Erik van der Meulen

Adolescent girls who are at risk of, or have experienced, sexual exploitation (female SEC) often face complex and multifaceted challenges, including trauma-related symptoms, psychosocial difficulties, unstable home environments, and adverse developmental trajectories. To mitigate further harm and support positive development, integrated care targeting multiple domains—such as trauma, psychosocial functioning, and systemic factors—is essential. However, few integrated care programs have been systematically evaluated, and none within a quasi-experimental design. This study examined the effectiveness of the Dutch Asja residential integrated care program using a before-and-after design. A sample of 39 to 55 adolescent girls admitted between 2020 and 2025 (Mtreatment days = 234.98; Sd = 117.01) was assessed using linear mixed-effects models with random intercepts. Outcomes included self-reported measures (Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire) and clinician-rated assessments (Health of the Nation Outcome Scales for Children and Adolescents). Results indicated significant improvements in key domains, including reductions in self-reported emotional and behavioral problems, hyperactivity, and clinician-assessed emotional and social difficulties. Total problem scores from both adolescents and healthcare professionals also showed significant declines over time. At discharge, 75.4% of the adolescents reported high levels of treatment-goal attainment, and 53.6% indicated no immediate need for follow-up care. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of the Asja program. Future research should focus on reducing unplanned discharges and addressing methodological challenges such as attrition and the high complexity inherent in integrated care for this vulnerable population.

Student mental health is a challenging topic in higher education, with institutions aiming to develop policies and practices to support students’ personal and professional development. This study examined students’ expectations of their tutors regarding mental health support. An adaptation of the Mentor-Q questionnaire, focusing on tutor role perceptions, was used to measure student expectations. Confirmatory factor analysis showed a good fit of the adapted instrument. The questionnaire was completed by 869 students at a Dutch university of applied sciences, and the results were discussed with eight students. The findings revealed four role expectations of tutors: awareness raisers, connectors, referrers, and guardians. Latent class analysis revealed six clusters, with connector and referrer roles as well as awareness raiser and guardian roles being almost equally important within the clusters. The main difference between the clusters was the height of expectations. Satisfaction with the tutor was significantly related to cluster membership, such that higher expectations correlated with lower satisfaction. Additionally, students who discussed their mental health with their tutors were more represented in clusters with relatively low expectations. Discussions with the students highlighted the nuanced landscape of expectations and the importance of contextual factors and metacommunications. Implications for policy and practical development are also discussed.

Despite its importance for career development, previous cross-sectional studies have shown that individuals are reluctant to consider continuing education (CE) engagement because of family responsibilities. To prospectively test these associations, a longitudinal dataset consisting of, respectively, 548 and 809 working mothers and fathers (with one or more living-at-home children of 12 years or younger) was extracted from a Dutch population–based internet survey. Whether respondents were engaged in T2 CE was prospectively predicted by T1a (with an average 466-day time-lag) household labour, childcare division, and job–household focus, while controlling for several relevant T1b job and household characteristics. Using generalised linear mixed models, outcomes reveal that only mothers are less likely to engage in CE when they had less children. Division of household labour, childcare, and job–household focus were all not predictive of CE at T2. Future studies should examine moderators of the association between family responsibilities and CE engagement.