Anxiety Research

A laugh a day keeps the doctor away?

The former director of psychology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital says laughter has a lot going for it. It makes us feel good, brings people closer together, lightens a workplace, and even, Dattilo has found in her practice, helps those with depression manage their condition. “Health care is expensive,” said Dattilo, an instructor of psychology

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Surgical patients addicted to cannabis face greater post-op risks

Surgical patients with cannabis use disorder were linked with higher odds of a 30-day hospital readmission, compared to patients who did not use cannabis, according to a first-of-its-kind study led by anesthesiologists at Harvard-affiliated Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. Researchers found that patients with a diagnosed cannabis use disorder more often required advanced postprocedural health

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Patients with Long COVID May Have Lower Levels of Brain Oxygen

Source: United Press International – Health News People who have long COVID—lingering symptoms after a COVID-19 infection—may also have lower oxygen levels in the brain, cognitive problems, and psychiatric troubles such as anxiety and depression, according to a pair of new studies. The results on brain oxygen are important, said lead author Dr. Peter Hall,

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Patients’ experiences of being “ghosted” by their psychotherapists.

Psychotherapy, Vol 59(4), Dec 2022, 545-553; doi:10.1037/pst0000454 Psychotherapist ghosting is a type of inappropriate, therapist-initiated termination of treatment in which the therapist ceases communication with their patient without prior notice. A total of 77 patients (M age = 34) who reported being ghosted by their therapist completed a web-based therapist ghosting survey (TGS) that assessed

Patients’ experiences of being “ghosted” by their psychotherapists. Read More »

Talking about climate change and eco-anxiety in psychotherapy: A qualitative analysis of patients’ experiences.

Psychotherapy, Vol 59(4), Dec 2022, 606-615; doi:10.1037/pst0000449 Citizens’ worries about climate change are often realistic and legitimate. Simultaneously, these worries can also become a source of distress so severe as to impair everyday functioning and prompt someone to seek psychotherapy. These emergent phenomena are often referred to as “climate anxiety” or “climate depression” by the

Talking about climate change and eco-anxiety in psychotherapy: A qualitative analysis of patients’ experiences. Read More »

Disaggregating between- and within-patient effects of ruptures and resolutions on the therapeutic alliance and symptom severity.

Psychotherapy, Vol 59(4), Dec 2022, 567-571; doi:10.1037/pst0000457 The therapeutic alliance is considered a robust predictor of psychotherapy outcome. Ruptures and resolutions in the alliance have been the focus of recent alliance literature. Most previous studies investigated their between-patient effects. We used hierarchical linear models to disaggregate the between- and within-patient effects of ruptures on the

Disaggregating between- and within-patient effects of ruptures and resolutions on the therapeutic alliance and symptom severity. Read More »

Dementia-Related Behaviors Before, During, and After the Pandemic

Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD), including depression, anxiety, and psychosis, are ubiquitous among people living with dementia and agnostic to the etiology and stage of illness. Behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia are associated with poor outcomes for people living with dementia, including reduced quality of life, increased health care use, and nursing home placement as well as worsened caregiver outcomes, including loss of income and employment, increased time providing care, and heightened risk for depression and stress.

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Effectiveness of cognitive analytic therapy for mixed anxiety and depression in the context of borderline traits: A quasi-experimental single case design evaluation.

Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, Vol 33(1), Mar 2023, 34-46; doi:10.1037/int0000281 The evidence base for the use of cognitive analytic therapy (CAT) as a short-term, integrative, and relational psychotherapy for anxiety and depression is building. This study contributes by intensively studying change in two types of quantitative outcomes (ideographic and nomothetic) over treatment time. The study

Effectiveness of cognitive analytic therapy for mixed anxiety and depression in the context of borderline traits: A quasi-experimental single case design evaluation. Read More »