Disorders - Anxiety Disorders
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
Harrer, M., Adam, S. H., Baumeister, H., Cuijpers, P., Karyotaki, E., Auerbach, R. P., Kessler, R. C., Bruffaerts,
R., Berking, M., Ebert, D. D.
OBJECTIVES: Mental health disorders are
highly prevalent among university students. Universities could be an optimal setting to provide evidence-based care through the Internet. As part of
the World Mental Health International College Student initiative, this systematic review and meta-analysis synthesizes data on the efficacy of
Internet-based interventions for university students' mental health. METHOD(S): A systematic literature search of bibliographical databases
(CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO) for randomized trials examining psychological interventions for the mental health (depression, anxiety, stress,
sleep problems, and eating disorder symptoms), well-being, and functioning of university students was performed through April 30, 2018. RESULT(S):
Forty-eight studies were included. Twenty-three studies (48%) were rated to have low risk of bias. Small intervention effects were found on
depression (g = 0.18, 95% confidence interval [CI; 0.08, 0.27]), anxiety (g = 0.27, 95% CI [0.13, 0.40]), and stress (g = 0.20, 95% CI [0.02, 0.38]).
Moderate effects were found on eating disorder symptoms (g = 0.52, 95% CI [0.22-0.83]) and role functioning (g = 0.41, 95% CI [0.26, 0.56]). Effects
on well-being were non-significant (g = 0.15, 95% CI [-0.20, 0.50]). Heterogeneity was moderate to substantial in many analyses. After adjusting for
publication bias, effects on anxiety were not significant anymore. DISCUSSION: Internet interventions for university students' mental health can
have significant small-to-moderate effects on a range of conditions. However, more research is needed to determine student subsets for which
Internet-based interventions are most effective and to explore ways to increase treatment effectiveness. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
International journal of methods in psychiatric
research, 28(2) : e1759
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders, Eating Disorders
(any)
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention), 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)
Buckner, J. D., Zvolensky, M.
J., Ecker, A. H., Schmidt, N. B., Lewis, E. M., Paulus, D. J., Lopez-Gamundi, P., Crapanzano, K. A., Bakhshaie, J.
Cannabis use disorder (CUD) is
the most common illicit substance use disorder and individuals with CUD have high rates of comorbid anxiety disorders. Comorbidity between CUD and
anxiety disorders is of public health relevance given that although motivation enhancement therapy (MET) combined with cognitive-behavioral therapy
(CBT) is an efficacious intervention for CUD, outcomes are worse for patients with elevated anxiety. The current study tested the acceptability and
efficacy of the integration of a transdiagnostic anxiety CBT (i.e., treatment of patients with any anxiety disorder) with MET-CBT (integrated
cannabis and anxiety reduction treatment, or ICART) for CUD compared to MET-CBT alone. Treatment-seeking cannabis users (56.4% male, Mage
= 23.2, 63.3% non-Hispanic White) with CUD and at least one comorbid anxiety disorder were randomly assigned to ICART (n = 27) or MET-CBT (n = 28).
Patients in the ICART condition attended significantly more treatment sessions than those in the MET-CBT condition. Patients in the ICART condition
were more likely to be abstinent post-treatment than those in MET-CBT. Further, treatment produced decreases in cannabis use and related problems.
Notably, therapy type did not moderate the impact of treatment on frequency of use and related problems. Together, these data suggest that ICART may
be at least as efficacious as a gold-standard psychosocial CUD treatment, MET-CBT, for a difficult-to-treat subpopulation of cannabis users.
Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd
Behaviour Research and
Therapy, 115 : 38-45
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Cannabis Use
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy, Other Psychological Interventions
Makover, H., Adrian, M., Wilks, C., Read, K., Stoep, A. V., McCauley, E.
This study examined the impact of a school-based indicated prevention program
on depression and anxiety symptoms for youth during the transition from middle to high school. The High School Transition Program (HSTP) was designed
to build social and academic problem-solving skills and engagement during this period of particular vulnerability for adolescents. Students (N=2664)
at six middle schools in the Pacific Northwest completed a universal emotional health screening during the second half of the 8th grade year, and
those with elevated depression scores and low conduct problem scores were invited to participate in the trial. Eligible students (N=497) were
randomized to either the HSTP (N=241) or control (N=256) conditions. Depression and anxiety symptoms were measured at five time points over an 18-
month period using validated self-report measures. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to assess prevention effects and moderators such as baseline
symptoms, race, and sex. Results suggested that students randomized to the HSTP group had accelerated rate of reduction in depressive symptoms over
time (d=.23) relative to the control group. Students randomized to the HSTP group also had significantly faster rates of change of anxiety scores
(d=0.25). Baseline anxiety severity, race, and sex did not differentially impact the trajectories of symptom outcomes between conditions.
Implications for prevention efforts during this normative but stressful period of transition for youth are discussed. ClinicalTrials.gov registration
number is NCT00071513.
Prevention
Science, 20(4) : 499-509
- 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), Skills training, Other Psychological Interventions
Jones, M. G., Rice, S.
M., Cotton, S. M.
Introduction As interest in Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) grows, there is
increasing need to differentiate informal activities from formal and professionally directed therapies, including mental health focussed Canine-
Assisted Psychotherapy (CAP). There have been no reviews focusing exclusively on CAP and the distinct developmental period of adolescence. The aims
of this study were to identify the characteristics of CAP interventions, their impacts and their acceptability, tolerability and feasibility for
adolescents with mental health disorders. Method A systematic review identified studies incorporating canines into mental health treatments for
adolescents aged 10-19 years. Studies reporting qualitative or quantitative psychological or psychosocial outcomes were included. Results Seven
studies were scrutinised. Intervention characteristics varied, including a range of formats, settings, locations, doses, and facilitators.
Information on the role of the canines in sessions was sparse. CAP had a positive impact on primary diagnoses and symptomatology, conferring
additional benefits to standard treatments for internalising disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and equivalent effects for anxiety, anger and
externalising disorders. CAP was associated with positive impacts on secondary factors including increased engagement and socialisation behaviours,
and reductions in disruptive behaviours within treatment sessions. Global functioning also improved. There was insufficient evidence that CAP
improved factors associated with self-esteem, subjective wellbeing, or coping. Good attendance and retention rates indicated high levels of
acceptability. Moderate to high tolerability was also indicated. Feasibility may be limited by additional training and logistical requirements.
Recommendations We recommend the development of theoretically informed, standardised (manualised) intervention protocols that may subsequently form
the basis of efficacy and effectiveness testing. Such protocols should clearly describe canine-participant-facilitator interactions via a for-malised
nomenclature; spontaneous (animal-led), adjunctive (facilitator-led), and experiential (participant-led). Conclusions There is emerging evidence to
suggest that CAP improves the efficacy of mental health treatments in self-selected adolescent populations via reductions in primary symptomatology,
and via secondary factors that improve therapeutic processes and quality, such as engagement and retention. Copyright © 2019 Jones 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 (1) (no
pagination)(e0210761) :
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depressive Disorders
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder), At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Other complementary & alternative
interventions
Luna, P., Guerrero, J., Cejudo, J.
This study
aimed to evaluate the impact of a physical-sport education pilot programme on adolescents' subjective well-being (health-related quality of life,
positive affect and negative affect), trait emotional intelligence and social anxiety. The programme was based on the pedagogical sport education
model within a quality physical education framework, and approached from the perspective of social and emotional learning. Participants were 113
compulsory secondary education students aged 12-15 years that were assigned to a control group (n = 44) and an experimental group (n = 69). A quasi-
experimental design with repeated pre-test and post-test measures was used. Bonferroni correction was applied for multiple comparisons. The
preliminary results obtained in this investigation revealed that the physical-sport education pilot programme promoted significant improvements in a
specific indicator of subjective well-being and trait emotional intelligence in the experimental group. These encouraging findings support the
pedagogical efficiency of the programme with regard to the programme aim. The findings also highlight the feasibility and appropriateness of the
programme in terms of an innovative teaching proposal.
International Journal of Environmental Research & Public
Health, 16(10) :
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Social phobia (social anxiety disorder)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Physical activity, exercise
Singla, D. R., Waqas, A., Hamdani, S. U., Suleman, N., Zafar, S. W. Zill-e, H., Saeed, K., Servili, C., Rahman, A.
Background: Adolescence represents an unprecedented
opportunity to invest in health. Individual adolescent life skills programs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) have demonstrated success but
neither their relative effectiveness across multiple health arenas, including mental health, nor their key ingredients have been examined. Method(s):
We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify key implementation processes and effectiveness of life skills programs among
adolescents in LMICs which targeted at least one mental health outcome, as well as their relative effectiveness. Six academic databases, including
PubMed and PsychInfo and bibliographies of related reviews, were systematically searched until July 1, 2016, with no restrictions on language or
publication year. Studies were excluded if they were conducted in HIC settings, among chronically ill populations or lacking adolescents aged 10-19
years. Data from published reports related to the characteristics of RCTs and their implementation processes related to 'who, what, how and where'
were extracted, including the development of a taxonomy to determine which life skills constituted each program. Meta-analyses with random effects
models examined the overall trial effectiveness, as determined by their primary outcomes. Subsequent exploratory analyses determined which
implementation processes predicted trial effectiveness (PROSPERO CRD42016043448). Result(s): We included 50 eligible RCTs from 45 articles with a
focus on an adolescent health program, which targeted at least one or more mental health outcomes. Most of the RCTs, conducted across 19 LMICs,
targeted students (82%) and refugees (7%), and both genders (71%). Most of the interventions were delivered by teachers (n = 12), and specialist
providers (n = 11), and most were focused on high-risk groups rather than clinically-disordered populations. These interventions were effective in
reducing symptoms of anger (SMD = 1.234), improving life skills (SMD = 0.755) and functioning (SMD = 0.491), and decreasing PTSD (SMD = 0.327),
depression and anxiety (SMD = 0.305). Trial effectiveness was positively associated with the following life skills: interventions focused on parent-
child interactions (beta = 0.557, p < 0.05), assessing interpersonal relations (beta = 0.204, p < 0.05) and stress management (beta = 0.216, p <
0.05). Discussion(s): Our results demonstrate the benefits of life skills programs targeting one or more mental health outcomes and co-occurring risk
factors in school and community settings. Comprehensive programs focusing on multiple life skills related to the individual, his or her social
environment and, in particular, interventions promoting parent-child interactions may hold particular promise in LMICs to address the burden of poor
mental health and other health arenas. Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd
Behaviour
Research and Therapy, 130(103402) :
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Skills training
Ezegbe, B. N., Eseadi, C., Ede, M. O., Igbo, J. N., Anyanwu, J.
I., Ede, K. R., Egenti, N. T., Nwokeoma, B. N., Mezieobi, D. I., Oforka, T. O., Omeje, G. N., Ugwoezuonu, A. U., Nwosu, N., Amoke, C. V., Offordile, E. E., Ezema, L. C., Ikechukwu-Ilomuanya, A. B., Ozoemena, L. C.
BACKGROUND: Anxiety is a common disorder which refers
to a significant and persistent fear of one or more social or performance situations. This study investigated the impacts of cognitive-behavioral
intervention on anxiety and depression among undergraduate students enrolled in social science education programs at public universities in the
Southeast Nigeria.\rMETHODS: Participants were 55 undergraduate students enrolled in social science education programs at public universities in the
Southeast Nigeria. The adequacy of the sample size used was determined using GPower software. Cognitive-behavioral treatment manuals on anxiety and
depression were used to deliver the intervention. Data analyses were completed using repeated measures analysis of variance.\rRESULTS: Results
indicated a significant positive impact of cognitive-behavioral intervention on anxiety and depression among social science education students
exposed to the cognitive-behavioral intervention when compared to the waitlisted group. Results also showed that there was a significant time x group
interaction for anxiety and depression. Follow-up tests showed that significant reduction in anxiety and depression persisted after 3 months for the
cognitive-behavioral intervention group in comparison to the waitlisted control group.\rCONCLUSION: We concluded that cognitive-behavioral
intervention was a successful intervention which decreased the symptoms of anxiety and depression in social science education students who
participated in the study. Additional studies are recommended to further corroborate the influence of cognitive-behavioral intervention in the
reduction of anxiety and depressive symptoms in the Nigerian undergraduate student population.
Medicine, 98(15) : e14935
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT)
Fernie, B. A., Spada, M. M., Brown, R. G.
Poor attentional
control leads to attentional biases that are implicated in psychological distress. Attention Training Technique (ATT) is an auditory intervention
designed to strengthen attentional control. Research indicates that ATT alleviates anxiety and depressive symptoms. This study is a randomised
control trial with repeated measures that tested if a lab-based, single-exposure of ATT strengthened attentional control. Forty-six nonclinical, high
anxiety/worry participants received either ATT or a sham control intervention. Attentional control was assessed using the standard and a modified
version of the colour-word Stroop task. The modified version incorporated tactile interference to increase perceptual load. A series of mixed effects
models, simple contrasts, and z-tests were used to evaluate if cross-modal interference worsened, and whether ATT was beneficial to, attentional
control. Tactile interference increased reaction times but, when Stroop interference was controlled for, this was only true on incongruent trials.
The impact of ATT was greatest under high perceptual load. Copyright © 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Journal of Cognitive
Psychology., :
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Attention/cognitive bias
modification