Disorders - Anxiety Disorders
Dias, M., Pagnin, D., de-Queiroz-Pagnin, V., Reis, R.
L., Olej, B.
To assess the effects of electroacupuncture on
stress-related symptoms-sleep disorders, anxiety, depression and burnout-in medical students, and provide data to inform a power analysis to
determinate numbers for future trials. Twenty-five students were randomly assigned to an electroacupuncture (n=12) group or control group (n=13) that
did not receive treatment. Electroacupuncture was applied at a continuous frequency 2 Hz for 20 min once a week for 8 weeks at sites on the
extremities, face, ear and scalp. The outcomes of the students treated with electroacupuncture were compared with those of the control group at the
endpoint, controlling the influence of baseline scores. The instruments used were self-administered questionnaires that comprised the validated
Portuguese version of the mini-sleep questionnaire (MSQ), the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), the Epworth sleepiness scale (ESS), the Beck
depression inventory (BDI), the Beck anxiety inventory, the Maslach burnout inventory-student survey (MBI-SS), and World Health Organization quality
of life assessment - abbreviated version (WHOQOL-bref). The medical students treated with electroacupuncture showed a significant decrease compared
with the control group for MSQ scores (p=0.04) and PSQI (p=0.006). After treatment, 75% students in the electroacupuncture group presented a good
sleep quality, compared with 23.1% of the students in the control group. No significant difference on daytime sleepiness was shown by the ESS. The
electroacupuncture group showed significant improvement on depressive symptoms (BDI), the emotional exhaustion and cynicism dimensions of burnout
(MBI-SS) and physical health (WHOQOL-bref). Electroacupuncture was associated with a significant reduction of stress-related symptoms, but because of
the study design the authors cannot say what proportion of the reduction was due to needle stimulation.
Acupuncture in Medicine, 30(2) : 89-95
- Year: 2012
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Acupuncture, acupressure
De-Oliveira, D. C. G., Zuardi, A. W., Graeff, F. G., Queiroz, R. H. C., Crippa, J. A. S.
Oxytocin (OT) is known to be involved in anxiety, as well as
cardiovascular and hormonal regulation. The objective of this study was to assess the acute effect of intranasally administered OT on subjective
states, as well as cardiovascular and endocrine parameters, in healthy volunteers (n = 14) performing a simulated public speaking test. OT or placebo
was administered intranasally 50 min before the test. Assessments were made across time during the experimental session: (1) baseline (-30 min); (2)
pre-test (-15 min); (3) anticipation of the speech (50 min); (4) during the speech (1:03 h), post-test time 1 (1:26 h), and post-test time 2 (1:46
h). Subjective states were evaluated by self-assessment scales. Cortisol serum and plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) were measured.
Additionally, heart rate, blood pressure, skin conductance, and the number of spontaneous fluctuations in skin conductance were measured. Compared
with placebo, OT reduced the Visual Analogue Mood Scale (VAMS) anxiety index during the pre-test phase only, while increasing sedation at the pre-
test, anticipation, and speech phases. OT also lowered the skin conductance level at the pre-test, anticipation, speech, and post-test 2 phases.
Other parameters evaluated were not significantly affected by OT. The present results show that OT reduces anticipatory anxiety, but does not affect
public speaking fear, suggesting that this hormone has anxiolytic properties. (copyright) The Author(s) 2012.
Journal of Psychopharmacology, 26(4) : 497-505
- Year: 2012
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Biological Interventions
(any), Other biological interventions
Deacon, B. J., Lickel, J. J., Possis, E. A., Abramowitz, J. S., Mahaffey, B., Wolitzky-Taylor, K.
Interoceptive exposure (IE) is an effective procedure for
reducing anxiety sensitivity (AS) and the symptoms of panic disorder. However, considerable variance exists in how IE is delivered among clinicians,
and the extent to which IE is enhanced by the concurrent use of cognitive reappraisal (CR) and diaphragmatic breathing (DB) is unclear. Participants
(N 5 58) with high AS were randomly assigned to one of four single-session interventions: (a) IE only, (b) IE 1 CR, (c) IE 1 CR 1 DB, or (d)
expressive writing control. IE was superior to expressive writing in reducing AS and associated anxiety symptoms. The addition of CR and DB did not
enhance the benefits of IE at either posttreatment or 1-week follow-up. These findings highlight the specific efficacy of IE in reducing AS and call
into question the common practice of combining IE with cognitive and breathing strategies. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed.
(copyright) 2012 Springer Publishing Company.
Journal of Cognitive
Psychotherapy, 26(3) : 257-269
- Year: 2012
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Psychological Interventions
(any), Exposure therapy, Exposure
and response prevention, Creative expression: music, dance, drama, art, Other complementary & alternative
interventions
Cummings, C. M., Fristad, M. A.
This study examined the role of comorbid anxiety in treatment outcome for children
with mood disorders (N=165; age 8-11) participating in Multi-Family Psychoeducational Psychotherapy (MF-PEP). Assessments occurred at baseline, 6,
12, and 18 months for two randomly assigned groups: immediate treatment and 1-year wait-list. Most children (69%) had comorbid anxiety disorders.
Baseline comorbid anxiety, as reported on the Children's Interview for Psychiatric Syndromes (ChIPS), was associated with higher Children's
Depression Rating Scale- Revised (CDRS-R) scores but not Young Mania Rating Scale (YMRS) scores. Higher levels of anxiety symptoms were associated
with lower Children's Global Assessment Scale (C-GAS) scores. Participation in MF-PEP did not significantly reduce anxiety symptoms (p=0.62).
However, presence of comorbid anxiety did not impede reduction in depressive (CDRS-R, p=0.74) or manic (YMRS scores, p=0.94) symptoms following
MFPEP. More baseline anxiety symptoms were associated with greater improvement in C-GAS scores post-treatment (p=0.02). Implications are discussed.
(copyright) Springer Science+Business Media, LLC 2011.
Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 40(3) : 339-
351
- Year: 2012
- 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), Family therapy, Psychoeducation
Cobham, V., Cobham, V. E.
Objective:
This study compared 3 experimental conditions: wait-list, therapist-supported bibliotherapy, and individual therapy, in the treatment of child
anxiety. Method: Participants were 55 children (25 girls and 30 boys), aged 7 to 14 years diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, and their parents.
Families were assigned using a modified random assignment process to 1 of the 3 conditions. The intervention evaluated in the 2 active treatment
conditions was a family-focused, cognitive-behavioral program. Results: At posttreatment, participants in both treatment conditions had improved
significantly on both diagnostic and questionnaire outcome measures compared with participants in the wait-list condition, with no differences
demonstrated between the treatment conditions. Thus, at posttreatment, 0% of children in the wait-list condition were anxiety diagnosis free,
compared with 95% in the therapist-supported bibliotherapy condition and 78.3% in the individual therapy condition. There was no significant
difference between diagnostic status at posttreatment between the 2 treatment conditions. Participants assigned to a treatment condition were
reassessed at 3-month and 6-month follow-up. Treatment gains were maintained in both conditions across the follow-up period. Conclusion: In light of
the fact that more than 80% of anxiety-disordered children never receive treatment, these data suggest that therapist-supported bibliotherapy
represents a cost-effective means of reaching a greater number of anxious children. (copyright) 2012 American Psychological Association.
Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 80(3) : 465-
476
- Year: 2012
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT)
Essau, C. A., Conradt, J., Sasagawa, S., Ollendick, T. H.
The present study evaluated the effectiveness of a universal school-based cognitive behavior prevention program
(the FRIENDS program) for childhood anxiety. Participants were 638 children, ages 9 to 12 years, from 14 schools in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany.
All the children completed standardized measures of anxiety and depression, social and adaptive functioning, coping strategies, social skills, and
perfectionism before and after the 10-week FRIENDS program and at two follow-up assessments (6 and 12 months) or wait period. Children who
participated in the FRIENDS program exhibited significantly fewer anxiety and depressive symptoms, and lower perfectionism scores than children in
the control group at 12-month follow-up. Younger children (9-10-year-olds) displayed treatment gains immediately after the intervention, whereas
older children (11-12-year-olds) showed anxiety reduction only at 6- and 12-month follow-up. Perfectionism and avoidant coping acted as mediators of
pre- to postintervention changes in anxiety scores. This study provides empirical evidence for the utility of the FRIENDS program in reducing anxiety
and depressive symptoms among German children. (copyright) 2011.
Behavior
Therapy, 43(2) : 450-464
- Year: 2012
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions
Foret, M. M., Scult, M., Wilcher, M., Chudnofsky, R., Malloy, L., Hasheminejad, N., Park, E.
R.
Academic and societal pressures result in U.S.
high school students feeling stressed. Stress management and relaxation interventions may help students increase resiliency to stress and overall
well-being. The objectives of this study were to examine the feasibility (enrollment, participation and acceptability) and potential effectiveness
(changes in perceived stress, anxiety, self-esteem, health-promoting behaviors, and locus of control) of a relaxation response (RR)-based curriculum
integrated into the school day for high school students. The curriculum included didactic instruction, relaxation exercises, positive psychology, and
cognitive restructuring. The intervention group showed significantly greater improvements in levels of perceived stress, state anxiety, and health-
promoting behaviors when compared to the wait list control group. The intervention appeared most useful for girls in the intervention group. The
results suggest that several modifications may increase the feasibility of using this potentially effective intervention in high schools. (copyright)
2011 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.
Journal of Adolescence, 35(2) : 325-332
- Year: 2012
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative
Interventions (CAM), Psychological Interventions
(any), Other Psychological Interventions, Positive
psychology, Relaxation
Arpin-Cribbie, C., Irvine, J., Ritvo,
P.
This study assessed the effectiveness of a web-based cognitive behavioral intervention (CBT) in reducing perfectionism and
psychological distress in post-secondary students. Participants assessed as high in perfectionism (n=77) were randomized to one of three 10-week,
web-based, intervention conditions (no treatment [NT], general stress management [GSM], or CBT). Results indicated the CBT condition was effective in
reducing perfectionism, and supported a pattern of significantly greater improvement than observed in participants in the GSM or NT conditions. While
both CBT and GSM demonstrated capacities to significantly reduce distress, for CBT participants changes in perfectionism were significantly
correlated with changes in depression and anxiety. Results offer support for the effectiveness of web-based CBT in positively affecting
perfectionist-related problems. Given the considerable proportion of individuals who suffer from perfectionism-related distress, the intervention's
apparent effectiveness, cost-effectiveness and ease of dissemination warrant future replication studies.
Psychotherapy Research, 22(2) : 194-207
- Year: 2012
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Other Psychological Interventions, Technology, interventions delivered using technology (e.g. online, SMS)
Anderson, R.
E., Spence, S. H., Donovan, C. L., March, S., Prosser, S., Kenardy, J.
Substantial evidence exists that
positive therapy outcomes are related to the therapist-client working alliance. To report two studies that examined (1) the quality of the working
alliance in online cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), with minimal therapist contact, for anxiety disorders in youth, and (2) the role of working
alliance and compliance in predicting treatment outcome. Study 1 participants were 73 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years who met diagnostic criteria for
an anxiety disorder, plus one or more of their parents. Participants were randomly assigned to clinic or online delivery of CBT, with working
alliance being assessed for youth and parents after session 3. Study 2 participants were 132 children and adolescents aged 7 to 18 years who met
diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder, plus one or more of their parents. Youths and parents participated in a minimally therapist-assisted
online CBT program supported by brief, weekly emails and a single, short phone call. Study 1 revealed a strong working alliance for both online and
clinic CBT, with no significant difference in working alliance between conditions for adolescents (F(1,73 )= 0.44, P = .51, (eta)(p) (2 )= 0.006,
Cohen d = 0.15). Parents also reported high working alliance in both conditions, although a slight but significantly higher working alliance in
clinic-based therapy (F(1,70 )= 6.76, P = .01, (eta)(p) (2 )= 0.09, Cohen d = 0.64). Study 2 showed a significant and substantial decrease in anxiety
symptoms following online therapy (P < .001 for all outcome measures). Adolescents improved significantly more in overall functioning when working
alliance (beta = .22, t(79 )= 2.21, P = .03) and therapy compliance (beta = .22, t(84 )= 2.22, P = .03) were higher, with working alliance also
predicting compliance (beta = .38, F(1,80 )= 13.10, P = .01). No such relationships were evident among younger children. Working alliance is
important in determining clinical outcome for online treatment for anxiety among adolescents, with minimal therapist assistance, although this was
not the case for younger children. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: ACTRN12611000900910;
Journal of Medical Internet Research, 14(3) : e88
- Year: 2012
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Service Delivery & Improvement, Psychological Interventions
(any), Cognitive & behavioural therapies (CBT), Technology, comparing delivery mode (e.g. online vs. face-to-face)
Barnes, V. A., Johnson,
M. H., Williams, R. B., Williams, V. P.
The Williams LifeSkills(registered trademark) (WLS) anger and stress management workshop
provides training in strategies to cope with stressful situations and build supportive relationships. The purpose of this study was to determine the
impact of school-based Williams LifeSkills training on anger, anxiety, and blood pressure in adolescents. One hundred fifty-nine adolescents (mean
age (plus or minus) SD = 15. 7 (plus or minus) 1. 4 years) were randomized to WLS (n = 86) or control (CTL, n = 73) groups. The WLS group engaged in
twelve 50-min WLS training sessions conducted by teachers at school. Anger-in and anxiety scores decreased and anger-control scores increased in the
WLS group across the six-month follow-up period compared to the CTL group (group x visit, ps < 0. 05). Daytime diastolic BP was lower across the
follow-up in the WLS group (p = 0. 08). DBP was significantly lower across the follow-up period in the WLS group among those with higher SBP at
baseline (p = 0. 04). These findings demonstrate beneficial impact of WLS upon self-reported anger-in, anger control, anxiety levels, and ambulatory
DBP in the natural environment in healthy normotensive youth. (copyright) 2012 Society of Behavioral Medicine.
Translational Behavioral Medicine, 2(4) : 401-
410
- Year: 2012
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Skills training, Other Psychological Interventions
Morag, Inbar, Glickman, Shlomit
Background: Threat‚Äêrelated attention biases have been implicated in the etiology and maintenance of anxiety
disorders. As a result, attention bias modification (ABM) protocols have been employed as treatments for anxious adults. However, they have yet to
emerge for children. A randomized, double‚Äêblind placebo‚Äêcontrolled trial was conducted to examine the efficacy of an ABM protocol designed to
facilitate attention disengagement from threats, thereby reducing anxiety and stress vulnerability in children. Methods: Participants were 34
chronically high‚Äêanxious 10‚Äêyear‚Äêolds. An emotional attention spatial cueing task was used. In the ABM condition (n = 18), threat faces never
cued the targets’ locations, such that the valid–invalid ratio was 0%/100%, respectively. The valid–invalid ratio on neutral cue trials was
25%/75%, respectively. In the control condition, the valid–invalid ratio was 25%/75% for both neutral and threat faces. Anxiety and depression were
measured pre‚Äê and post‚Äêtraining and pre‚Äê and post‚Äêstress induction. Results: ABM facilitated attention disengagement from threat. In response
to the stressor task, children in the ABM condition reported less state anxiety relative to controls. Conclusion: Computerized attention training
procedures may be beneficial for reducing stress vulnerability in anxious children. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
(journal abstract)
Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry, 52(8) : 861-
869
- Year: 2011
- 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
Balaji, M., Andrews, T., Andrew, G., Patel, V.
Purpose To evaluate the
acceptability, feasibility, and effectiveness of a population-based intervention to promote health of youth (age: 1624 years) in Goa. Methods Two
pairs of urban and rural communities were selected; one of each was randomly assigned to receive a multi-component intervention and the other wait-
listed. The intervention comprised educational institution-based peer education and teacher training (in the urban community), community peer
education, and health information materials. Effectiveness was assessed through beforeafter population surveys at baseline and at 18 months. Outcomes
were measured using a structured interview schedule with all eligible youth. Logistic regression compared each pair, adjusted for baseline
differences, on prevalence of outcomes in the domains of reproductive and sexual health (RSH), violence, mental health, substance use, and help
seeking for health concerns. Results In both intervention communities, prevalence of violence perpetrated and probable depression was significantly
lower and knowledge and attitudes about RSH significantly higher (p < .05). The rural sample also reported fewer menstrual complaints and higher
levels of help-seeking for RSH complaints by women, and knowledge and attitudes about emotional health and substance use; and, the urban sample
reported significantly lower levels of substance use, suicidal behavior, sexual abuse, and RSH complaints. Although information materials were
acceptable and feasible in both communities, community peer education was feasible only in the rural community. The institution-based interventions
were generally acceptable and feasible. Conclusions Multicomponent interventions comprising information materials, educational-institution
interventions and, in rural contexts, community peer interventions are acceptable and feasible and likely to be effective for youth health promotion.
(copyright) 2011 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine.
Journal of Adolescent
Health, 48(5) : 453-460
- Year: 2011
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders, Suicide or self-harm behaviours (excluding non-suicidal self-harm), Substance Use Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions
(any), Psychoeducation, Other Psychological Interventions