Thesis (doctoral)--La Salle University, 2005. / ProQuest dissertations and theses ; AAT 3227734 Includes bibliographical references (leaves 36-42)

M.A. (Clinical Psychology) / Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a form of psychopathology characterised by difficulties with hyperactivity, attention and behavioural inhibition. Although ADHD has been historically considered a disorder specific to children, the contemporary consensus among researchers is that, in some cases, ADHD may persist into adulthood. Neurologically, ADHD is associated with deficits in the executive functions, located in the frontal lobe. Cortical arousal, which refers to the level of neuronal activity in the cerebral cortex and is measurable using electroencephalograph machinery (EEGs), is usually lower in the frontal lobes in those with ADHD when compared to individuals without the disorder. With regards to anxiety disorders, which are dysfunctional variations in the normal fear response, the aetiology of the pathologies in this category are multifaceted and complex. At the neurological level, however, there is a clear link between anxiety disorders and hypervigilance, which is characterised by high cortical arousal in the frontal lobes. Despite the fact that, at face value, it seems impossible for an increase and decrease in cortical arousal to occur simultaneously, ADHD is often diagnosed alongside anxiety disorders, and it is this anomaly which is the focus of this study. Electroencephalograph machinery (EEGs) are able to measure levels of cortical arousal using electrodes placed on the scalp. This research employs this equipment in order to elucidate on how cortical arousal manifests during a task that demands significant involvement from the frontal areas of the brain. A quasi-xperimental research design using non-parametric statistics (Mann-Whitney U Test) was used in order to compare the levels of cortical arousal between 4 groups of 5 research participants with either ADHD, an anxiety disorder, comorbid ADHD and anxiety and no discernible psychopathology. The significant results found in this study point to the fact that, in cases where ADHD and anxiety disorders occur comorbidly, there is a possibility that the anxiety component enables an individual to achieve more pronounced levels of attention, concentration and focus than normal participants and those with ADHD alone...

Magister Artium (Psychology) - MA(Psych) / Bruxism is an oral parafunctional habit involving clenching and grinding of the teeth that occurs mainly unconsciously, diurnally and nocturnally. It is considered an important contributory factor in the aetiology of myofascial pain (MFP) and temporomandibular disorders (TMD). The aetiology of bruxism is considered to be multifactorial, involving physiological and psychological factors. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between the subthreshold symptoms (subtle, prodromal, atypical and subclinical symptoms of which the severity precludes diagnosis as a disorder) of anxiety and bruxism in a sample of subjects using a spectrum model. / South Africa

The current study examined whether variables that have been found to influence treatment outcome serve as mediators of a child and adolescent cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) anxiety program at multiple time points throughout the intervention. The study also examined mediating variables measured at multiple time points during treatment to determine the time lags necessary for changes in the mediator variable to translate into changes on treatment gains. Participants were 168 youth (ages 6 to 16 years; 54% males) and their mothers who presented to the Child Anxiety and Phobia Program (CAPP) at Florida International University (FIU). Overall, results indicate that the mediators at multiple time points influenced youth anxiety in a fluctuating manner, such that a decrease in skills at one given session caused changes in youth anxiety at a later session. This dynamic between the mediator and outcome may be reflective of the process of therapeutic change and suggests that skills gained from session to session took time to exert their effect on youth anxiety. The methodology employed helps to elucidate how variables mediate treatment outcome in youth anxiety disorders.

This systematic review aimed to compare acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) andcognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as a treatment for anxiety disorders by means of asystematic review of the existing literature. Studies were identified by searching thedatabases of PsycINFO and PubMed. RCT studies comparing CBT and ACT as treatmentsfor anxiety disorders were included in the study. Seven studies met the inclusions criteria. Allseven studies showed that both CBT and ACT significantly improved psychological health.No statistically significant differences between the two treatment modalities was evident. Theresults suggest that ACT can be used as a viable treatment for individuals suffering fromanxiety disorder. / Denna systematiska litteraturstudie ämnar jämföra Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) och Kognitiv beteendeterapi (KBT) för behandling av ångestsyndrom. RCT studier med avsikt att jämföra KBT och ACT som behandlingsintervention identifierades genomsökningar på databaserna PsycINFO och PubMed samt inkluderades i uppsatsen. Artikelsökningen resulterade i 7 studier som matchade inklusionskriterierna. Samtliga studier påvisade att KBT och ACT signifikant förbättrade deltagarnas psykiska hälsa. Dock så återfanns ingen signifikant skillnad i en gruppjämförelse mellan behandlingsinterventionerna. Resultatet från denna systematiska litteraturstudie visar på att det finns en medelhög till högvetenskaplig evidens som pekar på små till inga skillnader mellan ACT och KBT på ångestsyndrom. ACT kan potentiellt användas som en likvärdig alternativ till guldstandarden KBT för behandling av ångestrelaterad problematik.

Background: Emotion regulation has been identified as a major contributor to the development of psychopathology and, by extension, to understanding the positive effects of various psychotherapy mechanisms. Little work has been done, however, on the extent to which individual components of emotion regulation operate as prognostic factors in psychological treatment. Context sensitivity and reflective functioning are emerging as important aspects of adaptive emotion regulation capacity and may be related to a portion of patient therapy outcome when investigated as a patient characteristic. Design and Participants: A sample of 130 adults seeking treatment for depression and anxiety through a digital psychotherapy provider were recruited to participate. Individuals presenting with comorbid severe mental illness or psychosis, significant substance abuse concerns, active suicidal ideation, and active manic states were excluded from participation. Methods: Participants completed individual difference measures for Five-factor Personality, reflective functioning (i.e., Reflective Functioning Questionnaire; RFQ), and the context sensitivity (i.e., Context Sensitivity Index; CSI), and were followed over three months of psychotherapy. Clinical outcomes were measured with diagnosis-specific symptom measures such as the PHQ-9 for depression and the GAD-7 for anxiety at baseline and then every 3 weeks for the duration of treatment. Results: Participants reported significant improvement in depression and anxiety symptoms after three months of treatment (p < .001). CSI and RFQ scores were unassociated with baseline symptom severity. Certainty about others’ thoughts, an RFQ subscale, was inversely associated with outcome (p < .05). CSI scores were unassociated with treatment outcome at 3 months. Lack of insight, an RFQ subscale, significantly improved as a result of treatment when baseline symptoms were high (p < .05). Conclusions: Reflective functioning may be a promising patient characteristic for explaining a modest portion of treatment outcome. Lack of emotional insight improved meaningfully as a result of treatment for individuals with more severe depression and anxiety at baseline. Further research is needed to investigate aspects of emotion regulation as a route towards better understanding outcome in psychotherapy.

The common mental disorders (CMDs) which include non-psychotic depression and anxiety-related disorders aggregate mental illnesses commonly seen together without assuming clear diagnostic boundaries. Thus, it provides an excellent platform for a symptom-level investigation of common suffering in regions where the current Western-based diagnostic categories may not apply. This current study investigates the symptom networks of CMDs among adult primary care patients in India, using data from a clinical trial testing the effectiveness of a collaborative stepped-care intervention led by lay health counselors. Network modeling was used to investigate a) symptom centralities, b) boundaries between depression and anxiety-related disorders, and c) baseline differences in network configurations across gender, public versus private health care settings, and treatment response over one-year of follow-up. Intense anxiety/panic and fatigue were the most central symptoms overall. While panic and depressed mood were the most central in public health care settings, fatigue and depressed mood were most central in private settings. Overall, findings indicate central symptoms might differ across cultures and socioeconomic groups. To the knowledge of this current author, this is the first study investigating the symptom networks of CMDs among primary care patients in India.

Children with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) characterized by persistent shyness and anxiety in social or performance situation, exhibit social skills deficits. These deficits include difficulty initiating conversations, maintaining eye contact, and taking turns when speaking, which in turn leads to impairments in their daily interactions and development of peer relationships (Greco, 2005; Miers, 2010). Although there are many subjective assessments for treatment outcomes for children with SAD, in order to become more thorough and effective when assessing treatment outcomes, more objective measures of actual behaviors are needed. This study uses digital vocal analysis to examine vocal parameters associated with anxiety such as pitch and volume in children with SAD pre and post treatment. Measuring vocal parameters during role-play behavioral assessment tasks allowed us to examine whether the software was capable of detecting differences in vocal characteristics that are consistent with the clinical presentation of the disorder. Children with SAD showed differences in vocal characteristics pre to post treatment, in regards to pitch, pitch variability, volume, and volume variability. There were significant changes in volume pre to post treatment, however the changes in pitch, pitch variability, and volume variability were not significant. These results suggest that post SET-C treatment, certain vocal characteristics, (one of the social skills deficits exhibited by children with SAD) improved. Implications of the findings are discussed.

No description available.

Objective: This study examined whether overt and relational peer victimization were associated with the severity of Social Phobia (SoP) symptoms and whether frequent victimization was more common among youth with SoP as compared to youth with other anxiety disorders. In addition, the study examined whether self-esteem, peer beliefs, and emotional lability were linked to internalizing symptoms above and beyond overt and relational victimization severity. Method: Participants were 90 youth (47 boys, 43 girls; M age = 11.06 years; SD = 3.09) and their parents. Youth had been referred to an outpatient child and adolescent anxiety disorders clinic. Measures included (a) a semi-structured diagnostic interview, (b) youth self-report forms assessing peer victimization, anxiety, depressive symptoms, loneliness, and global self-worth, and (c) parent-report forms assessing anxiety and emotion regulation. Results: Results showed a concurrent positive association between peer victimization and self-reported social anxiety, with relational victimization providing unique information above and beyond overt victimization. Peer victimization was not associated with a specific diagnosis, but was related to multiple internalizing problems (negative beliefs about the peer group accounted for some of this relation). Conclusions: Peer victimization is important to assess for and consider in the treatment of childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders. Peer victimization is associated with social anxiety symptoms, and relational victimization, in particular, is associated with internalizing problems among youth with anxiety disorders. Victimization appears to be associated with symptomatology rather than diagnosis. / Psychology