Batstra, Prof. Laura
Laura Batstra (1973) graduated cum laude in psychology in 1997. She then joined the University Medical Center Groningen as a psychologist, where she worked on various projects in the field of indirect patient care. At the end of 2004 she was awarded a PhD for her thesis ‘Difficult Birth, Difficult Life?’ She went on to work as a treating psychologist at an institution for child and youth psychiatry. 2012 saw the publication of Batstra’s book ‘ Hoe voorkom je ADHD? Door de diagnose niet te stellen ’ (‘How can ADHD be prevented? By not diagnosing it.’), in which she advocates a new approach to ADHD problems.
According to Batstra, in recent years, there has been an excessive focus on disorder-thinking. "If people experience symptoms that are actually part of life, we too quickly assume that something is wrong and that individual medical help is needed. For example, a child who is just a bit hyperactive might be prescribed ADHD medication. Or someone labeled with 'complex grief' because they grieve a deceased loved one for too long. I don't want to deny or trivialize these issues, but I believe we should critically assess whether they belong in psychiatry and if medication is the right approach."
Batstra’s fields of research include methods for preventing over-diagnosis without risking under-treatment. ‘In many cases involving children perceived as problematic, the child can be spared the negative effects of a psychiatric diagnosis if help and support is offered to adults in that child’s environment.’ 2012 saw the publication of Batstra’s book ‘ Hoe voorkom je ADHD? Door de diagnose niet te stellen ’ (‘How can ADHD be prevented? By not diagnosing it.’), in which she advocates a new approach to ADHD problems.
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| Last modified: | 01 February 2024 3.10 p.m. |