This thesis focuses on patients with Binge Eating Disorder. The thesis consists of three parts. In the first part the validity of the diagnosis of BED will be discussed. The results of two... Show moreThis thesis focuses on patients with Binge Eating Disorder. The thesis consists of three parts. In the first part the validity of the diagnosis of BED will be discussed. The results of two literature reviews and an empirical cross-sectional study suggested that BED is a distinct eating disorder and should be added to a next version of the DSM. In the second part results of a randomized controlled trial were described. The effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy was compared to a waiting list control group. As expected, objective binge eating frequency, eating disordered psychopathology, and comorbid psychopathology decreased significantly in the CBT group whereas no reduction was found in the control (WLC) group. Mediator analyses indicated that abstinence from binge eating at post treatment was fully mediated by changes in weight concerns and marginally by changes in concerns about shape and eating, depressive symptoms, and more general psychopathological symptoms. In the third and last part the results of two experimental studies were presented. The purpose of the studies was to investigate the causal relationship between negative mood and binge eating. Both experimental studies found evidence for the fact that in individuals with BED depressive symptoms and caloric intake are positively related. Show less
In criminology, measuring recidivism is a well-known method of establishing the preventive effect of penal interventions. There are measurements of this kind dating from as early as the 19th... Show moreIn criminology, measuring recidivism is a well-known method of establishing the preventive effect of penal interventions. There are measurements of this kind dating from as early as the 19th century. Recidivism studies have been conducted in the Netherlands too, but the earliest we know of stem from the 1970s. Due to developments in public sector fund accounting methods, interest in reconviction rates is now again on the increase. The Dutch government is looking for clear indicators to gauge the success of implemented policy measures. In the area of penal law recidivism, or rather the absence thereof, is readily embraced as a valid and efficient outcome indicator. Under what circumstances do recidivism statistics provide proof of the efficacy of policy interventions? And how can this construct best be measured? In the Netherlands there is no tradition of recidivism research. The methods used in past evaluation studies vary widely, the measurements were predominantly small-scale, and most studies were conducted at a time when the penal interventions under investigation were still at a developmental stage. Recidivism research in the Netherlands has lacked a sound methodological basis and there is consequently no comprehensive view on the outcome of penal interventions – until recently, that is, since the WODC has meanwhile developed a ‘Recidivism Monitor’. This is a project in which reconviction rates of virtually all offenders who have come into contact with the Dutch judiciary are routinely computed. The development of this instrument and its applications in evaluation research form the central themes of this dissertation. Show less
The term primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas refers to a heterogeneous group of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas, that present in the skin without evidence of extracutaneous disease at the time of... Show moreThe term primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas refers to a heterogeneous group of B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphomas, that present in the skin without evidence of extracutaneous disease at the time of diagnosis. In recent years, there has been considerable debate regarding the classification and terminology of the group of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas and different classification schemes were used. In the new WHO-EORTC consensus classification for cutaneous lymphomas published in 2005, three major groups of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma are distinguished: primary cutaneous marginal zone B-cell lymphoma and primary cutaneous follicle center lymphoma with a good prognosis, and primary cutaneous diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, leg type with an intermediate prognosis. Studies presented in this thesis focus on three aspects of these primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas: (1) the clinical usefulness of the WHO-EORTC classification in daily practice, (2) the validity of prognostic parameters reported in previous studies and identified in patient groups classified according to previously used classification schemes and (3) optimal management for the different types of primary cutaneous B-cell lymphomas as defined in the WHO-EORTC classification. Show less
