This thesis explores affinities between the thinking of Søren Kierkegaard and the writers of five of the individual lament psalms. Those affinities between Kierkegaard and the writers of the psalms have two aspects: the subject and the approach to that subject. The main subject that both Kierkegaard and the writer of these psalms deal with is the issue of existential anxiety. This is angst which is rooted not in our upbringing but in our existence. Then there is an affinity between the approach of Kierkegaard and that of the writers of these psalms to the afore-mentioned anxiety. This thesis first clarifies the approach of Kierkegaard. It argues that the concepts of finitude and time encapsulate his approach to the issue of existential anxiety. Then, when these concepts are applied to the psalms, the present thesis shows how the texts come into focus in a way that has not been seen previously. In the final part of the thesis it is argued that at the centre of those affinities between Kierkegaard and the psalmists there is the concept of embodiment. The basis of this argument is that, for both the psalmists and Kierkegaard, a body-less personhood is meaningless. The essence of being human is not mental or even spiritual – it is physical.

Adults with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) experience elevated levels of anxiety and worry compared to neurotypical people. However, there is a dearth of extant research on effective interventions for comorbid anxiety and worry in this population. Mindfulness, which is often defined as paying attention to the present moment in a nonjudgmental manner, has been shown to be a propitious treatment for anxiety, worry, and other psychological ailments in neurotypical people. However, in a relatively new area of study, evidence has been growing which suggests mindfulness can also be effective in helping people with ASD cope with anxiety and worry. The current study had two major aims: 1) to see if a group of high functioning young adults with ASD (n=23) had inherently less dispositional mindfulness abilities than a neurotypical group (n=22) and 2) to see if mindfulness affected trait anxiety and worry differently for the ASD group than for the control group. Results suggested that adults with ASD were less able than neurotypical adults to effectively label and describe their internal experiences, to act with awareness in the present moment, and to allow aversive inner experiences to come and go without struggle. The results also suggested that the one powerful predictor of anxiety and worry in people with ASD was nonreactivity to inner experiences. However, there were three salient predictors of anxiety for neurotypical people: nonreactivity to inner experience, acting with awareness in the present moment, and nonjudging of thoughts and feelings. In the current study, none of the mindfulness facets predicted less worry in the neurotypical group. These results have implications for the development and implementation of mindfulness interventions to more effectively treat anxiety and worry in people with ASD.

Background: Anxiety is one of the mood symptoms experienced by menopausal women; however, anxiety symptoms during menopause have received little attention in the literature despite the potential impact on quality of life. Many of the tools used to evaluate and measure anxiety associated with menopause assume that menopausal anxiety shares similar criteria as anxiety disorders and this may not be entirely true. There are very few studies that have assessed anxiety in the context of menopause leaving the concept of menopausal anxiety not well defined and raising the question: Is menopausal anxiety a unique and distinctly different syndrome? The purpose of this study was to explore and gain an in-depth understanding of the experience of anxiety in menopausal women. Methods: Twenty menopausal women were recruited for this qualitative study to explore the experience of anxiety in menopause. Through the use of a semi-structured interview using open-ended questions, participants were asked to share their experience with anxiety that was new or different with the onset of menopause. Interviews were audio recorded by the researcher and lasted approximately 30 - 60 minutes. Participants described their experience with anxiety and discussed how the anxiety is different in menopause. Results: Emergent themes revealed that anxiety in menopause is a unique and individual experience. The substantial variation in the onset, timing and severity of the symptoms made it impossible to construct a uniform and consistent definition of the experience. Participants discussed their preferences for management which included non-pharmacologic, lifestyle, relaxation based interventions. Conclusions: This research supports the existence of a unique and individualized experience of anxiety in menopause. A better understanding of the experience and patient preferences will assist healthcare providers in developing individualized treatment options aimed at improving quality of life.

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No description available.

Abstract not available

The aim of this study was to evaluate the behavioural effects of inhaled bergamot, geranium and a combination of these oils in three novelty evoked tests of anxiety. Sixty adult Hooded Rats (Rattus norvegicus), with 10 rats randomly assigned to one of the 6 test groups; three essential oil treated groups, and three control groups. The essential oil groups consisted of bergamot, geranium and a combined group, i.e. the combination of bergamot and geranium oil. The control groups consisted of the odour and vehicle control, with the anxiolytic drug diazepam as a positive control. The behaviour of rats was assessed on the elevate-plus maze, open-field and social interaction test. Diazepam increased open arm entries and the time spent in the open arms, decreased time spent in closed arms and increased the number of head-dips and unprotected stretch-attends in the EPM. In the open-field diazepam increased immobility time, decreased ambulation, increased grooming activity and reduced the amount of time spent exploring the arena. Similarly, diazepam decreased the frequency of separations, sniffs, follows, crawls, passive and active interactions with test partners in the social interaction test. Bergamot, geranium and the combination of the two oils increased total arm entries in the elevated-plus maze. Bergamot increased locomotion and exploratory behaviour in open-field and decreased contact latency and increased passive and active interaction between the rat pairs in the social interaction test. Geranium decrease immobility and increase the time spent rearing in the open-field and also increased active interaction, i.e. partner sniffing and decreased the amount of time the rat pairs spent apart in the social interaction test. The combination of bergamot and geranium oil increased locomotion and the time spent in Zone2, and also increased exploratory behaviour, i.e. the frequency and duration of rears in the open-field. In the social interaction test, contact latency was shortened and active and passive interactions between rat pairs were increased by the combination of essential oils. The present study established that bergamot, geranium, and the combination of the two oils had a stimulating effect in the elevated-plus maze and an anxiolytic effect in the open-field and social interaction tests when inhaled. Furthermore the study also demonstrated that the combining of the oils had a potentiating effect on the anxiolytic properties of the single oils.

Thesis (M.A.)--Georgia State University, 2007. / Title from file title page. Page Anderson, committee chair; Rod Watts, Leslie Jackson, committee members. Electronic text (101 p. : ill. (some col.)) : digital, PDF file. Description based on contents viewed Dec. 5, 2007. Includes bibliographical references (p. 76-85).

Thesis (M. Div.)--Grace Theological Seminary, 1986. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 46-48).

Thesis (doctoral)--University of Tartu, 2006. / Thesis based on three papers.