Social Anxiety Research

Transforming Psychotherapy Through Mindful Compassion: The Impact on Empathy, Symptomatology and Mechanisms of Change – Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Click here for the article published by Psychotherapy (APA journal). Recent years have seen an inspiring breakthrough in psychotherapy – mindfulness and compassion-based interventions (MCBI) can help clinicians to acquire essential skills and improve the relationships they have with patients. A new study reveals that after MCBI, therapists see an increase in psychotherapeutic mindfulness skills …

Transforming Psychotherapy Through Mindful Compassion: The Impact on Empathy, Symptomatology and Mechanisms of Change – Evidence from a Randomized Controlled Trial. Read More »

How Are People in Ukraine Coping Six Months into the War? A Study on Stress, Anxiety, and Depression.

Click here for the article published by Frontiers in Psychiatry. This study investigated the prevalence and predictors of mental health issues, specifically anxiety, depression, and stress, among 706 Ukrainians from different age groups and regions, both men and women, in the midst of the military conflict with Russia. The survey was conducted six months after …

How Are People in Ukraine Coping Six Months into the War? A Study on Stress, Anxiety, and Depression. Read More »

How Machine Learning Can Detect Social Anxiety Disorder? Using Connectivity and Graph Theory Measures Effectively!

Click here for the article published by Frontiers in Psychiatry. Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a serious concern for medical practitioners worldwide. Identifying its severity level (severe, moderate, mild, or none) can be challenging, which is why this paper proposes a solution. The researchers developed a method that classifies SAD severity levels using the patterns …

How Machine Learning Can Detect Social Anxiety Disorder? Using Connectivity and Graph Theory Measures Effectively! Read More »

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Discover How Interactive Art Exhibitions Can Boost Your Mood and Reduce Anxiety

Viewing interactive art online can improve our mood and reduce anxiety. People reported significant improvements in mood and anxiety after just a few minutes of viewing an interactive Monet Water Lily art exhibition from Google Arts and Culture. The study also found that individuals with high levels of aesthetic responsiveness benefit more from online art viewing.

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An Overview of Substance Use, Mood, and Anxiety Disorders in ADHD and Non-ADHD Adults

Publication date: Available online 5 May 2023Source: Neuroscience & Biobehavioral ReviewsAuthor(s): Catharina A. Hartman, Qi Chen, Berit Skretting Solberg, Ebba Du Rietz, Kari Klungsøyr, Samuele Cortese, Søren Dalsgaard, Jan Haavik, Marta Ribasés, Jeanette C. Mostert, Berit Libutzki, Sarah Kittel-Schneider, Bru Cormand, Melissa Vos, Henrik Larsson, Andreas Reif, Stephen V. Faraone, Alessio Bellato

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Get ready for the future of mental health research: Center for Global Mental Health Research Webinar Series 2023 – Finding the perfect treatment for the right people at the right time. Let’s promote stratification to boost Global Mental Health!

This webinar focuses on the value of stratification as a tool for driving transformative change in early interventions for people with anxiety, depression, and psychosis.

Brief self-affirmation intervention for adults with psoriasis for reducing anxiety and depression and boosting well-being: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial

Background
There are relatively few studies to address mental health implications of self-affirming, especially across groups experiencing a chronic health condition. In this study, short- and longer-term effects of a brief self-affirmation intervention framed in terms of implementation intentions (if-then plans with self-affirming cognitions; S-AII) were evaluated against an active control group (non-affirming implementation intentions; N-AII), matched to the target condition, and mere goal intention condition (a non-active control) in adults with psoriasis. The three pre-registered primary outcomes captured depression, anxiety, and well-being.

Methods
Adults with psoriasis (N = 175; Mage = 36.53, s.d. = 11.52) were randomized into S-AII, N-AII, or control. Participants’ mental health outcomes were assessed prior to randomization (at baseline), at week 2 (post-intervention), and at a 1-month follow-up.

Results
Linear mixed models were used and results were reported on the intention-to-treat principle. Analyses revealed that S-AII exerted significantly more improvement in the course of well-being (ds > 0.25), depressive symptoms (ds > −0.40), and anxiety (ds > −0.45) than the N-AII and control group at 2-week post-intervention. Though the differences between groups faded at 1-month follow-up, the within-group changes over time for S-AII in all mental health outcomes remained significant.

Conclusions
Brief and low-intensity S-AII intervention exerted in the short-term a considerable impact on mental health outcomes. The S-AII shows promising results as a relevant public mental health strategy for enhancing well-being and reducing psychological distress. Future studies could consider whether these effects can be further enhanced with booster interventions.

Condition openness is associated with better mental health in individuals with an intersex/differences of sex development condition: structural equation modeling of European multicenter data

Background
Openness on one’s health condition or (stigmatized) identity generally improves mental health. Intersex or differences of sex development (DSD) conditions have long been kept concealed and high levels of (internalizing) mental health problems are reported. This study examines the effects of condition openness on anxiety and depression and the role of mediating concepts in this population.

Methods
Cross-sectional data of individuals of 16 years and older with an intersex/DSD condition was collected in 14 specialized European clinics as part of the dsd-LIFE study. Patient-reported measures were taken on openness and shame (Coping with DSD), self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale), satisfaction with care (CSQ4), anxiety and depression (HADS). Scores were compared per clinical group and data were analyzed via structural equation modeling (SEM) to calculate prediction and mediation models.

Results
Data of 903 individuals were included in this study (Turner syndrome (n = 284), 46, XY DSD (n = 233), CAH (n = 206) and Klinefelter syndrome (n = 180)). Participants were moderately open on their condition. High levels of both anxiety and depression were observed across the sample. In SEM analysis, the tested models predicted 25% of openness, 31% of anxiety and 48% of depression. More condition openness directly predicted lower anxiety and depression symptoms, as well as indirectly through increased self-esteem, self-satisfaction and satisfaction with social support.

Conclusions
Condition openness is associated with lower anxiety and depression in individuals with an intersex/DSD condition. Healthcare may provide the necessary knowledge and skills to employ one’s optimal level of self-disclosure in order to improve mental health.

Prenatal maternal stress, child internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and the moderating role of parenting: findings from the Norwegian mother, father, and child cohort study

Background
Few studies have examined how parenting influences the associations between prenatal maternal stress and children’s mental health. The objectives of this study were to examine the sex-specific associations between prenatal maternal stress and child internalizing and externalizing symptoms, and to assess the moderating effects of parenting behaviors on these associations.

Methods
This study is based on 15 963 mother–child dyads from the Norwegian Mother, Father, and Child Cohort Study (MoBa). A broad measure of prenatal maternal stress was constructed using 41 self-reported items measured during pregnancy. Three parenting behaviors (positive parenting, inconsistent discipline, and positive involvement) were assessed by maternal report at child age 5 years. Child symptoms of internalizing and externalizing disorders (depression, anxiety, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, and oppositional-defiant disorder) were assessed by maternal report at age 8. Analyses were conducted using structural equation modeling techniques.

Results
Prenatal maternal stress was associated with child internalizing and externalizing symptoms at age 8; associations with externalizing symptoms differed by sex. Associations between prenatal maternal stress and child depression, and conduct disorder and oppositional-defiant disorder in males, became stronger as levels of inconsistent discipline increased. Associations between prenatal maternal stress and symptoms of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder in females were attenuated as levels of parental involvement increased.

Conclusions
This study confirms associations between prenatal maternal stress and children’s mental health outcomes, and demonstrates that these associations may be modified by parenting behaviors. Parenting may represent an important intervention target for improving mental health outcomes in children exposed to prenatal stress.

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