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Purpose: Increasing evidence suggests metacognitive beliefs may underpin transdiagnostic mechanisms maintaining psychopathology. The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate published studies investigating the role of metacognitive beliefs in somatic distress in adult samples. Method: A systematic review was conducted, spanning five data bases. Studies meeting eligibility criteria were qualitatively synthesized. Results: Thirty‐six studies (N = 12,390) met inclusion criteria with results suggesting a relatively consistent positive relationship between metacognitive beliefs and somatic distress. Both general and syndrome‐specific metacognitive beliefs demonstrated relationships with not only emotional distress, but also physical symptoms themselves. Conclusions: Results are discussed in terms of conceptualizing somatic distress through the Self‐Regulatory Executive Function (S‐REF) Model. Future research into metacognitive therapy for somatic populations is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2005.02.005 Byline: Adam S. Radomsky, Philippe T. Gilchrist, Dominique Dussault Keywords: Obsessive-compulsive disorder; Compulsive checking; Memory; Metamemory; Confidence; Salience Abstract: Memory phenomena associated with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) have received increased attention in the recent literature. Some debate remains about whether OCD is characterized by deficits in memory per se, or by poor memory confidence. Following from a recent study that demonstrated memory distrust results from repeated checking of a virtual computerized stove, we asked 50 undergraduate students to repeatedly turn on, turn off and check either a real kitchen stove (relevant checking) or a real kitchen faucet (irrelevant checking) in a standardized, ritualized manner. All participants completed a final check of the stove following these 19 checking trials. Results indicated that following repeated relevant checking, participants reported significantly reduced memory confidence, vividness and detail. Repeated irrelevant checking did not produce these decreases. Results are discussed in terms of cognitive-behavioural formulations of OCD and in terms of the effects of repetition on memory and metamemory. Author Affiliation: Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke West, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6 Article History: Received 8 September 2004; Revised 9 February 2005; Accepted 11 February 2005

Background: Fear of blood donation is implicated in vasovagal reactions, donor recruitment, and retention. This study examined the extent to which fear among donors is associated with various donor outcomes in an Australian sample, and whether fear can be addressed on-site to reduce adverse reactions and improve the donation experience.Study Design and Methods: Six hundred and sixty-four donors (age M = 33.4, SD = 12.7; 55% female) participated in a two-center, pragmatic, parallel group, individually randomized controlled trial. Following donor registration and consent, whole-blood (n = 539) and plasma (n = 125) donors were assigned to one of four Conditions: control; fear assessment; fear assessment + brochure; fear assessment + brochure + tailored conversation focused on any self-reported fear and coping strategies. Post-donation questionnaires assessed the donors' experience including positive support, donor self-efficacy, anxiety, fear, venipuncture pain, and vasovagal reactions.Results: Fear among donors predicted higher venipuncture pain, post-donation anxiety, and vasovagal reactions and remained significant after controlling for other established predictors (i.e., total estimated blood volume, age, sex, and donation experience). Mediational analyses showed that exposure to brochures (with or without the tailored conversation) was associated with less pain, with this effect mediated by donor perceptions of more positive support. Venipuncture pain was also associated with vasovagal reactions, reduced likelihood of return within 6 months, and less satisfaction with the donation experience.Conclusion: The current results underline the importance of interventions to address fear among both whole-blood and plasma donors to secure the safety and well-being of donors and the blood supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objectives: The blood donation environment includes a variety of disgust‐related stimuli that may influence attitudes among new and prospective donors. To explore the causal role of disgust in the context of attitudes towards blood donation, we experimentally induced feelings of disgust (vs. fear, moral elevation or control). We hypothesized that for people who are generally sensitive to their bodily sensations, disgust would lead to more negative implicit attitudes towards blood donation than other emotions. Materials and methods: A total of 123 participants completed a questionnaire package including private body consciousness, disgust, altruism and social desirability. Next, participants watched one of four videos with emotional content: a video segment depicting a filthy toilet (disgust), a man chasing a woman and child wielding an axe (fear), a man whose life was positively changed by a mentor (moral elevation) or a nature documentary (control). After the video, participants completed a Single‐Target Implicit Association Test (ST‐IAT) and questions regarding explicit attitudes towards blood donation. Results: As predicted, the disgust video resulted in lower implicit attitudes towards blood donation for participants high in private body consciousness. Disgust sensitivity predicted lower donation interest, but not implicit attitudes or explicit intention. There was no effect of emotion on explicit attitudes. Conclusion: Automatic processes should be considered in the development of interventions aimed at promoting prosocial and health behaviours. Management of disgust‐related stimuli in donation centres and recruitment campaigns might improve attitudes towards blood donation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Blood donor recruitment remains an important worldwide challenge due to changes in population demographics and shifts in the demand for blood. Various cognitive models help predict donation intention, although the importance of affective deterrents has become increasingly evident. This study aimed to identify fears that predict donation intention, to explore their relative importance, and to determine if self-efficacy and attitude mediate this relationship, thus providing possible targets for intervention.Study Design and Methods: A total of 347 individuals (269 nondonors and 78 donors) living in Québec responded to questionnaires assessing medical fears, psychosocial factors related to donation intention including the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) constructs, anticipated regret, and facilitating factors (i.e., time commitment and rewards). To examine the relative importance of these factors in the context of blood donation, the same questions were also asked about other medical activities that involve salient needle stimuli: flu vaccinations and dental examinations.Results: Medical fears, especially blood-related fears, were significantly associated with donation intention. Bootstrapping tests confirmed that this relation was mediated by attitude and self-efficacy. Underlining the importance of medical fears in the blood donation context, these fears were not associated with attitudes and intentions for dental examinations or flu vaccinations.Conclusion: These results suggest that medical fears, especially blood-related fears, play a key role in predicting donation attitudes and intentions. Mediational pathways provide support for interventions to improve donation intentions by addressing specific fears while also improving a donor's belief in his or her ability to manage donation-related fears. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overprediction and underprediction of fear, pain, and other constructs have been linked with etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders. We aimed to extend this research to depression by investigating the overprediction of effort and the underprediction of reward and enjoyment associated with a simple task. Participants with depression (n = 20) and a control group (n = 40) predicted how much effort and reward/enjoyment would be experienced during a short walk around the university. Post-walk, participants reported the actual effort required and the actual experienced reward and enjoyment. Compared to the control group, who demonstrated accurate predictions, depressed individuals significantly overpredicted the required effort associated with the walk even though there were no between-group differences in actual effort required. There was no evidence to suggest that the depressed group underestimated or were inaccurate in their predictions of walk-related reward and enjoyment relative to the control group. Implications for cognitive and behavioral approaches to depression are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vasovagal reactions ( VVR) are common, complicating and deterring people from various medical procedures. A recent perspective ( R. R. Diehl, ) suggests that VVR developed from the adaptive process of hemorrhagic fainting, perhaps as a means of preparing for anticipated blood loss. The primary goal of this study was to compare vasovagal symptoms during intravenous-injection and blood-draw videos. Sixty-two young adults watched the videos. Vasovagal symptoms were assessed with self-report, blood pressure, and heart rate variability. As predicted, participants reported more vasovagal symptoms and anxiety following the blood-draw video. Sympathetic nervous system activity (low- to high-frequency ratio) decreased during both videos but significantly more during the blood-draw video, although this could be reversed by the Applied Tension technique. Results are discussed in terms of the relevance of specific stimuli and emotions in VVR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]