Disorders - Anxiety Disorders
Compas, B. E., Forehand, R., Thigpen, J. C., Keller, G., Hardcastle, E. J., Cole, D. A, Potts, J., Watson, K., Rakow, A., Colletti, C., Reeslund, K., Fear, J., Garai, E., McKee, L., Merchant, M. J., Roberts, L.
Objective: In a long-term follow-up of a randomized controlled trial (Compas et al., 2009) to examine the effects at 18- and 24-month follow-ups of a family group cognitive-behavioral (FGCB) preventive intervention for mental health outcomes for children and parents from families (N = 111) of parents with a history of major depressive disorder (MDD). Method: Parents with a history of MDD and their 9- to 15-year-old children were randomly assigned to a FGCB intervention or a written information comparison condition. Children's internalizing, externalizing, anxiety/depression, and depressive symptoms; episodes of MDD and other psychiatric diagnoses; and parents' depressive symptoms and episodes of MDD were assessed at 18 and 24 months after randomization. Results: Children in the FGCB condition were significantly lower in self-reports of anxiety/depression and internalizing symptoms at 18 months and were significantly lower in self-reports of externalizing symptoms at 18 and 24 months. Rates of MDD were significantly lower for children in the FGCB intervention over the 24-month follow-up (odds ratio = 2.91). Marginal effects were found for parents' symptoms of depression at 18 and 24 months but not for episodes of MDD. Conclusions: Support was found for a FGCB preventive intervention for children of parents with a history of MDD significantly reducing children's episodes of MDD over a period of 2 years. Significant effects for the FGCB intervention were also found on internalizing and externalizing symptoms, with stronger effects at 18- than at 24-month follow-up. (copyright) 2011 American Psychological Association.
Journal of Consulting & Clinical Psychology, 79(4) : 488-499
- Year: 2011
- 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)
, Psychoeducation
Czech, Stephanie J., Katz, Aviva M., Orsillo, Susan M.
There is growing evidence for the efficacy of acceptance-based behavioral therapies, which aim to increase acceptance of internal experiences and values-consistent action. Further, experimental studies have demonstrated that acceptance decreases distress and increases willingness to engage in challenging tasks (e.g. Levitt, Brown, Orsillo, & Barlow, 2004). However, research demonstrating the positive effects of values articulation on psychological functioning is needed. The goal of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a brief intervention in reducing anxiety related to a stressful speech task. Contrary to predictions, engagement in values writing did not reduce anticipatory or posttask anxiety relative to engagement in a neutral writing task. However, self-esteem significantly predicted anxious response to the task. Experiential avoidance and valued living were also associated with anxious response to the task, although the contribution of these predictors was not statistically significant. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, 40(4) : 304-312
- Year: 2011
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Other Psychological Interventions
Cooley-Strickland, Michele R., Griffin, Robert S., Darney, Dana, Otte, Katherine, Ko, Jean
This study evaluated the efficacy of a school-based anxiety prevention program among urban children exposed to community violence. Students who attended Title 1 public elementary schools were screened. Ninety-eight 3rd-5th-grade students (ages 8-12; 48% female; 92% African American) were randomized into preventive intervention versus wait list comparison groups. Students attended 13 biweekly one-hour group sessions of a modified version of FRIENDS, a cognitive-behavioral anxiety intervention program. Results indicated that both intervention and control groups manifested significant reductions in anxiety symptomatology and total exposure to community violence, along with improved standardized reading achievement scores. Additional gains observed only in the intervention group were increased standardized mathematics achievement scores, decreased life stressors, and reduced victimization by community violence. The intervention was equally efficacious for both genders and for children exposed to higher, compared to lower, levels of community violence. Implications for comprehensive, culturally and contextually relevant prevention programs and research are discussed.
Journal of Prevention & Intervention in the Community, 39(2) : 149-166
- Year: 2011
- 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)
Dean, A. J., Bellgrove, M. A., Hall, T., Phan, W. M., Eyles, D. W., Kvaskoff, D., McGrath, J. J.
Epidemiological research links vitamin D status to various brain-related outcomes. However, few trials examine whether supplementation can improve such outcomes and none have examined effects on cognition. This study examined whether Vitamin D supplementation led to improvements in diverse measures of cognitive and emotional functioning, and hypothesised that supplementation would lead to improvements in these outcomes compared to placebo. Healthy young adults were recruited to a parallel-arm, double-blind trial conducted at The University of Queensland. Participants were randomly allocated to receive Vitamin D (one capsule daily, containing 5000 IU cholecalciferol) or identical placebo capsule for six weeks. All participants and outcome assessors were blinded to group assignment. Primary outcome measures assessed at baseline and 6 weeks were working memory, response inhibition and cognitive flexibility. Secondary outcomes were: hallucination-proneness, psychotic-like experiences, and ratings of depression, anxiety and anger. 128 participants were recruited, randomised and included in primary analyses (vitamin D n = 63; placebo n = 65). Despite significant increases in vitamin D status in the active group, no significant changes were observed in working memory (F = 1.09; p = 0.30), response inhibition (F = 0.82; p = 0.37), cognitive flexibility (F = 1.37; p = 0.24) or secondary outcomes. No serious adverse effects were reported. Our findings indicate that vitamin D supplementation does not influence cognitive or emotional functioning in healthy young adults. Future controlled trials in targeted populations of interest are required to determine whether supplementation can improve functioning in these domains. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry; ACTRN12610000318088.
PLoS ONE, 6(11) : e25966
- Year: 2011
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders, Psychosis Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: Universal prevention
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative Interventions (CAM)
, Vitamins and supplements
Bowden, D., Goddard, L., Gruzelier, J.
This is a constructive replication of a previous trial conducted by Bowden et al. (2010), where students who had received Reiki demonstrated greater health and mood benefits than those who received no Reiki. The current study examined impact on anxiety/depression. 40 university studentshalf with high depression and/or anxiety and half with low depression and/or anxietywere randomly assigned to receive Reiki or to a non-Reiki control group. Participants experienced six 30-minute sessions over a period of two to eight weeks, where they were blind to whether noncontact Reiki was administered as their attention was absorbed in a guided relaxation. The efficacy of the intervention was assessed pre-post intervention and at five-week follow-up by self-report measures of mood, illness symptoms, and sleep. The participants with high anxiety and/or depression who received Reiki showed a progressive improvement in overall mood, which was significantly better at five-week follow-up, while no change was seen in the controls. While the Reiki group did not demonstrate the comparatively greater reduction in symptoms of illness seen in our earlier study, the findings of both studies suggest that Reiki may benefit mood. Copyright (copyright) 2011 Deborah Bowden et al.
Evidence-based Complementary & Alternative Medicine, 2011 :
- Year: 2011
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative Interventions (CAM)
, Other complementary & alternative interventions
Brown, Lily A., Forman, Evan M., Herbert, James D., Hoffman, Kimberly L., Yuen, Erica K., Goetter, Elizabeth M.
Many university students suffer from test anxiety that is severe enough to impair performance. Given mixed efficacy results of previous cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) trials and a theoretically driven rationale, an acceptance-based behavior therapy (ABBT) approach was compared to traditional CBT (i.e., Beckian cognitive therapy; CT) for the treatment of test anxiety. In this pilot study, 16 university students with test anxiety were randomly assigned to receive either a CT or ABBT 2-hr group workshop. The two treatments produced markedly different effects on test performance (measured by exam scores), with those receiving ABBT experiencing improvements in performance, whereas those receiving CT exhibited reduced performance. In addition, there was a suggestion that ABBT might have been more effective at reducing subjectively experienced test anxiety (i.e., a nonsignificant but medium-sized group by time interaction effect). Implications of these results for the treatment of test anxiety and for theoretical notions related to cognitive change strategies are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)
Behavior Modification, 35(1) : 31-53
- Year: 2011
- 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
Cartwright-Hatton, Sam, McNally, Deb, Field, Andy P., Rust, Stewart, Laskey, Ben, Dixon, Clare, Gallagher, Bridie, Harrington, Richard, Miller, Chloe, Pemberton, Kathryn, Symes, Wendy, White, Caroline, Woodham, Adrine
Objective: Despite recent advances, there are still no interventions that have been developed for the specific treatment of young children who have anxiety disorders. This study examined the impact of a new, cognitive–behaviorally based parenting intervention on anxiety symptoms. Method: Families of 74 anxious children (aged 9 years or less) took part in a randomized controlled trial, which compared the new 10-session, group-format intervention with a wait-list control condition. Outcome measures included blinded diagnostic interview and self-reports from parents and children. Results: Intention-to-treat analyses indicated that children whose parent(s) received the intervention were significantly less anxious at the end of the study than those in the control condition. Specifically, 57% of those receiving the new intervention were free of their primary disorder, compared with 15% in the control condition. Moreover, 32% of treated children were free of any anxiety diagnosis at the end of the treatment period, compared with 6% of those in the control group. Treatment gains were maintained at 12-month follow-up. Conclusions: This new parenting-based intervention may represent an advance in the treatment of this previously neglected group. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 50(3) : 242-251
- Year: 2011
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Other Psychological Interventions
Calati, R., Pedrini, L., Alighieri, S., Alvarez, M. I., Desideri, L., Durante, D., Favero, F., Iero, L., Magnani, G., Pericoli, V., Polmonari, A., Raggini, R., Raimondi, E., Riboni, V., Scaduto, M. C., Serretti, A., De Girolamo, G.
Calati R, Pedrini L, Alighieri S, Alvarez MI, Desideri L, Durante D, Favero F, Iero L, Magnani G, Pericoli V, Polmonari A, Raggini R, Raimondi E, Riboni V, Scaduto MC, Serretti A, De Girolamo G. Is cognitive behavioural therapy an effective complement to antidepressants in adolescents? A meta-analysis. Objective: Evidence on effectiveness of combined treatments versus antidepressants alone in adolescents consists on a few studies in both major depressive and anxiety disorders. A meta-analysis of randomised 12-week follow-up studies in which antidepressant treatment was compared to combined treatment consisting of the same antidepressant with cognitive behavioural therapy has been performed. Methods: Data were entered into the Cochrane Collaboration Review Manager software and were analysed within a random effect framework. A quality assessment has been performed through Jadad Scale. Results: Higher global functioning at the Children's Global Assessment Scale was found in the combined treatment group (p < 0.0001) as well as higher improvement at the Clinical Global Impressions Improvement Scale (p = 0.04). No benefit of combined treatment was found on depressive symptomatology at the Children's Depression Rating Scale - Revised. Conclusion: Combined treatment seems to be more effective than antidepressant alone on global functioning and general improvement in adolescents with major depressive and anxiety disorders. (copyright) 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.
Acta Neuropsychiatrica, 23(6) : 263-271
- Year: 2011
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any), Depressive Disorders
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
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)
Biddle, S. J., Asare, M.
To synthesise reviews investigating physical activity and depression, anxiety, self-esteem and cognitive functioning in children and adolescents and to assess the association between sedentary behaviour and mental health by performing a brief review. Searches were performed in 2010. Inclusion criteria specified review articles reporting chronic physical activity and at least one mental health outcome that included depression, anxiety/stress, self-esteem and cognitive functioning in children or adolescents. Four review articles reported evidence concerning depression, four for anxiety, three for self-esteem and seven for cognitive functioning. Nine primary studies assessed associations between sedentary behaviour and mental health. Physical activity has potentially beneficial effects for reduced depression, but the evidence base is limited. Intervention designs are low in quality, and many reviews include cross-sectional studies. Physical activity interventions have been shown to have a small beneficial effect for reduced anxiety, but the evidence base is limited. Physical activity can lead to improvements in self-esteem, at least in the short term. However, there is a paucity of good quality research. Reviews on physical activity and cognitive functioning have provided evidence that routine physical activity can be associated with improved cognitive performance and academic achievement, but these associations are usually small and inconsistent. Primary studies showed consistent negative associations between mental health and sedentary behaviour. Association between physical activity and mental health in young people is evident, but research designs are often weak and effects are small to moderate. Evidence shows small but consistent associations between sedentary screen time and poorer mental health.
British Journal of Sports Medicine, 45(11) : 886-895
- Year: 2011
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Systematic reviews
-
Stage: Universal prevention
, At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
, Disorder established (diagnosed disorder)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative Interventions (CAM)
, Physical activity, exercise
Dehghan-Nayeri, Nahid, Adib-Hajbaghery, Mohsen
Objectives: Design and Setting: Interventions: Results: Conclusions: This study conducted to assess the effects of relaxation techniques on anxiety and the quality of life of female dormitory students.A non-randomized controlled trial was conducted in 4 female dormitories of Tehran University of medical sciences.The students of four dorms were randomly allocated to the experimental and control groups. The Spielberger inventory and a modified version of WHO quality of life questionnaire were administered to both groups. Then the experimental group was taught to do the relaxation techniques for two months. A post-test conducted on both groups after two months.Significant differences were noticed between anxiety and quality of life of the two groups after the intervention. The overall quality of life score was significantly higher in experimental group after the two months of relaxation exercises.relaxation techniques can be effective for improving the students' anxiety that in turn will improve their quality of life especially in the examination periods.
Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 19(4) : 194-200
- Year: 2011
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative Interventions (CAM)
, Relaxation
Eismont, E. V., Lutsyuk, N. V., Pavlenko, V. B.
We estimated the efficacy of using the technique of feedback (FB) by EEG characteristics (EEG-FB, neurotherapy) with the aim of reducing increased anxiety levels in healthy 10- to 14-year-old children. The anxiety level was estimated using the Prikhojan anxiety test, the Spielberger-Khanin questionnaire, and the House-Tree-Person projective drawing technique. Positive effects of series of neurotherapy sessions were obvious. After training was completed, we observed significant increases in the ratios of the amplitudes of alpha and theta rhythms, semsorimotor and theta rhythms, as well as of the modal frequency of the EEG alpha rhythm in tested persons of the experimental group (n=7). In the control group (n=10), changes in these values did not reach the significance level. In the experimental group of tested persons subjected to EEG-FB sessions, the anxiety level decreased appreciably; in addition, the indices "feeling of inferiority" and "frustration" decreased significantly. In the control group, alterations of these psychological indices were not unidirectional. Therefore, modifications of the EEG pattern, which occurred in the course of training and were accompanied by a decrease in the anxiety level in the experimental group, can be indicative of the expediency of EEG-FB for the reduction of high anxiety levels in children and teenagers. (copyright) 2011 Springer Science+Business Media, Inc.
Neurophysiology, 43(1) : 53-61
- Year: 2011
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Controlled clinical trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Psychological Interventions (any)
, Biofeedback, neurofeedback, audio/video feedback
Frattaroli, Joanne
Our study sought to determine whether experimental disclosure could improve exam performance and psychological health in students taking a graduate school entrance exam. Students preparing for the GRE, MCAT, LSAT, or PCAT were randomly assigned to write expressively about their upcoming exam or to a neutral writing condition. Participants completed measures of depressive symptoms and test anxiety before and after writing, and exam scores were collected. The experimental disclosure group had significantly higher test scores and significantly lower pre-exam depressive symptoms than the neutral writing group. Although benefits for depressive symptoms were found in expressive writers regardless of exam type, the advantage of expressive writing for test performance was only observed in students taking the MCAT or LSAT. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved) (journal abstract)
Emotion, 11(3) : 691-696
- Year: 2011
- Problem: Anxiety Disorders (any)
- Type: Randomised controlled trials
-
Stage: At risk (indicated or selected prevention)
-
Treatment and intervention: Complementary & Alternative Interventions (CAM)
, Creative expression: music, dance, drama, art