Disorders - Anxiety Disorders
Martinsen, K. D., Rasmussen, L. M. P., Wentzel-Larsen, T., Holen, S., Sund, A. M., Lovaas, M. E. S., Patras, J., Kendall, P. C., Waaktaar,
T., Neumer, S. P.
Objective: The objective of the study was to examine the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic program (EMOTION, Coping Kids
Managing Anxiety and Depression) targeting symptoms of anxiety and depression in schoolchildren by comparing the intervention condition (EC) to a
control condition (CC). Method(s): A clustered randomized design was used with schools as the unit of randomization. Children (N = 1686) aged 8-12
years in 36 schools completed screening using the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale (MASC-Child) and The Mood and Feelings Questionnaire Short version
(SMFQ-Child). Scoring 1 SD above a population-based mean on anxiety and/or depression, 873 children were invited to participate. Intent-to-treat
analyses were performed, and mixed-effects models were used. Result(s): Analyses revealed significant reductions of anxious and depressive symptoms
as reported by the children, in which children in the intervention condition EC had almost twice the reduction in symptoms compared with the control
condition CC. For parent report of the child's depressive symptoms, there was a significant decrease of symptoms in the intervention condition EC
compared with CC. However, parents did not report a significant decrease in anxious symptoms in the intervention condition EC as compared with CC.
Conclusion(s): A transdiagnostic prevention program, provided in schools, was successful in reducing youth-reported symptoms of anxiety and
depression and parent-reported depression. The EMOTION program has the potential to reduce the incidence of anxious and depressive disorders in
youth. Copyright © 2019 American Psychological Association.
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 87(2) : 212-
219
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Skills training
Johnson, C., Wade, T.
AIM: It is unclear how adult mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs)
should be modified for youth, and at what ages programmes should be implemented for optimal impact. Recent non-replication with a 9-week programme in
early adolescence suggested abbreviated programme content might be insufficient and/or that this age group are less receptive. METHOD(S): This
controlled quasi-experimental design tested a more intensive 8-week MBI (longer meditation and session duration, plus inquiry) in Year 8 (Mage
=13.47; SD=0.35) and Year 10 (Mage =15.47; SD=0.40) secondary students for feasibility and acceptability (N=143, 45.9% female). RESULT(S): Within
this format students rated the content as agreeable, and school staff deemed content developmentally appropriate, across both age bands. Efficacy was
tested in a small subsample (N=90) to provide an estimate of effect size. Linear mixed modelling demonstrated significant between-group differences
in depression (Cohen's d=0.61; 95% CI = 0.19 to 1.03) and anxiety (d=0.52; 95% CI = 0.10 to 0.94) at 4-month follow-up, but not immediately post-
intervention. CONCLUSION(S): An MBI more closely modelled on adult curricula was acceptable to students, although session duration was harder to
timetable by schools. Promising effect sizes support further investigation in a larger sample. Copyright © 2019 John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.
Early intervention in psychiatry., 13(6) : 1495-
1502
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Psychological Interventions
(any), Mindfulness based
therapy, Meditation
Rodriguez-Ayllon, M., Cadenas-Sanchez, C., Estevez-Lopez, F., Munoz, N. E., Mora-Gonzalez,
J., Migueles, J. H., Molina-Garcia, P., Henriksson, H., Mena-Molina, A., Martinez-Vizcaino, V., Catena, A., Lof, M., Erickson, K. I., Lubans,
D. R., Ortega, F. B., Esteban-Cornejo, I.
BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that participation in physical activity may support young people's current
and future mental health. Although previous reviews have examined the relationship between physical activity and a range of mental health outcomes in
children and adolescents, due to the large increase in published studies there is a need for an update and quantitative synthesis of effects.
OBJECTIVE(S): The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of physical activity interventions on mental health outcomes by conducting a
systematic review and meta-analysis, and to systematically synthesize the observational evidence (both longitudinal and cross-sectional studies)
regarding the associations between physical activity and sedentary behavior and mental health in preschoolers (2-5 years of age), children (6-11
years of age) and adolescents (12-18 years of age). METHOD(S): A systematic search of the PubMed and Web of Science electronic databases was
performed from January 2013 to April 2018, by two independent researchers. Meta-analyses were performed to examine the effect of physical activity on
mental health outcomes in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs (i.e. quasi-experimental studies). A narrative synthesis of observational
studies was conducted. Studies were included if they included physical activity or sedentary behavior data and at least one psychological ill-being
(i.e. depression, anxiety, stress or negative affect) or psychological well-being (i.e. self-esteem, self-concept, self-efficacy, self-image,
positive affect, optimism, happiness and satisfaction with life) outcome in preschoolers, children or adolescents. RESULT(S): A total of 114 original
articles met all the eligibility criteria and were included in the review (4 RCTs, 14 non-RCTs, 28 prospective longitudinal studies and 68 cross-
sectional studies). Of the 18 intervention studies, 12 (3 RCTs and 9 non-RCTs) were included in the meta-analysis. There was a small but significant
overall effect of physical activity on mental health in children and adolescents aged 6-18 years (effect size 0.173, 95% confidence interval 0.106-
0.239, p<0.001, percentage of total variability attributed to between-study heterogeneity [I2]=11.3%). When the analyses were performed separately
for children and adolescents, the results were significant for adolescents but not for children. Longitudinal and cross-sectional studies
demonstrated significant associations between physical activity and lower levels of psychological ill-being (i.e. depression, stress, negative
affect, and total psychological distress) and greater psychological well-being (i.e. self-image, satisfaction with life and happiness, and
psychological well-being). Furthermore, significant associations were found between greater amounts of sedentary behavior and both increased
psychological ill-being (i.e. depression) and lower psychological well-being (i.e. satisfaction with life and happiness) in children and adolescents.
Evidence on preschoolers was nearly non-existent. CONCLUSION(S): Findings from the meta-analysis suggest that physical activity interventions can
improve adolescents' mental health, but additional studies are needed to confirm the effects of physical activity on children's mental health.
Findings from observational studies suggest that promoting physical activity and decreasing sedentary behavior might protect mental health in
children and adolescents. PROSPERO Registration Number: CRD42017060373.
Sports
medicine, :
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Physical activity, exercise
Fite, P. J., Cooley, J. L., Poquiz, J., Williford, A.
OBJECTIVE:
Due to the limited effectiveness of extant prevention and intervention strategies, the current study is an initial evaluation of a cognitive
behavioral group intervention, originally designed to treat symptoms of depression and anxiety, for youth who experienced peer victimization. METHOD
(S): Twelve third- through fifth-grade youth participated in the intervention, and their data were compared with 12 youth who were a part of a
naturalistic control group. Additionally, school-wide data are reported to provide overall school trends. RESULT(S): Whereas the intervention group
participants exhibited decreases in relational victimization, depressive symptoms, and passive coping, the control group participants exhibited
nonsignificant increases in relational victimization, depressive symptoms, and passive coping. School-wide data also indicated overall increases in
relational victimization and depressive symptoms, but no changes in passive coping. CONCLUSION(S): Findings suggest that cognitive behavioral group
interventions may provide a promising avenue for addressing the mental health needs of victimized elementary school-age youth. Copyright © 2018 Wiley
Periodicals, Inc.
Journal of Clinical
Psychology, 75(1) : 46-65
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT)
Dale, L. P., Vanderloo, L., Moore, S., Faulkner, G.
Problem: A 2011 review of reviews reported small to moderate associations between physical activity (PA)and
depression, anxiety and self-esteem among children and youth (aged 5-17 years). Due to the increase in reviews examining PA and mental health
outcomes in children and youth over the past decade, we conducted an umbrella review to determine the current state of the literature, including
whether effects were moderated by dose and type of PA, age, sex, or severity of mental illness. Method(s): We systematically reviewed literature
published from 2010 onwards from six online databases to identify and summarize findings from systematic reviews examining PA and depression,
anxiety, and self-esteem outcomes in children and youth. We assessed review quality using the AMSTAR 2 critical appraisal tool. Result(s): We
identified 26 reviews examining depression (n = 16), anxiety (n = 2), and self-esteem (n = 14). Half of the eligible reviews were considered to be of
low or critically low quality (n = 13). PA had positive mental health outcomes for children and youth, specifically for reduction in
depression/depressive symptoms and improvements in physical self-concept, a self-esteem sub-domain. Little research has examined PA and anxiety. The
moderator analyses reviewed revealed stronger effects in populations with clinical diagnoses (e.g. depression)and for interventions consisting of
regular, supervised, group-based aerobic exercise. Conclusion(s): PA appears to be an effective intervention for reducing depression/depressive
symptoms and improving physical self-perceptions, although additional high-quality research and moderator analyses are needed to determine what type
of PA interventions may result in better mental health outcomes for children and youth. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd
Mental Health and Physical Activity, 16 : 66-79
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder), At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Physical activity, exercise
Lebowitz, E. R., Marin, C., Martino, A., Shimshoni, Y., Silverman, W.
K.
Objective: Treatment for childhood anxiety disorders is insufficient in many cases. Parent involvement has been
examined to augment child-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), but no studies have compared the efficacy of stand-alone parent-based treatment
to CBT. Research implicates family accommodation in the maintenance and course of childhood anxiety. Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood
Emotions (SPACE) is a parent-based treatment that reduces accommodation of childhood anxiety. This study compared SPACE to CBT in a noninferiority
trial. Method(s): Participants were children with primary anxiety disorders (N = 124; 7-14 years of age; 53% female participants; 83% white),
randomly assigned to either SPACE (n = 64) with no direct child-therapist contact, or CBT (n = 60) with no parent treatment. A total of 97
participants (78%) completed all treatment sessions and assessments. Attrition did not differ significantly between groups. Primary anxiety outcomes
included diagnostic interview and clinician-rated scales. Secondary outcomes included parent and child ratings of anxiety severity, family
accommodation, and parenting stress. Noninferiority margins were determined based on statistical and clinical considerations. Change in family
accommodation and parenting stress were examined using mixed models analyses. Result(s): SPACE was noninferior, relative to CBT, on primary and
secondary anxiety outcomes, and based on ratings provided by independent evaluators, parents, and children. Family accommodation and parenting stress
were significantly reduced in both treatments, with significantly greater reduction in family accommodation following SPACE compared to CBT.
Treatment credibility and satisfaction were high. Conclusion(s): SPACE is an acceptable and efficacious treatment for childhood anxiety disorders, is
noninferior to CBT, and provides an alternative strategy for treating anxiety in children. Copyright © 2019 American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry
Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent
Psychiatry., :
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Other Psychological Interventions
De-Lijster, J. M., Dieleman,
G. C., Utens, E. M. W. J., Van-Der-Ende, J., Alexander, T. M., Boon, A., Hillegers, M. H. J., Legerstee, J. S.
Attention Bias Modification (ABM) targets attention bias (AB) towards threat, which is common in youth with anxiety disorders. Previous
clinical trials showed inconsistent results regarding the efficacy of ABM, and few studies have examined the effect of online ABM and its augmented
effect with cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). The aim of the current study was to examine the efficacy of online ABM combined with CBT for
children and adolescents with anxiety disorders in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Children (aged 8-16 years) completed nine
online sessions of ABM (n = 28) or online sessions of the Attention Control Condition (ACC; n = 27) over a period of 3 weeks (modified dot-probe task
with anxiety disorder-congruent stimuli), followed by CBT. Primary outcomes were clinician-reported anxiety disorder status. Secondary outcomes were
patient-reported anxiety and depression symptoms and AB. Results showed a continuous decrease across time in primary and secondary outcomes (ps
<.001). However, no differences across time between the ABM and ACC group were found (ps >.50). Baseline AB and age did not moderate treatment
effects. Online ABM combined with CBT does not show different efficacy compared with online ACC with CBT for children and adolescents with anxiety
disorders. Copyright © The Author(s) 2019.
Behaviour Change., 34(4) : 200-215
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Attention/cognitive bias
modification, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Crivelli, D., Fronda, G., Balconi, M.
To foster performance across all levels of sports practice, physical training has been integrated with various mental training
practices. Recently, an integrative approach to neurocognitive enhancement tried to combine the strengths of mental practices (i.e. mindfulness) and
of training with neurofeedback devices. Based on previous validation studies showing the effect of a combined mindfulness-neurofeedback program on
neurocognitive efficiency and stress/anxiety levels, we aimed at testing the feasibility and potential of that intensive combined program for
improving psychological well-being and attention regulation in sport contexts. 50 participants (sportspeople and volunteers not regularly involved in
sports) were divided into groups undergoing experimental and active control training programs. The experimental one was based on breathing-awareness
practices supported by a wearable neurofeedback, while the active control one included only breathing practices. Before and after training
participants underwent standardized neuropsychological and electrophysiological assessment. Data analysis highlighted a significant reduction of
response times and false alarms at computerized cognitive tasks in sportspeople who completed the training, as well as a consistent improvement of
the N2 event-related potential - a marker of attention regulation processes. We have also observed a general reduction of perceived stress and
increased ability to keep a non-evaluative stance. Findings extend available observations on cognitive and neural effects of combined mindfulness-
neurofeedback practice by showing that it is possible to observe training effects even after a limited period of practice among sportspeople. Such
early training effects might mirror optimized implicit learning curves due to peculiar sensitivity to bodily signals and awareness. Copyright © 2019
Elsevier Ltd
Neuroscience, 412 : 83-
93
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Mindfulness based
therapy, Biofeedback, neurofeedback, audio/video feedback
Borquist-Conlon, D. S., Maynard, B. R., Brendel, K.
E., Farina, A. S.
Purpose: To
examine the effects on anxiety of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) among youth with anxiety disorders. Method: Systematic review and meta-
analytic procedures were employed to synthesize experimental and quasi-experimental studies authored between 1980 and 2015. Results: The search
yielded five studies from five countries reporting results for a total of 188 youth between the ages of 5 and 18 (mean age 13.26) who met criteria
for an anxiety disorder. Risk of bias varied across studies. Meta-analytic results suggest a moderate and significant effect (g = .62; 95% confidence
interval = [0.20, 1.04], p = .004). Heterogeneity was moderate (I2 = 47.22) and not statistically significant (Q = 7.58, df = 4, p = .11), thus
moderator analyses were not warranted. Discussion: The findings of this review suggest that MBIs for the treatment of anxiety in youth with anxiety
disorders are effective. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
Research on Social Work Practice, 29(2) : 195-205
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Mindfulness based
therapy
Silk,
Jennifer S., Price, Rebecca B., Rosen, Dana, Ryan, Neal D., Forbes, Erika E., Siegle, Greg J., Dahl, Ronald E., McMakin, Dana L., Kendall, Philip C., Ladouceur, Cecile D.
Objective:
Children who are fearful and anxious are at heightened risk for developing depression in adolescence. Treating anxiety disorders in pre-/early
adolescence may be one mechanism through which depressive symptoms later in adolescence can be prevented. We hypothesized that anxious youth who
responded positively to cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety would show reduced onset of depressive symptoms 2 years later compared to
treatment nonresponders, and that this effect would be specific to youth treated with CBT compared to an active supportive comparison treatment.
Method: Participants were 80 adolescents ages 11 to 17 years who had previously completed a randomized trial comparing predictors of treatment
response to CBT and child-centered therapy (CCT). Youth met DSM-IV criteria for generalized, separation, and/or social anxiety disorder at the time
of treatment. The present study was a prospective naturalistic 2-year follow-up examining trajectories toward depression, in which participants were
reassessed for depressive symptoms 2 years after anxiety treatment. Treatment response was defined as a 35% reduction in independent evaluator-rated
anxiety severity on the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale after treatment. Results: As hypothesized, lower levels of depressive symptoms were observed
in anxious youth who responded to CBT for anxiety (beta = -0.807, p = .004) but not CCT (beta = 0.254, p = .505). Sensitivity analyses showed that
the effects were driven by girls. Conclusion: Findings suggest that CBT for anxiety is a promising approach to preventing adolescent depressive
symptomatology, especially among girls. The results highlight the need for better early screening for anxiety and better dissemination of CBT
programs targeting anxiety in youth. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
Journal of the American Academy of Child &
Adolescent Psychiatry, 58(3) : 359-367
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Social phobia (social anxiety disorder), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder), At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Supportive
therapy, Other Psychological Interventions
Chong, H. X., Yusoff, N. A. A., Hor, Y. Y., Lew, L. C., Jaafar, M. H., Choi, S.
B., Yusoff, M. S. B., Wahid, N., Abdullah, M. F. I. L., Zakaria, N., Ong, K. L., Park, Y. H., Liong, M. T.
Probiotics have been reported to exert beneficial effects along the gut-brain axis. This
randomised, double-blind and placebo-controlled human study aimed to evaluate such properties of Lactobacillus plantarum DR7 and its accompanying
mechanisms in stressed adults. One hundred and eleven (n=111; DR7 n=56, placebo n=55) stressed adults were recruited based on moderate stress levels
using the PSS-10 questionnaire. The consumption of DR7 (1x109 cfu/day) for 12 weeks reduced symptoms of stress (P=0.024), anxiety
(P=0.001), and total psychological scores (P=0.022) as early as 8 weeks among stressed adults compared to the placebo group as assessed by the DASS-
42 questionnaire. Plasma cortisol level was reduced among DR7 subjects as compared to the placebo, accompanied by reduced plasma pro-inflammatory
cytokines, such as interferon-gamma and transforming growth factor-alpha and increased plasma anti-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin 10
(P<0.05). DR7 better improved cognitive and memory functions in normal adults (>30 years old), such as basic attention, emotional cognition, and
associate learning (P<0.05), as compared to the placebo and young adults (<30 years old). The administration of DR7 enhanced the serotonin pathway,
as observed by lowered expressions of plasma dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase and tryptophan
2,3-dioxygenase accompanied by increased expressions of tryptophan hydroxylase-2 and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor-6, while stabilising the dopamine
pathway as observed via stabilised expressions of TH and DBH over 12 weeks as compared to the placebo (P<0.05). Our results indicated that DR7 fulfil
the requirement of a probiotic strain as per recommendation of FAO/WHO and could be applicable as a natural strategy to improve psychological
functions, cognitive health and memory in stressed adults. Copyright © 2019 Wageningen Academic Publishers.
Beneficial Microbes, 10(4) : 355-373
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Vitamins and supplements
Levinson, J., Kohl, K., Baltag, V., Ross, D. A.
Schools are the only institution regularly reaching the
majority of school-age children and adolescents across the globe. Although at least 102 countries have school health services, there is no rigorous,
evidence-based guidance on which school health services are effective and should be implemented in schools. To investigate the effectiveness of
school health services for improving the health of school-age children and adolescents, a systematic review of systematic reviews (overview) was
conducted. Five databases were searched through June 2018. Systematic reviews of intervention studies that evaluated school-based or school-linked
health services delivered by a health provider were included. Review quality was assessed using a modified Ballard and Montgomery four-item
checklist. 1654 references were screened and 20 systematic reviews containing 270 primary studies were assessed narratively. Interventions with
evidence for effectiveness addressed autism, depression, anxiety, obesity, dental caries, visual acuity, asthma, and sleep. No review evaluated the
effectiveness of a multi-component school health services intervention addressing multiple health areas. From the limited amount of information
available in existing systematic reviews, the strongest evidence supports implementation of anxiety prevention programs, indicated asthma education,
and vision screening with provision of free spectacles. Additional systematic reviews are needed that analyze the effectiveness of comprehensive
school health services, and specific services for under-researched health areas relevant for this population. Copyright © 2019 Levinson et al. This
is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and
reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
PLoS ONE, 14 (6) (no
pagination)(e0212603) :
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depressive Disorders
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention), Universal prevention, Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Other Psychological Interventions