Search

Objective: To investigate and compare patterns of temporal self-appraisal in anxiety and depression. Specifically, whether these parallel the self-enhancing perceptions of a continuous upward traje...

Over the past decade, digital mental health has been an emerging priority area for mental health practice and research (Hollis et al., 2018), with the spotlight dramatically shifting to this area s...

Improving our understanding of how reward and punishment are experienced by those with trichotillomania (TTM) may assist in the advancement of psychological interventions. The purpose of this study...

Background Trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) is a debilitating and distressing disorder associated with great secrecy and shame. A lack of understanding regarding interventions for Trichotillomania contributes to poor routine outcomes for the disorder. Method This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed the efficacy of behaviourally based psychological interventions and pharmacological interventions for trichotillomania compared to a range of control groups. Participants were adults who have been diagnosed with trichotillomania. A systematic search was conducted of the Cochrane library, EBSCOhost, MEDLINE before 1966, and Google Scholar for relevant randomised controlled trials. Results Of the total 462 records identified, 12 studies were included in the quantitative synthesis, and nine studies were included in meta-analyses. Conclusions Analyses revealed that—from medication approaches—fluoxetine was not found to be efficacious. However, N-acetyl cysteine, clomipramine, and olanzapine showed potential for the treatment of trichotillomania. Regarding psychotherapy, behaviour therapy showed superior efficacy when compared to a passive control group. However, when behaviour therapy was compared to an active control group (progressive muscle relaxation, supportive therapy), both conditions showed similar efficacy in treating trichotillomania. It was concluded that the psychological mechanisms in trichotillomania may be more complex than the behavioural model indicates. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Background: Cognitive models of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) suggest that beliefs and evaluations related to self-concept are central to the maintenance of the disorder, but such beliefs have received little empirical attention. This study examined the relative importance of contingent self-worth and self-ambivalence to BDD symptoms in comparison to their importance to obsessive–compulsive disorder and social phobia symptoms. Method: The sample comprised 194 non-clinical participants (female, N = 148; males, N = 46) with a mean age of 24.70 years (standard deviation = 9.34). Participants were asked to complete a battery of self-report questionnaires. Results: While significant relationships were found between the self-beliefs and symptoms of all three disorders, some specificity was found in the relationships. Conclusions: Self-worth based upon appearance was most important in BDD, while contingent self-worth based on the approval of others was important in social phobia. Self-ambivalence was associated with each disorder. Implications and limitations are discussed.

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is the most significant and common of the anxiety disorders. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) and negative metacognitive beliefs are two prominent cognitive factors in models of GAD, however only one study to date has examined the relative contribution of these factors. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate and compare these cognitive factors in their prediction of GAD symptoms, and also to examine possible developmental influences on GAD by examining the link between symptoms and the parentification style of childrearing. In this analogue study, 119 non-clinical participants (M age 22.90 years; 95 females, 24 males) completed measures of these constructs. Results indicated that both IU and negative beliefs about worry significantly related to GAD symptoms, however, the degree to which they predicted GAD symptoms did not significantly differ. Although a weak but significant relationship was found between parentification and GAD, this relationship did not remain significant after controlling for depression. Implications and limitations are discussed.