Biography
Dr Yara Toenders is a Healthy Start Fellow at the Erasmus University Rotterdam. She works in the Clinical Psychology team and the SYNC lab. Her research focusses on mental wellbeing of adolescents, from the biological to the societal level. Biological factors she studies are brain development and sleep. Societal factors include the smartphone ban and performance pressure. At the same time, she emphasises the importance of positive influences, such as having inspiring role models.
Yara previously obtained her PhD at the University of Melbourne, where she studied depression onset in young people, and the neural correlates associated with depression.
Research interests: Mental health, Brain development, Adolescence, Sleep, Screentime
Onderzoeksinteresses: Mentaal welzijn, Hersenontwikkeling, Adolescentie, Slaap, Schermtijd
Erasmus School of Social and Behavioural Sciences
Researcher | Clinical Psychology
- toenders@essb.eur.nl
More information
Work
- Chaira Serrarens, Yara J Toenders, Elena Pozzi, André Aleman, Nina Alexander, Zeynep Başgöze, Vladimir Belov, Klaus Berger, Katharina Brosch, Robin Bülow, Geraldo Filho Busatto, Liliana P Capitão, Colm G Connolly, Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, Kathryn R Cullen, Udo Dannlowski, Christopher G Davey, Greig I de Zubicaray, Danai Dima, Katharina Dohm, Verena Enneking, Tracy Erwin-Grabner, Ulrika Evermann, Cynthia H Y Fu, Paola Fuentes-Claramonte, Beata R Godlewska, Ali Saffet Gonul, Ian H Gotlib, Roberto Goya-Maldonado, Hans J Grabe, Nynke A Groenewold, Dominik Grotegerd, Oliver Gruber, Tim Hahn, Geoffrey Hall, Ben J Harrison, Walter Heindel, Marco Hermesdorf, Tiffany C Ho, Naho Ichikawa, Eri Itai, Neda Jahanshad, Hamidreza Jamalabadi, Alec J Jamieson, Andreas Jansen, Tilo Kircher, Bonnie Klimes-Dougan, Bernd Krämer, Axel Krug, Thomas M Lancaster, Elisabeth J Leehr, Meng Li, David E J Linden, Frank MacMaster, Katie L McMahon, Sarah E Medland, David M A Mehler, Susanne Meinert, Benson Mwangi, Igor Nenadić, Go Okada, Yasumasa Okamoto, Nils Opel, Julia-Katharina Pfarr, Edith Pomarol-Clotet, Maria J Portella, Ronny Redlich, Liesbeth Reneman, Jonathan Repple, Kai Ringwald, Elena Rodriguez-Cano, Pedro G P Rosa, Matthew D Sacchet, Philipp G Sämann, Raymond Salvador, Anouk Schrantee, Hotaka Shinzato, Kang Sim, Egle Simulionyte, Jair C Soares, Dan J Stein, Frederike Stein, Benjamin Straube, Lachlan T Strike, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Paul M Thompson, Marie-Jose van Tol, Paula Usemann, Aslihan Uyar, Nic van der Wee, Steven van der Werff, Yolanda Vives-Gilabert, Henry Völzke, Martin Walter, Sarah Whittle, Katharina Wittfeld, Adrian Wroblewski, Mon-Ju Wu, Tony T Yang, Giovana B Zunta-Soares, Dick J Veltman, Lianne Schmaal & Laura S van Velzen (2025) - Regional brain morphology and current antidepressant use: findings from 32 international cohorts from the ENIGMA major depressive disorder working group - Molecular Psychiatry, 30, 5625-5636 - doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03310-8 - [link]
- Matthijs Fakkel, Lysanne W. Te Brinke, Yara J. Toenders, Kayla H. Green, Sophie W. Sweijen, Suzanne van de Groep & Eveline A. Crone (2025) - Young people's poverty attributions: The role of demographic, socioeconomic, and psychosocial factors in the Dutch context - Personality and Individual Differences, 247 - doi: 10.1016/j.paid.2025.113441 - [link]
- Laura S van Velzen, Lejla Colic, , Zuriel Ceja, Maria R Dauvermann, Luca M Villa, Hannah S Savage, Yara J Toenders, Niousha Dehestani, Alyssa H Zhu, Adrian I Campos, Lauren E Salminen, Martin Alda, Ingrid Agartz, Nina Alexander, Rosa Ayesa-Arriola, Elizabeth D Ballard, Nerisa Banaj, Carlotta Barkhau, Zeynep Başgöze, Jochen Bauer, Francesco Benedetti, Klaus Berger, Bianca Besteher, Katharina Brosch, Manuel Canal-Rivero, Simon Cervenka, Romain Colle, Colm G Connolly, Emmanuelle Corruble, Philippe Courtet, Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, Benedicto Crespo-Facorro, Kathryn R Cullen, Udo Dannlowski, Jeremy Deverdun, Ana M Diaz-Zuluaga, Lorielle M F Dietze, Jennifer W Evans, Negar Fani, Kira Flinkenflügel, Naomi P Friedman, Ian H Gotlib, Nynke A Groenewold, Dominik Grotegerd, Tomas Hajek, Alexander S Hatoum, Marco Hermesdorf, Ian B Hickie, Yoshiyuki Hirano & Meng Li (2025) - Transdiagnostic alterations in white matter microstructure associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours in the ENIGMA Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours consortium - Translational Psychiatry, 15 (1) - doi: 10.1038/s41398-025-03602-1
- Roberto Goya-Maldonado, Tracy Erwin-Grabner, , Ling-Li Zeng, Christopher R K Ching, Andre Aleman, Alyssa R Amod, Zeynep Basgoze, Francesco Benedetti, Bianca Besteher, Katharina Brosch, Robin Bülow, Romain Colle, Colm G Connolly, Emmanuelle Corruble, Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, Kathryn Cullen, Udo Dannlowski, Christopher G Davey, Annemiek Dols, Jan Ernsting, Jennifer W Evans, Lukas Fisch, Paola Fuentes-Claramonte, Ali Saffet Gonul, Ian H Gotlib, Hans J Grabe, Nynke A Groenewold, Dominik Grotegerd, Tim Hahn, J Paul Hamilton, Laura K M Han, Ben J Harrison, Tiffany C Ho, Neda Jahanshad, Alec J Jamieson, Andriana Karuk, Tilo Kircher, Bonnie Klimes-Dougan, Sheri-Michelle Koopowitz, Thomas Lancaster, Ramona Leenings, Meng Li, David E J Linden, Frank P MacMaster, David M A Mehler, Susanne Meinert, Elisa Melloni, Bryon A Mueller, Benson Mwangi & Yara J Toenders (2025) - Classification of major depressive disorder using vertex-wise brain sulcal depth, curvature, and thickness with a deep and a shallow learning model - Molecular Psychiatry, 31 (3), 1517-1529 - doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03273-w - [link]
- Xueyi Shen, Yara J Toenders, , , Laura K M Han, Antoine Weihs, Nina Alexander, Till F M Andlauer, Katharina Brosch, Andreas J Forstner, Dominik Grotegerd, Tim Hahn, Marco Hermesdorf, Norbert Hosten, Hamidreza Jamalabadi, Susanne Meinert, Yuri Milaneschi, Philipp G Sämann, Frederike Stein, Aleks Stolicyn, Lea Teutenberg, Gladi Thng, Mark J Adams, Florian Thomas-Odenthal, Paula Usemann, Uwe Völker, Katharina Wittfeld, Marisol Herrera-Rivero, Yunxuan Jiang, Chao Tian, Nynke A Groenewold, Sheri-Michelle Koopowitz, Lachlan T Strike, Udo Dannlowski, Andreas Jansen, Tilo Kircher, Igor Nenadić, Kang Sim, Benjamin Straube, Henry Völzke, Dan J Stein, Sarah E Medland, Klaus Berger, Hans J Grabe, Axel Krug, Katie L McMahon, Greig de Zubicaray, Elena Pozzi, Dick J Veltman, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Neda Jahanshad, Paul M Thompson, Lianne Schmaal, Andrew M McIntosh & Heather C. Whalley (2025) - Association between polygenic risk for Major Depression and brain structure in a mega-analysis of 50,975 participants across 11 studies - Molecular Psychiatry, 31 (2), 611-621 - doi: 10.1038/s41380-025-03136-4 - [link]
- Josh Nguyen, Dominic B. Dwyer, Yara J. Toenders, Scott D. Tagliaferri, Laura S. van Velzen, Scott R. Clark, Isabelle Scott, Simon Hartmann, Johanna T.W. Wigman, Ashleigh Lin, Andrew D. Thompson, Cassandra M.J. Wannan, Caroline X. Gao, Stephen J. Wood, G. Paul Amminger, Alison R. Yung, Nikolaos Koutsouleris, Jessica A. Hartmann, Hok Pan Yuen, Christopher G. Davey, Angelica Ronald, Patrick D. McGorry, Christel Middeldorp, Barnaby Nelson & Lianne Schmaal (2025) - Predicting the First Onset of Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviors in Adolescents Using Multimodal Risk Factors: A 4-Year Longitudinal Study - Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry - doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2025.07.006 - [link]
- Niamh MacSweeney, Yara J. Toenders & Christian K. Tamnes (2025) - Neuroimaging insights into adolescent depression risk and development - Nature Mental Health, 3 (7), 772-779 - doi: 10.1038/s44220-025-00453-z - [link]
- Yara Toenders, Eveline Crone, Ryan Muetzel, Michelle Achterberg, Amine Bakkali, Neeltje van den Bedem, Eva Borkhuis, Caroline A. Figueroa, Ruth Van der Hallen, Anita Harrewijn, Pauline Jansen, Julian Schaap, Wanda Tempelaar, Danielle de Veld & Danielle Remmerswaal (2025) - A Healthy Start: Een Mentaal Gezonde Basis voor de Huidige Generatie Jongeren - Jeugd in Ontwikkeling - doi: 10.54447/JiO.19550
- Laura K M Han, Yara J Toenders, Xueyi Shen, Yuri Milaneschi, Heather C Whalley, Philipp G Sämann, Til Andlauer, Jochen Bauer, Klaus Berger, Tiana Borgers, James H Cole, Udo Dannlowski, Kira Flinkenflügel, Hans J Grabe, Oliver Gruber, Tim Hahn, Paul J Hamilton, Sean N Hatton, Marco Hermesdorf, Ian Hickie, Jan Homann, Tilo J Kircher, Bernd Krämer, Anna Kraus, Axel Krug, Christina M Lill, Sarah E Medland, Susanne Meinert, Alana Panzenhagen, Brenda W J H Penninx, Nic J A van der Wee, Marie-José van Tol, Uwe Völker, Henry Völzke, Antoine Weihs, Katharina Wittfeld, Sophia I Thomopoulos, Neda Jahanshad, Paul M Thompson, Elena Pozzi & Lianne Schmaal (2025) - Lifestyle, Early-life, and Genetic Health Risk Factors Underlying the Brain Age Gap: A Mega-Analysis Across 3,934 Individuals from the ENIGMA MDD Consortium - bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology - doi: 10.1101/2025.05.09.653064
- Janna Cousijn, Yara J Toenders, Anne Marije Kaag, Francesca Filbey & Emese Kroon (2025) - The role of sex in the association between cannabis use disorder and resting-state functional connectivity - Neuropsychopharmacology, 50 (6), 991-999 - doi: 10.1038/s41386-025-02078-3 - [link]
- Sophie W. Sweijen, Suzanne van de Groep, Kayla H. Green, Yara J. Toenders, Eveline A. Crone & Lysanne W. te Brinke (2025) - Adolescents’ emotional support to friends and family: A resiliency-promoting factor amidst and beyond the COVID-19 pandemic. - Developmental Psychology - doi: 10.1037/dev0002097 - [link]
- Laura S van Velzen, Lejla Colic, Zuriel Ceja, , Maria R Dauvermann, Luca M Villa, Hannah S Savage, Yara J Toenders, Niousha Dehestani, Alyssa H Zhu, Adrian I Campos, Lauren E Salminen, Ingrid Agartz, Nina Alexander, Rosa Ayesa-Arriola, Elizabeth D Ballard, Nerisa Banaj, Carlotta Barkhau, Zeynep Başgöze, Jochen Bauer, Francesco Benedetti, Klaus Berger, Bianca Besteher, Katharina Brosch, Manuel Canal-Rivero, Simon Cervenka, Romain Colle, Colm G Connolly, Emmanuelle Corruble, Philippe Courtet, Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, Benedicto Crespo-Facorro, Kathryn R Cullen, Udo Dannlowski, Jeremy Deverdun, Ana M Diaz-Zuluaga, Lorielle M F Dietze, Jennifer W Evans, Negar Fani, Kira Flinkenflügel, Naomi P Friedman, Ian H Gotlib, Nynke A Groenewold, Dominik Grotegerd, Tomas Hajek, Alexander S Hatoum, Marco Hermesdorf, Ian B Hickie, Yoshiyuki Hirano, Tiffany C Ho & Meng Li (2024) - Transdiagnostic alterations in white matter microstructure associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviours in the ENIGMA Suicidal Thoughts and Behaviours consortium - doi: 10.1101/2024.11.07.24316876
- Yara J. Toenders, Marleen H.M. de Moor, Renske van der Cruijsen, Kayla Green, Michelle Achterberg & Eveline A. Crone (2024) - Within-person biological mechanisms of mood variability in childhood and adolescence - Human Brain Mapping, 45 (11) - doi: 10.1002/hbm.26766 - [link]
- Yara J Toenders, Hannah Dorsman, Renske van der Cruijsen & Eveline A Crone (2024) - Developing body estimation in adolescence is associated with neural regions that support self-concept - Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 19 (1) - doi: 10.1093/scan/nsae042 - [link]
- Yara J Toenders, Kayla H Green, Lysanne W Te Brinke, Renske van der Cruijsen, Suzanne van de Groep & Eveline A Crone (2024) - From developmental neuroscience to policy: A novel framework based on participatory research - Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 67 - doi: 10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101398 - [link]
- Yara J. Toenders, Renske van der Cruijsen, Jana Runze, Suzanne van de Groep, Lara Wierenga & Eveline A. Crone (2024) - Mood variability during adolescent development and its relation to sleep and brain development - Scientific Reports, 14 (1) - doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-59227-9 - [link]
- E Kroon, Y J Toenders, L N Kuhns, J Cousijn & F Filbey (2024) - Resting state functional connectivity in dependent cannabis users: The moderating role of cannabis attitudes - Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 256, 111090 - doi: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111090 - [link]
- L van Drunen, Y J Toenders, L M Wierenga & E A Crone (2023) - Effects of COVID-19 pandemic on structural brain development in early adolescence - Scientific Reports, 13 (1), 1-14 - doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-32754-7 - [link]
- , Laura S van Velzen, Maria R Dauvermann, Lejla Colic, Luca M Villa, Hannah S Savage, Yara J Toenders, Alyssa H Zhu, Joanna K Bright, Adrián I Campos, Lauren E Salminen, Sonia Ambrogi, Rosa Ayesa-Arriola, Nerisa Banaj, Zeynep Başgöze, Jochen Bauer, Karina Blair, Robert James Blair, Katharina Brosch, Yuqi Cheng, Romain Colle, Colm G Connolly, Emmanuelle Corruble, Baptiste Couvy-Duchesne, Benedicto Crespo-Facorro, Kathryn R Cullen, Udo Dannlowski, Christopher G Davey, Katharina Dohm, Janice M Fullerton, Ali Saffet Gonul, Ian H Gotlib, Dominik Grotegerd, Tim Hahn, Ben J Harrison, Mengxin He, Ian B Hickie, Tiffany C Ho, Frank Iorfino, Andreas Jansen, Fabrice Jollant, Tilo Kircher, Bonnie Klimes-Dougan, Melissa Klug, Elisabeth J Leehr, Elizabeth T C Lippard, Katie A McLaughlin, Susanne Meinert, Adam Bryant Miller, Philip B Mitchell & Benson Mwangi (2022) - Structural brain alterations associated with suicidal thoughts and behaviors in young people: Results from 21 international studies from the ENIGMA suicidal thoughts and behaviours consortium - Molecular Psychiatry, 27 (11), 4550-4560 - doi: 10.1038/s41380-022-01734-0 - [link]
