Disorders - Anxiety Disorders
Tran, N., Zhebrak, M., Yacoub,
C., Pelletier, J., Hawley, D.
Intro: There has
been an increased interest in understanding the therapeutic effect of gut-microbiota on health, particularly in mental health. However, limited
research into the connection between gut-microbiota and mental health makes this study an important endeavor in exploring the effect of gut-
microbiota, through probiotics intervention, on mental health like anxiety and factors related to anxiety (e.g., anxiety control, affect, negative
mood regulation, and worry). Method(s): Healthy college students (N = 86; 75.6% female), average age of 20.59, participated in a double-blind,
placebo-control, and randomization-control study. Eligible participants completed a baseline survey before being assigned to a condition, which
consisted of four probiotics conditions and one placebo condition. After 28 days of daily intake, the participants returned to complete their exit
survey. Result(s): Probiotics were observed to improve panic anxiety, neurophysiological anxiety, negative affect, worry, and increase negative mood
regulation. Furthermore, post hoc analyses revealed that the CFU (colony-forming unit) level was more effective than species counts in accounting for
the number of significant improvements. A ceiling effect was detected in the study, participants with high distress reported higher number of
improvements than those with normative distress. Conclusion(s): Overall, this study is the first to examine the effect of CFU and species count on
probiotics' efficacy. The study's finding suggested that probiotics may have the therapeutic potential to treat anxiety, however, further research
is necessary to make that determination. Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V.
Journal of
Affective Disorders, 252 : 271-277
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Vitamins and supplements
Lucibello, K., Parker, J., Heisz, J.
Background: An acute bout of exercise temporarily reduces state anxiety. The current study examined whether these benefits are greater
for those with higher levels of anxiety, and whether these benefits are augmented with exercise training. Methods: Young adults were randomized to
either a nine-week moderate-intensity exercise group or an inactive control group. We assessed changes in state anxiety in response to an acute bout
of exercise each week. Results: State anxiety reductions following acute exercise increased in the exercise subgroup with high anxiety at baseline as
training progressed (p = .029). No training effects were observed for the exercise subgroup with low baseline anxiety (p = .27). Limitations: A
predominantly female sample, a single state anxiety measure post exercise and a non-exercise control group should be addressed in future research.
Conclusions: The results support the use of regular physical activity as a method for managing state anxiety in young adults. In particular, regular
physical activity may be especially beneficial for those experiencing higher levels of anxiety. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights
reserved)
Journal of Affective Disorders, 247 : 29-
35
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Physical activity, exercise
Chang, S. W., Kuckertz, J. M., Bose, D., Carmona, A. R., Piacentini, J., Amir,
N.
A growing evidence base supports attention bias modification
(ABM) as a novel intervention for anxiety. However, research has been largely conducted with adults and analogue samples, leaving the impact of ABM
for child anxiety be fully elucidated. Thus, we conducted a double-blind, randomized controlled trial testing ABM efficacy versus an attention
control condition (CC) in 31 children diagnosed with anxiety disorder. Youth were assigned to 4 weeks of ABM where attention was trained away from
threat, or a sham CC in which no bias training occurred. Findings indicate that significantly more youth in the ABM versus CC group were considered
treatment responders post training. The ABM versus CC group also demonstrated a greater decrease in anxiety severity, with this difference being
marginally significant. Findings lend support for the potential of ABM in reducing youth anxiety. Further work regarding mechanisms of action is
warranted to advance ABM research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved)
Child
Psychiatry and Human Development, 50(2) : 198-208
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Attention/cognitive bias
modification
Dobson, E. T., Bloch, M. H., Strawn, J. R.
Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of
pharmacotherapy in pediatric anxiety disorders using network meta-analysis. Data Sources: PubMed, Cochrane Database, Web of Science, PsycNET, and
ClinicalTrials.gov were searched for double-blind, controlled pharmacotherapy trials in youth with anxiety disorders from 1966 to September 2017.
Data Selection: All double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of pediatric patients with generalized, social,
and/or separation anxiety disorders were included. Data Extraction: We extracted demographic, symptom severity, global improvement, discontinuation,
and suicidality data. Risk of bias was assessed with the Cochrane risk-of-bias tool, and a network metaanalysis comparing the efficacy and
tolerability of medications and medication classes was performed using the gemtc package (R). Result(s): We identified 20 citations (22 RCTs, 24
treatment arms) with 2, 623 patients. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) were the only class that was superior in reducing anxiety
(standardized mean difference: 5.2; credible interval [CrI]: [2.8 to 8.8]) and in likelihood of treatment response compared to placebo (odds ratio
[OR]: 4.6; CrI: [3.1 to 7.5]). Serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) and a2 agonist treatment were associated with more frequent
treatment response compared to placebo. The likelihood of treatment response was greater for SSRIs compared to SNRIs (OR: 1.9; CrI: [1.1 to 3.5]).
Allcause discontinuation and treatment-emergent suicidality significantly differed among medications but not medication class. Conclusion(s):
Although multiple medications reduce anxiety in children and adolescents, treatment response, tolerability, and treatmentemergent suicidality differ
among these medications and medication classes. Determining whether efficacy and tolerability differences represent true differences (or reflect
differences in trial design) requires additional head-to-head medication trials and-to exclude the impact of missing treatment interventions-requires
trials of medications that successfully treat anxiety in adults but that have not been evaluated in youth. © Copyright 2019 Physicians Postgraduate
Press, Inc.
Journal of
Clinical Psychiatry, 80(1) : E1-E15
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions
(any)
Eather, N., Riley, N., Miller, A., Smith, V., Poole,
A., Vincze, L., Morgan, P. J., Lubans, D. R.
OBJECTIVES: The primary aim of this study was to
evaluate the preliminary efficacy and feasibility of an 8-week high-intensity interval training program (Uni-HIIT) for young adult students in a
university setting.\rDESIGN: Randomised controlled trial.\rMETHOD: Uni-HIIT was conducted at the University of Newcastle, Australia (February-June,
2017). Participants were university students 18-25yrs (n=53; 20.38+/-1.88yrs) randomized into the Uni HIIT program (n=26) or wait-list control (n=27)
condition. Participants were required to attend up to three HIIT sessions/week for 8-weeks which included a variety of aerobic and muscular fitness
exercise combinations lasting 8-12minutes (using 30:30sec rest:work intervals). The primary outcome was cardio-respiratory fitness (CRF) (20mSRT),
and secondary outcomes included muscular fitness (standing jump, push-ups), body composition (InBody), executive function (Trail Making Test),
anxiety levels (State Trait Anxiety Inventory) and perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale). Linear mixed models were used to analyse outcomes and
Cohen's d effect sizes were calculated. Process evaluation measures of recruitment, retention, attendance and satisfaction were conducted.\rRESULTS:
A large significant group-by-time effect resulted for CRF [8.4 shuttles (95% CI(2.9-13.9), P=0.004,d=1.08] and muscular fitness [4.0 repetitions (95%
CI(1.2-6.8), P=0.006,d=0.99], and moderate effect size was observed for Trail B [-5.9seconds (95% CI(-11.8-0.1.0), P=0.052, d=0.63]. No significant
intervention effects were found for body composition, standing jump, anxiety or perceived stress (P >0.05). High ratings of participant satisfaction
(4.73), enjoyment (4.54) and perceived value (4.54) were observed.\rCONCLUSION: This study demonstrates the efficacy and feasibility of delivering a
novel HIIT program in the university setting.
Journal of Science & Medicine in Sport, 22(5) : 596-
601
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Physical activity, exercise
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
Turrini, G., Purgato, M., Acarturk, C., Anttila, M., Au, T., Ballette, F., Bird,
M., Carswell, K., Churchill, R., Cuijpers, P., Hall, J., Hansen, L. J., Kosters,
M., Lantta, T., Nose, M., Ostuzzi, G., Sijbrandij, M., Tedeschi,
F., Valimaki, M., Wancata, J., White, R., Van Ommeren, M., Barbui, C.
AimsIn the past few years,
there has been an unprecedented increase in the number of forcibly displaced migrants worldwide, of which a substantial proportion is refugees and
asylum seekers. Refugees and asylum seekers may experience high levels of psychological distress, and show high rates of mental health conditions. It
is therefore timely and particularly relevant to assess whether current evidence supports the provision of psychosocial interventions for this
population. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) assessing the efficacy and acceptability of
psychosocial interventions compared with control conditions (treatment as usual/no treatment, waiting list, psychological placebo) aimed at reducing
mental health problems in distressed refugees and asylum seekers.MethodsWe used Cochrane procedures for conducting a systematic review and meta-
analysis of RCTs. We searched for published and unpublished RCTs assessing the efficacy and acceptability of psychosocial interventions in adults and
children asylum seekers and refugees with psychological distress. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depressive and anxiety symptoms at post-
intervention were the primary outcomes. Secondary outcomes include: PTSD, depressive and anxiety symptoms at follow-up, functioning, quality of life
and dropouts due to any reason.ResultsWe included 26 studies with 1959 participants. Meta-analysis of RCTs revealed that psychosocial interventions
have a clinically significant beneficial effect on PTSD (standardised mean difference [SMD] = ?irc;'0.71; 95% confidence interval [CI] ?irc;'1.01
to ?irc;'0.41; I2 = 83%; 95% CI 78-88; 20 studies, 1370 participants; moderate quality evidence), depression (SMD = ?irc;'1.02; 95% CI
?irc;'1.52 to ?irc;'0.51; I2 = 89%; 95% CI 82-93; 12 studies, 844 participants; moderate quality evidence) and anxiety outcomes (SMD =
?irc;'1.05; 95% CI ?irc;'1.55 to ?irc;'0.56; I2 = 87%; 95% CI 79-92; 11 studies, 815 participants; moderate quality evidence). This
beneficial effect was maintained at 1 month or longer follow-up, which is extremely important for populations exposed to ongoing post-migration
stressors. For the other secondary outcomes, we identified a non-significant trend in favour of psychosocial interventions. Most evidence supported
interventions based on cognitive behavioural therapies with a trauma-focused component. Limitations of this review include the limited number of
studies collected, with a relatively low total number of participants, and the limited available data for positive outcomes like functioning and
quality of life.ConclusionsConsidering the epidemiological relevance of psychological distress and mental health conditions in refugees and asylum
seekers, and in view of the existing data on the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions, these interventions should be routinely made available
as part of the health care of distressed refugees and asylum seekers. Evidence-based guidelines and implementation packages should be developed
accordingly. Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2019 This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons
Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium,
provided the original work is properly cited.
Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences., :
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions, Narrative exposure therapy (NET)
Yang, L., Zhou, X., Pu, J., Liu, L., Cuijpers,
P., Zhang, Y., Zhang, H., Yuan, S., Teng, T., Tian, L., Xie, P.
Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is highly prevalent and persistent in
children and adolescents. However, evidence for the efficacy and acceptability of psychological interventions for SAD in children and adolescents
remains unclear. Seven electronic databases (PubMed, CENTRAL, Embase, Web of Science, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and ProQuest) were searched. Randomized
controlled trials (RCTs) that compared psychological interventions for SAD with control conditions in children and adolescents were included. Primary
outcomes were the efficacy (mean change in anxiety symptom scores) and acceptability (dropouts for all reasons). Secondary outcomes were remission,
quality of life/functional improvement, and depressive symptoms measures. Seventeen RCTs were included in this meta-analysis. Psychological
interventions (including cognitive behavioral therapy and behavioral therapy) were significantly more effective than control conditions, with a
standardized mean difference (SMD) of - 1.13, and remission with a risk ratio (RR) of 8.99, the number needed to treat was 3.3. There was no
statistically significant difference between psychological interventions and control conditions for all-cause dropouts (RR = 1.00). Psychological
interventions were superior to control conditions in improving quality of life/functioning (SMD = 0.79) and reducing depressive symptoms (SMD = -
0.39). Given considerable heterogeneity of primary efficacy outcome, a series of subgroup analyses of different variables were conducted.
Psychological interventions are probably efficacious in the treatment of SAD among children and adolescents, and may markedly improve quality of life
and functioning in this population. However, this finding should be interpreted with caution because of the high heterogeneity of trials and low
literature quality.
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 28(1) : 79-
89
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Social phobia (social anxiety disorder)
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Other Psychological Interventions
Sanchez, A. L., Comer, J. S., Coxe, S., Albano,
A. M., Piacentini, J., Compton, S. N., Ginsburg, G. S., Rynn, M. A., Walkup, J. T., Sakolsky, D. J., Birmaher, B., Kendall,
P. C.
Youth anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and are associated with considerable school impairment. Despite the
identification of well-supported strategies for treating youth anxiety, research has yet to evaluate the differential effects of these treatments on
anxiety-related school impairment. The present study leveraged data from the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study to examine differential
treatment effects of CBT, sertraline, and their combination (COMB), relative to placebo (PBO), on anxiety-related school impairment among youth
(N=488). Latent growth modeling revealed that all three active treatments demonstrated superiority over PBO in reducing anxiety-related school
impairment over time, with COMB showing the most robust effects. According to parent report, medication strategies may have stronger effects on
anxiety-related school impairment among males than among females. Results were discrepant across parents and youth. Findings are discussed in terms
of clinical implications for anxious youth and the need for continued research to examine treatment effects on anxiety-related school impairment.
Child Psychiatry and Human Development, 50 : 940-949
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions
(any), Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), Antidepressants
(any), Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT)
Song, C., Ikei, H., Kagawa, T., Miyazaki, Y.
The
effects of forest activities on health promotion have received increasing attention. The aim of this study was to evaluate the physiological and
psychological effects of brief walks in forests on young women. The experiments were conducted in 6 forests (test) and 6 city areas (control).
Overall, 12 participants in each area (60 participants in total, mean age: 21.0 +/- 1.3 years) were instructed to walk in a forest and a city area
for approximately 15 min; simultaneously, their heart rate variability, heart rate, blood pressure, and pulse rate were measured to quantify their
physiological responses to walking. The modified semantic differential method, Profile of Mood States (POMS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory
(STAI) were used to determine their psychological responses. Walking in a forest was associated with significantly higher parasympathetic nervous
activity and lower sympathetic nervous activity and heart rate. In addition, scores for the comfortable, relaxed, and natural parameters and vigor
subscale of POMS were significantly higher, whereas scores for negative feelings, such as tension-anxiety, depression-dejection, anger-hostility,
fatigue, and confusion, were significantly lower, as were the total mood disturbance of POMS and the anxiety dimension of the STAI. The subjective
evaluations were generally in accordance with the physiological responses. A brief walk in a forest resulted in physiological and psychological
relaxation effects in young women. Copyright © 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 16
(2) (no pagination)(229) :
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Physical activity, exercise
Balconi, M., Fronda, G., Crivelli,
D.
Repeated exposure to stressors, even if mild, may alter the efficiency of optimal stress responses
and hinder emotion regulation skills. Mindfulness meditation, by strengthening self-regulation and awareness, may optimize the efficiency of
physiological, cognitive, and behavioral reactions to stressful events but typically requires notable commitment to practice, which often leads to
disengagement. Recent research suggested that such practices may be made more accessible and that the potential for self-enhancement and stress
management of meditation might be improved by supporting mental training with wearable neurofeedback devices able to inform the practicer on ongoing
modulation of bodily and brain activity. This study aimed at testing the effect of such novel training approach based on the integration of mental
training with brain-sensing wearable devices on physiological (heart rate and variability) and subjective markers of stress (perceived stress,
anxiety, and mood states). Participants (N = 55) have been randomly divided into an active control (CONTg) and an experimental group (EXPg). Both
groups completed a four-week training constituted by brief daily activities based on mindfulness practices. Experimental participants practiced with
the support of dedicated brain-sensing devices. By analyzing pre- and post-training assessments, we observed relevantly decreased stress and anxiety
measures in EXPg, as well as relevantly decreased mental fatigue and increased vigor. EXPg also showed improved physiological markers of vagal tone
both at rest and during exposure to a cognitive stressor. Reported findings add to the limited available literature on potential effects of
technology-supported mental training protocols for promoting subjective well-being and enhancing self-regulation skills. Copyright © 2019 Informa UK
Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
Stress, 22(2) : 200-
209
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Meditation
Dai, F., Chen, B.
Objectives : Serious incidents of college students due to
sustained psychological stress leads to mental illness caused by frequent occurrence, darling serious psychological problems such as depression,
anxiety, obsessive compulsive disorders such common college students mental illness. In response to these psychological characteristics, at home and
abroad in recent years, researchers have advocated a more suitable way of this population movement - the movement of body and mind. Body- Mind
Exercise is awareness campaigns, such as tai chi, yoga and qigong, the core of the movement is to train individuals with a sense of control
activities of the various parts of the body to achieve the body and mind. Studies have shown that Body- Mind Exercise has the advantages of physical
training and psychological training, and it can produce better physical and mental health benefits for patients with mental illness. Therefore, this
study attempts to explore the effect of Body- Mind Exercise intervention on college students' stress response and psychological endurance. To
provide effective and reasonable stress coping styles and develop good psychological endurance for undergraduates under pressure, thus improving
their mental health. Methods : Among the 1000 college students (Wuchang Institute of Technology), 80 college students with higher stress scores (CPSS
scale scores higher than the average score of 32) were selected as the experimental intervention group and the control group, 40 in the experimental
group and the control group (There were 22 males and 18 female in the both groups, and the experimental group the average age of 20.81 +/- 1.34 years
in the control group the average age of 20.35 +/- 1.61 years old). The students in the experimental group were intervened by yoga exercise, and the
control group was operated according to the normal life trajectory, 3 times a week, 45 minutes each time, comparative efficacy after 12 weeks.
Results : Experiment front set of scores on scale CPSS indicators have improved ( P < 0.05), lower than the score of the control group, which has a
different degree in each dimension, the perceived reduced pressure, the difference statistically significant ( P < 0.01), compared with a small
dimension of the tension decreases the amplitude, feeling out of control was not significant ( P > 0.05); while China endurance scale (CPPRS)
measured before and after the significant difference ( P < 0.01), wherein The differences in willpower, problem solving, and interpersonal
communication were statistically significant ( P < 0.05), but there was no significant difference in family support and optimistic self- confidence (
P > 0.05). Conclusion : Body- Mind Exercise can actively reduce various negative psychological consequences by adjusting mentality and emotions, and
reduce the negative consequences of stress, and improve the psychological coping ability of college students and the psychological endurance in the
face of stress, and the intervention effect is better.
Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, 124 (Supplement 3) : 209-
210
- Year: 2019
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Mind-body exercises (e.g. yoga, tai chi, qigong)