L.I.M. Lenferink PhD (Lonneke)

Assistant Professor
BMS-HIB-PHT
Capitool 15 246
l.i.m.lenferink@utwente.nl
+31534894686
Business card

I work as assistant professor at University of Twente, endowed professor at University of Groningen, and guest researcher at University of Groningen, Utrecht University (NL), Aarhus University (DK), University of New South Wales (AUS), and Bergen University (Norway). My research is focused on the definition, assessment, prediction, and treatment of disturbed grief in bereaved adults and children.

In projects among people who experienced losses because of a long-term disappearance, homicide, MH17 plane disaster, traffic accident, COVID-19, and Russian war in Ukraine I examine risk factors and treatment of distress. Findings of my work are disseminated through www.rouwbehandeling.nl. This website provides information to bereaved people about grief and it's treatment, which I co-developed with Fonds Slachtofferhulp.

At the moment my work is focused on assessing and treating grief in daily life using ecological momentary assessment/intervention.

I have authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal articles. According to a bibliometric study from 2023 on the most productive/influential authors on the topic of prolonged grief disorder (https://doi.org/10.1080/07481187.2023.2196734) I am the third most productive academic in the world.

I have received 3 million euros (with >3 million euros as main applicant/principal investigator) funding for projects on grief, including a NWO VENI grant in 2022, NWO XS grant in 2024, and NWO VIDI grant in 2025. Funding agencies that financially supported my work are Fund Victim Support, Dutch Ministry of Justice and Safety, NWO, SASS, and university funding from Utrecht, Twente, and Rotterdam. In 2024, my work was awarded with the KNAW Early Career Award.

Co-promotor/Principal investigator/Daily supervisor
PhD Candidate Iris van Dijk (2020-2025)
PhD Candidate Lieke Nijborg (2022-2025)
PhD Candidate Deniz Ergun (2023-2027)
PhD Candidate Lyanne Reitsma (2020-2024; completed February 2025)

Co-promotor
PhD Candidate Xingjian Ruan (2023-2027)
PhD Candidate Ayala Licht (2025-2029)
PhD Candidate Veerle Garling (2025-2029)

Prinicipal Investigator/Daily supervisor
Postdoctoral researcher Liia Kivela (2025)
Postdoctoral researcher Justina PociĆ«naitė-Ott (2024-2025)
Research assistant Michele Petkovski (2025-2026)
Research assistant Jip van Oostrum (2024-2025)
Research assistant Jinke Venema (2025)
Research assistant Deanne ten Hoor (2024-2025)
Internship student Alison Nieuwenhuijse (2025)
Junior researcher Maria-Luisa Rispa Hoyos (2022-2023)

PhD Committee member
PhD Sander Vos (2021)

Additional roles:
1. Editorial board member of the European Journal of Psychotraumatology (2025-current)
2. Co-chair of the annual meeting committee of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (2025-current)
3. Chair Special Interest Group Traumatic Grief of the Dutch Society for Psychotrauma (2023-current)
4. Ad-hoc reviewer for several academic journals (see for overview: https://www.webofscience.com/wos/author/record/155722)
5. Editor for special issue on FAIR data practices in the field of psychoatruma in European Journal of Psychotraumatology (2024-current)
6. Editor for special issue on grief in Frontiers in Psychiatry (https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/23195/consequences-and-aftercare-of-a-traumatic-loss-of-a-loved-one) (2021-2023)
7. Board member of the Dutch Society for Psychotrauma (see www.ntvp.nl). This is a society for therapists and researchers working with psychotrauma. It consists of 600+ members and ~14.000 LinkedIn followers. (2019-2023)
8. Finance/Research officer Bereavement Network Europe (community that connects European professionals working with bereaved people) (2020-2022)
9. Teacher in research practice at PPO (a post-master education for clinical psychologists) (2019-2023)
10. Editorial board of Impact Magazine (https://oorlog.arq.org/nl/impact-magazine-0) (2021-2024)
11. Review committee member Dutch Veterans Institute (Nederlands Veteranen Instituut) (2022)

Expertise

  • Psychology

    • Grief
    • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
    • Depression
    • Treatment
    • Self-Report
    • Research
    • Mental Health
    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Organisations

Publications

2025

Exploring reactivity effects of self-monitoring prolonged grief reactions in daily life: A randomized waitlist-controlled trial using experience sampling methodology (2025)Internet interventions, 42. Article 100877. Franzen, M. & Lenferink, L. I. M.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.invent.2025.100877Making trauma ecological momentary assessment studies FAIR: review of design considerations and data procedures (2025)European Journal of psychotraumatology, 16(1), 2477423. Article 2477423. Hruska, B., Piccirillo, M. L., Lenferink, L. I. M., Pacella-LaBarbara, M. L., Contractor, A. A., Price, M. & Greene, T.https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2025.2477423Nature-Based Contemplation for Spiritual Well-Being: A Pilot Study Exploring Acceptability and Potential Benefits (2025)Mindfulness, 16(11), 3212-3225. Ruan, X., Kraiss, J., Tönis, K. J. M., Cebolla, A., Lenferink, L. I. M., van Rompay, T. & Bohlmeijer, E.https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-025-02686-6Do you ever think about dying?: Exploring acceptance, grief and togetherness through the mediation of technologies while living with dementia (2025)[Contribution to conference › Poster] 35th Alzheimer Europe Conference, AEC 2025 (Accepted/In press). Toso, F., Zaga, C. & Lenferink, L.Self-monitoring of grief reactions in daily life after loss (2025)[Contribution to conference › Paper] 8th European Society for Research on Internet Interventions, ESRII 2025. Lenferink, L.Trajectories of grief-related psychopathology: A decade after the MH17 plane disaster (2025)Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 114. Article 103036. Nijborg, L. C. J., Westerhof, G. J., Pociūnaitė-Ott, J., Kunst, M. J. J., de Keijser, J. & Lenferink, L. I. M.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2025.103036Assessing prolonged grief symptoms using experience sampling methodology: The development of the prolonged grief symptoms - short ecological assessment (PGS-SEA) scale (2025)Comprehensive psychiatry, 140. Article 152597. Ergun, T. D., ten Klooster, P. M., Bohlmeijer, E. T., Westerhof, G. J., Franzen, M. & Lenferink, L. I. M.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.comppsych.2025.152597Ecological Validity of Grief Rumination Measures Among Bereaved People (2025)Clinical psychology & psychotherapy, 32(4). Article e70135. Zhou, S., Zhang, X., Lenferink, L. M. & Tang, S.https://doi.org/10.1002/cpp.70135Reciprocal relations between prolonged grief and anger in homicidally bereaved people involved in a criminal trial: A four-wave cross-lagged panel model (2025)Psychological medicine, 55. Article e169 (E-pub ahead of print/First online). Nijborg, L. C. J., Kunst, M. J. J., Westerhof, G. J., De Keijser, J. & Lenferink, L. I. M.https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291725100809Investigating reactivity effects of self-monitoring prolonged grief reactions in daily life: A randomized waitlist-controlled trial using ESM (2025)[Contribution to conference › Paper] 18th European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Conference, ESTSS 2025. Lenferink, L.Waves of grief in daily life after loss: Two experience sampling studies (2025)[Contribution to conference › Paper] 18th European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Conference, ESTSS 2025. Lenferink, L.Social life in daily life after traumatic loss: An ecological momentary assessment study using 2520 datapoints (2025)[Contribution to conference › Poster] 18th European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Conference, ESTSS 2025. Lenferink, L.Invited preconference workshop: 'Prolonged grief in adults and children: assessment, theory, and treatment' (2025)[Contribution to conference › Other] 18th European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies Conference, ESTSS 2025. Lenferink, L.Assessing and treating prolonged grief in daily life (2025)[Dataset Types › Dataset]. Zenodo. Lenferink, L. & Pociūnaitė - Ott, J.https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15594763Begeleide versus onbegeleide online rouwgerichte cognitieve gedragstherapie voor volwassenen die een dierbare verloren tijdens de COVID-19-pandemie: Een gecontroleerde studie (2025)Gedragstherapie, 58(2), 94-123. Reitsma, L., Boelen, P. A., van Ee, E., de Keijser, J. & Lenferink, L.https://doi.org/10.5553/TG/016774542025058002002Prevalence and correlates of positive and negative psychological effects of bereavement due to COVID-19: A systematic review (2025)Journal of Affective Disorders, 378, 19-35. Reitsma, L., Killikelly, C., Müller, H., Larsen, L. H., Nijborg, L. C. J., Boelen, P. A. & Lenferink, L. I. M.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2025.02.078Waves of grief in daily life after loss: Two experience sampling studies (2025)[Contribution to conference › Paper] Conference of the Society for Ambulatory Assessment, SAA 2025. Lenferink, L.Virtueel rescripting in rouwbehandeling met deepfake technologie (2025)[Contribution to conference › Paper] Jaarcongres van de Nederlandstalige Vereniging voor Psychotrauma, NtVP 2025. Lenferink, L.Zelfmonitoring van rouwklachten met een rouwdagboek (2025)[Contribution to conference › Paper] Jaarcongres van de Nederlandstalige Vereniging voor Psychotrauma, NtVP 2025. Lenferink, L. & Franzen, M.The Efficacy of Bereavement Interventions: A Systematic Umbrella Review (2025)Harvard Review of Psychiatry, 33(3), 127-148. Avis, K. A., Missler, M., Van Deursen, D., Lenferink, L. I. M., Stroebe, M. & Schut, H.https://doi.org/10.1097/HRP.0000000000000426Trajectories of prolonged grief disorder severity after loss during the COVID-19 pandemic (2025)Journal of Loss and Trauma (E-pub ahead of print/First online). Reitsma, L., Mooren, T. M., Mouthaan, J., Pociunaite-Ott, J., Van Hoof, M. J., Groen, S. P. N., Lotzin, A., Boelen, P. A. & Lenferink, L. I. M.https://doi.org/10.1080/15325024.2025.2490909Virtual rescripting in prolonged grief treatment using deepfake technology (2025)[Contribution to conference › Paper] 5th International meeting on Imagery Rescripting 2025. Lenferink, L.Prolonged grief and posttraumatic stress in parents who lost a child in a road traffic accident: A latent class analysis (2025)Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 20. Article 100879. van Dijk, I., Boelen, P. A., de Keijser, J., Reitsma, L. & Lenferink, L. I. M.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2025.100879A decade of grief in people bereaved by the MH17 plane disaster (2025)[Contribution to conference › Paper] National conference Crisis Psychology 2025. Lenferink, L.Symptomen van aanpassingsstoornis tijdens de COVID-19-pandemie: longitudinale studie (2025)Tijdschrift voor psychiatrie, 67(3), 159-163. Mooren, G. T. M., Reitsma, L., Mouthaan, J., van Hoof, M. J., Groen, S. P. N. & Lenferink, L. I. M.https://www.tijdschriftvoorpsychiatrie.nl/nl/artikelen/article/50-13477_Symptomen-van-aanpassingsstoornis-tijdens-de-COVID-19-pandemie-longitudinale-studie

Research profiles

Affiliated study programs

Courses academic year 2025/2026

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Courses academic year 2024/2025

Current projects

The TALE study

TGI-CA Assessment after Loss in Europe

The primary aim of the TALE-study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Traumatic Grief Inventory - Clinical Administered (TGI-CA). The TGI-CA is an interview that is developed to assess pathological grief criteria (proposed for inclusion) in DSM-5 and ICD-11. During this study data will be collected among Dutch and German-speaking bereaved people by telephone interviews. Collaborators: drs. Minita Franzen (University of Groningen), dr. Carina Heeke (Freie UniversitÀt Berlin) en prof. dr. Paul A. Boelen (Utrecht University and Arq National Psychotrauma Centre).

Grief after the MH17 plane disaster

Aim: to examine the course of symptoms over time in people who lost one or multiple significant others due to the plane disaster with flight MH17. Among others latent class growth modeling and cross-lagged panel analyses are used to analyze the data. Furthermore, the effectiveness of a treatment for this group will be evaluated in a randomized controlled trial. Collaborators: prof. dr. Jos de Keijser (University of Groningen), prof. dr. Paul A. Boelen (Utrecht University and Arq National Psychotrauma Centre), prof. dr. Geert E. Smid (Centre '45 and Arq National Psychotrauma Centre), and dr. Angela Nickerson (University of New South Wales, Australia).

Treatment of disturbed grief after the death of a loved one during the COVID-19 pandemic

Grief during the pandemic

This PhD-project consists of two trials: 1) In a randomized controlled trial the effects of an online unguided grief-specific cognitive behavioral therapy (vs. waitlist controls) will be evaluated in people who lost a loved one during the pandemic. 2) In a controlled trial the effects of an online guided grief-specific cognitive behavioral therapy (vs. online unguided grief-specific cognitive behavioral therapy) will be evaluated in people who lost a loved one during the pandemic. Research team: Lyanne Reitsma (PhD candidate) Lonneke Lenferink (Principal Investigator/main applicant) Paul Boelen and Jos de Keijser (co-applicants)

CONNECT project

CONNECT

The aim of this project is to examine the course and determinants of psychotrauma complaints related to the COVID-19 pandemic in the general Dutch population. This is a longitudinal survey study among over 2000 Dutch people. This project is part of a pan-European study on the positive and negative consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic executed in eleven European countries. Collaborators: European Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ESTSS), Nederlandstalige Vereniging voor Psychotrauma (NtVP), prof. dr. Trudy Mooren (Utrecht University, Centre '45), drs. Suzan Soydas (Utrecht University), dr. Joanne Mouthaan (Leiden University), drs Marloes Eidhof (Radboud University, Reinier van Arkel), dr. Marie-José van Hoof (Leiden University) en dr. Simon Groen (GGZ Drenthe)

The Aarhus Bereavement Study

TABstudy

The Aarhus Bereavement Study (TABstudy) is an ongoing multi-wave, registry-based cohort study, examining grief reactions in bereaved adults led by associate prof. Maja O'Connor at Aarhus University (Denmark). Aarhus University granted a research visit in fall 2022 so I could collaborate on this project by analyzing data among bereaved families using structural equation modelling.

TrafVic

Aim: to identify risk factor for developing psychological complaints among people who lost a significant other due to a traffic accident. In addition, the effectiveness of an online treatment for reducing psychopathology levels will be evaluated. Collaborators: prof. dr. Jos de Keijser (University of Groningen), prof. dr. Paul A. Boelen (Utrecht University and Arq National Psychotrauma Centre), prof. dr. Geert E. Smid (Centre '45 and Arq National Psychotrauma Centre), and dr. Maarten Eisma (University of Groningen)

The therapeutic effects of "GriefHelp"

Aim: to evaluate the effectiviness of a psychological intervention for reducing prolonged grief symptoms in minors who lost a significant other. Collaborators: prof. dr. Paul A. Boelen (Utrecht University and Arq National Psychotrauma Centre) and dr. Mariken Spuij (Utrecht University)

Measurements Archive of Reactions to Bereavement from Longitudinal European Studies (MARBLES) project

Aim: to develop an international data-archive for secundary analyses on Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) longitudinal (non-intervention) grief data in adults. Collaborators: prof. dr. Paul A Boelen (Utrecht University and ARQ national psychotrauma centre) and Nancy Kassam-Adams (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia and the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, USA)

Toward personalized bereavement care: Examining individual differences in response to grief treatment

Prolonged grief disorder is a debilitating condition, affecting 10% of bereaved people. To date, studies evaluating treatments for prolonged grief have focused on symptom change on a group-level, ignoring individual variability in grief-responses. Personalized prolonged grief treatment may enhance treatment outcomes. This project contributes in three ways to personalized treatment for prolonged grief, by: (i) improving the understanding of differences in grief-trajectories in response to treatment for prolonged grief using a novel FAIR data-archive; (ii) examining grief in daily life; (iii) offering dynamic support in daily life to treat prolonged grief. 2022-2026 Veni-grant NWO

TrafVic Kids

The aims of this PhD-project (2020-2024) are to: 1) develop and validate a clinical interview to assess prolonged grief disorder (PGD) symptoms in children and 2) to develop and evaluate a online treatment for PGD in children bereaved by a traffic accident. PhD-student is Iris van Dijk Promotores: prof. dr. Paul Boelen and prof. dr. Jos de Keijser Co-promotores and daily supervisor: dr. Lonneke Lenferink

Finished projects

The disappearance of a significant other

Consequences and care

The aim of my PhD research was to examine the consequences of, and support after the long-term disappearance of a significant other. Promotors: prof. dr. Jos de Keijser (University of Groningen) and prof. dr. Paul A. Boelen (Utrecht University and Arq Psychotrauma Expert Group) Co-promotor: dr. Ineke Wessel (University of Groningen)

In the press

Media outlet highlights
Original title [English title]
Link
Date (day/month/year)

  1. Interview Dutch national newspaper Algemeen Dagblad
    Zoektocht naar vermiste SamuĂ«l gestaakt: ‘We moeten nu accepteren dat hij niet gevonden wordt’ [The search for SamuĂ«l discontinued: ‘We now need to accept that he will not be found’]
    https://www.ad.nl/amersfoort/zoektocht-naar-vermiste-samuel-gestaakt-we-moeten-nu-accepteren-dat-hij-niet-gevonden-wordt~abf93ac13/
    28/9/2021
  2. Interview professional Dutch magazine Vakblad Uitvaart
    Grotere kans op rouwstoornis door corona [Increased risk of a grief disorder due to corona]
    https://uitvaartmedia.com/webshop-vakbladuitvaart/
    01/12/2020
  3. Interview Dutch national newspaper Algemeen Dagblad
    Hoe rouw je in tijden van corona? [How to grieve in times of COVID?]
    https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/hoe-rouw-je-in-tijden-van-corona-ik-heb-het-afscheid-in-kleine-kring-juist-als-prettig-ervaren~a0d5bb43/
    28/10/2020
  4. Blog Nederlandstalige Vereniging voor Psychotrauma
    Yalom: “Get in therapy; go through your own issues!”
    https://www.ntvp.nl/yalom-get-in-therapy-go-through-your-own-issues/?mc_cid=0da9d4e3b2&mc_eid=dce7448dc8
    23/10/2020
  5. Interview Dutch national radio Radio1
    Radio 1: Online rouwen tijdens pandemie [Grieving online during pandemic]
    https://www.nporadio1.nl/fris/onderwerpen/66163-2020-10-11-online-rouwen-om-coronadoden-kan-dat-wel
    11/10/2020
  6. Dutch national t.v. Nieuwsuur
    Hoe is het om door corona nooit echt afscheid te kunnen nemen van je geliefde [What is it like to never really say goodbye to your loved one because of corona?]
    https://nos.nl/nieuwsuur/video/2350976-hoe-is-het-om-door-corona-nooit-echt-afscheid-te-kunnen-nemen-van-je-geliefde.html
    04/10/2020
  7. Online Dutch article published by Fund Victim Support
    Afscheid en rouw in tijden van corona [Farewell and grief in COVID-19 times]
    https://slachtofferwijzer.nl/nieuws/afscheid-en-rouw-in-tijden-van-corona/
    30/03/2020
  8. Live-interview Dutch national radio Radio1
    Impact op achterblijvers van vermiste is enorm [impact on those left behind after a disappearance is huge]
    https://www.nporadio1.nl/langs-de-lijn-en-omstreken/onderwerpen/526611-impact-op-achterblijvers-van-vermiste-is-enorm
    22/01/2020
  9. Interview Dutch national newspaper Algemeen Dagblad
    Hierdoor maakt de vermissing van Dirk Dalebout meer los dan andere zaken [This is why the disappearance of Dirk Dalebout results in relatively more reactions than other cases]
    https://www.ad.nl/dordrecht/hierdoor-maakt-de-vermissing-van-dirk-dalebout-meer-los-dan-andere-zaken~acdd2aa7/?referrer=https://www.google.com/
    11/08/2019
  10. Interview Dutch national newspaper Algemeen Dagblad
    Bijna 300 vermiste Nederlanders: het kan ook jou overkomen [Nearly 300 missing Dutch people: it could also happen to you
    https://www.ad.nl/binnenland/bijna-300-vermiste-nederlanders-het-kan-ook-jou-overkomen~a45b335a/
    24/02/2019
  11. Interview Dutch national newspaper Volkskrant Magazine
    "Ik zou zo graag willen horen uw kind is dood" [“I would like to hear your child is dead”]
    https://www.volkskrant.nl/kijkverder/v/2019/ik-zou-zo-graag-willen-horen-uw-kind-is-dood/
    16/02/2019
  12. Interview Dutch professional magazine "de Psycholoog"
    Tussen hoop en vrees [In limbo]
    https://www.tijdschriftdepsycholoog.nl/artikelen/tussen-hoop-en-vrees/
    05/10/2018
  13. Interview Dutch national newspaper NRC Handelsblad
    "Hardnekkige rouw om een vermiste" [Disturbing grief after someone is missing]
    https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2018/06/18/hardnekkige-rouw-om-een-vermiste-a1606943
    18/06/2018
  14. Online interview for Dutch national news NOS
    Mensen die hoop houden na de vermissing van een dierbare hebben de meeste klachten [People who maintain hope after the disappearance of loved one have the highest distress]
    https://nos.nl/op3/artikel/2196589-mensen-die-hoop-houden-na-de-vermissing-van-een-dierbare-hebben-de-meeste-klachten.html
    06/10/2017
  15. Interview regional Dutch newspaper “de Stentor”
    Achterblijvers van vermisten in therapie [Relatives of missing people in treatment]
    www.destentor.nl/nieuws/achterblijvers-van-vermisten-in-therapie~a476fb96/
    06/06/2016
  16. Live regional Dutch television interview Omroep Brabant
    88 Brabanders langdurig vermist [88 people from the region Brabant are long-term missing]
    https://youtu.be/kpWTcZs8P1E
    04/01/2015

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University of Twente

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Capitool 15
7521 PL Enschede
Netherlands

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