E.A. (Esmée) Bickel, MSc

After my education in communication science, social psychology and sociology, I started my PhD project in August 2017 in the department Health Psychology. My project (financed by the Dutch Cancer Society (KWF Kankerbestrijding)) is on the care needs of cancer patients who suffer from depressive symptoms. During my project, I will conduct three studies; the first is an ESM study on depressive symptoms to see which symptoms are most central in cancer patients. The second study is a longitudinal study to examine how barriers, coping mechanisms, social support levels, and illness perceptions make that a large group of cancer patients with depressive symptoms does not seek help for these symptoms. In this study we will also examine if depressive symptoms decrease over time and how this relates to coping mechanisms, social support levels and illness perceptions. In a qualitative study, we will examine underlying ideas, goal dis- and re-engagement, and ask people who did seek psychological care why they decided to do so.
My project is supervised by Dr. M.J. Schroevers, Prof. Dr. A.V. Ranchor and Dr. J. Fleer.