Disorders - Anxiety Disorders
Gonsalves, P. P., Nair, R., Roy, M., Pal, S., Michelson,
D.
Self-disclosure, referring to the ability to communicate and share intimate personal feelings, has strong face validity
for many young people as a way of improving anxiety and depression outcomes. The current review aimed to generate the first comprehensive evidence
synthesis of self-disclosure interventions involving young people aged 14-24 years who are either disclosers or recipients of personal information
about living with anxiety and/or depression. A systematic review of quantitative and qualitative data was combined with new insights from an
adolescents and young adults lived-experience panel (n=7) with the intention to combine rigorous systematic review methods and experiential
knowledge. Six studies of variable quality were included in this review, five were quantitative and one was qualitative. Findings suggest that self-
disclosure may be effective at reducing symptoms for adolescents and young adults with established depression; effects were not apparent when
delivered as early prevention. No evidence for impacts on anxiety was found. The potential for negative effects like bullying or harassment was
identified. Findings were limited by a small number of studies; low representation of peer-reviewed studies from low-or middle-income countries; and
varied interventions in terms of format, participants' context, and nature of delivery. Self-disclosure may be of value in the context of
interventions intended explicitly to reduce depression for those already showing symptoms. Delivery by non-specialists (such as peers and teachers)
in addition to mental health professionals can help build capacity in community health systems. Self-disclosure may also be helpful at reducing
stigma and stimulating help-seeking at earlier stages of mental health problems. Copyright © 2023. The Author(s).
Administration and Policy in Mental Health, 50(3) : 488-
505
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention), Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions
Gong, X. G., Wang, L.
P., Rong, G., Zhang, D. N., Zhang, A. Y., Liu, C.
Objectives: Mental health problems among university students are a cause of widespread concern. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs)
delivered online have considerable potential to help university students manage mental health challenges. However, there is no consensus regarding
the efficacy of online MBIs. This meta-analysis aims to determine whether MBIs are feasible and effective for improving university students' mental
health.\rMethods: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) in Web of Science, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase and the US National Library of Medicine
(Clinical Trial Registry) published through August 31, 2022, were searched. Two reviewers selected the trials, conducted a critical appraisal, and
extracted the data. Nine RCTs met our inclusion criteria.\rResults: This analysis showed that online MBIs were effective in improving depression
(standardised mean difference [SMD] = -0.27; 95% confidence interval [CI], -0.48 to -0.07; P = 0.008), anxiety (SMD = -0.47; 95% CI, -080 to -0.14; P
= 0.006), stress (SMD = -0.58; 95% CI, -0.79 to -0.37; P < 0.00001), and mindfulness (SMD = 0.71; 95% CI, 0.17 to 1.25; p = 0.009) in university
students. No significant effect was found on wellbeing (SMD = 0.30; 95% CI, -0.00 to 0.60; P = 0.05).\rConclusion: The findings indicated that online
MBIs could effectively improve the mental health of university students. Nevertheless, additional rigorously designed RCTs are required.\rSystematic
review registration: https://inplasy.com/inplasy-2022-9-0099/, identifier INPLASY202290099.
, 14 : 1073647
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Mindfulness based
therapy, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Ginat-Frolich, R., Kara-Ivanov, A., Strauss, A. Y., Myers, A., Huppert, J. D.
Interoceptive exposure, or exposure to one's feared physical sensations, has been shown to be an important
technique in cognitive behavioral therapies for anxiety disorders and related constructs, such as anxiety sensitivity (AS). The current study sought
to further clarify the underlying cognitive-behavioral mechanisms of interoceptive exposure in a lab-based, analog study with individuals high in AS.
Participants (n = 59) were randomized into three groups: a cognitive-behavioral intervention emphasizing belief disconfirmation (CbI), a behavioral
intervention emphasizing exposure (BI), and a control condition. Self-report measures assessing AS, catastrophizing of bodily sensations, and
subjective units of distress (SUDS) were collected before, during and after the intervention. Participants also completed online questionnaires at a
one-month follow-up. Following the CbI but not BI, a decrease was observed in both AS and catastrophizing interpretations. Furthermore, only the CbI
group exhibited a decrease in SUDS ratings, whereas the BI group exhibited a significant increase. Notably, these effects were not maintained at a
one-month follow-up. Findings suggest that cognitive interventions without repeated behavioral exposure may be sufficient in reducing self-reported
anxiety-related symptoms and catastrophic misinterpretations, though not at maintaining them. This raises questions regarding the role of pure
behavioral mechanisms in exposure. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
, 52(2) : 132-
145
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Panic
Disorder
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Exposure therapy, Exposure
and response prevention
Gao, X., Zhang, L., Xu, H.
Background. The teaching support work of normal school students is a key step to improving students' personal teaching abilities. It
can help students understand the current situation of education in China and is a necessary way to enhance students' sense of responsibility and
mission in teaching. However, a large number of students will have significant mental symptoms such as depression and anxiety during teaching.
Therefore, doing a good job in students' mental health is not only conducive to teachers' psychological construction, but also can promote students
to develop a good outlook on education. Subjects and Methods. 118 voluntary students in a university were taken as the research objects, and all the
students were divided into an experimental group and a control group, with 59 students in each group. The intervention means based on the
transformation of the management mode of psychotherapy combined with education were proposed. The students in the experimental group used the
combined treatment means, while the students in the control group only used psychotherapy for intervention. The intervention lasted for 12 months,
and the changes in anxiety and depression symptoms of students during the intervention were evaluated. Results. The differences in anxiety and
depression scores of students before and after the treatment are shown in Table 1. Conclusions. The psychological condition of the students is the
key to deciding whether their voluntary activities can be carried out normally. It can be seen from Table 1 that the depression and anxiety scores of
students in the experimental group are significantly lower than those in the control group after the intervention. Therefore, it can be seen that the
transformation of the management mode of psychotherapy combined with education can significantly reduce the current situation of psychological
depression and anxiety of students in the support education, which is of great significance to the comprehensive development of students.
CNS Spectrums, 28(Supplement
1) : S28-S29
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions
Gaihre, A., Sasidharan, R. K., Bista, S., Poudel, L., Khadka,
R., Rajbhandari, B.
Objectives: Substance use disorder is a pattern
of recurrent use of illicit substances that leads to severe psychosocial imbalance and recurrent relapse. The study was to evaluate the efficacy of a
yoga-based intervention as an add-on in enhancing psychological wellbeing, compared with physical exercise among substance abusers. Method(s): In
this randomized controlled study, 96 male participants with substance use disorder from a residential rehabilitation treatment center, Kathmandu,
Nepal, were randomly allocated into two groups namely the yoga group (n=48, mean age +/- SD=25.18 +/- 6.43) and the physical exercise group (n=48,
mean age +/- SD=25.02 +/- 5.02). The participants in the yoga group attended the 90 min yoga sessions for 12 weeks (six days per week) whereas the
physical exercise group attended exercise sessions for the same duration. Above mentioned interventions were in addition to standard rehabilitation
treatment. The study measured the Self-Control, Anxiety, Depression, Sleep parameters, and Mindfulness at the baseline and after 12 weeks of
intervention. Result(s): A significant enhancement in self-control was observed in both the yoga (p<0.033, d=0.33) and the exercise group (p<0.038,
d=0.32). Yoga group showed significant improvement in mindfulness score (p<0.017, d=0.37), whereas exercise group did not show any significant
changes in mindfulness (p<0.169, d=0.21). The depression and anxiety scores reduced significantly in both yoga (p<0.044, d=0.31; p<0.025, d=0.35
resp.) and exercise (p<0.032, d=0.34. p<0.039, d=0.32. resp.) group. Furthermore, significant reduction was seen in sleep disturbance after yoga
(p<0.001, d=0.52) and exercise (p<0.001, d=0.78) intervention. The sleep - somnolence score reduced significantly only in yoga group (p<0.020,
d=0.36). The magnitude of improvement was higher in the yoga group than physical exercise group on self-control, mindfulness, depression, anxiety and
some sleep parameters, however the between group differences could not reach to the level of significance. Conclusion(s): The 12 week yoga
intervention did not appear to be significantly more effective than the 12 week physical exercise program on psychological wellbeing in male
participants with substance use disorder. However, greater improvement in psychological wellbeing was observed within the yoga group. In future, a
multi-centric study with robust design, larger sample size and longer follow-up is required to conform the present results and to find out the
difference between the impacts of yoga and physical exercise on psychological wellbeing in substance abusers. Copyright © 2021 Walter de Gruyter
GmbH, Berlin/Boston.
Journal of Complementary and Integrative Medicine, 20(1) : 241-249
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders, Substance Use Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention), Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Mind-body exercises (e.g. yoga, tai chi, qigong), Physical activity, exercise
Fulambarkar,
N., Seo, B., Testerman, A., Rees, M., Bausback, K., Bunge, E.
Background: Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) have been applied in school settings for adolescents with symptoms of
stress, depression, and anxiety; however, general conclusions of the efficacy of such interventions remain unclear. This meta-analysis reviewed
randomized-controlled MBI trials for stress, depression, and anxiety in school settings. Method(s): One hundred one records were included after
removing duplicates. Nine studies met inclusion criteria, totalling 5046 adolescents aged 12-18. Eighteen comparisons between an MBI and a control
group were analyzed. Result(s): The overall effect for symptoms of the 17 observations including stress, depression, and anxiety resulted in a
significant improvement with a small effect size (k = 17, n = 3721, Hedge's g =.33, CI 95%.17-.49 p <.01). Subgroup analysis revealed that when MBIs
were compared to an active control group effects were not significant (k = 5, n = 2753, Hedge's g =.27, CI 95% -.03-.57 p =.08), and when compared
to an inactive control group the effect was significant with a small effect size (k = 5, n = 1065, Hedge's g =.38, CI 95%.02-.75 p <.05). Analysis
of the interventions on a per symptom basis yielded a significant and moderate effect size for perceived stress (k = 7, n = 1116, Hedge's g =.55, CI
95%.31-.79 p <.01); however, there were no significant effects for depression (k = 6, n = 3172, Hedge's g =.20, CI 95% -.05-.44 p <.01) and anxiety
(k = 4, n = 837, Hedge's g =.19, CI 95% -.14-.53 p =.25). Conclusion(s): The impact of MBIs in school settings for adolescents yielded a significant
improvement for stress, but did not for depression and anxiety. The effects were significant when compared to inactive controls, but not when
compared to active controls. Implications of these findings are discussed. Copyright © 2022 The Authors. Child and Adolescent Mental Health published
by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.
Child and Adolescent Mental Health, 28(2) : 307-
317
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Mindfulness based
therapy
Frazier, P., Liu, Y., Selvey, A., Meredith, L., Nguyen-Feng, V. N.
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of brief, self-guided
web-based interventions for decreasing distress among U.S. college students during the pandemic. Three randomized controlled trials were conducted
during the spring (Study 1), summer (Study 2), and fall (Study 3) 2020 terms, and were combined into one sample to increase power (N = 775). We
evaluated a web-based intervention that focused on increasing present control that had been shown to be effective in several studies prior to the
pandemic (e.g., Nguyen-Feng et al., 2017). This intervention was compared to an active comparison condition (psychoeducation about and reminders to
engage in Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)-recommended stress management techniques) in Study 1, to a waitlist comparison in Study 2,
and to both comparison conditions in Study 3. Participants were undergraduate psychology students at two campuses of a midwestern state university
system. Outcomes-perceived stress (primary); depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms (secondary); and boredom (tertiary)-were assessed at pretest
and posttest (and 3-week follow-up in Study 3). Differences across conditions were significant for perceived stress, stress symptoms, and boredom
(but not depression or anxiety). Contrary to hypotheses, the Present Control and CDC stress management interventions were equally effective. Both
were more effective than no intervention (between-group ds = -0.27 and -0.42). Both interventions were more effective for students with higher
baseline stress levels. Completion and adherence rates were high for both conditions. Results suggest that very brief, self-guided stress management
interventions can be effective in reducing stress among college students. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).
, 70(3) : 314-
324
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Psychoeducation, Other Psychological Interventions
Finnerty, R., McWeeny, S., Trainor, L.
Introduction: In alignment
with the World Health Organization's (WHO) goal to provide comprehensive and integrated mental health services in community-based settings, this
randomized control trial explored the efficacy of online group music therapy as a proactive intervention for reducing stress and anxiety in
university students who do not necessarily have a diagnosis.\rMethods: The study took place during COVID-19 restrictions. Students who volunteered
were randomly assigned to 6 weeks of weekly (1) online active group music therapy, (2) online receptive group music therapy, (3) online group verbal
therapy (standard of care), or (4) no-intervention (control group). Students rated their stress (Likert scale) and anxiety [State-Trait Anxiety
Inventory, State version (STAI-S)], and provided heart rate variability (HRV) using a phone app, pre and post each therapy session.\rResults: STAI-S
and Likert stress scores significantly reduced from pre to post 45-min online music therapy sessions, with moderate evidence that these changes did
not differ from the standard of care (verbal therapy). HRV results were not analyzed statistically as HRV collection was likely compromised due to
challenges of remote collection. Students completed the Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) and provided a hair sample for cortisol analysis before and
after the 6-week intervention. Changes in stress from week 1 to week 6 were not observed in the PSS measure; however, cortisol increased
significantly in the control group as the term progressed, while it remained relatively stable in the therapy groups, suggesting therapy may lead to
greater control of stress. Of participants' demographic characteristics, music sophistication, personality, and changes in quality of life, only the
personality trait of conscientiousness correlated significantly with PSS, suggesting online group therapy may be beneficial for a wide range of
university students.\rDiscussion: The results suggest group music therapy can be as effective as group verbal therapy. Further, the study indicates
that online delivery can be achieved effectively, supporting the idea that remote therapy may be a viable option for other populations. While the
study should be replicated with a larger multi-site sample, it provides one example toward achieving a health-promoting culture on university
campuses, consistent with the mental health goals of the Okanagan Charter.
Frontiers in
Psychiatry, 14 : 1183311
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions, Creative expression: music, dance, drama, art
Ferguson, R. J., Ouimet, A. J., Gardam, O.
BACKGROUND
AND OBJECTIVES: People with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) evaluate themselves negatively before, during, and after anxiety-provoking social
situations, which leads to negative consequences (e.g., performance deficits, memory impairments, and post-event processing). Despite decades of
research, little is known regarding whether these evaluations generalize to how they view others. Social projection theory-the belief that others are
similar to oneself-might further extend the basic Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) model. Our aim was to understand whether the degree to which
people negatively evaluate a visibly anxious person causes them to negatively evaluate themselves.\rMETHODS: 172 unselected participants completed
several baseline questionnaires. We then randomly assigned participants to provide high-, medium-, or no-evaluation of a videotaped anxious person
(i.e., other-evaluations) while we assessed their state anxiety. After, they evaluated the anxious person on multiple criteria. Participants then
participated in an impromptu conversation task and subsequently evaluated their own performance.\rRESULTS: Although our manipulation was effective,
we found no emotional or behavioural differences between conditions. However, people in the high-evaluation condition recalled significantly fewer
facts about their conversation partner than did people in the medium- and no-evaluation conditions.\rLIMITATIONS: After data cleaning, the sample
size was slightly smaller than planned; most analyses were nonetheless appropriately powered. Our findings may not generalize beyond unselected
undergraduate students; replication in a clinical sample is warranted.\rCONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the cognitive consequences (i.e.,
memory impairments) of other-evaluations, which cognitive behavioural therapists should consider when treating individuals with SAD.
Journal of Behavior Therapy &
Experimental Psychiatry, 80 : 101763
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Social phobia (social anxiety disorder)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions
Fazia, T., Bubbico, F., Nova, A., Buizza, C., Cela, H., Iozzi, D., Calgan, B., Maggi, F., Floris, V., Sutti, I., Bruno,
S., Ghilardi, A., Bernardinelli, L.
Pressures and responsibilities of medical school put a strain on medical student's personal wellbeing,
leading among all to high rates of anxiety, emotional discomfort and stress. In this work we evaluated the effectiveness of a comprehensive
Mindfulness-Based Intervention (MBI) in reducing this load. The intervention comprised 10 twice-a-week Integral Meditation classes, dietary advice,
and brief yoga sessions. We performed a randomized trial on two cohort of medical students from Italian universities: 239 in cohort 1 (106 treated
and 133 controls), and 123 in cohort 2 (68 treated and 55 control) for a total sample of 362 students. Nine questionnaires for evaluating the
effectiveness of our intervention on stress (PSS), state anxiety (STAIX-1), well-being (WEMWBS), mind-wandering (MW-S), overall distress (PANAS),
emotion regulation (DERS), resilience (RS-14), and attentional control (ACS-C and ACS-D) were collected both pre and post intervention. Linear mixed
effect models were run on the whole sample showing that, after multiple testing correction, our intervention was effective in reducing perceived
stress (beta=- 2.57 [- 4.02; - 1.12], p=0.004), improving mental well-being (beta=2.82 [1.02; 4.63], p=0.008) and emotional regulation (beta=- 8.24
[- 12.98; - 3.51], p=0.004), resilience (beta=3.79 [1.32; 6.26], p=0.008), reducing the tendency to wander with the mind (beta=- 0.70 [- 0.99; -
0.39], p=0.0001), ameliorating the ability to maintain attention (AC-S (beta=- 0.23 [- 0.44; - 0.02], p=0.04) and AC-D (beta=- 0.19 [- 0.36; - 0.01],
p=0.04)), and the overall distress (beta=1.84 [0.45; 3.23], p=0.02). Copyright © 2023. The Author(s).
Scientific reports, 13(1) : 8214
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Mindfulness based
therapy, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Faulhaber, M. E., Lee, J. E., Gentile, D. A.
An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effect of self-
monitoring limited social media usage on psychological well-being. After completing pretest measures, 230 undergraduate students from a large
Midwestern university were randomly assigned to one of two experimental conditions: either limit their social media usage to 30 min a day or to use
social media as usual. After 2 weeks of limiting, the self-monitored group showed significant improvements in their psychological well-being.
Anxiety, depression, loneliness, fear of missing out, and negative affect decreased while positive affect increased. These results suggest that
limiting social media usage may improve psychological well-being on multiple dimensions. This study is one of the first to experimentally investigate
feasible alternatives to social media use abstinence or experimenter-managed limitation. Future studies could investigate motivations and mechanisms
of social media use through qualitative explorations. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
Technology, Mind, and Behavior, 4(2) : No Pagination
Specified
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
DuPont, C. M., Pressman, S. D., Reed, R. G., Manuck, S. B., Marsland, A. L., Gianaros, P. J.
Meta-analyses indicate
that positive psychological interventions are effective at increasing positive affect, as well as reducing anxiety and depression; however, it is
unclear how well these effects generalize during periods of high stress. Therefore, the current study tested whether a 2-week online positive
psychological intervention delivered during the COVID-19 pandemic, a naturalistic stressor, (1) increased positive affect; (2) improved psychological
well-being, optimism, life satisfaction, perceived social support, and loneliness; (3) and reduced negative affect in college students, a group known
to have high pandemic distress. Participants (N = 250; 76.9% female) ages 18-45 were recruited from the University of Pittsburgh undergraduate
subject pool between September and November of 2020. Participants were randomized to the online positive psychological intervention or active control
condition and stratified by trait positive affect, sex, and year in college. Participants in both conditions completed one writing activity every
other day for two consecutive weeks. Control participants documented their activities for that day (e.g., meals, going to gym). Intervention
participants chose from six positive psychology activities. All outcome variables were assessed pre- and post-intervention by validated
questionnaires. Across both conditions, positive and negative affect decreased from pre- to post-intervention. No other psychological factor differed
by condition, time, or their interaction. The current null findings are in line with a more recent meta-analysis indicating that positive
psychological interventions may have smaller effects on psychological well-being and depressive symptoms than was reported pre-pandemic. Study
findings may suggest reduced efficacy of virtual positive psychological interventions under highly stressful circumstances.\rSupplementary
Information: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42761-022-00148-z.
Affective Science, 4(1) : 101-
117
- Year: 2023
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Positive
psychology, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)