I’m Marlies Brouwer

Licensed health care psychologist and postdoc researcher

Name: Dr. Marlies Brouwer

Email: Contact form

Welcome to my website! My research focuses on the transgenerational transmission of common mental disorders, youth mental disorders, meta-analyses, and psychological interventions. Please feel free to contact me regarding research and clinical work (see contact form).

Appendices for grant application ZonMw fellowship (incl. Fig.4)

My research focuses on...

...transgenerational transmission of common mental disorders and psychological interventions.

Latest news

Current research: Mega Meta project

It is key to understand the etiology and risks for the onset, relapse, and chronicity of common mental disorders to identify people at risk and improve preventive and acute treatment interventions. However, there is a lack of overview of the evidence for factors that predict or are related to common mental disorders. Due to a big data problem, it is impossible to synthesize all evidence using traditional systematic reviews.

The mega meta project, funded by Centre for Urban Mental Health and a cooperation between Amsterdam UMC, University of Utrecht, and University of Amsterdam, is a large systematic review that aimed to synthesize (meta-analyze) all prospective evidence for factors, mechanisms of change and interaction of factors related to the onset, maintenance, and relapse/recurrence of three common mental disorders: Anxiety, substance use, and depressive disorders. The systematic searches, selection, and data checks were conducted using ASReview between June 2021 and July 2022. See my publications for the most recent updates on this project.

I am the coordinator of this project. Want to know more? Please contact me.

Current research: Youth

As a postdoc researcher and licensed health care psychologist I work with youth (17-25) on a daily basis. In my previous role as coordinator and current role as health care psychologist, I have a large role in setting up and evaluating the diagnostic procedures and treatment interventions. We are now for example piloting the use of ecological momentary assessment and wearables in the clinic and in research.

Currently I am involved in several research projects focusing on youth:
– Attachment Based Family Therapy
– Investigating microbiome before and after treatment for depressive disorders
– Systematic review into the effects of ECT on depressive symptoms in youth
– Relapse prevention interventions for youth remitted from anxiety and/or depression

Current research: HERSTEL-study

One in five people will go through a depressive episodes during life. During a depressive episode, people often feel sad (e.g. empty or hopeless), or they have less interest or pleasure in activities. Professionals usually call this a depressive disorder when this feeling continues for at least two weeks, in combination with several other symptoms including fatigue, disturbed sleep, concentration problems, or suicidal thoughts.

Some of these characteristics can remain present after recovery from a depression, called residual symptoms. This is then called partial recovered depression. Partially recovered depressed patients are at risk for a depressive relapse. The optimal treatment for partial recovery is yet unknown. A potential effective strategy to achieve full recovery and reduce the risk of relapse is investigated in the HERSTEL-study. This strategy combines a relapse prevention training with serious games to train your brain. I am one of the co-supervisors, a postdoc researcher, and clinician in this project.

See the website of HERSTEL study for more information