No description available.

No description available.

Panic disorder (PD) and claustrophobia are commonly co-occurring anxiety disorders associated with high distress and impairment. Interoceptive exposure (IE; exposure focused on anxiety about somatic sensations) is a well-established component of treatments for PD, but little is known about the specificity of its effects or individual response patterns resulting from this intervention. This study investigated the utility of IE in the treatment of PD with claustrophobia, examining its mechanisms in isolation and in combination with more traditional exposure to phobic situations (situational exposure). Ten adults with PD and claustrophobia (aged 23-74, 30% female) were treated with a flexible single-case experimental approach. Participants received up to 6 sessions of IE exercises (e.g., running in place to build tolerance to racing heart). Nonresponders received up to 6 additional sessions of IE combined with situational exposure entailing entering a closet to induce claustrophobia. Hypotheses included: 1) Reductions in somatic anxiety coinciding with the introduction of IE; 2) Reductions in agoraphobic symptoms coinciding with the introduction of situational exposure for initial nonresponders; 3) Habituation to both interventions whereby distress and participants’ expectancy of the most feared outcome (e.g., fainting) would decrease, and fear tolerance would increase, with improvements maintained at retest. Four participants experienced a clinically significant reduction in somatic anxiety coinciding with IE as predicted; three other participants improved following the addition of situational exposure. One aspect of agoraphobic anxiety – willingness to enter enclosed spaces – generally improved only after combined exposure, as predicted. Both IE and combined exposure elicited habituation whereby distress and expectancies of feared outcomes decreased and fear tolerance increased, supporting hypotheses. All improvements were maintained at retest. Ideographic analysis suggested that IE can rapidly change beliefs about somatic sensations and lead to distress habituation, but has variable immediate effects on overall somatic anxiety and does not reliably reduce related symptom sets (e.g., agoraphobia). IE appeared more helpful to participants who were fearful of the physical consequences of somatic sensations (e.g., heart attack) vs. other consequences (e.g., embarrassment). The observed variability in response to IE and combined exposure suggests a need for individualized implementation of treatments in PD with claustrophobia.

No description available.

Acute medical events and health-related stressors are complex life events, impacting both body and mind, challenging one’s concept of physical safety, and requiring ongoing psychological adaptation and adjustment. Anxiety sensitivity is an established transdiagnostic risk factor for mental illness; in the context of health-related stressors, physical anxiety sensitivity, or the tendency to interpret somatic sensations as catastrophic and threatening cues, may represent a meaningful mechanism informing longitudinal psychological adjustment and clinical course. This dissertation examines physical anxiety sensitivity and other key mechanisms influencing psychological adjustment following acute health-related events with three empirical studies. Study 1 sheds light on the role of perceived threat and heightened interoceptive threat bias in the development of posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms following a suspected acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Studies 2 and 3 share a common computational approach, latent growth mixture modeling (LGMM), allowing for the mapping of trajectory classes of psychological adjustment and highlighting distinct symptom profiles. Using LGGM, Study 2 investigates the role of peritraumatic threat and ongoing cardiac-related anxiety sensitivity on the clinical course of PTS, identifying trajectories of psychological adjustment in the 12-months following a suspected ACS. Study 3 seeks to apply these findings within the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, exploring the impact of worry and physical anxiety sensitivity on trajectories of depression and anxiety during the first 12-months of the pandemic. Together, these studies provide valuable insights into the naturalistic, heterogeneous course of psychological adjustment to health-related stressors, with particular attention to physical anxiety sensitivity as a potent mechanism driving symptom patterns over time.

Little to no research has evaluated factors that explain the manifestation and maintenance of bipolar disorder-anxiety disorder (BD-AD) comorbidity. The literature has shown that disruption of social and circadian rhythms is associated with mood episode onset. This association is especially pronounced among individuals who have a sensitive behavioral approach system (BAS). Inasmuch as anxiety sensitivity and trait anxiety have been associated both with BD and social rhythm disruption, it is worth examining whether anxiety sensitivity and trait anxiety confer risk for mood episode onset. The aims of this project were to: 1) evaluate trait anxiety and anxiety sensitivity as predictors of social rhythm disruption and BD-AD comorbidity, 2) examine social rhythm disruption (SRD) as a mediator of the association between trait anxiety and anxiety sensitivity and BD-AD comorbidity status, and 3) explore behavioral approach system sensitivity in these processes as contributing to the vulnerability to BD-AD comorbidity. A sample of 156 young adults participated in a multi-wave study in which they completed diagnostic interviews, symptom measures, and life event interviews which assessed the occurrence of positive and negative life events and the degree of SRD following these events every six months. Partial support for the hypotheses was found. Initial anxiety sensitivity, but not trait anxiety, positively predicted SRD for rewarding life events and follow-up bipolar symptoms. Additionally, SRD following positive life events predicted increases in depressive symptoms, but not hypomanic symptoms. SRD mediated the relationship between anxiety sensitivity and depressive symptoms. Furthermore, this relationship was stronger for healthy controls than for those with a bipolar disorder (BD) diagnosis or at-risk for developing BD. Moreover, individuals with a comorbid BD-AD diagnosis tended to have greater social rhythm disruption following negative life events than BD only or healthy individuals. Unexpectedly, individuals with comorbid BD-AD did not exhibit greater anxiety sensitivity or trait anxiety. Overall, the results suggest that anxiety sensitivity is a factor that may help to identify individuals who are vulnerable to bipolar symptoms. Furthermore, SRD is a mechanism that may partially explain this relationship. / Psychology

No description available.

Bakgrund: Ångestsyndrom är vanligt bland befolkningen i Europa och prevalensen ökar. Lidandet för den drabbade individen och belastningen på samhällsekonomin är påtaglig. Fysisk inaktivitet är en av flera riskfaktorer till ångest, vilket innebär att fysisk träning kan vara ett kostnadseffektivt behandlingsalternativ med låg risk för biverkningar. Syfte: Syftet med litteraturstudien var att undersöka effekten av fysisk träning för att minska ångest. Metod: Litteraturstudien innefattar åtta kvantitativa studier som granskades, analyserades och sammanställdes. Sökningar genomfördes i fyra databaser och valda artiklar kvalitetsgranskades. Samtliga studier har använt beprövade mätinstrument för ångest och mätningar gjordes pre-intervention, under intervention samt post- intervention. Resultat: Fysisk träning ger ångestreducerande effekt. Samtliga studier visade en signifikant förändring av ångest från baslinje till slut och fem studier visade även en signifikant förändring för fysisk träning jämfört med en kontrollgrupp. Konklusion: Fysisk träning är en effektiv behandling för personer med ångest och hög ångestkänslighet utan större risk för biverkningar, det är kostnadseffektivt och har flera fördelar då fysisk träning även leder till bättre hälsa. / Background: Anxiety disorders are common among the European population and the proportion of affected increase. The affected individual is suffering, and the economic burden in the society is great. Physical inactivity is a risk factor for anxiety indicating that exercise is a cost-efficient treatment with low risk of side effects. Aim: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of physical exercise to reduce anxiety. Methods: This literature study contains eight quantitative studies that have been reviewed, analyzed and compiled. Searches were made in four databases and the studies were quality analyzed. All of these studies have used well known instruments to measure anxiety. Measures have been made pre-intervention, during intervention and post-intervention. Results: Physical exercise leads to an anxiety reduction. All of the studies showed a significant change in anxiety from baseline to post-intervention and five studies also showed a significant change for physical exercise in comparison to a control group. Conclusion: Physical exercise is an effective treatment for those suffering from anxiety and anxiety sensitivity with a low risk of side effects, it is cost-efficient and have many benefits due to the fact that physical exercise also leads to a better health.

Thesis (MA)--Stellenbosch University, 2015 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT : The present study is a first follow-up assessment by means of parent and teacher reports in a cohort study conducted by Wege (2014). The study examined the long-term relationship between anxiety symptoms and behavioural inhibition in young South African children with the inclusion of parental overprotection as a moderator variable. The aims of the study were to determine whether the relationship between the anxiety symptoms and behavioural inhibition profiles of the 2012 cohort of young South African children changed within a one year follow-up period, while simultaneously assessing the role of parental overprotection. Parent and teacher reports included a Biographical Questionnaire for Parents, the Behavioural Inhibition Questionnaire, the Revised Preschool Anxiety Scale, and, the Parental Overprotection Measure. A total of 59 children of who 25 were female and 34 male were reported on. They were 3 years old (n = 3), 4 years old (n = 16), 5 years old (n = 22), 6 years old (n = 14) and 7 years old (n = 4). In keeping with previous findings, a positive correlation remained between anxiety symptoms and behavioural inhibition, even after one year. The moderating effect of parental overprotection was less strong than predicted. Nonetheless, a non-significant trend in the hypothesised direction was found: the relationship between behavioural inhibition and anxiety was strongest when simultaneously there were high levels of parental overprotection. The only significant difference found between scores of the initial study and that of the present research was that parents reported significantly lower levels of behavioural inhibition at the one year follow-up. Although at a non-significant level, both parent and teacher reports of anxiety indicated higher levels of anxiety at the year follow-up. Results need to be interpreted with caution in view of the smaller number of participants in the cohort study. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die huidige studie is deur middel van ouer- en onderwyserverslae gedoen en is ʼn eerste opvolgassessering van ʼn kohortstudie deur Wege (2014). Die langtermynverband tussen angssimptome en gedraginhibisie by jong Suid-Afrikaanse kinders is ondersoek en oorbeskerming deur ouers is ingesluit as moderatorveranderlike. Die doelwitte van die studie was om deur middel van ouer- en onderwyserverslae te bepaal of die verband tussen die angssimptome en gedraginhibisieprofiele van die 2012-kohort jong Suid-Afrikaanse kinders verander het oor die verloop van een jaar. Terselfdertyd is die rol van oorbeskerming deur ouers bepaal. Die ouer- en onderwyserverslae wat gebruik is, was die Biographical Questionnaire for Parents, die Behavioural Inhibition Questionnaire, die Revised Preschool Anxiety Scale, en die Parental Overprotection Measure. Altesaam 59 kinders van wie 25 meisies en 34 seuns was, het aan die studie deelgeneem. Hulle was 3 jaar oud (n = 3), 4 jaar oud (n = 16), 5 jaar oud (n = 22), 6 jaar oud (n = 14) en 7 jaar oud (n = 4). In ooreenstemming met vorige bevindings was daar selfs ’n jaar later ʼn positiewe korrelasie tussen angssimptome en gedraginhibisie. Die temperende effek van oorbeskerming deur ouers was minder as wat voorspel is. Nogtans is ʼn onbeduidende neiging in die rigting van die gestelde hipotese gevind: die verhouding tussen gedraginhibisie en angs was die sterkste wanneer daar terselfdertyd ʼn hoë vlak van oorbeskerming deur die ouers was. Die enigste beduidende verskil tussen tellings van die aanvanklike studie en dié van die huidige studie was dat die ouers met die opvolg ʼn jaar later beduidend laer vlakke van gedraginhibisie gerapporteer het. Hoewel onbeduidend, het beide die ouers en die onderwysers hoër vlakke van angs gerapporteer tydens die opvolgondersoek. Weens die klein aantal deelnemers behoort die resultate met omsigtigheid geïnterpreteer te word.

Research suggests that non-medical prescription drug (NMPD) use is becoming increasingly prevalent, particularly among adolescents. A critical step towards developing effective intervention efforts requires identifying adolescents who are at risk for NMPD use. An extensive literature suggests that both adolescents and adults with elevated anxiety sensitivity (AS) are at greater risk for problematic substance use, and a small body of work has identified similar links with NMPD use specifically among adults. However, most of this literature combines all prescription drugs into a single category, and no work has evaluated the relation between AS and NMPD use among adolescents. The current study endeavors to further this area of research by examining the relation between AS (overall and subscales) and NMPD use among adolescents. The project evaluated 276 adolescents (age 9-19 years) enrolled in a residential treatment program on level of AS, including sub-dimensions (i.e., cognitive, physical, and social), and NMPD use across three categories of drugs: analgesic (e.g., Vicodin®), anxiolytic (e.g., Xanax®), and stimulant (e.g., Adderall®). A series of logistic regression models indicated that overall AS predicted nonmedical analgesic use, but not anxiolytic/sedative or stimulant use. A closer investigation of the AS subscales demonstrated that only the AS social subscale significantly predicted nonmedical analgesic and anxiolytic/sedative use. These results suggest that AS is related to NMPD use among adolescents, highlighting the need for future work to disaggregate the assessment of NMPD use into specific drug classes and explore the subscale dimensions of AS.