psychotherapy

Conquer Relationship OCD Fears: Embrace Freedom and Peace of Mind

Relationship obsessive-compulsive disorder (ROCD) is a form of OCD where individuals have intrusive thoughts and compulsions related to their relationship. People with ROCD experience distressing doubts, anxiety, shame, or urgency. They respond by engaging in compulsive behaviours or mental acts to ease their distress and doubts. Practising exposure and response prevention enables effective coping and […]

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Changing Concepts: Anxiety and Depression

Source: Google NewsA study exploring “concept creep” suggests that, with increased mental health awareness following the COVID-19 pandemic, the concepts of “anxiety” and “depression” are broadening. The study found that these terms have taken on more severe connotations over time, perhaps due to links with illness-related terms such as “disorder” and “symptom.” While raising awareness is crucial, the study warns of potential risks of over-pathologizing everyday…

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Exploring the Link Between the Gut Microbiome and Anxiety

In 2022, Caltech researchers discovered that a specific microbial metabolite called 4-ethylphenyl sulfate can increase anxiety in mice. They also found that transferring fecal microbiota from anxious mice to non-anxious mice caused the latter to become anxious. In addition, antibiotic treatment in mice, which affects the gut microbiome, has been shown to impact anxiety levels.

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Romanian Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS-II)

BackgroundThe Inventory of Depression and Anxiety Symptoms (IDAS-II) is a self-report measure comprising 99 items divided into 18 non-overlapping scales that allows for a dimensional assessment of depression, anxiety, and bipolar symptoms. The IDAS-II is currently available in English, Turkish, Spanish, German, and Swedish. This study’s major goal was to adapt and validate the IDAS-II to the Romanian population.MethodParticipants from a community sample (N = 1,072) completed the IDAS-II (Romanian version) and additional measures assessing depression and anxiety disorders.ResultsItem-level factor analyses validated the unidimensionality of the scales, and internal consistency results indicated that most symptom scales had satisfactory alpha coefficient values. Based on previous structural analyses, a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) on the IDAS-II scales confirmed a three-component model of “Distress,” “Obsessions/Fear,” and “Positive Mood.” Convergent and discriminant validity were established by correlational analyses with other symptom measures.LimitationsThis study was conducted using a sample from the general population and several of the employed measures have limitations. Specifically, the current study was unable to employ Romanian versions of the gold-standard instruments that assess well-being, obsessive–compulsive disorder, and claustrophobia.ConclusionThe IDAS-II (Romanian version) is the first clinical measure to assess internalizing dimensions of the Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology (HiTOP) model that is available for the Romanian population.

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Concept Creep: How Our Concepts of Anxiety and Depression Are Changing

A study exploring “concept creep” suggests that, with increased mental health awareness following the COVID-19 pandemic, the concepts of “anxiety” and “depression” are broadening. The study revealed that, contrary to expectations of less emotionally intense use, these terms have taken on more severe connotations over the past five decades.

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