Disorders - Anxiety Disorders
Kumar, S. S., Rajagopalan, A., Mukkadan, J.
K.
Introduction: Although several methods are developed to alleviate
stress among college students, logistic limitations in adopting them have limited their utility. Aim: Hence, we aimed to test a very practical
approach to alleviate stress among college students by achieving vestibular stimulation using swings. Materials and Methods: In this study 60 male
and female participants were randomly assigned into vestibular stimulation or control groups. Depression, anxiety, stress scores, sleep quality,
heart rate, blood pressure, Autonomic functions, respiratory, haematological, cognitive function, Quality of life were recorded before and after 1st,
7th, 14th, 21st, 28th days of vestibular stimulation. Results: STAI S and STAI T scores were significantly improved on day 28th following vestibular
stimulation. Diastolic and mean arterial blood pressure were significantly decreased and remained within normal limits in vestibular group on day
28th following vestibular stimulation. Postural fall in blood pressure was significantly improved on day 14 onwards, following vestibular
stimulation. Respiratory rate was significantly improved on day 7 onwards, following vestibular stimulation. PSQI sleep disturbance, PSQI sleep
latency, PSQI total score and bleeding time was significantly improved following vestibular stimulation. Conclusion: Our study supports the adoption
of vestibular stimulation for stress management. Hence, placement of swings in college campuses must be considered, which may be a simple approach to
alleviate stress among college students.
Journal of Clinical & Diagnostic Research, 10(2) : CC27-
CC31
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Other complementary & alternative
interventions
Lee, S. S., Victor, A. M., James, M. G., Roach, L. E., Bernstein, G. A.
This study examined the long-term outcomes of a nonclinical
sample of anxious children (N = 61) who were randomized by school to 9 weeks of group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for children, group CBT for
children plus parent training, or no-treatment control. Parents and children completed measures of anxiety symptoms at baseline, posttreatment, and
at 3-, 6-, 12-month, 2-, and 3-year posttreatment follow-ups. Piecewise longitudinal growth curve analyses were applied to the data. When the two CBT
groups were combined and compared with control, the combined treatment group showed significantly greater reduction in children's anxiety severity
based on the parent ratings in the first longitudinal phase. However, on the parent Clinician Severity Rating, gains were maintained to 3 years.
Child report revealed no significant differences between groups on anxiety reduction. This study maintained a small no-treatment control group during
the entire follow-up period. From parental perspective only, school-based group CBT appeared to be beneficial in decreasing severity of anxiety
symptoms and maintaining gains over time. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Child Psychiatry and Human
Development, 47(2) : 183-193
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention), Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Other Psychological Interventions
Infantino,
A., Donovan, C. L., March, S.,
The aim of this study was to investigate the efficacy of an audio-
based cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) program for child anxiety disorders. Twenty-four children aged 5-11 years were randomly allocated into
either the audio-based CBT program condition (Audio, n = 12) or a waitlist control (WL; n = 12) group. Outcome measures included a clinical
diagnostic interview, clinician-rated global assessment of functioning, and parent and child self-report ratings of anxiety and internalisation.
Assessments were conducted prior to treatment, 12 weeks following treatment, and at 3-month follow-up. Results indicated that at post-assessment,
58.3% of children receiving treatment compared to 16.7% of waitlist children were free of their primary diagnosis, with this figure rising to 66.67%
at the 3-month follow-up time point. Additionally, at post-assessment, 25.0% of children in the treatment condition compared to .0% of the waitlist
condition were free of all anxiety diagnoses, with this figure rising to 41.67% for the treatment group at 3-month follow-up. Overall, the findings
suggest that the audio program tested in this study has the potential to be an efficacious treatment alternative for anxious children. (PsycINFO
Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Behaviour Research and
Therapy, 79 : 35-45
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions, Relaxation, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Ji, M., Hui, E., Fu, H., Watkins, D., Tao, L., Lo, S. K.
The understanding and application of
forgiveness varies across cultures. The current study aimed to examine the effect of a culture-adaptive Forgiveness Intervention on forgiveness
attitude, self-esteem, empathy and anxiety of Mainland Chinese college students. Thirty-six participants were randomly allocated to either
experimental groups or a wait-list comparison group, with 28 retained finally. Forgiveness, empathy, self-esteem and anxiety were assessed one week
before and after a 10-week forgiveness programme integrating Enright process model and Chinese values. The intervention increased participants'
forgiveness attitudes. No significant effect was reported on empathy, self-esteem and anxiety. These findings demonstrate that the Culture-adaptive
forgiveness intervention is potentially promising to enhance forgiveness attitude in societies where collectivist, cooperative and interdependent
principles are dominant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
British Journal of Guidance
& Counselling, 44(3) : 335-346
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions
Johnson, C., Burke,
C., Brinkman, S., Wade, T.
Anxiety, depression and eating disorders show peak emergence during adolescence and share common risk factors.
School-based prevention programs provide a unique opportunity to access a broad spectrum of the population during a key developmental window, but to
date, no program targets all three conditions concurrently. Mindfulness has shown promising early results across each of these psychopathologies in a
small number of controlled trials in schools, and therefore this study investigated its use in a randomised controlled design targeting anxiety,
depression and eating disorder risk factors together for the first time. Students (M age 13.63; SD = .43) from a broad band of socioeconomic
demographics received the eight lesson, once weekly.b (\"Dot be\") mindfulness in schools curriculum (N = 132) or normal lessons (N = 176). Anxiety,
depression, weight/shape concerns and wellbeing were the primary outcome factors. Although acceptability measures were high, no significant
improvements were found on any outcome at post-intervention or 3-month follow-up. Adjusted mean differences between groups at post-intervention were
.03 (95% CI: -.06 to -.11) for depression, .01 (-.07 to -.09) for anxiety, .02 (-.05 to -.08) for weight/shape concerns, and .06 (-.08 to -.21) for
wellbeing. Anxiety was higher in the mindfulness than the control group at follow-up for males, and those of both genders with low baseline levels of
weight/shape concerns or depression. Factors that may be important to address for effective dissemination of mindfulness-based interventions in
schools are discussed. Further research is required to identify active ingredients and optimal dose in mindfulness-based interventions in school
settings.
Behaviour Research & Therapy, 81 : 1-11
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders, Eating Disorders
(any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Mindfulness based
therapy
Kato-Kataoka, A., Nishida, K., Takada, M., Suda, K., Kawai,
M., Shimizu,
K., Kushiro, A., Hoshi, R., Watanabe, O., Igarashi, T., Miyazaki, K., Kuwano, Y., Rokutan, K.
This pilot study investigated the effects of
the probiotic Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (LcS) on psychological, physiological, and physical stress responses in medical students undertaking
an authorised nationwide examination for promotion. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 24 and 23 healthy medical students consumed a
fermented milk containing LcS and a placebo milk, respectively, once a day for 8 weeks until the day before the examination. Psychophysical state,
salivary cortisol, faecal serotonin, and plasma L-tryptophan were analysed on 5 different sampling days (8 weeks before, 2 weeks before, 1 day
before, immediately after, and 2 weeks after the examination). Physical symptoms were also recorded in a diary by subjects during the intervention
period for 8 weeks. In association with a significant elevation of anxiety at 1 day before the examination, salivary cortisol and plasma L-tryptophan
levels were significantly increased in only the placebo group (P<0.05). Two weeks after the examination, the LcS group had significantly higher
faecal serotonin levels (P<0.05) than the placebo group. Moreover, the rate of subjects experiencing common abdominal and cold symptoms and total
number of days experiencing these physical symptoms per subject were significantly lower in the LcS group than in the placebo group during the pre-
examination period at 5-6 weeks (each P<0.05) and 7-8 weeks (each P<0.01) during the intervention period. Our results suggest that the daily
consumption of fermented milk containing LcS may exert beneficial effects preventing the onset of physical symptoms in healthy subjects exposed to
stressful situations.
Beneficial
Microbes, 7(2) : 153-6
- Year: 2016
- 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
Garcia-Escalera, J., Chorot, P., Valiente, R. M., Reales, J. M., Sandin, B.
This meta-analysis examined the
effect of transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy (T-CBT) in adults, children, and adolescents with emotional disorders, exploring the effects
of possible moderator variables on efficacy. In contrast with previous reviews, only studies employing transdiagnostic theory-based protocols were
included. A total of 48 studies reporting on 6291 participants were identified. Treatment efficacy was examined using a random effects model and
taking into account pre- and post-treatment data. Results within the adult population showed large overall effect sizes on anxiety (randomized
controlled trials [RCTs]: g = 0.80; Uncontrolled studies: g = 1.02) and depression (RCTs: g = 0.72; Uncontrolled studies: g = 1.08) that were stable
at follow up. Preliminary analysis with children and adolescents showed medium effect sizes on anxiety (g = 0.45) and depression (g = 0.50). No
significant differences between T-CBT and disorder-specific CBT were found. Overall, results support the efficacy of T-CBT for emotional disorders.
(PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved)
Revista de Psicopatologia y Psicologia Clinica, 21(3) : 147-
175
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT)
Higa-McMillan, C. K., Francis, S. E., Rith-Najarian, L., Chorpita, B. F.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health disorder among children and adolescents. We examined 111 treatment
outcome studies testing 204 treatment conditions for child and adolescent anxiety published between 1967 and mid-2013. Studies were selected for
inclusion in this review using the PracticeWise Evidence-Based Services database. Using guidelines identified by this journal (Southam-Gerow &
Prinstein, 2014), studies were included if they were conducted with children and/or adolescents (ages 1-19) with anxiety and/or avoidance problems.
In addition to reviewing the strength of the evidence, the review also examined indicators of effectiveness, common practices across treatment
families, and mediators and moderators of treatment outcome. Six treatments reached well-established status for child and adolescent anxiety, 8 were
identified as probably efficacious, 2 were identified as possibly efficacious, 6 treatments were deemed experimental, and 8 treatments of
questionable efficacy emerged. Findings from this review suggest substantial support for cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) as an effective and
appropriate first-line treatment for youth with anxiety disorders. Several other treatment approaches emerged as probably efficacious that are not
primarily CBT based, suggesting that there are alternative evidence-based treatments that practitioners can turn to for children and adolescents who
do not respond well to CBT. The review concludes with a discussion of treatments that improve functioning in addition to reducing symptoms, common
practices derived from evidence-based treatments, mediators and moderators of treatment outcomes, recommendations for best practice, and suggestions
for future research.
Journal of Clinical Child &
Adolescent Psychology, 45(2) : 91-113
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention), Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions
(any), Psychological Interventions
(any)
Lai, E. S. Y., Kwok, C. L., Wong, P. W. C., Fu, K.
W., Law, Y. W., Yip, P. S. F.
Background A pilot study about
the effectiveness of a universal school-based programme, \"The Little Prince is Depressed\", for preventing depression in Chinese adolescents in Hong
Kong was conducted and reported previously. This study used a larger sample to examine the effectiveness and sustainability of the programme. Methods
This study used quasi-experimental design. Twelve schools enrolled in \"The Little Prince is Depressed\" programme either as an intervention or a
control condition. The intervention schools carried out the 12-session programme in two phases: the professional-led first phase and the teacher-led
second phase. All participants were required to complete a questionnaire at three time points measuring their (1) depressive, anxiety, and stress
levels; (2) knowledge of mental health; (3) attitudes towards mental illness; (4) perceived social support; and (5) help-seeking behaviours. Results
A total of 3,391 students participated in the study. The level of depressive symptoms did not reduce significantly at post-intervention; however, a
delayed effect was observed at followup assessment for the participants of the teacher-led group in reducing anxiety and stress levels. Also, the
knowledge of mental health and attitudes towards mental illness of the intervention-group participants significantly improved at post-test, and the
outcomes were maintained at 4 to 5 months after the intervention in both the professional-led and the teacher-led conditions (p<.05). A preference
among schoolchildren for whom to seek help from was identified. Conclusions The universal depression prevention programme was effective in enhancing
knowledge of mental health and promoting a more positive attitude towards mental illness among adolescents in Hong Kong. In particular, the teacher-
led group showed better outcomes than the professional-led group in reducing students' anxiety and stress at follow-up period. The programme can
achieve sustainability in schools if teachers are provided with adequate support.
PLoS
ONE, 11(2) :
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Skills training
Haslam, C., Cruwys, T., Haslam, S. A., Dingle, G., Chang, M. X. L.
Background Social isolation and
disconnection have profound negative effects on mental health, but there are few, if any, theoretically-derived interventions that directly target
this problem. We evaluate a new intervention, Groups 4 Health (G4H), a manualized 5-module psychological intervention that targets the development
and maintenance of social group relationships to treat psychological distress arising from social isolation. Methods G4H was tested using a non-
randomized control design. The program was delivered to young adults presenting with social isolation and affective disturbance. Primary outcome
measures assessed mental health (depression, general anxiety, social anxiety, and stress), well-being (life satisfaction, self-esteem) and social
connectedness (loneliness, social functioning). Our secondary goal was to assess whether mechanisms of social identification were responsible for
changes in outcomes. Results G4H was found to significantly improve mental health, well-being, and social connectedness on all measures, both on
program completion and 6-month follow-up. In line with social identity theorizing, analysis also showed that improvements in depression, anxiety,
stress, loneliness, and life satisfaction were underpinned by participants' increased identification both with their G4H group and with multiple
groups. Limitations This study provides preliminary evidence of the potential value of G4H and its underlying mechanisms, but further examination is
required in other populations to address issues of generalizability, and in randomized controlled trials to address its wider efficacy. Conclusions
Results of this pilot study confirm that G4H has the potential to reduce the negative health-related consequences of social disconnection. Future
research will determine its utility in wider community contexts.
Journal of Affective Disorders, 194 : 188-195
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions
Goossens, F.
X., Lammers, J., Onrust, S. A., Conrod, P. J., de-Castro, B. O., Monshouwer, K.
Problematic substance use and mental health problems often co-occur in adolescents. Effective
school-based interventions that are brief and target multiple problems are promising in the field of health promotion. Preventure is a brief,
school-based, selective preventive intervention, tailored to four personality profiles. Preventure has already proved effective on alcohol outcomes.
Previous trials also reveal effects on several mental health outcomes, yet the evidence for these outcomes is limited. This study presents the
results of the Dutch Preventure Trial, on a range of mental health outcomes. In a cluster RCT, including 699 high risk students (mean age 14 years),
the intervention effects on mental health problems at 2, 6, and 12 months post intervention were tested in the total high risk population and in four
specific personality groups. No significant intervention effects were found on 22 from the 24 tests. A positive intervention effect on anxiety was
found in the anxiety sensitivity personality group at 12-month follow-up, and a negative intervention effect on depression was found at 12-month
follow-up in the negative thinking group. In post hoc growth curve analyses these effects were not found. This study found no convincing evidence for
the effectiveness of Preventure in The Netherlands on mental health problems. This finding is not in line with the results of an earlier
effectiveness study in the UK. This highlights the need for more research into the knowledge transfer model of interventions, to ensure that
interventions are effective in a variety of circumstances.
European Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 25(6) : 639-
648
- Year: 2016
- 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), Motivational interviewing, includes Motivational Enhancing Therapy
Hadwin, J. A., Richards, H. J.
Research indicates that cognitive processes linked to the detection of threat stimuli are associated with poor attentional control,
placing children and adolescents at increased risk for the development of anxious affect. The current study aimed to provide preliminary data to
assess whether an intervention designed to improve attentional control (via working memory; WM) would lead to better performance in tests of WM and
would be associated with positive changes in symptoms of trait and test anxiety, increased inhibitory control and reduced attention to threat. Forty
adolescents aged 11-14 years who reported elevated anxiety and low attentional control were randomly allocated to a WM training or an active
cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) control group. Post intervention, WM training was associated with greater improvements (versus. CBT) in trained
WM tasks. Both groups, however, reported fewer anxiety symptoms, demonstrated increased inhibitory control and a reduction in attentional biases to
threat post intervention and these results were maintained at follow up. The study provides indicative evidence which suggests that WM training has
similar benefits to a more traditional CBT intervention on reduced anxiety and attentional biases for threat. Future research should aim to replicate
the findings in a large sample size and explore the broader impact of training on day-to-day functioning. In addition, further research is needed to
identify which participants benefit most from different interventions (using baseline characteristics) on treatment compliance and outcome. (PsycINFO
Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved)
Frontiers in
Psychology, 7 : 47
- Year: 2016
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Other Psychological Interventions