A.V. (Aranka Vivienne) Ballering

Aranka has a background in Biomedical Sciences (VU University Amsterdam) and International Public Health (VU University Amsterdam, Maastricht University). She worked on social stigma towards people affected by leprosy in India and people affected by HIV/AIDS in The Netherlands. Her PhD research (cum laude) focussed on the association between sex, gender and common somatic symptoms. She looked at a variety of aspects that relate to this, including sex differences in the prevalence, help-seeking behaviour, diagnostic interventions, and the effectiveness of these interventions provided for these symptoms. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher she explores the intergenerational, social mechanisms of somatic symptom proneness. In addition, her research assesses sex and/or gender differences in the stigmatization of persistent somatic symptoms.