Search

Anxiety is very pertinent to systemic family therapy (SFT), however, there is little research that seeks to understand people's experiences with anxiety symptoms and how they impact people's lives and relationships. The aim of this study was to examine the trending hashtag #ThisIsWhatAnxietyFeelsLike—a commonly used hashtag related to anxiety—to look more closely at how users talk about their anxiety symptoms on Twitter and how these symptoms influence people's interactions and relationships with others. We used a qualitative thematic analysis to analyze 1318 relational tweets posted with this hashtag that occurred between February 2017 and February 2018 and uncover themes related to experiences with anxiety. The analysis revealed six core themes: (a) deflated self in relation to others and their perceptions; (b) fear, worry and avoidance behaviors that influence relationships; (c) negative emotional responses leading to feeling misunderstood, lonely, and like a failure; (d) social triggers; (e) anxiety management strategies; and (f) things for others to avoid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Among adolescents, symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) are not only clinically significant but also continuingly increasing. During adolescence, individuals begin to establish distinct, self-determined lifestyle patterns. This study seeks to identify the associations between such lifestyle factors and the prevalence of GAD and SAD symptoms. Methods: The analyzable sample was based on a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of Finnish 14–18 year old students from comprehensive schools, general upper secondary schools, and vocational institutions. The sample consisted of 60,252 boys and 71,118 girls, with the mean age of 16.05 years (standard deviation 1.06). Symptoms were identified using the GAD-7 (cutpoint of 10), the Mini-SPIN (cutpoint of 6), and the PHQ-2 (cutpoint of 3). Logistic regression models for both GAD and SAD symptoms were stratified by comorbidity group variables. Results: GAD symptoms were closely related to excessive internet use and decreased sleep duration among adolescents, regardless of comorbidity with depression or SAD. SAD symptoms were associated with excessive internet use and a lack of intense exercise, independent of comorbid depression or GAD. Conclusions: The findings underscore the importance of considering lifestyle factors when developing interventions to mitigate GAD and SAD symptoms in adolescents. Interventions and policy recommendations aiming at improving adolescents' health behaviour and mental health should take into account the intertwining of these factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anxiety in older adults is a prevalent yet under-recognized condition associated with significant societal and individual burdens. This study used a machine learning approach to compare the relative importance of 57 risk and protective factors for anxiety symptoms in a population-representative sample of middle-aged and older European adults (N = 65,684; ages 45–103 years; 55.7% women; 15 countries represented). The results revealed loneliness and self-rated poor health as primary risk factors (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.272), with additional predictive contributions from country of residence, functional limitations, financial distress, and family care burden. Notably, follow-up analysis showed that none of the 16 social network variables were associated with loneliness; rather, cohabitating with a partner/spouse was most strongly associated with reduced loneliness. Further research is needed to elucidate directional associations between loneliness and anxiety (both general and sub-types). These findings underscore the imperative of addressing loneliness for mitigating anxiety and related mental health conditions among aging populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Over half of new cancer diagnoses occur in patients aged 65 or older, with up to 40% experiencing anxiety. The American Society of Clinical Oncology recommends using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD‐7) for anxiety screening, but the GAD‐7 psychometric properties in this population are unknown. This study examined the GAD‐7's reliability, validity, and item parameters, comparing its utility with the GAD‐2 in older adults with cancer. Methods: This cross‐sectional secondary analysis of a nationwide multi‐site two‐arm cluster randomized trial in older adults (≥ 70) with advanced cancer. The GAD‐7 was administered at baseline. Properties were evaluated with Cronbach's α, Pearson correlation coefficients, and a 2‐parameter logistic model. Logistic regression models compared the GAD‐2 and GAD‐7. Results: The sample included 718 participants (Mean age = 77, SD = 5) with mild anxiety (M = 3.74, SD = 4.74). Internal consistency was strong (Cronbach's alpha = 0.89) and item‐total correlations ranged 0.53 to 0.78. Item 2 (Not being able to stop or control worrying) was the most discriminating and item 5 (Being so restless that it is hard to sit still) was least discriminating. Area Under the Curve (AUC) analyses demonstrated the GAD‐2 had a 0.93–0.96 AUC. Conclusions: Establishing the psychometric properties of anxiety screening measures is crucial in the older adults with cancer to maximize referral efficiency and accuracy. This study indicates that the GAD‐7 is reliable and valid for older adults with cancer. Analyses suggest the GAD‐2 may be as sufficient as the GAD‐7 in identifying anxiety in older adults with cancer, thereby reducing assessment burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Past research has found that overall anxiety and social anxiety symptoms are associated with the occurrence of social and communication challenges within autistic populations. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether generalized anxiety disorder symptoms were associated with social and communication symptoms in autistic youth. Method: The cross-sectional sample was comprised of 253 autistic youth aged 8–18 (196 Males, 57 Females). Participants were divided in a child (Grade 3–8) group and an adolescent (Grade 9–12) group. A hierarchical linear regression analysis was conducted to evaluate whether the generalized anxiety score predicted the social communication composite score, derived from the ADOS-2, after controlling for sex, grade level and expressive language ability. Results: Correlation analyses showed an association between social communication ability and general anxiety disorder symptoms in the child group such that those with greater anxiety had fewer social communication symptoms. However, after controlling for sex, grade, and language ability, general anxiety disorder symptoms did not predict social communication difficulties in either children or adolescents. Conclusions: Alongside past literature, these findings suggest that the different types of anxiety disorders may have differential impacts on autistic youth's social and communication symptoms. Further research should investigate whether other anxiety subtypes affect autistic youth's social and communication symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The United Nations recognize the importance of balancing the needs of people and the planetary systems on which human health relies. This paper investigates the role that climate change has on human health via its influence on climate anxiety. Design: We conducted an intensive longitudinal study. Methods: Participants reported levels of climate anxiety, generalized anxiety and an array of health behaviours at 20 consecutive time points, 2 weeks apart. Results: A network analysis shows climate anxiety and generalized anxiety not to covary, and higher levels of climate anxiety not to covary with health behaviours, except for higher levels of alcohol consumption at the within‐participant level. Generalized anxiety showed completely distinct patterns of covariation with health behaviours compared with climate anxiety. Conclusions: Our findings imply that climate anxiety, as conceptualized and measured in the current study, is not in itself functionally impairing in terms of associations with unhealthy behaviours, and is distinct from generalized anxiety. The results also imply that interventions to induce anxiety about the climate might not always have significant impacts on health and well‐being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The clinical literature encourages further exploration of the relationship between anxiety and paranoid ideation with the overall objective of identifying processes that mitigate such relationship, thus establishing targets for cognitive intervention. Empirical studies demonstrate that increased levels of anxiety precede the emergence of paranoid cognitions. Yet, possible mediators are still to be investigated. In all, 273 adults completed a battery of standardized questionnaires, and collated data were analyzed statistically. Generalized anxiety was positively associated with paranoid ideation, for both ideas of reference and persecutory beliefs. Although the relationship was not mediated by cognitive flexibility in its entirety, perceived control over internal experiences and external events, an essential constituent of cognitive flexibility, acted as a significant mediator. The results highlight the importance of increasing adaptive perceptions of control among individuals experiencing generalized anxiety, which would likely reduce the co-occurrence of paranoid ideation and lower the risk of transitioning into clinical levels of paranoia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Among adolescents, symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and social anxiety disorder (SAD) are not only clinically significant but also continuingly increasing. During adolescence, individuals begin to establish distinct, self-determined lifestyle patterns. This study seeks to identify the associations between such lifestyle factors and the prevalence of GAD and SAD symptoms. Methods The analyzable sample was based on a cross-sectional, nationally representative survey of Finnish 14–18 year old students from comprehensive schools, general upper secondary schools, and vocational institutions. The sample consisted of 60,252 boys and 71,118 girls, with the mean age of 16.05 years (standard deviation 1.06). Symptoms were identified using the GAD-7 (cutpoint of 10), the Mini-SPIN (cutpoint of 6), and the PHQ-2 (cutpoint of 3). Logistic regression models for both GAD and SAD symptoms were stratified by comorbidity group variables. Results GAD symptoms were closely related to excessive internet use and decreased sleep duration among adolescents, regardless of comorbidity with depression or SAD. SAD symptoms were associated with excessive internet use and a lack of intense exercise, independent of comorbid depression or GAD. Conclusions The findings underscore the importance of considering lifestyle factors when developing interventions to mitigate GAD and SAD symptoms in adolescents. Interventions and policy recommendations aiming at improving adolescents’ health behaviour and mental health should take into account the intertwining of these factors.

Abstract Background Generalized anxiety (GA) is showing a high prevalence among adolescents nowadays; investigations on influencing factors and potential mechanisms are important to inform intervention development. The present two-wave study investigated the ways in which family functioning predicted GA six months later among adolescents, by considering the mediating role of self-identity and cognitive flexibility. Methods Adolescents were recruited from 27 randomly selected classes in two secondary schools in Chongqing and Fujian Province, China. Survey questionnaires assessing family functioning, self-identity, cognitive flexibility and GA were obtained from 1223 adolescents (M age = 13.14, SD = 1.35) at two time points of the 6-month interval. Results The association between family functioning (T1) and GA (T2) was significant (r= -0.152, p

Recently, there has been growing interest in the concept of political anxiety. One important question that remains unanswered is whether political anxiety is just a symptom of general anxiety—that those reporting anxiety tied to politics are the same individuals who would already score highly on measures of general anxiety. Using survey data collected in 2023 (N = 436), we find that measures of political and generalized anxiety do not appear to be tapping into a single underlying construct. In addition, the systematic correlates of these measures identified by previous literature are not equivalent predictors of the different types of anxiety. Politics seems to be a source of apprehensiveness and worry that affects individuals who are not necessarily suffering from general anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective: We examined the possibility that reactions to climate change take two forms: distress, which may be adaptive, and symptoms of mental disorders, which may not be. Design and Method: In a national sample of Polish adults (n = 1133), we measured climate change distress (experiencing unpleasant emotions and feelings due to climate change), climate-related symptoms of mental disorders (e.g., problems sleeping and problems working and planning), generalized anxiety, and depression. Results: Zero-inflated Poisson regression analyses of the occurrence of climate-related symptoms of mental disorders found two latent classes: People who experienced symptoms of the disorder and those who did not. For all eight symptoms, climate change distress predicted membership in the latent class of people who experienced a symptom, whereas how often people in the non-zero latent class experienced each symptom was positively related to generalized anxiety but was not related to distress or depression. Conclusions: These results suggest that reactions to climate change take two forms. Some people do not experience climate change-related symptoms of mental disorders, and some do. People who experience symptoms have higher levels of climate change distress, and the frequency with which they experience these symptoms is determined by their dispositional, generalized anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder among medical students in Nigeria, the impact of socio-demographic factors associated with generalized anxiety disorder, and the efficacy of Cognitive-Behavioral therapy in the management of generalized anxiety disorder symptoms. This study involved 277 medical students (62 males and 215 females). This study used a multistage design (survey and experiment). The survey design was utilized to determine the prevalence of generalized anxiety among medical students, whereas the experimental approach was used for therapy (cognitive behavioral method). Data was collected using a questionnaire, and the given hypotheses were tested using descriptive statistics and an independent t-test. The study examined two hypotheses, and both were approved. The findings revealed that Cognitive-Behavioral therapy is useful in managing the symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Male participants had significantly higher scores on Generalized Anxiety Disorder than female individuals. The findings were discussed in light of the associated literature that was reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Women, due to menstruation, pregnancy, and poor iron intake and absorption, are prone to iron deficiency anemia and its effects. The present study aimed to assess the effectiveness of process-based therapy in working memory and sleep quality in women suffering from iron deficiency anemia and generalized anxiety disorder. Materials & Methods: This study utilized a single-case experimental design. For doing so, six female participants suffering from iron deficiency anemia were selected through purposive sampling and received individual process-based therapy during nine 60-minute sessions. In the pre-treatment stage, the participants responded to Newman, Zueling, Kachin, and Constantino's fourth version of the generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire and underwent clinical interviews. They also completed a working memory test and sleep quality questionnaire in baseline stages, third, sixth, and ninth sessions of the intervention, and finally at the 3-month follow-up stages. The data were analyzed using visual analysis, a stable change index, and a recovery percentage formula. Results: The results pointed out that the rates of overall recovery in working memory in the intervention and follow-up stages were 52.95% and 85.43%, respectively. Moreover, the rates of overall recovery in sleep quality in the intervention and follow-up stages were 66.57% and 75.78%, respectively, indicating success in therapy. Conclusion: Process-based therapy improves working memory and increases the sleep quality of participants. Therefore, it is suggested to be used as a method of treatment and complementary to medical treatment to remedy comorbid mental disorders and improve the general performance of people with anemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The comorbidity of depression and generalized anxiety have raised questions about the existing classification system. Based on the perspective of network analysis, the developmental relationship between psychological symptoms can be explored more clearly. The current study aimed to explore the longitudinal network association of depressive symptoms and generalized anxiety symptoms in non-clinical adolescents. The sample contained 1,947 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 13.93, SD = 1.71; 48.5% girls). Their depression (PHQ-9) and generalized anxiety (GAD-7) symptoms were assessed at baseline (T1) and 6-month follow-up (T2). Data was analyzed using a cross-lagged network analysis. Depressive symptoms and generalized anxiety symptoms were closely related and did not appear to be distinct categories in adolescence. More generalized anxiety symptoms predicted depressive symptoms rather than vice versa. After controlling for gender, and age, "Difficulty relaxing" presented the highest out-expected influence (out-EI) in the network, while "trouble concentrating", and "suicidal ideation" showed the lowest in expected influence (in-EI). Findings suggested that interventions for generalized anxiety symptoms may help reduce depressive symptoms among Chinese adolescents. Specifically, alleviating "difficulty relaxing" may improve overall mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic led to abrupt changes in maternity care, but the impact of these changes has not yet been deeply evaluated. This study aimed to assess the impact of the unexpected changes in maternity care due to the COVID-19 pandemic on postpartum mental health (depression, anxiety and posttraumatic stress disorder). A cross-sectional, web-based study was conducted in Spain during the second half of 2020. The eligibility criteria were women≥18 years with a child≤6 months. The Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Screener (GAD-7) and a subset of the PTSD checklist (PCL-5) were used to assess postpartum mental health. Information regarding sociodemographic characteristics and maternity care changes was collected, and multivariate regression models were used. Among 1781 participants, 29.3% and 33% had clinically significant depressive and anxiety symptoms, respectively. The most prevalent unexpected changes reported were related to the exclusion of supportive relatives during birth and postpartum. Changes reported during birth showed a minor association with PTSD symptomatology, and those that occurred during the postpartum period were associated with clinical depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms. The unexpected changes in maternity care due to the COVID-19 pandemic, especially those that occurred during the postpartum period, increased the risk of mental health problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A growing number of studies have reported that problematic social networking use (PSNU) is strongly associated with anxiety symptoms. However, due to the presence of multiple anxiety subtypes, existing research findings on the extent of this association vary widely, leading to a lack of consensus. The current meta-analysis aimed to summarize studies exploring the relationship between PSNU levels and anxiety symptoms, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, attachment anxiety, and fear of missing out. 209 studies with a total of 172 articles were included in the meta-analysis, involving 252,337 participants from 28 countries. The results showed a moderately positive association between PSNU and generalized anxiety (GA), social anxiety (SA), attachment anxiety (AA), and fear of missing out (FoMO) respectively (GA: r = 0.388, 95% CI [0.362, 0.413]; SA: r = 0.437, 95% CI [0.395, 0.478]; AA: r = 0.345, 95% CI [0.286, 0.402]; FoMO: r = 0.496, 95% CI [0.461, 0.529]), and there were different regulatory factors between PSNU and different anxiety subtypes. This study provides the first comprehensive estimate of the association of PSNU with multiple anxiety subtypes, which vary by time of measurement, region, gender, and measurement tool.

Background: The error-related negativity (ERN) is a brain response evoked by mistakes in cognitive tasks that is enhanced with anxiety and can predict the subsequent onset or exacerbation of anxiety in children and adolescents. A physical disturbance to standing balance evokes a brain response called the balance N1 that resembles the ERN in scalp topography and in response to a variety of moderating factors. We recently found that the balance N1 and ERN correlate in amplitude across small samples of adults. Methods: In the current study, we tested the effect of anxiety on the balance N1 in children (ages 9–12 years) with and without diagnosed anxiety disorders (38 children with generalized anxiety, social anxiety, and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder and 50 children without these disorders). We measured the balance N1 in response to sudden release of support from a forward leaning posture, the ERN in response to mistakes on a Go/NoGo task, and anxiety symptoms using child- and parent-report forms of the Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Emotional Disorders. Results: Both the balance N1 and the ERN were larger in the anxious group. The balance N1 was also associated with both the ERN and parent report of child anxiety symptom severity across individuals. Conclusions: The higher measurement reliability of the balance N1 than the ERN and greater experimental control over errors suggest that balance paradigms may provide a more powerful method for investigating individual differences in error-related brain activity related to anxiety.

A growing number of studies have reported that problematic social networking use (PSNU) is strongly associated with anxiety symptoms. However, due to the presence of multiple anxiety subtypes, existing research findings on the extent of this association vary widely, leading to a lack of consensus. The current meta-analysis aimed to summarize studies exploring the relationship between PSNU levels and anxiety symptoms, including generalized anxiety, social anxiety, attachment anxiety, and fear of missing out. 209 studies with a total of 172 articles were included in the meta-analysis, involving 252,337 participants from 28 countries. The results showed a moderately positive association between PSNU and generalized anxiety (GA), social anxiety (SA), attachment anxiety (AA), and fear of missing out (FoMO) respectively (GA: r = 0.388, 95% CI [0.362, 0.413]; SA: r = 0.437, 95% CI [0.395, 0.478]; AA: r = 0.345, 95% CI [0.286, 0.402]; FoMO: r = 0.496, 95% CI [0.461, 0.529]), and there were different regulatory factors between PSNU and different anxiety subtypes. This study provides the first comprehensive estimate of the association of PSNU with multiple anxiety subtypes, which vary by time of measurement, region, gender, and measurement tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study examined whether literacy difficulties in both grades 2 and 3 are associated with social and generalized anxiety within the school environment in grade 5 and if children with different literacy difficulties differ in anxiety levels compared to typically developing children in grade 5 after controlling for inattention. Sixty-nine Greek children with literacy difficulties and fifty-two children with typical literacy development were assessed at the beginning of grade 2 and at the end of grade 3 on standardized literacy measures (reading accuracy, text-reading fluency, reading comprehension, and spelling). In grade 5, teachers were asked to rate their children's social and generalized anxiety levels and inattentive behavior in the school context. Results of one-way ANCOVAs showed that children with literacy difficulties were experiencing more social anxiety than typically developing children. Furthermore, children with both reading and spelling difficulties, but not those with single reading or spelling difficulties, had more social anxiety. These findings suggest that there is a close connection between early literacy difficulties and social anxiety in upper elementary grades and particularly among children with both reading and spelling difficulties. Implications for both teachers and other professionals who support children's socioemotional development will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the relationship between permissive parenting style and atypical behaviour in preschool children, focusing on the mediating role of generalized anxiety. A community sample of 293 children, aged 3–5 years, were tested with measures assessed by parents and teachers. Regression analyses were employed. The psychometric tests used were: Parenting Styles and Dimensions Questionnaire – Mother Form, Behavior Assessment System for Children, Second Edition, Teacher Rating Scale, and Preschool Anxiety Scale – Parent version. Children whose parents have a permissive parenting style exhibit a high level of atypical behaviour, and a very high level of generalized anxiety. Generalized anxiety adds significant explanatory variance for atypical behaviour in preschool children over and above permissive parenting style. Generalized anxiety has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between father's permissive parenting style and atypical behaviour and a total mediating effect on the relationship between mother's permissive parenting style and atypical behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Jordanian Educational Journal is the property of Association of Arab Universities and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background and Objectives: Social anxiety disorder in children and adolescents is associated with some psychological problems that require effective treatment. In this regard, the present study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of emotion-focused cognitive behavioral therapy on emotion regulation and sleep habits of children with social anxiety. Materials and Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted with a pretest-posttest control group design. The research population included primary school students in the fourth to sixth grades in Qom City, Iran in 2019 academic year. In total, 46 students whose scores were higher than 29.5 in the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, were selected and randomly assigned to intervention and control groups. The participants answered the pre-test Emotion Regulation Checklist and Children’s Sleep Habits Questionnaire. Afterward, the intervention group participated in 16 sessions of therapy and the control group remained on the waiting list. Finally, the participants were evaluated at the post-test stage and the collected data were examined by analysis of covariance and SPSS software. Results: Based on the results of multivariate analysis of covariance, after the control of pre-test effects, there was a significant difference in the linear combination of emotion regulation and sleep habits variables of the two groups (Wilks' lambda=0.063, F10,23=34.182, P=0.001). The tests of univariate analysis of covariance also showed a significant increase in emotion regulation and a significant decrease in emotional lability/negativity and sleep disorders (except the sleep onset delay) in the intervention group after the therapeutic sessions. Conclusion: Emotion-focused cognitive behavioral therapy is an important and effective treatment for emotion regulation and sleep habits in socially anxious children who are referred to mental health professionals.

Patients’ effective hand hygiene helps to reduce healthcare-associated infections and prevents the spread of nosocomial infections and communicable diseases, such as COVID-19. Accordingly, this study aimed to describe effective hand hygiene decisions based on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) and whether this pattern is invariant for mental health. Data were collected cross-sectionally from patients who had previously been admitted to a hospital (Nstudy 1 = 279; study 1) and longitudinally from psychosomatic rehabilitation patients (Nstudy 1 = 1073; study 2). The fit of the HAPA framework and changes in hand hygiene decisions regarding compliance, social-cognitive variables of the HAPA, and mental health status were examined. The results revealed that the trimmed HAPA framework fitted the data well (χ2 = 27.1, df = 12, p < 0.01, CMIN/df = 2.26, CFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.08). According to multi-group structural equation modeling, the HAPA model with hand hygiene behavior was found to be invariant regarding mental health. To conclude, the trimmed HAPA framework was revealed to be a generic framework for explaining social-cognitive processes relating to hand hygiene decisions. Therefore, helping individuals to perform hand hygiene recommendations requires intention formation and bridging the intention–behavior gap. This can be undertaken by promoting planning and self-efficacy. All processes appear generic to participants with and without mental health challenges.

Anxiety in older adults is a prevalent yet under-recognized condition associated with significant societal and individual burdens. This study used a machine learning approach to compare the relative importance of 57 risk and protective factors for anxiety symptoms in a population-representative sample of middle-aged and older European adults (N = 65,684; ages 45–103 years; 55.7% women; 15 countries represented). The results revealed loneliness and self-rated poor health as primary risk factors (Nagelkerke R2 = 0.272), with additional predictive contributions from country of residence, functional limitations, financial distress, and family care burden. Notably, follow-up analysis showed that none of the 16 social network variables were associated with loneliness; rather, cohabitating with a partner/spouse was most strongly associated with reduced loneliness. Further research is needed to elucidate directional associations between loneliness and anxiety (both general and sub-types). These findings underscore the imperative of addressing loneliness for mitigating anxiety and related mental health conditions among aging populations.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic had serious impact on the well-being of health care workers and highlighted the need for resources to help hospital staff to cope with psychologically negative consequences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potentially protective effect of spirituality, as measured by the construct of transpersonal trust, against anxiety in physicians and in hospital pastoral care workers. In addition, transpersonal trust was compared to the effects of other potential resources, namely sense of coherence, optimism, and resilience. We also explored the relationship between transpersonal trust and anxiety and how it was moderated by sense of coherence and expected a significant effect. Method: The sample included N = 405 participants (n = 151 pastoral care workers and n = 254 physicians) who completed an online survey during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic between 20th April and 05th July, 2020, that comprised established questionnaires assessing anxiety, transpersonal trust, sense of coherence, and resilience. Results: There was no statistically significant negative relationship between transpersonal trust and anxiety in either profession or broken down by occupational group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that sense of coherence inversely predicted generalized anxiety, while transpersonal trust, resilience, and optimism did not. As hypothesized, the association between transpersonal trust and anxiety was moderated by sense of coherence. However, we could not confirm our hypothesis of a protective effect of transpersonal trust against anxiety. Conclusion: Our results point to the significant role of sense of coherence as a protective factor against anxiety and highlight the complexity of the relationship among spirituality, transpersonal trust, and anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Patients' effective hand hygiene helps to reduce healthcare-associated infections and prevents the spread of nosocomial infections and communicable diseases, such as COVID-19. Accordingly, this study aimed to describe effective hand hygiene decisions based on the Health Action Process Approach (HAPA) and whether this pattern is invariant for mental health. Data were collected cross-sectionally from patients who had previously been admitted to a hospital (Nstudy 1 = 279; study 1) and longitudinally from psychosomatic rehabilitation patients (Nstudy 1 = 1073; study 2). The fit of the HAPA framework and changes in hand hygiene decisions regarding compliance, social-cognitive variables of the HAPA, and mental health status were examined. The results revealed that the trimmed HAPA framework fitted the data well (χ2 = 27.1, df = 12, p < 0.01, CMIN/df = 2.26, CFI = 0.97, RMSEA = 0.08). According to multi-group structural equation modeling, the HAPA model with hand hygiene behavior was found to be invariant regarding mental health. To conclude, the trimmed HAPA framework was revealed to be a generic framework for explaining social-cognitive processes relating to hand hygiene decisions. Therefore, helping individuals to perform hand hygiene recommendations requires intention formation and bridging the intention–behavior gap. This can be undertaken by promoting planning and self-efficacy. All processes appear generic to participants with and without mental health challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a mental disorder characterized by excessive anxiety and worries that impair daily functioning. While prior work has documented the prevalence and correlates of GAD and subthreshold GAD (SGAD) in clinical samples, contemporary data on the epidemiology of anxiety symptoms are lacking, particularly in higher-risk populations such as military veterans. To address this gap, we analyzed data from a large, nationally representative sample of U.S. veterans to examine the: prevalence of probable GAD and mild anxiety symptoms measured using a brief screener; sociodemographic and military characteristics associated with anxiety symptoms; and psychiatric and functional correlates of anxiety symptoms. Results revealed that a total of 7.9% (95% confidence interval [CI] = 6.7–9.3%) and 22.1% (95%CI = 20.5–23.9%) of veterans screened positive for probable GAD and mild anxiety symptoms, respectively. Relative to veterans without anxiety symptoms, those with probable GAD and mild anxiety symptoms were younger, more likely to be female and racial/ethnic minorities, and more likely to have served 2+ deployments. Further, a "dose-response" association was observed between anxiety symptom severity and clinical correlates, with robust associations observed between probable GAD and poorer mental health, suicidal thoughts and behaviors, and functional impairment. Mild anxiety symptoms showed intermediate magnitude associations with these outcomes. Results of this study suggest that 3-of-10 U.S. veterans report anxiety symptoms. While the use of a brief screener to assess mild anxiety symptoms and probable GAD is limited, findings underscore the importance of a dimensional approach to assessing anxiety symptoms and associated clinical and functional characteristics in veterans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), marked by excessive worry, and social anxiety disorder (SAD) are among the clinically most important anxiety disorders in the adolescent population. This study aimed to explore the associations between perceived difficulties in school and heightened levels of self‐reported noncomorbid and comorbid GAD and SAD symptoms. Methods: Survey data of 37,905 Finnish upper secondary school students with a mean age of 17.33 years (SD = 0.63) were obtained from the School Health Promotion study, implemented in April and May 2015 in Finland. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine indicators of academic and social difficulties in school. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine multivariate associations between anxiety symptoms and difficulties in the school. The anxiety symptom thresholds were based on the seven‐item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (≥10 points) for GAD‐related symptoms and the Mini‐SPIN (≥6 points) for SAD‐related symptoms. Results: Self‐reported generalized anxiety and social anxiety were both significantly associated with various perceived difficulties in school among this adolescent general population sample. Noncomorbid and comorbid GAD and SAD symptoms were both associated with an increased risk of academic and social difficulties, even when controlling for school performance. Comorbid symptoms were associated with significantly higher rates of social difficulties than noncomorbid symptoms of GAD or SAD. Furthermore, GAD symptoms were associated with a high risk for academic difficulties, irrespective of comorbidity. Conclusions: Excessive worry, a defining feature of GAD, is central to school‐related impairments among adolescents. The present study highlights the importance of school‐based interventions for anxious adolescents. Interventions to improve adolescents'; school functioning should account for the interference of pathological worry related to GAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: A woman due to menstruation, pregnancy and poor iron intake and absorption it is prone to iron deficiency anemia and its effects. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of process-based treatment on anxiety in women suffering from iron deficiency anemia and generalized anxiety disorder. Methods: It was performed by utilizing a single-case experimental design. In doing this, six female participants suffering from iron deficiency anemia were selected through purposive sampling and placed under the individual process-based therapy during nine 60-minute sessions. In the pre-treatment stage, the participants responded to Newman, Zueling, Kachin and Constantino's fourth version of the generalized anxiety disorder questionnaire and underwent clinical interviews. They also completed the Beck's depression inventory in the baseline stages and third, sixth and ninth sessions of the intervention and finally at the 3-month follow up stages. The data were analyzed by the method of visual analysis, stable change index and recovery percentage formula, and the effectiveness of the treatment was evaluated using the Ingram criteria. Results: The results showed that the percentage of overall recovery in depression for the first to sixth participants in the intervention stage was 49/26 ،50/54 ،59/27, 76/20 ،54/41 ۸۳/٥۷ و and in the follow-up stages was 70/10 ،64/70 ،75/93 ،78/61 ،77/57 ۹۳/۸٤ و ;respectively. Also, the percentage of overall recovery in the intervention and follow-up stages was 57/90 and 75/30; respectively indicating to a success in therapy. Conclusions: Process-based therapy reduces depression of the research participants and it is suggested to be used as a method of treatment and complementary to medical treatment to remedy comorbid mental disorders and improve the general performance of people with anemia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Athletes and non-athletes experience many anxiety-related symptoms and disorders at comparable rates. Contributory factors may include pressure to perform, public scrutiny, sporting career dissatisfaction, injury, and harassment and abuse in sport. Anxiety may negatively impact sport performance. Specific types of anxiety may have unique presentations in athletes. It is important to rule out general medical and substance-related causes of anxiety symptoms. Psychotherapy and pharmacology treatment options should be considered, bearing in mind athletes' environmental circumstances and physiologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Pajouhan Scientific Journal is the property of Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, School of Public Health and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract Background Anxiety and eating disorders (EDs) are rising at alarming rates. These mental health disorders are often comorbid, yet the factors associated with their comorbidity are not well understood. The present study examined a theoretical model of the pathways and relative associations of anxiety sensitivity (AS) with different dimensions of ED risk, controlling for generalized anxiety. Methods Participants (N = 795) were undergraduate students with an average age of 21 (SD = 4.02), predominantly female (71%), and Hispanic (71.8%). Participants completed an online survey with established measures of AS (i.e., Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3; ASI-3), general anxiety (i.e., Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI), and eating behaviors (i.e., Eating Attitudes Test-26; EAT-26). Results The results of our structural equation models indicated that AS subscales were significantly associated with dimensions of the EAT-26, even when controlling for generalized anxiety. Specifically, the ASI-3 factors reflecting cognitive and social concerns provided the most consistent significant associations with EDs. Whereas reporting higher cognitive concerns was associated with higher ED symptoms (e.g., reporting the urge to vomit after a meal), reporting higher social concerns was associated with fewer ED symptoms. These differential results may suggest risk and resilience pathways and potential protective or buffering effects of social concerns on ED risk. Discussion Findings advance understanding of the role of AS in the comorbidity of anxiety and EDs, demonstrating the strong association of AS with ED pathology. These findings provide cognitive indicators for transdiagnostic therapeutic intervention in order to reduce the risk of EDs.

Aim and Background: One of the most common psychological disorders among children, adolescents and adults, is anxiety disorders. These disorders include a complex of disorders that their common features are fear, anxiety, and behavioral distress. Various causes and factors are involved in appearance of the disorder. The aim of this study was to examine the mediating role of transdiagnostic factors in relationship between stressful events and generalized anxiety. Methods and Materials: The research method was non-experimental causal. The statistical population was all students of public universities of science and technology ministry in Tehran. Among them 700 students were selected by convenience sampling. And the data were gathered through internet-based questionnaires. The instruments included generalized anxiety scale (short-form) (2006), Freeston’s intolerance of ‎uncertainty (1994), cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire (short-form) (2006), acceptance and action questionnaire (2011), life events scale (1971), and meta-cognitive beliefs questionnaire. To analyze the data structural equation modeling (SEM) was used through Amos software version 26. Findings: The results showed that the indirect effect of stressful events on generalized anxiety disorder by mediating role of transdiagnostic factors is significant (p

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic had serious impact on the well-being of health care workers and highlighted the need for resources to help hospital staff to cope with psychologically negative consequences. The purpose of this study was to investigate the potentially protective effect of spirituality, as measured by the construct of transpersonal trust, against anxiety in physicians and in hospital pastoral care workers. In addition, transpersonal trust was compared to the effects of other potential resources, namely sense of coherence, optimism, and resilience. We also explored the relationship between transpersonal trust and anxiety and how it was moderated by sense of coherence and expected a significant effect.MethodThe sample included N = 405 participants (n = 151 pastoral care workers and n = 254 physicians) who completed an online survey during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic between 20th April and 05th July, 2020, that comprised established questionnaires assessing anxiety, transpersonal trust, sense of coherence, and resilience.ResultsThere was no statistically significant negative relationship between transpersonal trust and anxiety in either profession or broken down by occupational group. Multiple regression analysis revealed that sense of coherence inversely predicted generalized anxiety, while transpersonal trust, resilience, and optimism did not. As hypothesized, the association between transpersonal trust and anxiety was moderated by sense of coherence. However, we could not confirm our hypothesis of a protective effect of transpersonal trust against anxiety.ConclusionOur results point to the significant role of sense of coherence as a protective factor against anxiety and highlight the complexity of the relationship among spirituality, transpersonal trust, and anxiety.

We explored problematic smartphone use (PSU) using latent profile analysis (LPA) and relationships with anxiety variables, including severity of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) in a non-clinical sample. We conducted a web-based survey (during the COVID-19 pandemic from February to March 2020) with high school students (N = 1,797; 1,164 female; ages 13-19 years) in Tianjin, China, administering the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) to assess PSU, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Scale, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) Scale. Using Mplus 8.7, we conducted LPA on SAS-SV item responses to uncover latent profiles and relations with anxiety and fear measures. A three-profile PSU model fit the data according to fit indices and likelihood ratio tests. SAS-SV item responses were lowest in profile 1, moderate in profile 2, and most severe in profile 3. Individual PSU profiles modeled by LPA demonstrated significant differences in social and generalized anxiety severity and FoMO. Controlling for age and sex, adolescents with higher levels of anxiety were more likely to be classified as profiles 2 and 3 rather than profile 1. These findings will hopefully inspire future studies and treatments concerning the severity of PSU as it relates to various psychopathology constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of combined treatment based on virtual reality and mindfulness on cortisol levels in individuals with generalized anxiety disorder. Methods: The study employed a semi-experimental design with a pre-test-post-test control group and a two-month follow-up period. The study population included all individuals with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder who referred to the clinics of the Psychological Services Center and Counseling in Region 3, the Counseling and Psychological Services Center of Welfare in Region 6, and the Aryaz Counseling and Psychological Services of Region 6, Tehran, from April 2022 to the end of autumn 2022. Results: The sample consisted of 30 individuals (10 males and 20 females) with generalized anxiety disorder, selected purposefully and randomly assigned to a treatment group based on virtual reality and mindfulness (15 individuals) and a control group (15 individuals). Pre-test, post-test, and followup cortisol levels were measured, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale (GAD-7) was used as the entry criterion. Subsequently, the experimental group received an eight-session, 17- minute weekly treatment based on virtual reality and mindfulness. Participants in this group, while immersed in a virtual environment, watched 360-degree virtual reality videos, "Walking by the Beach" and "Pebbles in the Lake," accompanied by mindfulness audio contemplation, "Being Present and Breathing," and "Wise Mind," using a VR headset and VR-ARBOX. The control group received no treatment. Conclusions: After completing the interventions, post-tests and two-month follow-ups were conducted. The data were analyzed using repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) with SPSS23 software, revealing that the combined treatment based on virtual reality and mindfulness was effective in reducing cortisol levels. It is suggested that this combined method is used as a clinical intervention in order to reduce the level of anxiety and cortisol of people suffering from generalized anxiety disorder alone or along with other psychological and pharmaceutical interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• What is the primary question addressed by this study? To what extent do generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms serially mediate the association between sleep problems and happiness levels in later life? • What is the main finding of this study? Sleep problems are an independent risk factor for lower happiness levels among older adults in the sub-Saharan African context, where research is exclusively lacking. The association is serially explained by generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms with a total mediating effect of 54.42%. • What is the meaning of the finding? Tailored interventions to promote happiness and subjective well-being through quality sleep should holistically include screening and management for generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms in old age. Sleep problems (SP) are highly prevalent and seriously affect health and well-being in old age. The aim of this study was to examine the association between SP and happiness in an urban-dwelling older sample. The authors further explore the effects of generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms in the SP-happiness link using serial mediating modeling. Data came from the 2016 to 2018 Aging, Health, Psychological Well-being, and Health-seeking Behavior Study in Ghana (n = 661). The authors measured happiness with the cross-culturally validated item on a five-point scale. The GAD-7 and the CESD-8, respectively, assessed generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms. Participants reported nighttime and daytime SP in the last 30 days. The SPSS-based Hayes' PROCESS macro program (Model 6) was constructed to quantify the hypothesized mediation effect. The analysis included 661 adults aged greater than or equal to 50 years (mean age = 65.53 [SD] = 11.89 years; 65.20% women). After full adjustment, path models showed that SP was negatively associated with happiness (β = −0.1277, 95%CI = −0.15950 to −0.096). Bootstrapping estimates revealed that the SP-happiness link was serially mediated via generalized anxiety representing 8.77%, depressive symptoms yielding 18.95%, and anxiety symptoms→depressive symptoms accounting for 26.70% of the total effect. Generalized anxiety and depressive symptoms may explain the negative association between SP and happiness in urban-dwelling older adults in the sub-Saharan African (SSA) context. Interventions, social and clinical, to improve happiness through sleep quality should include ways to improve mental health. Longitudinal and cross-cultural data are warranted to assess the bi-directionality of this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Excessive anxiety is highly prevalent during childhood and adolescence, with detrimental effects on somatic and mental health, and quality of life. Although structural abnormalities in the brain have been found in people with anxiety disorders, whether anxiety affects the brain development of children and adolescents remains unknown. Here, we applied a multivariate approach to two single-site MRI datasets consisting of 733 and 775 participants aged 5–18 years. Using linear support vector regression and cross-validation, brain age is estimated by predicting the chronological age from the features that combine cortical thickness and surface area of 68 brain regions. We found that gray matter can predict the chronological age of children and adolescents with a low mean absolute error. Compared to specific brain network, the whole structural brain measures predicted brain age better. Importantly, adolescents with higher generalized anxiety and those with lower separation anxiety showed lower brain age, indicating a slow development of brain structures. The relationship between anxiety and brain age of youths could also be found in parent-reported separation anxiety. The findings highlight differential effects of different anxiety types on brain structural development and suggest that different types of anxiety during childhood and adolescence should be treated differently. • Cortical thickness and surface area can predict chronological age in adolescence. • Adolescents with higher generalized anxiety show lower brain age. • Adolescents with lower separation anxiety show lower brain age. • Parent-reported separation anxiety is positively associated with brain age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Adolescence is considered an important period of life that is accompanied by considerable biological and psychological changes that may lead to anxiety disorders in some cases. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as one of the most prevalent psychological disorders among adolescents is mainly characterized by heightened levels of anxiety that interferes with performance during life. Clinicians warn that untreated GAD can be harmful and may shift to a more severe disorder such as major depression disorder. Therefore, identifying underlying factors and concomitants of the disease seems pivotal. This study aimed to investigate the prediction of generalized anxiety disorder based on 3 attachment styles as well as examine the mediated role of maladaptive schemas. Method: The statistical population of the study included students of different levels of high school, ages 13-18 years living in Tehran province, in the autumn and winter of the academic year of 2019 - 2020, from which 297 students were selected by a simple random sampling method. The Pennsylvania Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), Revised Adult Attachment Scale (RAAS), and Young's Schema Questionnaire-short form (YSQ-SF) were used for data collection. A statistical analysis of Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was performed using the SPSS-16 software. Results: A negative and significant (P<0/01) direct effect was observed for secure attachment and avoidant attachment styles, while no significant direct effects were found for ambivalent attachment style relationship to generalized anxiety disorder. Also, the early maladaptive schemas could significantly mediate the secure attachment style and avoidant attachment style relationship to generalized anxiety disorder, while no mediating role was detected for the ambivalent attachment style. A Bootstrapping analysis also confirmed this finding. All 5 categories of maladaptive attachment schemas significantly were correlated to GAD symptoms. Conclusion: Based on the findings of the present study, it could be concluded that increased measures of secure and avoidant attachment styles in adolescents are associated with decreased levels of GAD symptoms. Increase indices in each of the 5 categories of maladaptive schemas (The 18 early maladaptive schemas are classified into 5 main areas: Disconnection/Rejection, Impaired Autonomy, and Performance, Other-Directedness, Hypervigilance/ Inhibition, Impaired Limits) are associated with increased GAD severity, so the relationship is significant. Also, early maladaptive schemas could mediate the relationship between secure and avoidant attachment styles with generalized anxiety disorder in adolescents. According to the results of this study, careful consideration of attachment styles and early maladaptive schemas to prevent generalized anxiety disorder in adolescents is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Anxiety and eating disorders (EDs) are rising at alarming rates. These mental health disorders are often comorbid, yet the factors associated with their comorbidity are not well understood. The present study examined a theoretical model of the pathways and relative associations of anxiety sensitivity (AS) with different dimensions of ED risk, controlling for generalized anxiety. Methods: Participants (N = 795) were undergraduate students with an average age of 21 (SD = 4.02), predominantly female (71%), and Hispanic (71.8%). Participants completed an online survey with established measures of AS (i.e., Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3; ASI-3), general anxiety (i.e., Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI), and eating behaviors (i.e., Eating Attitudes Test-26; EAT-26). Results: The results of our structural equation models indicated that AS subscales were significantly associated with dimensions of the EAT-26, even when controlling for generalized anxiety. Specifically, the ASI-3 factors reflecting cognitive and social concerns provided the most consistent significant associations with EDs. Whereas reporting higher cognitive concerns was associated with higher ED symptoms (e.g., reporting the urge to vomit after a meal), reporting higher social concerns was associated with fewer ED symptoms. These differential results may suggest risk and resilience pathways and potential protective or buffering effects of social concerns on ED risk. Discussion: Findings advance understanding of the role of AS in the comorbidity of anxiety and EDs, demonstrating the strong association of AS with ED pathology. These findings provide cognitive indicators for transdiagnostic therapeutic intervention in order to reduce the risk of EDs. Plain English summary: Many people with anxiety disorders also have high rates of eating pathology, and vice versa. Teasing apart the factors that may contribute to this co-morbidity can provide important information for psychotherapeutic prevention and intervention. In this study we examine the contributions of anxiety sensitivity, also known as the 'fear of fear,' beyond that of generalized anxiety in its associations with eating disorder outcomes. Our findings show that the cognitive concerns of anxiety (i.e., thinking about being anxious) are associated with higher urges to purge after eating. Higher social concerns with anxiety (i.e., concerns that others will know one is anxious) related to fewer symptoms of eating disorders. Taken together our findings illuminate that considering anxiety sensitivity may be helpful for the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A growing body of research stresses the effect of time perspective (TP) on the genesis and maintenance of psychological disorders. However, the variations in the TP configuration of individuals with different disorders have not yet been completely investigated. We aimed to compare the differences in TP among patients with three common psychiatric disorders. Method: We recruited 30 patients with major depressive disorder (MDD), 30 with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and 30 with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Participants completed Zimbardo's Time Perspective Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale, Maudsley Obsessive Compulsive Inventory, and Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5). The one-way MANOVA was utilized for the comparison of TP dimensions among the three disordered groups. Results: The results showed that TP was significantly affected in all three clinical groups. The effect of the disorder on time perspective was significant for Past Negative (PN) (F (2, 84) = 11.86, P < 0.01), Past Positive (PP) (F (2, 84) = 6.66, P < 0.01), Present Fatalistic (PF) (F (2, 84) = 7.08, P < 0.01) and Future (F) (F (2, 84) = 26.40, P < 0.01), but not for Present Hedonistic (PH). The findings revealed that the MDD group scored the highest on PN, with the GAD group scoring higher than the OCD group. The GAD and OCD groups reported higher PP than the MDD group. In addition, the MDD group scored higher than both the GAD and OCD groups on PF. Finally, the GAD patients reported higher scores than both the MDD and OCD patients on the F dimension, while the OCD patients scored higher than the MDD patients. Conclusion: Individuals with MDD tend to obtain higher scores in PN and PF time perspective, whereas those with GAD and OCD showed higher PP and F scores. These findings demonstrate the significance of examining TP in clinical patients and prompt further research into the association between TP and the disorders being studied. Perspectives on therapy are also explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research suggests that internet use can increase the risks of internalizing symptoms in adolescents. However, bidirectional relationships between adolescent internet use and anxiety symptoms have received very little attention. Furthermore, few studies have examined these links according to sex. The present study attempts to fill this gap by investigating longitudinal associations between Canadian boys’ and girls’ internet use and symptoms of generalized anxiety and social anxiety using data from the Quebec longitudinal Study of Child Development. A sample of 1324 adolescents (698 girls, 626 boys) self-reported the number of hours per week they spent on the internet and their symptoms of generalized and social anxiety at ages 15 and 17. We estimated two cross-lagged panel models with social or generalized anxiety symptoms and internet use at age 15 predicting those same variables at age 17. Sex was used as a grouping variable and socioeconomic status was included as a control variable. Internet use at 15 predicted generalized and social anxiety symptoms at age 17 in girls, but not boys. Social and generalized anxiety symptoms at age 15 did not predict internet use at age 17 for both boys and girls. These results suggest that internet use can be a significant risk factor for the development of anxiety symptoms in adolescent girls. Girls may be more vulnerable to the negative effects of internet use due to increased sensitivity to social comparisons. Thus, helping girls develop healthier internet use habits should be a target for promoting their mental health.

Background: No study has yet to simultaneously compare generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic disorder (PD), and social anxiety disorder (SAD) with respect to restingstate functional connectivity (rsFC) and anxiety symptom severity. Methods: We collected articles from PubMed, PsycINFO, and ScienceDirect and subjected articles to seven eligibility criteria to be considered for inclusion. Included articles were screened using the QUADAS-2 to assess article quality. Articles were also subjected to a forest plot, activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis, and a multiple regression to measure the effect of anxiety symptom severity and rsFC between conditions. We also subjected our sample to a funnel plot with Egger's test to determine publication bias. Results: Our initial search yielded 1022 studies. After eligibility criteria we retained 30 articles. Quality assessment indicated no major issues with bias or applicability. Our forest plot indicated that all conditions showed a robust effect on anxiety symptom severity when compared with controls. Our ALE meta-analysis showed convergent intranetwork rsFC within the default mode network (DMN) across conditions. Our multiple regression indicated that all conditions exhibited very strong correlations between DMN connectivity and anxiety symptom severity. Funnel plot and Egger's test indicated no presence of publication bias. Limitations: Our sample was limited by the following: No longitudinal data, no specific time series neuroimaging data, some biased demographic data, and the possibility that some studies might have been missed during review. Conclusion: GAD, PD, and SAD appear to exhibit increased intranetwork connectivity in the DMN which correlates with increased severity of anxiety symptoms.

We explored problematic smartphone use (PSU) using latent profile analysis (LPA) and relationships with anxiety variables, including severity of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) in a non-clinical sample. We conducted a web-based survey (during the COVID-19 pandemic from February to March 2020) with high school students (N = 1,797; 1,164 female; ages 13–19 years) in Tianjin, China, administering the Smartphone Addiction Scale-Short Version (SAS-SV) to assess PSU, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) Scale, Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS), and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO) Scale. Using Mplus 8.7, we conducted LPA on SAS-SV item responses to uncover latent profiles and relations with anxiety and fear measures. A three-profile PSU model fit the data according to fit indices and likelihood ratio tests. SAS-SV item responses were lowest in profile 1, moderate in profile 2, and most severe in profile 3. Individual PSU profiles modeled by LPA demonstrated significant differences in social and generalized anxiety severity and FoMO. Controlling for age and sex, adolescents with higher levels of anxiety were more likely to be classified as profiles 2 and 3 rather than profile 1. These findings will hopefully inspire future studies and treatments concerning the severity of PSU as it relates to various psychopathology constructs.

This study examines the mediating role of repetitive negative thinking in the relationship between generalized anxiety symptoms and life satisfaction. A web survey was administered to 857 participants (365 men) who filled out a sociodemographic questionnaire, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, the Persistent and Intrusive Negative Thoughts Scale, and the Satisfaction with Life Scale. Then, participants were divided into four groups according to levels of symptomatology. The results showed that scores for repetitive negative thinking increased due to the severity of generalized anxiety symptoms. For life satisfaction, individuals without generalized anxiety symptoms scored significantly higher than individuals with generalized anxiety symptoms. Furthermore, repetitive negative thinking mediates and explains over 54% of the relationship between generalized anxiety symptoms and life satisfaction when controlling for age, sex, clinical diagnosis, and current psychiatric medication. Overall, the current findings highlight the central role of repetitive negative thinking in the relationship between generalized anxiety symptoms and life satisfaction and reinforce a transdiagnostic process in the maintenance of anxiety symptomatology and well-being impairment.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common condition characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry, along with its high comorbidity rates. Despite increasing efforts to identify the neural underpinnings of GAD, neuroimaging research using cortical thickness have yielded largely inconsistent results. To address this, we adopted an inter-subject representational similarity analysis framework to explore a potential nonlinear relationship between vertex-wise cortical thickness and generalized anxiety symptom severity. We utilized a sample of 120 adolescents (13–18 years of age) from the Healthy Brain Network dataset. Here, we found greater topographical resemblance among participants with heightened generalized anxiety symptoms in the left caudal anterior cingulate and pericalcarine cortex. These results were not driven by the effects of age, sex, ADHD diagnosis, and GAD diagnosis. Such associations were not observed when including a group of younger participants (11–12 years of age) for analyses, highlighting the importance of age range selection when considering the link between cortical thickness and anxiety. Our findings reveal a novel cortical thickness topography that represents generalized anxiety in adolescents, which is embedded within the shared geometries between generalized anxiety symptoms and cortical thickness.

Rating scales are commonly used in psychological research and practice. It is important to consider how different item response options used on rating scales, such as those based on frequency or severity, may affect how they measure psychological constructs. In this study, participants were randomly assigned to conditions where they completed two depression and two generalized anxiety rating scales that used either frequency or severity item response options. Descriptive statistics and reliability estimates across depression and generalized anxiety scales using different item response options were similar. Measurement invariance tests indicated that depression and generalized anxiety scales with different item response options could be considered practically invariant. Finally, depression and generalized anxiety scales with different item response options had similar correlations with measures of impairment and other psychological constructs. There were essentially no differences in psychometric and measurement properties of these depression and generalized anxiety scales when using different item response options, suggesting this may not substantially affect the measurement of these constructs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The COVID‐19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C‐19ASS) is a reliable scale assessing dysfunctional coping strategies activated in response to COVID‐19 fear and threat. The present study aimed to provide a validation of the Arabic version of the C‐19ASS and to explore the association between the C‐19ASS and psychological symptoms syndrome. Method: In Study 1, a community sample of 404 participants completed the Arabic version of the C‐19ASS and results were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis. In Study 2, a community sample of 903 participants completed the Arabic version of the C‐19ASS and a series of measures assessing depressed mood and anhedonia, generalized anxiety and health anxiety. Internal consistency, construct validity and incremental validity were assessed. Associations between C‐19ASS and psychological symptoms were assessed. Results: Factor analysis identified a two‐factor solution (i.e., C‐19ASS‐Perseveration and C‐19ASS‐Avoidance), and confirmatory factor analysis suggested a two‐factor model best fits the data. The Arabic version of the C‐19ASS showed good internal consistency, good construct and incremental validity. COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome was associated with more severe anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms and health anxiety. Females had higher levels of COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome than males. Participants diagnosed with COVID‐19, and those who had experienced loss as a consequence of COVID‐19, had higher levels of COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome (Perseveration). Conclusions: The Arabic version of the C‐19ASS appears to be a reliable and valid measure of the COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome. The COVID‐19 anxiety syndrome could be a suitable therapeutic target to improve psychological recovery during the COVID‐19 pandemic among Arabs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]