Cramped, Tired and Painful Hearts

Austerity and Protest: Debates and Challenges, (Marco Giugni and Maria Grasso) PART I: AUSTERITY, ECONOMIC GRIEVANCES, AND PROTEST POLITICS 1. Political Mobilization in Times of Crises: The Relationship between Economic and Political Crises, (Hanspeter Kriesi) 2. At the Ballot Boxes or in the Streets and Factories: Economic Contention in the Visegrad Group, (Ondrej Cisar and Jiri Navratil) PART II: SOCIAL BASES OF PROTEST IN TIMES OF AUSTERITY 3. Are Anti-Austerity Movements 'Old' or 'New'?, (Maria Grasso and Marco Giugni) 4. Does Class Matter in Protests? Social Class, Attitudes towards Inequality, and Political Trust in European Demonstrations in a Time of Economic Crisis, (Anders Hylmo and Magnus Wennerhag) PART III: PERCEIVED EFFECTIVENESS AND PARTICIPATION 5. Bridging the Protest Macro-Micro Gap: Investigating the Link between Motivations, Political Efficacy and Political Context, (Pauline Ketelaars) 6. Trust and Efficacy Taking to the Streets in Times of Crisis: Variation among Activists, (Massimiliano Andretta, Lorenzo Bosi, and Donatella della Porta) PART IV: COLLECTIVE INTERESTS AND SOLIDARITY 7. Beneficiary and Conscience Constituencies: On Interests and Solidarity, (Bert Klandermans, Jacquelien van Stekelenburg, and Marie-Louise Damen) 8. Anti-Cuts Protests in the UK: Are We Really All in This Together?, (Clare Saunders, Silke Roth, and Cristiana Olcese) PART V: AUSTERITY, PROTEST, AND THE LABOR MARKET 9. A Tale of Two Crises: Contentious Responses to Anti-Austerity Policy in Spain, (Camilo Cristancho) 10. Feelings of Hardship and Anxiety for Contentious Politics: Economic Crisis and the Unemployed Youth in France, (Manlio Cinalli and Pavlos Vasilopoulos) Austerity and Protest: Lessons and Future Research, (Marco Giugni and Maria Grasso)

This study explores pregnant women’s and healthcare providers’ perspectives on the role of patient-provider communication in experiences of antenatal anxiety within a low-resource setting. In 2017–18, we consecutively sampled pregnant women (n = 19) with at least mild anxiety and purposively sampled antenatal care providers (n = 10) from a public hospital in Punjab Province, Pakistan. We then conducted in-depth interviews and thematically coded them with a combination of inductive and deductive coding methodologies. We found that patients expressed a desire for warm, empathetic communication from providers who demonstrate respect, attentiveness, and a shared lived experience. Providers revealed an awareness that their heavy caseloads, high stress levels, and discourteous tones adversely influenced communication with pregnant women and may exacerbate their anxieties, but also reported that compassionately addressing women’s concerns, providing financial problem-solving and/or assistance, and moderating conflicting healthcare desires between patients and their families could alleviate anxiety in pregnant women. Patients reported feelings of anxiety stemming from a belief that they received lower quality communication from antenatal providers at public hospitals than patients received from antenatal providers at private hospitals, an experience that they partially attributed to their low socioeconomic status. Meanwhile, some providers disclosed potentially stigmatizing views of women from particular sociocultural backgrounds or low socioeconomic status, including perceptions that appeared to shape communication with these patients in antenatal care encounters. Our findings provide preliminary evidence that communication between pregnant women and antenatal providers that is warm, normalizes patient fears, and integrates patients’ interpersonal and financial considerations can mitigate pregnant women’s experiences of anxiety and reduce barriers to accessing antenatal care in Pakistan’s public healthcare facilities.

OBJECTIVE:Perinatal anxiety is a prevalent mental health issue with implications for the well-being of women and their children. There is a scarcity of research that considers perinatal anxiety as a standalone mental health issue or explores the lived experiences of women with perinatal anxiety.METHODS:In-depth interviews were carried out with nine mothers who had a lived experience of perinatal anxiety. The women were recruited from South East Queensland, Australia, and were either pregnant and/or parenting a child under the age of five. Data from the interviews were analyzed through a process of thematic analysis to identify key themes in the lived experiences of anxious mothers. Critical feminist theory informed all the aspects of the study.RESULTS:Analysis of the data revealed four key themes: Good Motherhood, Warning Signs, Mental Health Literacy, and Strengths and Support, and seven subthemes: The Birthing Experience, Irritable Infants, Sleep, Breastfeeding, Social Isolation, Barriers to Help Seeking, and Social Roles. Anxiety was found to complicate the experience of motherhood, with the pressure to present as a “good mother” resulting in a reluctance to seek help. Experiences such as birthing, feeding, and sleeping were risk factors for triggering or exacerbating anxiety. Experiences of perinatal anxiety were further complicated by poor mental health literacy and inconsistencies in the care provided by health professionals. Anxious mothers expressed a need for holistic, multidisciplinary mental healthcare, with residential options during times of struggle or crisis.CONCLUSION:Findings reveal the complex context of motherhood and mental illness and identify barriers and opportunities for the multidisciplinary mental healthcare of anxious mothers. A holistic, multidisciplinary response to perinatal anxiety is recommended.

BackgroundThe prevalence of burnout and anxiety is constantly increasing among health profession students worldwide. This study evaluates the prevalence of burnout and its relationship to anxiety and empathy during the COVID-19 pandemic among health profession students in the main governmental institution in Doha, Qatar using validated instruments.MethodsA cross-sectional survey of health profession students using validated instruments was employed. The Maslach Burnout Inventory-General Students Survey (MBI-GS(S)) to measure burnout; The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) to measure anxiety; and Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) to measure empathy were utilized. Descriptive statistics and multivariable linear regression were used.ResultsOf the 1268 eligible students, 272 (21.5%) completed the online survey. Burnout was found to be prevalent amongst the students. The mean scores for the MBI-GS(S) subscales of emotional exhaustion, cynicism, and professional efficacy were 4.07, 2.63, and 3.97, respectively. Anxiety was found to be a strong predictor for burnout and burnout was positively associated with empathy.ConclusionsFindings from this study demonstrated relationships between health profession students’ burnout, anxiety, and empathy. These findings might have an impact on the development of curriculum interventions to enhance student well-being. More burnout awareness and management programs that cater to the specific needs of health profession students are needed. Furthermore, findings of this study may have implications for future educational interventions during times of crisis or how this can be used to improve student experiences in normal times.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic and its prevention and control measures, such as social distancing, self-isolation, and quarantine, have a negative impact on the population’s mental health. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and stress among the general population during the outbreak of COVID-19 and assess their associated factors.MethodsWe carried out a cross-sectional study in Erbil governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan Region, from July 18 to September 12, 2020. We used an online survey questionnaire to collect data from a sample of Erbil population. The 10-items Perceived Stress Scale and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale were used to measure the levels of stress and anxiety.ResultsA total of 851 persons responded to the survey. The prevalence of moderate and high perceived stress was 59.6% and 16.6%, respectively. The prevalence of moderate and severe anxiety was 24.7% and 22.7%, respectively. Age, gender, economic level, having contact with COVID-19 patients, and following COVID-19 news were independent variables significantly associated with stress levels. Age, gender, economic level, employment status, having symptoms of COVID-19, having contact with COVID-19 patients, and following COVID-19 news were independent variables significantly associated with anxiety levels.ConclusionA high proportion of people experienced stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Females, younger age, poor, and unemployed reported significantly higher stress and anxiety levels. There is a need to establish mechanisms at the population level to decrease the stress and anxiety risks and provide mental health coping measures in times of crisis, such as education about positive thinking, stress management programs, and the role of social support.

Recent studies since 2020 on the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic suggest that the older adult population, perceived to be more vulnerable, have displayed greater resilience amidst the pandemic than the younger counterparts. This study investigates the impact of the pandemic on the psychological well-being of Catholic older adults in Malaysia and seeks to identify their religious coping strategies. Using a phenomenological multiple case study approach, data was collected between September 2020 and January 2021 through semi-structured interviews with nine Catholic older adults from urban and semi-urban areas in Malaysia. Findings reveal that respondents experienced stress, fear, anxiety, isolation and anger during this pandemic due to the deprivation of face-to-face familial, spiritual, pastoral and communal engagement. However, they were able to reframe their paradigms and relied heavily on positive religious coping strategies to help them develop more optimism, flexibility, empathy and life satisfaction. The study found that the Catholic older adults did not resort to any negative religious coping strategies in the midst of their challenges. This study highlights the role of religion in improving the psychological well-being of older adults in times of crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic and its prevention and control measures, such as social distancing, self-isolation, and quarantine, have a negative impact on the population's mental health. This study aimed to determine the prevalence of anxiety and stress among the general population during the outbreak of COVID-19 and assess their associated factors. We carried out a cross-sectional study in Erbil governorate, Iraqi Kurdistan Region, from July 18 to September 12, 2020. We used an online survey questionnaire to collect data from a sample of Erbil population. The 10-items Perceived Stress Scale and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale were used to measure the levels of stress and anxiety. A total of 851 persons responded to the survey. The prevalence of moderate and high perceived stress was 59.6% and 16.6%, respectively. The prevalence of moderate and severe anxiety was 24.7% and 22.7%, respectively. Age, gender, economic level, having contact with COVID-19 patients, and following COVID-19 news were independent variables significantly associated with stress levels. Age, gender, economic level, employment status, having symptoms of COVID-19, having contact with COVID-19 patients, and following COVID-19 news were independent variables significantly associated with anxiety levels. A high proportion of people experienced stress and anxiety during the COVID-19 outbreak in Erbil, Iraqi Kurdistan Region. Females, younger age, poor, and unemployed reported significantly higher stress and anxiety levels. There is a need to establish mechanisms at the population level to decrease the stress and anxiety risks and provide mental health coping measures in times of crisis, such as education about positive thinking, stress management programs, and the role of social support.

Undergraduate student nurses' lived experiences of anxiety during their first clinical practicum: A phenomenological study

The rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus challenges the entire world tremendously. Yet, little research has been done in Germany on the behavior of the population in such times of crisis. In the present study (N = 320), several effects on experience and behavior within the COVID-19 pandemic were investigated in an online study: frustration of needs, social isolation, feelings of anxiety and stress, adherence to conspiracy mentality, increased alcohol consumption, and Dark Triad characteristics. In addition, self-constructed scales were used to examine one's own change in criminality tendency (SEKT-S) since the beginning of the crisis, as well as the approval of criminality tendencies in other persons (SEKT-A). Both scales were found to be highly reliable. Although a suitable fit could be found in the measurement models, a factorial structure could not be identified. High scores on the factors frustration of needs, adherence to conspiracy mentality, alcohol consumption and the dark triad turned out to be suitable predictors of criminality tendency. The Dark Triad factor represented a moderator in the relationship between need frustration and self-related crime tendency. Due to the heterogeneity of the sample studied, the results can be generalized well. We discuss the limitations of our own study and possible further research on crime in times of crisis.

Objective: To explore women’s experience of anxiety in pregnancy and views on the use of anxiety instruments in antenatal care.Background: Anxiety in pregnancy is associated with adverse birth outcomes, developmental and behavioural problems in infants and postnatal depression. Despite recommendations for routine psychological assessment in pregnancy, the optimal methods to identify anxiety in pregnancy have not been confirmed.Methods: A qualitative study using two focus group discussions was undertaken. Focus group one included women in a community setting and focus group two included women in a hospital clinic setting who had received additional support for anxiety in pregnancy. Participants were women who had given birth within the past nine months and considered themselves to have been anxious during their pregnancy.Results: Three main themes were identified using template analysis: sources of support, administration of anxiety instruments and the use of instruments to prompt discussion. Women stated that anxiety instruments could help them to identify their anxious feelings and prompt a discussion around those feelings. However, they expressed concerns surrounding the administration of anxiety instruments and questioned how useful they would be in helping women access help and support.Conclusions: The introduction of anxiety instruments in antenatal care may present an opportunity to discuss women’s emotional health and anxieties. Providing women with sufficient time to discuss their anxious feelings, identified by such instruments, could facilitate access to additional support.

Identifying patterns of epistemic emotions with respect to interactions in massive online open courses using deep learning and social network analysis

Dooley et al showed that over 30% of Irish adolescents experienced levels of depression and anxiety outside of a normal range [1]. While their research was conducted on secondary school students, eleven to thirteen year old students make up the early adolescent years. There is a great deal of research on anxiety disorders, but few which listen to the young person’s own voice, particularly during these early adolescent years. While the Children’s School Lives study shows research on anxiety for children, questions did not leave room for children to speak about their understanding of anxiety, or speak openly on what they believe may cause feelings of anxiety. Furthermore, Roose and John found that 10 and 11 year olds were cognitively able to discuss the concept of mental health [2]. This study hopes to address this gap in knowledge and see what students' understanding and experiences of anxiety are, further demonstrating that research should be done with, rather than on, children particularly when considering mental health [3]. Main findings suggest many children have an understanding of anxiety, with most participants having heard the term before and were able to give examples of when it may be experienced. Children had many ideas on how to lessen anxiety for themselves and their peers and what they believe schools should be doing to help with this. Main sources of anxiety that were identified for fifth and sixth class students were sports, tests, homework and the transition to secondary school.

AMT was initially designed as a nonspecific behavior therapy that would be relevant for treating any condition where anxiety was a core issue. Most important, AMT was aimed at free-floating anxieties in which clients are unable specifically to identify the stimulus conditions that trigger their anxiety reactions. In order to accomplish this, we focused on the fact that although generalized anxiety disorder clients cannot concretely label their Stressors, they certainly possess first hand acquaintance with their experience of anxiety itself. Such clients, with a little help, can describe in great detail how they experience their anxiety attacks, in terms of autonomic, somatic, or cognitive syptoms. They are aware of their feelings of anxiety whether these are autonomic/affective, such as “pounding in my chest as my heart races a mile a minute and I can’t catch my breath,” or somatic/behavioral, such as general restlessness or “the shakes,” or cognitive, such as worries, negative self-dialogue, or “just knowing something bad is going to happen to me.”

Presidential Address -- Allocution presidentielleAbstract. The applicability and usefulness of behavioural and cognitive treatment approaches for anxiety disorders is now well established. Various and different theoretical mechanisms have been proposed to explain their therapeutic effects on anxiety. Today's research suggests that psychological variables mediating change in behavioural and cognitive therapy for anxiety disorders are similar. Furthermore, effects of drug and psychological treatment for anxiety disorders appear to be mediated by same psychological and neurobiochemical variables. It is postulated that a better understanding of interaction between these variables will lead to new, significant advances in treatment of anxiety disorders.Some of our most prominent scholars think that anxiety serves a protective function. For others, it is at very root of what it means to be human. Still others believe that our very ability to adapt and plan for future depends on anxiety. Without denying potential advantages of being anxious, it is equally important to recognize that, for many individuals, anxiety is a curse something they could live without. In our society, individuals spend billions of dollars yearly to rid themselves of anxiety. More people visit their physician for anxiety than for coughs and colds.The aim of this paper is to provide an overview of research and theorizing about behavioural and cognitive treatment of anxiety and panic. It is also to discuss directions for future research.What Is Anxiety?The feelings of anxiety, worry, fear, and panic are quite universal and easy to recognize. Many individuals use these terms interchangeably (e.g., Clark, 1986; Rapee, 1996) while others believe that these terms have distinct meanings (e.g., Antony & Barlow, 1996).There are several definitions of anxiety in literature and it is beyond scope of this paper to review them. As far as Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) reflects a consensus among clinicians, one may refer to it for an acceptable definition. In DSM-IV, anxiety is defined as an apprehensive anticipation of future danger or misfortune accompanied by a feeling of dysphoria or somatic symptoms of tension. This definition implies that anxiety is a future-oriented state, functioning to motivate organism to behave in such a way that future danger is averted. Experiences of anxiety, however, can become overwhelming. When they do, anxiety disorders may develop.What Are Anxiety Disorders?The anxiety disorders are a group of psychological problems that affect behaviour, thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. Their key features include excessive anxiety, fear, worry, and avoidance. The most prevalent anxiety disorders listed in DSM-IV (American Psychiatric Association, 1994) include panic disorder with and without agoraphobia (PDA and PD, respectively), social phobia, specific phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Other relevant disorders include acute stress disorder (similar to PTSD, except with a shorter duration), anxiety disorder due to a general medical condition, substance-induced anxiety disorder, agoraphobia without a history of panic disorder, and anxiety disorder not otherwise specified.Panic Disorder with and without Agoraphobia. The essential feature of PD and PDA is occurrence of recurrent unexpected attacks of panic (i.e., attacks coming out of thin air, in places where there is nothing to fear) about which there is persistent concern. Although generally lasting only a few minutes, panic attacks cause a person to feel as if he or she is having a heart attack, dying, or going crazy. They are often described as the most terrifying experience I've ever had. …

Drawing on the notion of “camouflaging” and its characterization within research on autism, this paper explores the role that attempts to conceal one’s experiences may have in the phenomenology of anxiety. I start by suggesting that actions associated with both the “masking” and “compensating” dimension of camouflaging may be present in different forms of anxiety. I then proceed to argue that these actions may foster the person’s ability to sustain their identity when some of its core aspects are seen as being threatened by anxious feelings, thoughts, and behaviors. I do so by drawing on an account of selfhood to which both affective and narrative processes are central, suggesting that, in some cases, actions associated with camouflaging can facilitate the experience of affects and the upholding of narratives that are self-constitutive.