Young adults who use ecstasy in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands show three similar patterns of polydrug use: traditional polydrug use (UK 28%, NL 40%), stimulant and ketamine use (UK 48%, NL 52%), and extensive polydrug use involving stimulants, depressants, and psychedelics (UK 24%, NL 8%). UK users more often consume MDMA as powder/crystalline at higher doses, while Dutch users prefer tablets. Most respondents in both countries intend to reduce but not quit their use. The patterns are structurally similar across countries, though individual substance frequencies and preferred MDMA form differ.
A standard eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program substantially reduced perceived stress in Dutch elementary school teachers. In a randomized trial with 146 teachers, those who took MBSR reported significantly lower stress than a waitlist control group, with a large effect immediately after the program and a moderate effect three months later. The program also improved teachers' mindfulness skills, emotion regulation, self-compassion, self-efficacy, and classroom climate quality. No effect was found on pupil-teacher relationships. The COVID-19 pandemic did not influence the results. The findings support wider use of MBSR to improve teacher well-being.