Anna Lichtwarck-Aschoffonline

Collaborator
Short bio

I am not so interested in *whether* certain interventions work but *how* they work. That is, I am mainly focusing on underlying processes and mechanisms of change across diagnostic categories and different treatment modalities. Mother of two wild boys!

Top-3 games
  1. Pool
  2. Basketball
  3. Schafkopf
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About me

I am born in the southern part of Germany and moved all the way up to the northern part of the Netherlands to study psychology in Groningen. I received my PhD from the University of Groningen at the department of Developmental Psychology in 2008. Currently, I am working as a full professor at Groningen University.  My interest in game interventions is mainly driven by the fact that they allow us to gather fine-grained data on how individuals change across game play.

Using an interdisciplinary approach, combining developmental, complexity and clinical science, my ultimate goal is to develop a person-specific research paradigm. The small data dynamic-systems informed approach that underlines my research approach aims at a better scientific understanding of the idiosyncrasies and generalities of treatment processes in real-world care settings but it will also contribute to closing the gap between science and practice. I have been working on clinical data, examining nonlinear change processes and relationship dynamics underlying treatment outcomes for more than five years. A significant part of my research in the past years centers around the hypothesis that the general goal of treatment is to break the rigid state associated with psychopathology and shake loose old patterns, to trigger a qualitative shift towards more healthy and flexible patterns of functioning. Over the years I have investigated this hypothesis in a set of studies in various target groups, treatment contexts, and using different intensive longitudinal data. Recently, we were the first to demonstrate that a temporary destabilization in clients’ daily self-rating were predictive of future clinical transitions, which opens up unprecedented possibilities to inform daily practice about how to dynamically personalize interventions (i.e., better target and timely adapt intervention efforts to the particulars of individual clients). 

Projects I’ve worked on

  • Category
    Anxiety | Depression
    Date
    09/06/2020
    Study/Course
    Location

    Can I Play Some More? Promoting Adolescent Well-being Through Engaging Video Games

    About the project

    Commercial video games may offer a cheap and readily available way to help us understand in what way video games can be used to promote adolescent well-being. Excellent targets for this are games that involve social interaction, encourage both positive and negative emotions and are identified by youth themselves as potentially beneficial. By letting youth play several commercial video games in different settings, we can learn how games interact with well-being and motivation in both short and long-term.

    view this project

  • Category
    Anxiety | Depression
    Date
    19/03/2024
    Study/Course
    Location

    Are Improvements in Anxiety Associated with How Children Play MindLight?

    About the project

    The video game MindLight has been found to be an effective anxiety prevention program (see project: MindLight - Childhood Anxiety Prevention). However, we don’t know whether the clinical techniques incorporated in the game were responsible for the observed changes in anxiety symptoms. In this project we examined how children play MindLight, to what extent they interact with the clinical techniques in the game and how that relates to their anxiety improvements.

    view this project

  • Category
    Anxiety | Depression
    Date
    19/03/2024
    Study/Course
    Location

    MindLight - Childhood Anxiety Prevention

    About the project

    Many children have difficulties with fearful situations and are anxious. Interventions can help to teach children to cope effectively with anxiety-inducing situations. In our project, we rigorously tested whether an intervention in the form of a video game (MindLight) is effective in significantly reducing anxiety symptoms in children 8-12 years old. We did this by comparing MindLight to 1) a commercial game and 2) the gold-standard, cognitive-behavioural therapy for anxiety (Coping Cat). Furthermore, we evaluated the motivational characteristics of MindLight and for whom (e.g., age and gender differences) it is effective.

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  • Category
    Gaming
    Date
    19/03/2024
    Study/Course
    Location

    Nonspecific Factors in Video Games for Mental Health

    About the project

    More and more games are designed to promote mental health. If these games are found to be effective, it is important to investigate which factors are responsible for the improvements in mental health. Most often, this type of research focuses on the specific clinical techniques that were designed into the game. However, from the clinical literature it is known that, for instance, expectations, motivation, and one’s mindset about the malleability of symptoms play a major role in positive intervention outcomes. In my project I aim to investigate these nonspecific factors and examine how we can manipulate these factors in order to optimize video games for mental health.

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  • Category
    Social Media
    Date
    30/10/2017
    Study/Course
    Location

    Social Media & Mental Health

    About the project

    Social media are immensely popular, and - as it happens - a dense source of social information. In this project, we investigate what sort of information and experiences young people encounter on these social media, and how these things relate to their mental wellbeing, as well as how young people's momentary wellbeing relates to their social media behaviours.

    view this project

no future events are set.

My publications

  • Engaging youth in depression prevention: Testing the effectiveness and appeal of applied and commercial video games [Doctoral Dissertation]

    M. Poppelaars (2021). Engaging youth in depression prevention: Testing the effectiveness and appeal of applied and commercial video games. Doctoral Thesis. Radboud University.

    Author: Marlou Poppelaars

    Upload date: 11-26-2021

  • Can a commercial video game prevent depression? Null results and whole sample action mechanisms in a randomized controlled trial.

    Poppelaars, M., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Otten, R., & Granic, I. (2021). Can a commercial video game prevent depression? Null results and whole sample action mechanisms in a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Psychology, 11, 575962. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.575962

    Author: Marlou Poppelaars

    Upload date: 01-12-2021

  • The Role of Motivation to Change and Mindsets in a Game Promoted for Mental Health

    Wols, A., Poppelaars, M., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2020). Entertainment Computing, 100371.

    Author: Aniek Wols

    Upload date: 07-07-2020

  • Explicit Mental Health Messaging Promotes Serious Video Game Selection in Youth with Elevated Mental Health Symptoms

    Poppelaars, M., Wols, A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2018). Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01837

    Author: Marlou Poppelaars

    Upload date: 09-10-2018

  • The Impact of Explicit Mental Health Messages in Video Games on Players’ Motivation and Affect

    Poppelaars, M., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Kleinjan, M., & Granic, I. (2018). The impact of explicit mental health messages in video games on players’ motivation and affect. Computers in Human Behavior, 83, 16-23. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2018.01.019

    Author: Marlou Poppelaars

    Upload date: 07-01-2018

  • A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Two Cognitive-Behavioral Programs for Adolescent Girls with Subclinical Depression: A School-Based Program (Op Volle Kracht) and a Computerized Program (SPARX)

    Poppelaars, M., Tak, Y. R., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Engels, R. C. M. E., Lobel, A., Merry, S. N., Lucassen, M. F. G., & Granic, I. (2016). Behaviour Research and Therapy, 80, 33-42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2016.03.005

    Author: Marlou Poppelaars

    Upload date: 05-01-2016

  • Videospellen: De Positieve Effecten

    Granic, I., Lobel, A., Poppelaars, M., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2015). Kind en Adolescent, 36 (1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12453-014-0066-8

    Author: Marlou Poppelaars

    Upload date: 01-22-2015

  • Autonomous and Controlled Motivation in a Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing School-based and Computerized Depression Prevention Programs

    Poppelaars, M., Tak, Y. R., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Engels, R. C. M. E., Lobel, A., Merry, S. N., Lucassen, M. F. G., & Granic, I. (2014). In Schouten, B., Fedtke, S., Schijven, M., Vosmeer, M. & Gekker, A. (Eds.), Games for Health 2014 (pp. 125-135). Germany: Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-07141-7_17

    Author: Marlou Poppelaars

    Upload date: 10-29-2014

  • Randomized Controlled Trial Testing the Effectiveness of a Depression Prevention Program (‘Op Volle Kracht’) Among Adolescent Girls with Elevated Depressive Symptoms

    Wijnhoven, L. A. M. W., Creemers, D. H. M., Vermulst, A. A., Scholte, R. H. J., & Engels, R. C. M. E. (2013). Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 1-12.

    Author: Lieke Wijnhoven

    Upload date: 07-27-2013

  • Preregistration: The Effect of Expectations on Experienced Fun, Mood, State-Anxiety and In-Game Play Behaviours while playing MindLight

    Wols, A., Hollenstein, T., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2019). https://osf.io/6gmwv

    Author: Aniek Wols

    Upload date: 07-05-2019

  • In-Game Play Behaviours during an Applied Video Game for Anxiety Prevention Predict Successful Intervention Outcomes

    Wols, A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Schoneveld, E. A., & Granic, I. (2018). Journal of Psychopathology and Behavioral Assessment, 40, 655-668. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-018-9684-4

    Author: Aniek Wols

    Upload date: 06-11-2018

  • Effectiveness of applied and casual games for young people's mental health: A systematic review of randomised controlled studies

    Wols, A., Pingel, M., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2024). Effectiveness of applied and casual games for young people's mental health: A systematic review of randomised controlled studies. Clinical Psychology Review, 102396.

    Author: Aniek Wols

    Upload date: 01-30-2024

  • Heterogeneity in some relationships between social media use and emerging adults’ affective wellbeing

    Griffioen, N., Scholten, H., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A. et al. Heterogeneity in some relationships between social media use and emerging adults’ affective wellbeing. Curr Psychol (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04035-5

    Author: Nastasia Griffioen

    Upload date: 12-03-2022

  • From Wellbeing to Social Media Use and Back: Using a Novel Method to Assess the Bi-Directional Relationship Between Momentary Wellbeing and Social Media Use

    Griffioen, N., Van Rooij, M., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2021). From Wellbeing to Social Media Use and Back: Using a Novel Method to Assess the Bi-Directional Relationship Between Momentary Wellbeing and Social Media Use. Frontiers in Psychology: Human-Media Interaction, 12:789302.

    Author: Nastasia Griffioen

    Upload date: 12-24-2021

  • The Effect of Expectations on Experiences and Engagement with an Applied Game for Mental Health

    Wols, A., Hollenstein, T., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic (2021). Games for Health, 10(4), 207-219.

    Author: Aniek Wols

    Upload date: 08-09-2021

  • Everyone Does It—Differently: A Window into Emerging Adults’ Smartphone Use

    Griffioen, N., Scholten, H., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A. et al. (2021). Humanit Soc Sci Commun 8, 177. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00863-1

    Author: Nastasia Griffioen

    Upload date: 07-20-2021

  • Mental Health Outcomes of an Applied Game for Children with Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Non-inferiority Trial

    Schoneveld, E.A., Wols, A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Otten, R., & Granic I. (2020). Journal of Child and Family Studies. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-020-01728-y

    Author: Elke Schoneveld

    Upload date: 06-24-2020

  • Efficacy of a Virtual Reality Biofeedback Game (DEEP) to Reduce Anxiety and Disruptive Classroom Behavior: Single-Case Study

    Bossenbroek, R., Wols, A., Weerdmeester, J., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Granic, I., & van Rooij, M. (2020). JMIR Mental Health, 7(3), e16066. http://dx.doi.org/10.2196/16066

    Author: Aniek Wols

    Upload date: 03-24-2020

  • A Stimulated Recall Method for the Improved Assessment of Quantity and Quality of Social Media Use

    Griffioen, N., Van Rooij, M., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2020). J Med Internet Res 2020;22(1):e15529.

    Author: Nastasia Griffioen

    Upload date: 01-28-2020

  • What Keeps Them Motivated? Children’s Views on an Applied Game for Anxiety

    Schoneveld, E. A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2019). Entertainment Computing, 29, 69-74.

    Author: Elke Schoneveld

    Upload date: 03-01-2019

  • Preventing Childhood Anxiety Disorders: Is an Applied Game as Effective as a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Based Program?

    Schoneveld, E. A., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., & Granic, I. (2017). Prevention Science, 1-13.

    Author: Elke Schoneveld

    Upload date: 09-27-2017

  • A Neurofeedback Video Game (MindLight) to Prevent Anxiety in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial

    Schoneveld, E. A., Malmberg, M., Lichtwarck-Aschoff, A., Verheijen, G. P., Engels, R. C., & Granic, I. (2016). Computers in Human Behavior, 63, 321-333.

    Author: Elke Schoneveld

    Upload date: 10-01-2016

  • Reductions of Anxiety Symptoms, State Anxiety, and Anxious Arousal in Youth Playing the Videogame MindLight Compared to Online Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

    Tsui, T. Y., DeFrance, K., Khalid-Khan, S., Granic, I., & Hollenstein, T. (2021). Games for Health Journal, 10(5), 330-338. https://doi.org/10.1089/g4h.2020.0083

    Author: Tiffany Y.L. Tsui

    Upload date: 09-28-2021

  • Childhood Anxiety Prevention: An Evaluation of the Applied Game MindLight [Doctoral Dissertation]

    Schoneveld, E. A. (2019). Doctoral dissertation

    Author: Elke Schoneveld

    Upload date: 02-26-2019

  • Limits at infinity: Exploring emerging adults' complex relationship with social media [Doctoral Dissertation]

    N. Griffioen (2022). Limits at infinity: Exploring emerging adults' complex relationship with social media. Doctoral Thesis. Radboud University.

    Author: Nastasia Griffioen

    Upload date: 09-12-2022

  • Digital Media and the Dual Aspect of Adolescent Identity Development: The Effects of Digital Media Use on Adolescents’ Commitments and Self-Stories

    Morita, H., Griffioen, N., & Granic, I. (2022). Digital Media and the Dual Aspect of Adolescent Identity Development: The Effects of Digital Media Use on Adolescents’ Commitments and Self-Stories. In J. Nesi, E. Telzer, & M. Prinstein (Eds.), Handbook of Adolescent Digital Media Use and Mental Health (pp. 63-84). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

    Author: Hiromitsu Morita

    Upload date: 06-30-2022

Worked together with

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Isabela Granic
Director of GEMH Lab

Professor and Chair of the Developmental Psychopathology department in the Behavioural Science Institute; writer; voracious podcast consumer; mother of two upstanding little gamers

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Professor at McMaster's University & Co-founder of PlayNice Interactive

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Aniek Wols
Researcher at GEMH Lab

I am interested in how and why applied games for mental health work, with a specific focus on the influence of one's mindset, motivation and expectations.

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PhD-Candidate at Radboud University

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Marlou Poppelaars

I am a Postdoctoral researcher passionate about internalizing psychopathology prevention and the use of technology and innovation for this purpose while stimulating intrinsic motivation. I love to read, cook and bake everything delicious. Working on finishing my dissertation and Two Dots (Level 3682 and counting).

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Post Doctorate at University of Groningen

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Elke Schoneveld

Graduate and psychologist interested in the effect of games on mental health. Likes why-questions, social impact and multidisciplinary collaboration. Bubbly, (not so crazy) cat lady and outdoor enthusiast.

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Graduate

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Marieke van Rooij

Assistant prof. and data geek at the GEMH lab, dynamical modelling, personalisation, wants to put the I back into AI, news junkie, cat lover.

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Assistant Professor

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Rutger Engels

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CEO at Trimbos Institute / Professor Developmental Psychopathology Utrecht University

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Marloes Kleinjan

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Program Head Epidemiology & Research support at Trimbos Institute / Professor Youth Mental Health Promotion Utrecht University

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