Jan Passchier | Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (original) (raw)

Papers by Jan Passchier

Research paper thumbnail of Utility and preliminary effects of 'online digital assistance' for behavioral attack prevention in chronic migraine

There were two objectives of this research. First was to establish the utility of online digital ... more There were two objectives of this research. First was to establish the utility of online digital assistance (ODA), a generic software-based method designed to support behavioral training (BT) in migraine. The second was to test whether ODA can produce additional effects in BT. Utility (feasibility and acceptability) was based on 44 patients with migraine who received ODA as an adjuvant to BT delivered to small groups by lay trainers with migraine at home. ODA tracking files were used to determine ODA feasibility. Acceptability was assessed by a structured interview. To examine ODA effects, 31 patients with migraine who received ODA during BT and at 6 months' follow-up were compared with a matched group of 31 participants who received BT only. Feasibility was established based on minimal technical problems, good compliance, and successful execution of ODA. Acceptability was confirmed by positive participant responses concerning usefulness, supportiveness, and low burden. Finally, ODA participants did not mark better improvements considering migraine attack frequency, internal control, and migraine-specific quality of life compared to those that underwent BT only. ODA is feasible, well-accepted, and perceived to support self-care in 44 patients with migraine. The method is currently designed for these patients, but it can be easily adapted for other health settings. Whether ODA can induce higher gains remains to be established.

Research paper thumbnail of The Distress Thermometer assessed in women at risk of developing hereditary breast cancer

Psycho-Oncology, 2009

Objectives: The Distress Thermometer (DT) is a promising instrument to get insight into distress ... more Objectives: The Distress Thermometer (DT) is a promising instrument to get insight into distress experienced by cancer patients. At our Family Cancer Clinic the DT, including an adapted problem list, was completed by 100 women at increased risk of developing hereditary breast cancer (mean age 45.2 years; SD: 10.5). Additionally, the women filled in either the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale as psychological component (n 5 48) or the somatic subscale of the Symptom Checklist-90 as somatic component (n 5 50) to identify associations with the DT-score. Further, the women filled in an evaluation form.

Research paper thumbnail of Trait Anxiety, Negative Emotions, and the Mothers' Adaptation to an infant born subsequent to late Pregnancy Loss: a Case–Control Study

Prenatal Diagnosis, 1997

Women with (n = 27) a history of late pregnancy loss (> or = 20 weeks) due to congenital a... more Women with (n = 27) a history of late pregnancy loss (> or = 20 weeks) due to congenital anomalies who had completed the subsequent pregnancy with a live-birth were compared with a group of mothers with newborns without such a history (n = 29) at 4 and 16 weeks post-partum. The following aspects were assessed; depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and mother-infant adaptation. The women with a previous pregnancy loss showed significantly more negative emotions than the women without such a history. In addition, they considered that their healthy baby experienced more problems with sleeping, crying, eating, and acquiring a regular pattern of this behaviour than the average baby. They also perceived their baby as being less ideal than the women without a previous pregnancy loss. These problems were particularly present 4 weeks post-partum and were significantly positively related to trait anxiety. The implications of this study are that in women with a history of late pregnancy loss, family physicians and welfare officers should be made aware of possible problems in the mother and in mother-infant adaptation shortly after a normal live-birth, particularly in those with high trait anxiety. They will then be able to arrange psychological support at an early stage.

Research paper thumbnail of Psychological well-being and sexarche in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Human Reproduction, 2010

The characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) such as hyperandrogenism and anovulation ... more The characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) such as hyperandrogenism and anovulation can be highly stressful and might negatively affect psychological well-being and sexuality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between PCOS characteristics and psychological well-being as well as sexarche. Patients (n = 1148) underwent standardized clinical evaluation. Psychological well-being was investigated in 480 patients with the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES), the body cathexis scale (BCS) and the fear of negative appearance evaluation scale (FNAES). Sexarche was also assessed. Amenorrhoea was associated with lower self-esteem (P = 0.03), greater fear of negative appearance evaluation (P = 0.01) and earlier sexarche (P= 0.004). Hyperandrogenism and acne were associated with poorer body satisfaction (P = 0.03, 0.02, respectively). Hirsutism and BMI were negatively associated with all psychological variables (RSES, P = 0.01; BCS, P = 0.05; FNAES, P = 0.02 and RSES, P = 0.03; BCS, P = 0.001; FNAES, P = 0.03, respectively). Our results suggest that menstrual irregularities might be related to sexarche. Moreover, this study stresses that the treatment of women with PCOS should notably focus on physical but also on psychological and sexual characteristics.

Research paper thumbnail of Low negative affect prior to treatment is associated with a decreased chance of live birth from a first IVF cycle

Human Reproduction, 2007

BACKGROUND: Psychological variables, such as anxiety and depression, may have a negative impact o... more BACKGROUND: Psychological variables, such as anxiety and depression, may have a negative impact on IVF outcomes, but the evidence remains inconclusive. Previous studies have usually measured a single psychological parameter with clinical pregnancy as the outcome. The objective of the current study was to determine whether pretreatment or procedural psychological variables in women undergoing a first IVF cycle affect the chance of achieving a live birth from that cycle. METHODS: Between February 2002 and February 2004, 391 women with an indication for IVF were recruited at two University Medical Centres in The Netherlands. Pretreatment anxiety and depression were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The Daily Record Keeping Chart was used to measure negative and positive affect before treatment and daily during ovarian stimulation. Multiple stepwise forward logistic regression analysis was performed with term live birth as the dependent variable. RESULTS: Regression analysis showed that women who expressed less negative affect at baseline were less likely to achieve live birth (P 5 0.03). After one IVF cycle, women who received a standard IVF strategy were more likely to reach live birth delivery than those who received a mild IVF strategy (P 5 0.002). A male/female indication for IVF was associated with a higher chance of achieving term live birth than a female only indication (P 5 0.03). Age, duration of infertility or type of infertility were not independent predictors of live birth. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between psychological parameters and IVF success rates is more complex than commonly believed. The expression of negative emotions before starting IVF might not be always detrimental for outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of Medication Use on Health State in Postictal Migraineurs

Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 2001

We investigated whether headache-free patients with migraine report a lower health state compared... more We investigated whether headache-free patients with migraine report a lower health state compared with healthy controls, and whether health state is differently affected during the postattack period after using sumatriptan versus habitual nonvasoactive medication. Mood, health state, and personality questionnaires were administered once during an interictal period and twice within 30 hours after different migraine attacks treated with sumatriptan or habitual nonvasoactive medication. Twenty migraineurs without aura, 10 migraineurs with aura, and 30 matched and headache-free controls participated in this study. During an interictal period, patients with migraine reported more problems regarding social activities and pain compared with healthy controls. During the postictal period, mood (fatigue and emotional state) was negatively affected by an attack that was treated with habitual medication, whereas health state (physical pain, social activities, current pain) was similar to the migraine-free period. Sumatriptan treatment had beneficial effects on aspects of health state and mood during the postictal period.

Research paper thumbnail of Turkish Female Immigrants' Intentions to Participate in Preconception Carrier Screening for Hemoglobinopathies in the Netherlands: An Empirical Study

Preconception carrier screening for hemoglobinopathies (HbPs) is debated in the Netherlands. Inte... more Preconception carrier screening for hemoglobinopathies (HbPs) is debated in the Netherlands. Intentions to participate in preconception carrier screening for HbPs as well as informed reproductive options were assessed in 109 Turkish female immigrants. Participants completed a structured questionnaire. 83.5% of 109 Turkish female immigrants intended to participate in preconception carrier screening. Intention to participate was related to the desire to reduce uncertainty about having offspring affected by HbPs, but not with socio-demographic variables, risk-estimation and worrying. If the tests concerning carrier status for HbPs were confirmative for both partners, 36.3% (n = 33) of the women with the intention of preconception carrier screening would refrain from getting children of their own, including 14.3% (n = 13) opting for adoption, 37.4% (n = 34) would decide to become pregnant and to opt for prenatal testing on HbPs. Finally, among 37.4% of the women opting for prenatal testing, 30.3% (n = 10) would terminate an affected pregnancy, 18.2% (n = 6) not and 51.5% (n = 17) could not decide (1 missing value). A large majority of Turkish female immigrants would participate in preconception carrier screening for HbPs.

Research paper thumbnail of TRAIT ANXIETY, COPING WITH STRESS, AND NORHARMAN

Psychological Reports, 1997

Plasma levels of the beta-carboline norharman, concentration of platelet 5-HT, trait measures of ... more Plasma levels of the beta-carboline norharman, concentration of platelet 5-HT, trait measures of anxiety, and measures of coping and defense mechanisms were compared for 15 patients with panic disorder and 24 healthy volunteers. Patients indicated that they made less use of the defense mechanism of principalization than control subjects. No other differences between patients and controls were significant. Platelet 5-HT concentration was positively correlated with the subjectively reported anxiety. Plasma norharman concentration was negatively correlated with the defense mechanisms of principalization and repression and positively correlated with coping strategies involving palliation. The positive correlations of norharman levels with projection and self-comforting fell short of significance and existed in the patient group only. No correlation was apparent between levels of plasma norharman and scores on anxiety. It was concluded that norharman is not a marker for panic disorder or trait anxiety, but that it might reflect intrapsychic and coping processes.

Research paper thumbnail of Utility and preliminary effects of 'online digital assistance' for behavioral attack prevention in chronic migraine

There were two objectives of this research. First was to establish the utility of online digital ... more There were two objectives of this research. First was to establish the utility of online digital assistance (ODA), a generic software-based method designed to support behavioral training (BT) in migraine. The second was to test whether ODA can produce additional effects in BT. Utility (feasibility and acceptability) was based on 44 patients with migraine who received ODA as an adjuvant to BT delivered to small groups by lay trainers with migraine at home. ODA tracking files were used to determine ODA feasibility. Acceptability was assessed by a structured interview. To examine ODA effects, 31 patients with migraine who received ODA during BT and at 6 months' follow-up were compared with a matched group of 31 participants who received BT only. Feasibility was established based on minimal technical problems, good compliance, and successful execution of ODA. Acceptability was confirmed by positive participant responses concerning usefulness, supportiveness, and low burden. Finally, ODA participants did not mark better improvements considering migraine attack frequency, internal control, and migraine-specific quality of life compared to those that underwent BT only. ODA is feasible, well-accepted, and perceived to support self-care in 44 patients with migraine. The method is currently designed for these patients, but it can be easily adapted for other health settings. Whether ODA can induce higher gains remains to be established.

Research paper thumbnail of The Distress Thermometer assessed in women at risk of developing hereditary breast cancer

Psycho-Oncology, 2009

Objectives: The Distress Thermometer (DT) is a promising instrument to get insight into distress ... more Objectives: The Distress Thermometer (DT) is a promising instrument to get insight into distress experienced by cancer patients. At our Family Cancer Clinic the DT, including an adapted problem list, was completed by 100 women at increased risk of developing hereditary breast cancer (mean age 45.2 years; SD: 10.5). Additionally, the women filled in either the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale as psychological component (n 5 48) or the somatic subscale of the Symptom Checklist-90 as somatic component (n 5 50) to identify associations with the DT-score. Further, the women filled in an evaluation form.

Research paper thumbnail of Trait Anxiety, Negative Emotions, and the Mothers' Adaptation to an infant born subsequent to late Pregnancy Loss: a Case–Control Study

Prenatal Diagnosis, 1997

Women with (n = 27) a history of late pregnancy loss (> or = 20 weeks) due to congenital a... more Women with (n = 27) a history of late pregnancy loss (> or = 20 weeks) due to congenital anomalies who had completed the subsequent pregnancy with a live-birth were compared with a group of mothers with newborns without such a history (n = 29) at 4 and 16 weeks post-partum. The following aspects were assessed; depression, anxiety, psychological distress, and mother-infant adaptation. The women with a previous pregnancy loss showed significantly more negative emotions than the women without such a history. In addition, they considered that their healthy baby experienced more problems with sleeping, crying, eating, and acquiring a regular pattern of this behaviour than the average baby. They also perceived their baby as being less ideal than the women without a previous pregnancy loss. These problems were particularly present 4 weeks post-partum and were significantly positively related to trait anxiety. The implications of this study are that in women with a history of late pregnancy loss, family physicians and welfare officers should be made aware of possible problems in the mother and in mother-infant adaptation shortly after a normal live-birth, particularly in those with high trait anxiety. They will then be able to arrange psychological support at an early stage.

Research paper thumbnail of Psychological well-being and sexarche in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Human Reproduction, 2010

The characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) such as hyperandrogenism and anovulation ... more The characteristics of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) such as hyperandrogenism and anovulation can be highly stressful and might negatively affect psychological well-being and sexuality. The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between PCOS characteristics and psychological well-being as well as sexarche. Patients (n = 1148) underwent standardized clinical evaluation. Psychological well-being was investigated in 480 patients with the Rosenberg self-esteem scale (RSES), the body cathexis scale (BCS) and the fear of negative appearance evaluation scale (FNAES). Sexarche was also assessed. Amenorrhoea was associated with lower self-esteem (P = 0.03), greater fear of negative appearance evaluation (P = 0.01) and earlier sexarche (P= 0.004). Hyperandrogenism and acne were associated with poorer body satisfaction (P = 0.03, 0.02, respectively). Hirsutism and BMI were negatively associated with all psychological variables (RSES, P = 0.01; BCS, P = 0.05; FNAES, P = 0.02 and RSES, P = 0.03; BCS, P = 0.001; FNAES, P = 0.03, respectively). Our results suggest that menstrual irregularities might be related to sexarche. Moreover, this study stresses that the treatment of women with PCOS should notably focus on physical but also on psychological and sexual characteristics.

Research paper thumbnail of Low negative affect prior to treatment is associated with a decreased chance of live birth from a first IVF cycle

Human Reproduction, 2007

BACKGROUND: Psychological variables, such as anxiety and depression, may have a negative impact o... more BACKGROUND: Psychological variables, such as anxiety and depression, may have a negative impact on IVF outcomes, but the evidence remains inconclusive. Previous studies have usually measured a single psychological parameter with clinical pregnancy as the outcome. The objective of the current study was to determine whether pretreatment or procedural psychological variables in women undergoing a first IVF cycle affect the chance of achieving a live birth from that cycle. METHODS: Between February 2002 and February 2004, 391 women with an indication for IVF were recruited at two University Medical Centres in The Netherlands. Pretreatment anxiety and depression were measured with the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale. The Daily Record Keeping Chart was used to measure negative and positive affect before treatment and daily during ovarian stimulation. Multiple stepwise forward logistic regression analysis was performed with term live birth as the dependent variable. RESULTS: Regression analysis showed that women who expressed less negative affect at baseline were less likely to achieve live birth (P 5 0.03). After one IVF cycle, women who received a standard IVF strategy were more likely to reach live birth delivery than those who received a mild IVF strategy (P 5 0.002). A male/female indication for IVF was associated with a higher chance of achieving term live birth than a female only indication (P 5 0.03). Age, duration of infertility or type of infertility were not independent predictors of live birth. CONCLUSIONS: The relationship between psychological parameters and IVF success rates is more complex than commonly believed. The expression of negative emotions before starting IVF might not be always detrimental for outcomes.

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of Medication Use on Health State in Postictal Migraineurs

Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain, 2001

We investigated whether headache-free patients with migraine report a lower health state compared... more We investigated whether headache-free patients with migraine report a lower health state compared with healthy controls, and whether health state is differently affected during the postattack period after using sumatriptan versus habitual nonvasoactive medication. Mood, health state, and personality questionnaires were administered once during an interictal period and twice within 30 hours after different migraine attacks treated with sumatriptan or habitual nonvasoactive medication. Twenty migraineurs without aura, 10 migraineurs with aura, and 30 matched and headache-free controls participated in this study. During an interictal period, patients with migraine reported more problems regarding social activities and pain compared with healthy controls. During the postictal period, mood (fatigue and emotional state) was negatively affected by an attack that was treated with habitual medication, whereas health state (physical pain, social activities, current pain) was similar to the migraine-free period. Sumatriptan treatment had beneficial effects on aspects of health state and mood during the postictal period.

Research paper thumbnail of Turkish Female Immigrants' Intentions to Participate in Preconception Carrier Screening for Hemoglobinopathies in the Netherlands: An Empirical Study

Preconception carrier screening for hemoglobinopathies (HbPs) is debated in the Netherlands. Inte... more Preconception carrier screening for hemoglobinopathies (HbPs) is debated in the Netherlands. Intentions to participate in preconception carrier screening for HbPs as well as informed reproductive options were assessed in 109 Turkish female immigrants. Participants completed a structured questionnaire. 83.5% of 109 Turkish female immigrants intended to participate in preconception carrier screening. Intention to participate was related to the desire to reduce uncertainty about having offspring affected by HbPs, but not with socio-demographic variables, risk-estimation and worrying. If the tests concerning carrier status for HbPs were confirmative for both partners, 36.3% (n = 33) of the women with the intention of preconception carrier screening would refrain from getting children of their own, including 14.3% (n = 13) opting for adoption, 37.4% (n = 34) would decide to become pregnant and to opt for prenatal testing on HbPs. Finally, among 37.4% of the women opting for prenatal testing, 30.3% (n = 10) would terminate an affected pregnancy, 18.2% (n = 6) not and 51.5% (n = 17) could not decide (1 missing value). A large majority of Turkish female immigrants would participate in preconception carrier screening for HbPs.

Research paper thumbnail of TRAIT ANXIETY, COPING WITH STRESS, AND NORHARMAN

Psychological Reports, 1997

Plasma levels of the beta-carboline norharman, concentration of platelet 5-HT, trait measures of ... more Plasma levels of the beta-carboline norharman, concentration of platelet 5-HT, trait measures of anxiety, and measures of coping and defense mechanisms were compared for 15 patients with panic disorder and 24 healthy volunteers. Patients indicated that they made less use of the defense mechanism of principalization than control subjects. No other differences between patients and controls were significant. Platelet 5-HT concentration was positively correlated with the subjectively reported anxiety. Plasma norharman concentration was negatively correlated with the defense mechanisms of principalization and repression and positively correlated with coping strategies involving palliation. The positive correlations of norharman levels with projection and self-comforting fell short of significance and existed in the patient group only. No correlation was apparent between levels of plasma norharman and scores on anxiety. It was concluded that norharman is not a marker for panic disorder or trait anxiety, but that it might reflect intrapsychic and coping processes.