Disorders - Anxiety Disorders
Fergus, T. A., Limbers, C. A.
Researchers have called for the examination of test anxiety
interventions that extend beyond the delivery of individual services by a trained professional. Following from conceptual models and research
findings underscoring the importance of metacognitive beliefs to test anxiety, a controlled pilot study examined whether a group format delivery of
the attention training technique (ATT) component of metacognitive therapy reduces test anxiety among eighth-grade students. Students completed
baseline study measures and were allocated based upon class period to five sessions of ATT (n = 39) or a music listening control (n = 34) delivered
within a group format during a school week. Students completed postintervention study measures on the final day of the intervention and completed
follow-up study measures approximately 3 weeks following the intervention. As predicted, students receiving ATT reported less postintervention test
anxiety than the control when they held stronger baseline metacognitive beliefs about worry. The patterns of findings held at the follow-up and when
specifically examining the cognitive (i.e., worry) dimension of test anxiety. Study results suggest that ATT may be a viable test anxiety
intervention for students holding heightened metacognitive beliefs about worry. Future directions are discussed. Copyright © 2018
Behavior Therapy, 50(4) : 803-816
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Attention/cognitive bias
modification
Deng, F.
To explore the effect of Ideological and political education on the recovery of
hippocampal neuron damage in college students. One hundred students suffering from anxiety disorder were randomly divided into two groups, the
observation group and the control group, 50 cases in each group. The two groups of patients were treated with the same combination of traditional
Chinese and Western medicine anti-anxiety treatment. The control group was given routine nursing during the experiment. The observation group was
given ideological and Political Education on the basis of the control group. Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) and Depression Scale (HAMD) were used to
evaluate the efficacy of the two groups of patients. The total effective rate of the observation group (98.2 %) was significantly higher than that of
the control group (62.3 %, p<0.05). The scores of somatization, depression, anxiety, interpersonal sensitivity and psychosis in the observation group
were significantly lower than those in the control group (p<0.05). Ideological and political education is conducive to improve college students'
awareness of anxiety disorders, enhance their ability of self-regulation, improve bad mood, and improve the treatment effect.
Indian Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 81 (1 Supplement
1) : 54
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions
Waite, P., Marshall, T., Creswell, C.
Background:
Computerized treatments have been shown to be effective in young people with anxiety disorders within research settings. The aims of this study were
to evaluate a self-completed, therapist-supported online treatment for adolescent anxiety disorders in a routine clinical care setting and examine
whether additional sessions for parents improved treatment outcome. Method(s): Sixty adolescents (13-18 years) referred by primary and secondary care
services for treatment of an anxiety disorder and their parent(s) were randomly allocated to begin treatment immediately or after a 16-week waitlist.
Half the parents (receiving treatment immediately or after a waitlist) were allocated to receive sessions themselves. Assessments were conducted pre-
and posttreatment and at 6-month follow-up. Result(s): There was no significant difference posttreatment between the immediate treatment and waitlist
groups in remission of primary anxiety disorder (Odds Ratio (OR) = 2.19, 95% CI: 0.72-6.70). Parent sessions did not significantly improve adolescent
outcomes immediately or at 6-month follow-up (OR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.26-2.15; OR = 1.14, 95% CI: 0.42-3.15). Conclusion(s): Within a routine clinical
care setting, a therapist-supported online treatment failed to deliver significantly better outcomes for adolescents with anxiety disorders than a
waitlist. Further research is needed to develop more effective treatments for this population. Copyright © 2019 Association for Child and Adolescent
Mental Health
Child and Adolescent Mental Health., 24(3) : 242-
250
- 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), Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS), Other service delivery and improvement
interventions
Pettit, J. W., Bechor, M., Rey, Y., Vasey, M. W., Abend, R., Pine, D. S., Bar-Haim,
Y., Jaccard, J., Silverman, W. K.
OBJECTIVE: Randomized clinical trials of augmentation
strategies for youth with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders do not exist. We present findings from an efficacy trial of attention bias
modification treatment (ABMT) as an augment for this population, in comparison with attention control training (ACT). METHOD(S): Sixty-four youths
(34 boys; M age=11.7 years) who continued to meet for anxiety diagnoses after completing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) were randomized to either
ABMT or ACT. ABMT and ACT consisted of dot-probe attention training trials presenting angry and neutral faces; probes appeared in the location of
neutral faces on 100% of trials in ABMT and 50% of trials in ACT. Independent evaluators, youths, and parents completed ratings of youth anxiety
severity, and youths completed measures of attention bias to threat and attention control at pretreatment, posttreatment, and two-month follow-up.
RESULT(S): Both arms produced significant reductions in anxiety severity, with no differences between arms. Specifically, across informants, anxiety
severity was significantly reduced at posttreatment and reductions were maintained at follow-up. Primary anxiety disorder diagnostic recovery
combined across arms was 50% at posttreatment and 58% at follow-up. Attention control, but not attention bias to threat, was significantly improved
at posttreatment in both arms. CONCLUSION(S): This is the first study to show anxiety can be reduced in youth who did not respond to CBT, and that
anxiety-reducing effect is found using both attention training contingency schedules. These findings, along with increases in attention control in
both arms, raise intriguing questions about mechanisms of anxiety reduction in treatment-resistant youth with attention training that require further
research. Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Journal of the American Academy of Child
and Adolescent Psychiatry., 59(1) : 157-165
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Treatment resistant/treatment refractory
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Attention/cognitive bias
modification
Kennedy, S. M., Bilek, E. L., Ehrenreich-May, J.
The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic
Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children (UP-C) is an intervention for children aged 7 to 13 targeting high negative emotion, emotional
reactivity, and emotion regulation deficits common across emotional disorders. Our objective was to collect pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT)
data on the efficacy of the UP-C, comparing UP-C with an active, anxiety-focused intervention. Participants were 47 children with at least one
primary anxiety disorder; approximately one half had elevated depression symptoms. Participants received either UP-C or the anxiety-focused control
treatment. No condition-related differences were found with respect to diagnostic remission and anxiety symptoms. However, differences in favor of
UP-C were observed with respect to treatment response at follow-up, depression symptoms, sadness dysregulation, and cognitive reappraisal. Results
provide preliminary evidence that the UP-C may be at least as efficacious in treating anxiety as well-supported anxiety-specific treatment protocols
and may produce greater gains in certain emotion reactivity and regulation variables.
Behavior Modification, 43(3) : 330-360
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions
Papp, M. E., Nygren-Bonnier, M., Gullstrand,
L., Wandell, P. E., Lindfors, P.
Objective: Modern hatha yoga exercises (YE) provide an alternative form of
physical activity which may reduce stress, facilitate recovery and improve health. This study investigated the short-term effects of high intensity
hatha yoga exercises (HIY) on health-related outcomes. Method(s): A 6-week randomized controlled study was performed to compare HIY with a control
group not changing their exercise behavior. Healthy students (N = 44; median age: 25 years, range 20-39 years; HIY: n = 21, including 3 men; control
group: n = 23, including 3 men) novice to yoga participated in the intervention which included one weekly class and recommended home training.
Participants provided self-reports in questionnaires before and after the intervention. Self-reports included anxiety and depression (Hospital
Anxiety and Depression Scale), stress (Perceived Stress Scale), sleep quality (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index), insomnia (Insomnia Severity Index),
subjective health complaints (Common Symptoms in General Practice Index) and self-rated health (single-item). Result(s): After the 6-week
intervention, there were no between-group differences in anxiety, depression, stress, sleep or self-rated health. However, when investigating
associations within the HIY-group, a higher HIY-dose was related to less depression (r = 0.47; p = 0.03), improved sleep quality (r = 0.55; p =
0.01), and less insomnia (r = 0.49; p = 0.02). Conclusion(s): There were no short-term between-group effects of HIY on mental distress, sleep or
self-rated health. However, within the HIY-group, a higher dose was associated with improved mental health in terms of depression and with improved
sleep. Although future studies with larger samples are needed, these preliminary findings suggest short-term positive effects of HIY on health-
related outcomes among students. Trial registration number: NCT01305096. Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd
Journal of Bodywork & Movement
Therapies., :
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Mind-body exercises (e.g. yoga, tai chi, qigong)
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
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)