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Op Verhaal Komen online : emotie-expressie en cognitieve processen op depressie als verklaring voor de werkzaamheid van een online life-review interventie

Möller, S. (2015) Op Verhaal Komen online : emotie-expressie en cognitieve processen op depressie als verklaring voor de werkzaamheid van een online life-review interventie.

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Abstract:Introduction: Life-review interventions are a method to treat depression. In this method people write about their memories and evaluate it. Researchers of the University of Twente developed the life-review intervention Op Verhaal Komen (OVK) online. OVK is developed for older people with depressive symptoms. The intervention consists of six lessons. In this study will be explored how differences of the use of number of words of positive emotions, negative emotions and cognitive processes are related to a reduction of depressive symptoms in OVK online. The differences of words will be explored between lesson 1 and lesson 6 from OVK online. In addition in this study will be analyzed how differences of the use of words are related to a reduction of depressive symptoms. Method: 13 subjects participated in the individual condition of OVK online. The subjects were in the range of 40-70 years. Through the score of the Centre for Epidemiologic Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D) was the degree of their depressive symptoms determined from the pre- and posttest. The Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count (LIWC) is a computer-program with different word categories which are related to psychological processes. Through the LIWC the differences between lesson 1 and 6 of the use of words were determined. By means of a t-test and a regression analysis the relationship differences of emotion and cognition words and a relationship to a reduction of depressive symptoms were determined. Results: This research shows that positive emotion words and cognition words partially increased from lesson 1 to lesson 6. Negative emotions words declined from lesson 1 to lesson 6. The results of emotion words show that they are not related to a reduction of depressive symptoms. However a reduction of certainty and discrepancy which are part of the cognitive processes in the LIWC are related to a reduction of depressive symptoms in OVK. Discussion: Especially the subcategory certainty was connected to decreased depression. The results of the emotion words showed that there presumably occurred a change in the emotional experience of the subjects in relationship with OVK online. However there does not seem to be a relationship between declined depressive symptoms and a change in emotional experience. One possible reason for the partially significant results of the cognitive processes and emoitons are limitations of the LIWC. This measuring instrument offers just a few subcategories which are linked to depression. It will be advised to analyze the data with another program which has more or other categories. More research is advised to explore this assumption.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:77 psychology
Programme:Psychology BSc (56604)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/68440
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