.14–3.63), respectively). No significant interaction effects are found with gender and age variables. 4) Conclusion: This study confirms that doing shift work is significantly associated with occupational accidents. In order to reduce the significance of occupational accidents, shift work should be limited through national-level policies.

Classroom discussions and political tolerance towards immigrants: the importance of mutual respect and responsiveness

Political tolerance, defined as the willingness to extend civil rights to other groups in society, is considered a requirement for peaceful coexistence in modern societies. Deliberative democratic theory argues that deliberation can positively influence political tolerance. Within a school environment, discussions on controversial issues are believed to stimulate tolerance amongst adolescents. As previous research offers contradictory findings on the effect of classroom discussions on students’ tolerance towards immigrants, this paper takes into account the context in which such discussions take place. We argue that a context of both mutual respect and responsiveness towards student demands is crucial to boosting levels of tolerance amongst adolescents. Using the Belgian (Flemish) sample of ICCS 2009 and 2016 in multilevel path models, we find that the discussion climate itself is not significantly related to tolerance towards immigrants when the school context of respect and responsiveness is taken into account. Based on the results of this article, schools should focus more on making students feel respected and equally treated, and on giving young people the chance to participate in the schools’ policy and organization to positively influence political tolerance among students.

Assessment of a French version of the Mannheim Dream questionnaire (MADRE) in a Belgian sample

The aim of the current study was to provide a French validation of the MADRE questionnaire (Schredl, Berres, Klingauf, Schelhaas & Goritz, 2014) and to further examine demographic factors that may affect dream-related experiences (Schredl, Berres, Klingauf, Schelhaas & Goritz, 2014). The participants were 357 Belgians aged from 18 to 81 years. Despite some differences caused by the sample features, the results obtained with the French version of the MADRE questionnaire indicated a lot of similarities with the German original version. However, all variables did not reach satisfying retest reliability. The findings regarding the French version of the MADRE questionnaire are encouraging but a replication with a shorter test/retest interval and a more representative sample is needed.

Broadening the individual differences lens on party support and voting behavior: Cynicism and prejudice as relevant attitudes referring to modern‐day political alignments

AbstractSocial‐cultural and economic‐hierarchical ideological attitudes have long been used to explain variation in political partisanship. We propose two additional, stable attitudes (political cynicism and ethnic prejudice) that may help in explaining contemporary political alignments. In a Belgian (N = 509) and Dutch sample (N = 628), we showed that party support can be segmented into four broad families: left, libertarian, traditionalist, and far‐right parties. Both studies revealed that social‐cultural and economic‐hierarchical right‐wing attitudes were negatively related to left party support and positively to libertarian, traditionalist and far‐right support. Importantly, additional variance was consistently explained by political cynicism (lower libertarian and traditionalist support), ethnic prejudice (lower left support), or both (higher far‐right support). Study 2 additionally demonstrated these patterns for self‐reported voting.

Bioactive peptides and free amino acids profiles in different types of European dry-fermented sausages

A wide variety of dry-fermented sausages are produced in European countries, where are considered valued traditional products. An intense proteolysis takes place during the processing of dry-fermented sausages due to the combined action of muscle and microbial peptidases, generating large amounts of peptides and free amino acids. These compounds participate in the development of the characteristic flavor of dry-fermented products, but some peptides can also exert certain bioactivities such as antioxidant and ACE inhibitory activities. This study has evaluated the changes in peptide profile and amino acid contents of three European dry-fermented sausages produced in Spain, Italy and Belgium, proving the intense degradation of proteins, mainly myofibrillar, and the generation of high amounts of different size peptides and free amino acids. The changes observed between the profiles of European sausages could be due to differences in product formulation, processing conditions and starter cultures used, which influence the activity of enzymes, both from muscle and bacterial origin. On the other hand, the bioactivity profile of each type of dry-fermented sausage was evaluated through the measurement of the ACE inhibitory and antioxidant activities in water-soluble peptide extracts fractionated by size-exclusion chromatography. Spanish and Belgian dry-fermented sausages showed values of ACE inhibition around 85%, whereas Belgian samples presented the highest DPPH radical-scavenging activity and ferric reducing power capacity. These results evidence the potential of Spanish, Italian and Belgian dry-fermented sausages as natural sources of bioactive peptides, giving an added-value to these traditional products.

Geochemical and mineralogical composition of black weathering crusts on limestones from seven different European countries

Twenty-seven samples of black weathering crust and host carbonates were studied from seven European countries (Germany, Hungary, Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Italy and Poland) representing 11 different sites. The samples were collected for sites for which long-term air pollution records are available. The mineralogical analyses (XRD, polarizing microscopy, SEM) have shown that despite decreasing SO2 emissions crust samples are still very rich in gypsum. Further, in all host rock samples gypsum was also detected. Good correlations (R2 > 0.9) were also found between water-soluble calcium and gypsum content and between sulphate and gypsum content both for black crusts and host rocks. The black gypsum crusts are four or five times richer in sulphate than the host rock. The conductivity of dissolved crust and host rock samples also shows a positive correlation with gypsum content of the samples. LA-ICP-MS analyses allowed the detection of high Pb-levels in black crusts and a negative shift in lead concentration at the crust/host rock transition. The lead content of the host rock is 2–5 mg/kg, while that of the crust is 3–25 mg/kg in the sample collected from Germany, while in the Belgian sample these values are 2–14 mg/kg and 80–870 mg/kg for the host rock and crust, respectively. The GC–MS technique allowed to detect the PAH content of black crusts and host rocks. The former one contains 0.6–15.6 (102.5) mg/kg, while in the host rock values between 0.2 and 2.4 mg/kg were found. The present study suggests that still large amounts of air pollution-related minerals and organic pollutants are found in the black weathering crusts of European carbonate buildings despite decreasing trends in air pollution.

An open randomized controlled study comparing an online text-based scenario and a serious game by Belgian and Swiss pharmacy students

IntroductionTo compare online learning tools, looped, branch serious game (SG) and linear text-based scenario (TBS), among a sample of Belgian and Swiss pharmacy students. MethodsOpen randomized controlled study. The lesson was based on the case of a benign cough in a healthy child. A randomized sample of 117 students: only the Swiss students had attended a previous lecture on coughs. Participation rate, pre- and post-experience Likert scales and students’ clinical knowledge were measured. ResultsOur primary hypothesis was demonstrated: students favored the SG even if navigation was rated as more complex, and students who performed the SG better understood the aim of pharmacist triage in case of cough. The influence of the SG appeared to be linked to the presence of a previous lecture in the curriculum. Discussion and conclusionSG and TBS are effective to teach pharmacist triage. Higher SG complexity should be used to teach the aim of pharmacist triage in the case of a specific disease and could be an alternative to simulated patients. A simpler TBS does not require a previous lecture and a debriefing to be fully effective.