The Social Resilience and Security Programme
There are roughly 5 million young people in the Netherlands. In the Netherlands, young people aged 15-25 are both the group at highest risk to both commit, and suffer from, criminal offenses. Adolescence is also the time where the first transgressive behaviours take place, and earlier ages of onset of transgressive behaviours in childhood are associated with more chronic and more negative outcomes over the adult time period. As such, increasing social safety and resilience in young people can have the potential to considerably reduce the presence of violence in society, as well as lowering educational under-attainment, poor economic outcomes and may help even address the current mental health crisis in young people. At the heart of this effort lie important questions, such as:
These questions transect disciplinary boundaries. Therefore, the programme aims to increase social safety and resilience by bringing together key expertise from the Departments of Archaeology, Law, Global Governance and Affairs (FGGA), Social Sciences (FSW) and Humanities (Philosophy), to identify, prevent and reduce the causes and consequences of transgressive behaviours and as such improve safety and resilience in society.
- What differentiates normative transgressive behaviours and what do transgressive behaviours online look like?
- What are the historic and cultural differences in the types of behaviours that are considered to be transgressive?
- What are the cultural, environmental, social, neurocognitive and genetic risk and resilience mechanisms of transgressive behaviours?
- What are the most effective justice and governance structures and decisions for young people with differential risk and resilience profiles?
These questions transect disciplinary boundaries. Therefore, the programme aims to increase social safety and resilience by bringing together key expertise from the Departments of Archaeology, Law, Global Governance and Affairs (FGGA), Social Sciences (FSW) and Humanities (Philosophy), to identify, prevent and reduce the causes and consequences of transgressive behaviours and as such improve safety and resilience in society.
For more information about the Social Resilience and Security programme, please visit their website and Twitter.
REACT Study: Resilience After the COVID-19 Threat
The aim of the REACT study is to examine whether baseline inflammation, and/or neuro-immune responses to stress in a sample of adolescents with experiences of childhood adversity predicts: the perception of stress, social behaviour and general mental and physical health during and after the COVID-19 outbreak.
Please note – We are no longer recruiting new participants for the REACT study
RAISE Study: Resilience After Individual Stress Exposure
The aim of the RAISE study is to investigate how resilient people respond to stress. Specifically, we will study how key biological systems (HPA-axis, immune system) interact with the brain and social environment in order to facilitate resilient functioning after childhood adversities.
Approximately half of all children and adolescents in our society experience at least one adverse event when they are growing up. Such adversity can take many forms, ranging from being bullied or having experienced abuse or neglect, to having had parents with mental health issues. For some, such stressful experiences can be very difficult to deal with and sometimes may lead to mental health problems. Others, however, have normal mental health after experiencing adversity. We call this 'resilient functioning' or 'resilience'.
We do not yet know what it is that makes some individuals do well after adversity. We know that having the support of friends and family, and being able to talk to someone may help, but we do not know what it is within the body that may help people to become resilient. It is important to research these factors and mechanisms in order to better understand resilience, and to ultimately help others to become more resilient.
Approximately half of all children and adolescents in our society experience at least one adverse event when they are growing up. Such adversity can take many forms, ranging from being bullied or having experienced abuse or neglect, to having had parents with mental health issues. For some, such stressful experiences can be very difficult to deal with and sometimes may lead to mental health problems. Others, however, have normal mental health after experiencing adversity. We call this 'resilient functioning' or 'resilience'.
We do not yet know what it is that makes some individuals do well after adversity. We know that having the support of friends and family, and being able to talk to someone may help, but we do not know what it is within the body that may help people to become resilient. It is important to research these factors and mechanisms in order to better understand resilience, and to ultimately help others to become more resilient.
Please note – We are no longer recruiting new participants for the RAISE study
HOPES Study: Help Overcome & Predict the Emergence of Suicide
Every 40 seconds a person takes their own life. This has to change. With more young people dying by suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, stroke, pneumonia, flu and chronic lung disease, adolescent suicide is a serious public health concern. Despite these alarming statistics, little progress has been made with the early detection and prevention of suicide in young people.
The HOPES study is one of the largest investigations of this kind to date! By studying existing brain scans and data collected form over 4,000 14-25 year olds, the project team hopes to identify specific changes in the brain that make young people vulnerable to suicidal thoughts and behaviours.
The first preliminary HOPES investigation (data analysis) has been completed and the preliminary results are very promising. Want to find out more? The HOPES team will be presenting at events and conferences as soon as it is safe to do so following the COVID-19 pandemic. Event information will be posted on the news section of this website.
Never miss an update about the HOPES project – follow us on Twitter.
The HOPES study is one of the largest investigations of this kind to date! By studying existing brain scans and data collected form over 4,000 14-25 year olds, the project team hopes to identify specific changes in the brain that make young people vulnerable to suicidal thoughts and behaviours.
The first preliminary HOPES investigation (data analysis) has been completed and the preliminary results are very promising. Want to find out more? The HOPES team will be presenting at events and conferences as soon as it is safe to do so following the COVID-19 pandemic. Event information will be posted on the news section of this website.
Never miss an update about the HOPES project – follow us on Twitter.
Meet the HOPES team:
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University of Cambridge Prof. Dr. Anne-Laura van Harmelen (PI) Dr. Maria Dauvermann (Postdoctoral Researcher) Sophie Bellow (Project Coordinator) |
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Orygen Dr. Lianne Schmaal (Co-PI) Dr. Laura van Velzen (Postdoctoral Researcher) |
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Yale School of Medicine Prof. Dr. Hilary Blumberg, MD (Co-PI) Dr. Lejla Colic (Postdoctoral Researcher) Priyanka Panchal (Research Associate) Luca Villa (Research Associate) |
The HOPES Project is funded by MQ Mental Health Research Charity
RESIST Study: What helps students adapt to exam stress?
For more information about the RESIST study, please see here.
