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BackgroundEmotional disorders (EDs) are among the most prevalent mental disorders. Existing evidence-based psychological treatments are not sufficient to reduce the disease burden of mental disorders. It is therefore essential to implement innovative solutions to achieve a successful dissemination of psychological treatment protocols, and in this regard, the use of information and communication technologies such as the internet can be very useful. Furthermore, the literature suggests that not everyone with an ED receives the appropriate treatment. This situation has led to the development of new intervention proposals based on the transdiagnostic perspective, which attempts to address the underlying processes common to EDs. Most of these transdiagnostic interventions focus primarily on downregulating negative affectivity (NA), and less attention has been paid to strengths and the upregulation of positive affectivity, despite its importance for well-being and mental health. ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate the efficacy of a transdiagnostic internet-based treatment for EDs in a community sample. MethodsA 3-armed randomized controlled trial was conducted. A total of 216 participants were randomly assigned to a transdiagnostic internet-based protocol (TIBP), a TIBP+ positive affect (PA) component, or a waiting list (WL) control group. The treatment protocol contained core components mainly addressed to downregulate NA (ie, present-focused emotional awareness and acceptance, cognitive flexibility, behavioral and emotional avoidance patterns, and interoceptive and situational exposure) as well as a PA regulation component to promote psychological strengths and enhance well-being. Data on depression, anxiety, quality of life, neuroticism and extraversion, and PA/NA before and after treatment were analyzed. Expectations and opinions of treatment were also analyzed. ResultsWithin-group comparisons indicated significant pre-post reductions in the two experimental conditions. In the TIBP+PA condition, the effect sizes were large for all primary outcomes (d=1.42, Beck Depression Inventory [BDI-II]; d=0.91, Beck Anxiety Inventory [BAI]; d=1.27, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Positive [PANAS-P]; d=1.26, Positive and Negative Affect Schedule-Negative [PANAS-N]), whereas the TIBP condition yielded large effect sizes for BDI-II (d=1.19) and PANAS-N (d=1.28) and medium effect sizes for BAI (d=0.63) and PANAS-P (d=0.69). Between-group comparisons revealed that participants who received one of the two active treatments scored better at posttreatment than WL participants. Although there were no statistically significant differences between the two intervention groups on the PA measure, effect sizes were consistently larger in the TIBP+PA condition than in the standard transdiagnostic protocol. ConclusionsOverall, the findings indicate that EDs can be effectively treated with a transdiagnostic intervention via the internet, as significant improvements in depression, anxiety, and quality of life measures were observed. Regarding PA measures, promising effects were found, but more research is needed to study the role of PA as a therapeutic component. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02578758; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02578758 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.1186/s12888-017-1297-z

BackgroundCompassion-based interventions delivered over the internet are showing promising results for the promotion of psychological health and well-being. Several studies have highlighted their feasibility, acceptance, and preliminary efficacy. However, this is an incipient field of research, and to the best of our knowledge, there are no data available from Spanish-speaking countries. ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility, acceptance, and preliminary efficacy of the Internet Attachment–Based Compassion Therapy (iABCT), a web-based version of the Attachment-Based Compassion Therapy, in Spanish speakers from the general population. MethodsThis feasibility study features a single-arm, uncontrolled, within-group design with an embedded qualitative and quantitative process evaluation at baseline, immediately after the intervention and at the 3-month follow-up. A minimum of 35 participants from the general population will be allocated to iABCT. Feasibility measures will include attrition rate, patterns of use of the web-based system, and participants’ acceptability, usability, and opinion. The primary outcome was measured using the Pemberton Happiness Index. Secondary outcomes were measured using the Compassion Scale, Self-Compassion Scale, Forms of Self-Criticizing/Attacking and Self-Reassuring Scale-Short form, Five Facets of Mindfulness Questionnaire, Relationships Questionnaire, General Health Questionnaire, Non-Attachment Scale, International Positive and Negative Affect Schedule Short Form, Purpose-In-Life Test, and difficulties regarding the practice of compassion (Compassion Practice Quality Questionnaire). Mixed models will be used to evaluate primary and secondary outcome measures. A qualitative content analysis of the participants’ qualitative responses will also be performed. ResultsEnrollment started in February 2020 and will be finished in April 2020. Data analysis will start in October 2020. ConclusionsTo our knowledge, this study will, for the first time, show data on the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of web-based compassion (and self-compassion) training—that is, the adapted iABCT—in Spanish speakers from the general population. Further aspects of their implementation (ie, facilitators, barriers, and unwanted effects) and mechanisms of change will be investigated. This study will allow the revision and fine-tuning of the developed intervention, study design, and planning procedures, as well as the initiation of a future randomized controlled trial. Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov: NCT03918746. Registered on April 17, 2019. Protocol version 1, 6 March 2019. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/16717

Introduction Positive psychological variables, such as meaning in life and the capacity for enjoyment, are important resilience factors against negative behaviors and symptoms. These constructs are related to better emotional regulation strategies, a greater perception of control over one's life, and better mental health in general. Adjustment disorder (AjD) is a prevalent condition defined as the failure to adapt to a stressful event. Objective This study presents secondary analysis data on the effect of an Internet-delivered cognitive-behavioral therapy intervention (iCBT) for AjD on meaning in life and capacity for enjoyment, compared to a control group. Method The sample consisted of 68 participants with AjD. 34 in the iCBT condition and 34 in the control group). Meaning in life was assessed by the Purpose-in-Life Test-10, and the Environmental Rewards Observation Scale was used to assess the capacity for enjoyment. The iCBT intervention focused on acceptance and processing of the stressful event. Intent-to-treat mixed-model analyses without any ad hoc imputations and using Cohen's d effect comparisons were conducted. Results The results revealed a significant main effect of time and a significant group x time interaction in all the measures. Significantly higher pre-post score differences were found in the treatment condition. Discussion Meaning in life and capacity for enjoyment can change after an iCBT intervention for AjD. Therapeutic implications of the results and future lines of research about the role of meaning in life in AjD are discussed., Author(s): Soledad Quero [sup.1] [sup.2] , María Palau-Batet [sup.1] , Cintia Tur [sup.1] , Sonia Mor [sup.1] , Daniel Campos [sup.3] [sup.4] , Iryna Rachyla [sup.1] , Jorge Grimaldos [sup.1] [...]

PURPOSE Most patients with depression are treated by general practitioners, and most of those patients prefer psychotherapy over pharmacotherapy. No network meta-analyses have examined the effects of psychotherapy compared with pharmacotherapy, combined treatment, care as usual, and other control conditions among patients in primary care. METHODS We conducted systematic searches of bibliographic databases to identify randomized trials comparing psychotherapy with pharmacotherapy, combined treatment, care as usual, waitlist, and pill placebo. The main outcome was treatment response (50% improvement of depressive symptoms from baseline to end point). RESULTS A total of 58 studies with 9,301 patients were included. Both psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy were significantly more effective than care as usual (relative risk [RR] for response = 1.60; 95% CI, 1.40-1.83 and RR = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.35-2.03, respectively) and waitlist (RR = 2.35; 95% CI, 1.57-3.51 and RR = 2.43; 95% CI, 1.57-3.74, respectively) control groups. We found no significant differences between psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (RR = 1.03; 95% CI, 0.88-1.22). The effects were significantly greater for combined treatment compared with psychotherapy alone (RR = 1.35; 95% CI, 1.00-1.81). The difference between combined treatment and pharmacotherapy became significant when limited to studies with low risk of bias and studies limited to cognitive behavior therapy. CONCLUSIONS Psychotherapy is likely effective for the treatment of depression when compared with care as usual or waitlist, with effects comparable to those of pharmacotherapy. Combined treatment might be better than either psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy alone. Key words: depression; major depression; primary care; psychotherapy; cognitive behavior therapy; network meta-analysis, INTRODUCTION Hundreds of randomized trials have examined the effects of pharmacologic and psychologic treatments for depression. (1,2) However, the majority of depressed patients are treated in primary care, and relatively [...]

Depression is a mental disorder that is associated with low quality of life, increased risk of suicide and a high economic cost for society. Meta‐analyses indicate that Meaning Centred Psychotherapies (MCP) are an efficacious psychotherapy to reduce depression in participants with chronic illness and cancer. However, to date, no systematic review has analysed the effectiveness of MCP in depressed participants who do not have a physical illness or cancer. The objective of this study was to carry out a systematic review to analyse the effectiveness of MCP in participants with depression and no physical illness. The search was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses guidelines (PRISMA). Six studies (two randomised controlled trials and four quasi‐experimental studies) were included in the systematic review. The results indicate that MCP is more effective than a control group as waitlist (four studies), psychoeducation group (one study), and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT, one study), in reducing depressive symptoms, improving meaning in life and reducing anxiety in participants without physical illness. MCP would be considered a probably efficacious treatment for depression. However, further research with better experimental designs will be necessary to confirm the effectiveness of MCP for depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

E-learning can be defined as learning facilitated and supported through the use of ICTs. ICTs can increase students' motivation, accelerate the knowledge process and facilitate the information access. The aim of this paper is to analyze the acceptability of three tools presented in a workshop carried out during six weeks, with university teachers (N = 22), taking into account their opinion about the usefulness of the workshop. Two researchers/teachers specializing in the field of educational technologies taught the three tools presented. Before the workshop, we administered a technology profile questionnaire; after it, we asked the teachers to fill in a questionnaire about the workshop and the tools used. We then carried out a non-parametric Friedman test to compare the differences found in the evaluation of the tools. The results show that the acceptability of the technologies and the methodology used during the workshop was high: teachers' assessment and opinion has been favorable for both pedagogy and teaching methodology, which facilitated the understanding of the tools and the innovative nature of the contents of the workshop. The participants also evaluated the technologies as appropriate and easy to use. We also mention the limitations of the study and future challenges.

Interoceptive exposure (IE) is a standard component of cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) for panic disorder and agoraphobia. The virtual reality (VR) program "Panic-Agoraphobia" has several virtual scenarios designed for applying exposure to agoraphobic situations; it can also simulate physical sensations. This work examines patients' acceptability of the IE component as applied in two different ways: using VR versus traditional IE. Additionally, it explores the relationship between users' treatment expectations and satisfaction and clinically significant change. Results showed that VR and traditional IE were well accepted by all participants. Furthermore, treatment expectations predicted efficacy.

Most people with a mental disorder meet criteria for multiple disorders. We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized trials comparing psychotherapies for people with depression and comorbid other mental disorders with non-active control conditions. We identified studies through an existing database of randomized trials on psychotherapies for depression. Thirty-five trials (3,157 patients) met inclusion criteria. Twenty-seven of the 41 interventions in the 35 trials (66%) were based on CBT. The overall effect on depression was large (g = 0.65; 95% CI: 0.40 ~ 0.90), with high heterogeneity (I2 = 78%; 95% CI: 70 ~ 83). The ten studies in comorbid anxiety showed large effects on depression (g = 0.90; 95% CI: 0.30 ~ 1.51) and anxiety (g = 1.01; 95% CI: 0.28 ~ 1.74). For comorbid insomnia (11 comparisons) a large and significant effect on depression (g = 0.99; 95% CI: 0.16 ~ 1.82) and insomnia (g = 1.38; 95% CI: 0.38 ~ 2.38) were found. For comorbid substance use problems (12 comparisons) effects on depression (g = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.06 ~ 0.43) and on substance use problems (g = 0.25; 95% CI: 0.01 ~ 0.50) were significant. Most effects were no longer significant after adjustment for publication bias and when limited to studies with low risk of bias. Therapies are probably effective in the treatment of depression with comorbid anxiety, insomnia, and substance use problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression during pregnancy and after the birth of a child is highly prevalent and an important public health problem. Psychological interventions are the first-line treatment and, although a considerable number of randomized trials have been conducted, no recent comprehensive meta-analysis has evaluated treatment effects. Methods: We used an existing database of randomized controlled trials of psychotherapies for adult depression and included studies aimed at perinatal depression. Random effects models were used in all analyses. We examined the effects of the interventions in the short and long term, and also examined secondary outcomes. Results: Forty-three studies with 49 comparisons and 6270 participants between an intervention and control group were included. The overall effect size was g = 0.67 [95% confidence interval (CI) 0.45~0.89; numbers needed-to-be-treated = 4.39] with high heterogeneity (I2 = 80%; 95% CI 75~85). This effect size remained largely unchanged and significant in a series of sensitivity analyses, although some publication bias was found. The effects remained significant at 6–12 months follow-up. Significant effects were also found for social support, anxiety, functional limitations, parental stress and marital stress, although the number of studies for each outcome was low. All results should be considered with caution because of the high levels of heterogeneity in most analyses. Conclusions: Psychological interventions are probably effective in the treatment of perinatal depression, with effects that last at least up to 6–12 months and probably also have effects on social support, anxiety, functional impairment, parental stress, and marital stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Internet-delivered interventions offer a feasible way to facilitate access to mental healthcare and considerable evidence supports their effectiveness for the treatment of different mental disorders. However, potential users' attitudes toward these interventions are crucial for their successful implementation. A better understanding of factors related to treatment acceptance and adherence is required to exploit the full potential of internet interventions. Hence, the aim of the present work was to analyze the acceptability of a therapist-guided internet-delivered CBT intervention for adjustment disorder and its impact on treatment outcomes. Methods: The acceptability was estimated from the acceptance to participate in the randomized controlled trial addressed to explore the effectiveness of the internet intervention in question. Other indicators of acceptability were treatment adherence, expectations, satisfaction, and opinion reported by 34 participants from the trial. Results: Willingness to try an internet intervention was observed and 76.5% of participants completed all seven treatment modules. Less positive initial expectations did not reduce treatment effectiveness, yet they might have led to treatment abandonment. Overall, participants were satisfied with the internet intervention and perceived it as a useful, comfortable and attractive way of receiving psychological assistance. Treatment modules aimed at promoting identification with the treatment goals, relapse prevention, and change in the meaning of the stressor were found to be related to posttraumatic growth and increase in positive affect and quality of life. Participants also expressed that the intervention required considerable motivation. In this regard, therapeutic support was perceived as an important adherence facilitator. Conclusion: The findings from this work support the suitability of internet interventions for the treatment of adjustment disorder. However, further research is required in order to develop guidelines for the design of more attractive and engaging internet interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) technology in clinical psychology is growing. Efficacious VR-based treatments for a variety of disorders have been developed. However, the field of technology-assisted psychotherapy is constantly changing with the advancement in technology. Factors such as interdisciplinary collaboration, consumer familiarity and adoption of VR products, and progress in clinical science all need to be taken into consideration when integrating virtual technologies into psychotherapies. We aim to present an overview of current expert opinions on the use of virtual technologies in the treatment of anxiety and stress-related disorders. An anonymous survey was distributed to a select group of researchers and clinicians, using an analytic framework known as Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats (SWOT). Overall, the respondents had an optimistic outlook regarding the current use as well as future development and implementation of technology-assisted interventions. VR and MR psychotherapies offer distinct advantages that can overcome shortcomings associated with traditional therapy. The respondents acknowledged and discussed current limitations of VR and MR psychotherapies. They recommended consolidation of existing knowledge and encouraged standardisation in both theory and practice. Continued research is needed to leverage the strengths of VR and MR to develop better treatments. Abbreviations: AR: Augmented Reality; MR: Mixed Reality; RCT: Randomised Controlled Trial; SWOT: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats; VR: Virtual Reality; VR-EBT: Virtual Reality Exposure-Based Therapy [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Care-as-usual (CAU) is often used as a control condition in psychotherapy research, but it may vary considerably what that entails, ranging from no treatment, to routine treatment in primary care, general medical care, perinatal care, and specialized mental health care. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis of trials comparing psychotherapy for depression to CAU, with a focus on the different categories of CAU and countries where the studies were conducted. We used an existing database of randomized trials on psychotherapy for depression that is updated every year. Results: A total of 140 studies with 15 419 patients were included. We found no significant differences in effects between categories of CAU (effect sizes ranging from g = 0.43 for CAU in primary care to g = 0.73 for no treatment), but heterogeneity was high in all CAU categories. After stratifying effects across specific countries (within CAU categories) we found that heterogeneity was considerably lower and there were several significant differences between countries. Overall, effects were larger in non-Western countries (g = 0.84 to 1.28) compared to those in Western countries (g = 0.52; p for difference = 0.002). Effects were smaller in studies with risk of bias (p = 0.01). Conclusions: There are no significant differences between major categories of CAU when compared to psychotherapy conditions in randomized trials. However, effects of psychotherapy differ considerably across CAU conditions in specific countries. CAU therefore is a heterogeneous control condition in psychotherapy research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence of self‐help interventions for adjustment disorder (AjD) is limited. This study aims at testing in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) the effectiveness of a disorder‐specific, Internet‐delivered cognitive–behavioural therapy (ICBT) intervention for AjD. Participants were randomly allocated to either an ICBT with brief weekly telephone support (n = 34) or a waiting list group (n = 34). Beck's inventories for depression and anxiety were used as primary outcomes. The secondary outcomes were AjD symptoms, post‐traumatic growth, positive and negative affect, and quality of life. In all, 76.5% of the participants completed the intervention. Compared with the control group, participants in the intervention condition showed significantly greater improvement in all outcomes (Cohen's d ranged from 0.54 to 1.21) except in anxiety symptoms measured by Beck Anxiety Inventory (d = 0.27). Only ICBT group showed a significant improvement in post‐traumatic growth, positive and negative affect, and quality of life. The number of cases that achieved clinically meaningful change in all outcome measures was also higher in the ICBT group. All therapeutic gains were maintained at 3‐, 6‐ and 12‐month follow‐ups. The current study provides evidence on the effectiveness of ICBT interventions to reduce the impact of AjD. Results suggest that brief self‐help intervention with minimal therapist support is more effective than the mere passage of time in reducing the distress symptoms associated to the disorder and also can confer additional benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: It is not clear whether psychotherapies for depression have comparable effects across the life span. Finding out is important from a clinical and scientific perspective.Objective: To compare the effects of psychotherapies for depression between different age groups.Data Sources: Four major bibliographic databases (PubMed, PsychINFO, Embase, and Cochrane) were searched for trials comparing psychotherapy with control conditions up to January 2019.Study Selection: Randomized trials comparing psychotherapies for depression with control conditions in all age groups were included.Data Extraction and Synthesis: Effect sizes (Hedges g) were calculated for all comparisons and pooled with random-effects models. Differences in effects between age groups were examined with mixed-effects subgroup analyses and in meta-regression analyses.Main Outcomes and Measures: Depressive symptoms were the primary outcome.Results: After removing duplicates, 16 756 records were screened and 2608 full-text articles were screened. Of these, 366 trials (36 702 patients) with 453 comparisons between a therapy and a control condition were included in the qualitative analysis, including 13 (3.6%) in children (13 years and younger), 24 (6.6%) in adolescents (≥13 to 18 years), 19 (5.2%) in young adults (≥18 to 24 years), 242 (66.1%) in middle-aged adults (≥24 to 55 years), 58 (15.8%) in older adults (≥55 to 75 years), and 10 (2.7%) in older old adults (75 years and older). The overall effect size of all comparisons across all age groups was g = 0.75 (95% CI, 0.67-0.82), with very high heterogeneity (I2 = 80%; 95% CI: 78-82). Mean effect sizes for depressive symptoms in children (g = 0.35; 95% CI, 0.15-0.55) and adolescents (g = 0.55; 95% CI, 0.34-0.75) were significantly lower than those in middle-aged adults (g = 0.77; 95% CI, 0.67-0.87). The effect sizes in young adults (g = 0.98; 95% CI, 0.79-1.16) were significantly larger than those in middle-aged adults. No significant difference was found between older adults (g = 0.66; 95% CI, 0.51-0.82) and those in older old adults (g = 0.97; 95% CI, 0.42-1.52). The outcomes should be considered with caution because of the suboptimal quality of most of the studies and the high levels of heterogeneity. However, most primary findings proved robust across sensitivity analyses, addressing risk of bias, target populations included, type of therapy, diagnosis of mood disorder, and method of data analysis.Conclusions and Relevance: Trials included in this meta-analysis reported effect sizes of psychotherapies that were smaller in children than in adults, probably also smaller in adolescents, that the effects may be somewhat larger in young adults, and without meaningful differences between middle-aged adults, older adults, and older old adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Overall Depression Severity and Impairment Scale (ODSIS) is a self-report scale designed to evaluate the severity and functional impairment associated with depression. Objective: This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the online version of the ODSIS in Spanish outpatients with depression and anxiety disorders. Method: Patients with a main diagnosis of a depressive (n = 283) or anxiety disorder (n = 191) and a mean age of 38.15 (SD = 12.06) were evaluated with a clinical diagnostic interview and measures assessing depression, anxiety, positive and negative affect, and quality of life. Factorial structure, internal consistency, convergent, and discriminant validity and cutoff scores were analyzed. Results: Consistent with previous validations of the instrument, Confirmatory Factor Analysis showed a unidimensional factor structure. Furthermore, the results obtained supported the internal consistency and construct validity of the ODSIS scores. A score of 5 was found to meet the criteria used in this study for the optimal cutoff score. Conclusion: The results obtained in this study show that the Spanish version of the ODSIS delivered online is an adequate tool to assess the depression-related severity and impairment in a brief and easy fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adjustment disorder (AD) and complicated grief (CG) are serious mental conditions that have a high prevalence and are associated with significant impairments in social and work functioning. Recently, these categories have been better specified in the new ICD‐11 proposal. Empirical research on the efficacy of treatments for these problems is scarce. This study aims to offer long‐term efficacy data from a between‐groups controlled study that compares two treatment conditions (AD‐protocol applied in a traditional way: N = 18 and the same protocol supported by virtual reality (VR); VR‐protocol applied in a traditional way: N = 18) and a waiting list (WL) control group (N = 18). Both treatment conditions resulted in statistically significant improvements on both primary and secondary outcome measures, with large effect sizes, and this improvement did not occur in the WL. These changes were maintained in both treatment conditions in the medium (6‐month) and long‐term (12‐month follow‐up). Larger effect sizes were achieved in the VR condition in the long term. Furthermore, clinically significant change estimations on the primary outcome measures showed an advantage for the VR condition This is the first controlled study to compare a traditional face‐to‐face protocol for the treatment of stress‐related disorders with the same protocol supported by VR and a WL control group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aggregated data from three randomized control trials to explore the differential efficacy of three forms of exposure therapy, namely, in vivo (iVET), virtual reality (VRET), and augmented reality (ARET), in the treatment of small animal phobia. Additionally, baseline patient characteristics were used to detect subgroups of patients who showed a differential response to certain treatment modalities. Primary measures were distance covered, anxiety during the behavioral avoidance test (BAT), and overall fear of small animals. A repeated-measures analysis of variance was used to explore the overall treatment effect across the exposure modalities. A cluster analysis and an analysis of moderation were conducted to explore differential response to treatments. The main study finding was that the three treatment conditions were similarly efficacious in the treatment of small animal phobia for all study outcomes. Only for distance covered, our results revealed a tendency for iVET to be more effective than VRET and ARET in participants with worse performance on the BAT before treatment. The present study findings provide further evidence for the comparable efficacy of the three forms of exposure. Our results also suggest that, overall, treatments are likely to be similarly effective, regardless of the individual baseline characteristics (i.e., fear, anxiety, and age), whereas pretreatment scores on distance covered in the avoidance test might be used to personalize treatments (iVET may be preferable when participants perform worse at pretreatment). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy for emotional disorders (ED) has proven to be effective. However, current transdiagnostic treatment protocols address only the regulation of negative affectivity, and they do not include treatment components to more directly target the regulation of positive affectivity. In this study, we propose to evaluate the preliminary efficacy and acceptability of a transdiagnostic treatment protocol for ED that includes, as an innovative feature, a specific treatment component to directly upregulate positive affectivity based on positive psychology interventions. A total of 24 participants were randomized to either a transdiagnostic treatment protocol (n = 12) or a transdiagnostic treatment protocol with an additional component designed to regulate positive affectivity (n = 12). Participants completed measures of anxiety, depression, positive and negative affectivity, and quality of life, as well as treatment acceptability at pre- and posttreatment and at the 3-month follow-up. Both interventions led to improvements in all measures at posttreatment, and these outcomes were maintained at the 3-month follow-up, with large effect sizes for all measures. The effect sizes for positive affect were larger in the condition that included the component to upregulate positive affectivity. Attrition rate was low, and both treatment protocols were well accepted by participants. The results obtained in this study indicate the feasibility of testing the treatment protocol in a larger, randomized, controlled trial, and they suggest the potential of including treatment components for directly upregulating positive affectivity in future research on transdiagnostic treatment protocols for ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS) is a self-report questionnaire designed to evaluate the severity and functional impairment associated with anxiety. Given its transdiagnostic nature, it can be used indistinctly across anxiety and depressive disorders. In this study, the psychometric properties of the online version of the OASIS were evaluated in a Spanish clinical sample with emotional disorders. Patients (n = 583) with anxiety (n = 250) and depression (n = 333) with a mean age of 37.21 (SD = 12.22), underwent a diagnostic interview and questionnaires assessing anxiety, depression, positive and negative affect, and quality of life. Factorial structure, internal consistency, convergent and discriminant validity, cutoff scores, and sensitivity to change were analyzed. Confirmatory Factor Analysis yielded a unidimensional factor structure, consistent with previous validations of the instrument. The analyses showed good internal consistency and adequate convergent and discriminant validity, as well as sensitivity to change. A cutoff score of 7.5 was found to meet the criteria used in this study to select the optimal cutoff point. Overall, in this study, the psychometric properties of the online version of the OASIS were found to be appropriate. The brevity and ease of use of the OASIS support its adequacy as a valid measure of anxiety severity and impairment in Spanish clinical samples with anxiety and depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]