Anxiety Responses Research Articles

Comparison of the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemic-9 and SAVE-6 scales among healthcare workers in Peru.

Peru is a country that has a high incidence of viral outbreaks and epidemics, which is why it is necessary to validate a scale that measures anxiety and stress in professionals who are on the front lines of these events. Therefore, our objective was to validate the Peruvian-Spanish version of the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-9 items (SAVE-9) scale and to concurrently compare its validity and internal consistency with the SAVE-6 scale among healthcare workers (HCWs). We conducted a cross-sectional study based on data collected from a self-reported survey in paper-and-pencil format between April and July 2023. A total of 203 HCWs participated in the research. We developed a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory (IRT). We calculated Cronbach's α coefficient and McDonald's ω to assess the internal consistency of the scales. The results show that SAVE-9 (a two-factor model) and SAVE-6 (a one-factor model) provided an excellent fit in the confirmatory factor analysis. Both scales demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α 0.85 and 0.86, respectively). Significant correlations were found between the SAVE-9 and SAVE-6 scales and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 items scale (r = 0.44 and r = 0.38, respectively, p < 0.001) as well as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items (r = 0.39 and r = 0.35, respectively, p < 0.001). The optimal cutoff points for SAVE-9 and SAVE-6 were identified for assessing anxiety, aligned with a GAD-7 score ≥5 points. The Peruvian-Spanish SAVE-9 and SAVE-6 scales are reliable and valid rating scales to assess the anxiety response of HCWs in response to viral epidemics. Though COVID-19 is diminished, these scales will be useful for other viral epidemics in the future.

THE PERINATAL ANXIETY SCREENING SCALE (PASS) ASSESSMENT OF HIGHRISK PREGNANT WOMEN

Background: Psychological changes in pregnant women can be caused by hormonal imbalances. Imbalance can give rise to an anxiety response caused by conditions within oneself and the environment. Excessive anxiety can stimulate uterine contractions which can lead to pathological risks in the pregnancy. The aim of this research is to determine the anxiety and psychological domains of high-risk pregnant women. Method: The research design was descriptive research with a sample size of 30 pregnant women who had a history of high risk in Batu Kute village, Narmada subdistrict using cluster sampling technique. The instrument used was the PASS (perinatal anxiety screening scale) questionnaire. Result: The research results obtained were that most pregnant women experienced anxiety on a mild - moderate scale with a percentage of 70% experienced by mothers in the first and third trimesters of pregnancy. is in the domain category of excessive worry and specific fear as much as 57% and anxiety and active adjustment as much as 23.3%. The level of anxiety of pregnant women in the first trimester is due to the adaptation process to changes in a woman and will increasingly increase in the third trimester of pregnancy leading up to delivery. Conclusion: Anxiety conditions with or without previous symptoms will increase in high-risk third trimester mothers because they feel anxious about the condition of themselves and their fetus. If not treated, it will pose a risk to the mother, fetus and the birth process that will occur.

Control preoperative anxiety with self-relaxation

Anxiety experienced by preoperative patients is a normal response, but when the anxiety response causes disturbances in physiological and psychological function, this becomes an abnormal response. The impact of anxiety before surgery can have an impact on the operation so that it must be postponed. Action is needed to overcome the anxiety experienced by the patient. One that can by givingSelf relaxound therapy, that is by providing a combination of relaxation interventionsmaybeandnature sound developed by researchers which is done by perception and self-suggestion while listening to natural sounds and deep breathing exercises. The aim of this research is to determine the effect of relaxationself relaxound on patient anxiety before laparotomy surgery. This type of research uses quantitative research, by designquasi experiment using a non planequivalent without control group. This research was carried out in the surgical inpatient room on 32 respondents. Anxiety measurement uses a questionnaireZung Self Rating Scale. Data analysis usingPaired Sample T test with a significance limit of 0.05. The results of the analysis obtained a p value = 0.000 (α 0.05), which shows that there is a significant effect between therapyself relaxound with patient anxiety. Psychological problems are closely related to surgery, for this the researchers suggestSelf relaxound therapy can be considered as a nursing procedure for every preoperative patient.

The anxiety response of patients with severe psychiatric disorders to the recent public health crisis

BackgroundThe devastating health, economic, and social consequences of COVID-19 may harm the already vulnerable groups, particularly people with severe psychiatric disorders (SPDs). The present study was conducted to investigate the anxiety response of patients with SPDs during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodsA total of 351 patients with SPDs [Schizophrenia Spectrum (SSD), Bipolar (BD), Major Depressive (MDD), and Obsessive-Compulsive (OCD) Disorders] and healthy controls in Guilan province, Iran, throughout 2021–2022 were included in this cross-sectional analytical study. The anxiety response consisted of four concepts: COVID-19-related anxiety, general health anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, and safety behaviors. We conducted an unstructured interview and provided sociodemographic and clinical information. Also, the participants were asked to complete four self-report measures of the Corona Disease Anxiety Scale, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index–Revised, the Short Health Anxiety Inventory, and the Checklist of Safety Behaviors.ResultsAnalysis of variance showed a significant difference between the groups of patients with SPDs and the control group in COVID-19-related anxiety (F = 6.92, p = 0.0001), health anxiety (F = 6.21, p = 0.0001), and safety behaviors (F = 2.52, p = 0.41). No significant difference was observed between them in anxiety sensitivity (F = 1.77, p = 0.134). The Games-Howell test showed that the control group obtained a higher mean than the groups of people with BD (p < 0.0001), SSD (p = 0.033), and OCD (p = 0.003) disorders in COVID-19-related anxiety. The patients with MDD (p = 0.014) and OCD (p = 0.01) had a higher mean score than the control group in health anxiety. Tukey’s test showed that the mean of safety behaviors of the control group was significantly higher than the OCD group (p = 0.21). No significant difference was found between the groups of patients with MDD, BD, SSD, and OCD in terms of COVID-19-related anxiety, health anxiety, and safety behaviors.ConclusionAnxiety response to health crisis is different in groups with SPDs and control group. The findings of this study suggest that although health anxiety is present in many of these patients during the pandemic, their anxiety response to the health crisis may be less than expected. There can be various explanations, such as pre-existing symptoms, low health literacy, and possible co-occurring cognitive impairment. The results of this study have many practical and policy implications in meeting the treatment needs of this group of patients during public health crises and indicate that their needs may not be compatible with the expectations and estimates that health professionals and policymakers already have.

Effectiveness of Using Video Clip on Reduction of Anxiety During Venipuncture among Children in a Selected Hospital of Eastern Nepal

Introduction: Venipuncture can produce extreme anxiety to children who undergo it. Video clip as distraction is a simple technique which does not require any specific training and can be implemented by nurses, parents or other health staff members in any settings. Besides, it has a minimal cost and implies no risks for the children. This study aimed to assess the anxiety of children during venipuncture and determine the effectiveness of video clip in reducing anxiety. Methods: A posttest only experimental research was conducted in BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences (BPKIHS), Dharan Nepal including 50 school age children undergone venipuncture. Random sampling technique was applied to recruit respondents. Respondents were randomly assigned either to the experimental or control group with 25 in each. The Experimental group were shown video clip 3 minutes prior to the venipuncture till 3 minutes after completion of venipuncture while Control group had gone a routine venipuncture procedure only during venipuncture. Pearson’s chi square test and Fisher’s exact test was used for the analysis of anxiety response of both group. Results: Showing video clips was effective in reducing venipuncture in children (p=0.001). Among the participants, 72% had high anxiety in control group while it was 24% in experimental group. In a same way 76% had low anxiety in the experiment group while it was 28% among control group. There is a significant difference in the anxiety level between the study and control group (p=0.001). Conclusion: This study suggests that video clip is safe and cost effective method in reduction of anxiety in children undergoing venipuncture.

Psilocybin induces acute anxiety and changes in amygdalar phosphopeptides independently from the 5-HT2A receptor

Psilocybin, and its metabolite psilocin, induces psychedelic effects through activation of the 5-HT2A receptor. Psilocybin has been proposed as a treatment for depression and anxiety but sometimes induces anxiety in humans. An understanding of mechanisms underlying the anxiety response will help to better develop therapeutic prospects of psychedelics. In the current study, psilocybin induced an acute increase in anxiety in behavioral paradigms in mice. Importantly, pharmacological blocking of the 5-HT2A receptor attenuates psilocybin-induced head twitch response, a behavioral proxy for the psychedelic response, but does not rescue psilocybin's effect on anxiety-related behavior. Phosphopeptide analysis in the amygdala uncovered signal transduction pathways that are dependent or independent of the 5-HT2A receptor. Furthermore, presynaptic proteins are specifically involved in psilocybin-induced acute anxiety. These insights into how psilocybin may induce short-term anxiety are important for understanding how psilocybin may best be used in the clinical framework.

The recent research progress in neurobiological characteristics and pain regulation of the cerebrospinal fluid-contacting nucleus

AbstractThe ependymal epithelium forms the cerebrospinal fluid barrier, separating the brain and spinal cord from the cerebrospinal fluid. However, in specific regions of the central nervous system, there are neurons that directly interface with the cerebrospinal fluid, including neuronal bodies, dendrites, or axons, This constitutes what is referred to as the "cerebrospinal fluid contacting neurons system (CSF-CNS)". The research team led by Professor Zhang has successfully utilized cholera toxin subunit B coupled horseradish peroxidase complex (CB-HRP) to selectively label the specialized neuron system that interfaces with cerebrospinal fluid, pioneeringly designating it as the "cerebrospinal fluid-contacting nucleus", commonly referred to as the "CSF-contacting nucleus". For the first time, the discovery of the CSF-contacting nucleus provides compelling morphological evidence for the existence of a distinct neural structure within the brain parenchyma that establishes a connection with the cerebrospinal fluid, thereby suggesting its potential significance in facilitating material and information exchange between the brain parenchyma and cerebrospinal fluid. After conducting a comprehensive series of studies on the morphological structure, material expression, gene analysis and functional aspects of the CSF-contacting nucleus in rodents and non-human primates, it has been revealed that there are fibrous connections between the CSF-contacting nucleus and the cerebral cortex and subcortical nuclei being involved in the regulatory mechanisms of pain, cognition, learning and memory, emotion, addiction, stress and anxiety responses, visceral activity, olfaction, vision processing and perception, auditory processing, perception, motor control and coordination, homeostasis regulation including maintenance of body energy and fluid balance, as well as the control of sleep–wake cycles and synchronization of biological rhythms. Current experiments have confirmed that the CSF-contacting nucleus is related to pain, morphine dependence and withdrawal, learning and memory, as well as stress. This present article offers a comprehensive review of the neurobiological characteristics and recent advancements in pain regulation of the CSF-contacting nucleus. The aim is to provide novel insights into the investigation of pain regulation within bidirectional regulatory pathway between the brain and cerebrospinal fluid, with a specific focus on elucidating the role of the CSF-contacting nucleus as a bridge structure. Additionally, the objective of this research is to propose innovative strategies for pain management and associated disorders in the future.

Impact of excessive interest in news related to the war on mental health in conditions of big invasion and information war: experience of Ukraine

IntroductionAn important component of the russian-Ukrainian war is information war. russia conducts psychological diversions the purpose of which is harming and disorganization the population’s mental health by reducing the ability of criticality thinking and formation of various stress-associated, anxiety-depressive, phobic, etc. disorders.ObjectivesTo study the impact of information about the war on the mental health of Ukrainian population.Methods186 Ukrainian people voluntarily completed the questionnaire in Google format. It contains tools for assessing the level of stress PTCI, anxiety response GAD-7, depression PHQ-9, the intolerance to the uncertainty (IUS-12 in G.Gromova’ adaptation) and developed by us “Test for the detection of disorders related to the obsession with news about the russian-Ukrainian war” (M.Markova et al, 2022).ResultsMost of the civilian population of Ukraine demonstrate excessive fascination with news associated with the war, with almost 50% have all the signs of clinically formed addiction.Psychopathological anxiety and depressive manifestations of varying intensity are characterized by more than 30% of the population. Almost 80% suffer from the effects of psycho-traumatic factors, of which 45% are observed by post-stress maladaptation, 25% - by signs of PTSD (23%) or PTSD (2%). The presence of anxiety-depressive response does not depend on the level of obsession of the news: among persons with signs and/or clinical psychopathological symptoms, there are persons both excessively passionate about information and with a safe level of use.Any high level of interest of news (addiction/dangerous/risky) has a close direct correlation with the intensity of pathological stressful response and the level of tolerance to uncertainty.All persons with anxiety-depressive and pathological stressful response symptoms, and 58% of people with excessive fascination with news are characterized by low tolerance to uncertainty. This can serve as a prognostic marker of development of maladaptation and testify to the leading role of a lack of tolerance to uncertainty in its development in wartime.42 % of people who have an excessive interest in news, haven’t signs of maladaptive response. They use the interest of information as a stress management’s resource, which has a positive effect on the mental state and increases the ability to successfully function in uncertainty.Conclusions The development of information and psychological stability by increasing tolerance to uncertainty is a perspective area of research in the field of mental protection of the population of Ukraine.Disclosure of InterestNone Declared

Nurse-Implemented Music Therapy to Reduce Anxiety in Community-Dwelling Individuals with Severe Mental Illness: A Pilot Study.

Anxiety is an important and recurrent problem in people with severe mental illness (SMI). The aim of this work is to measure the effectiveness of the Music Therapy nursing intervention in reducing anxiety in outpatients diagnosed with SMI (bipolar disorder and schizophrenia). The intervention was structured over five weeks (ten 1-h sessions, twice weekly). Objective measures (blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate) and subjective measures (anxiety response and the subjective perception of relaxation) were taken before and after every session. Our results show that this nursing intervention entails an objective reduction of the respiratory rate ((-4.5, -0.5) breaths per minute), the heart rate ((-5.80, -2.13) bpm), and it evidences a reduction in the subjective perception of anxiety (16.08% mean reduction in state anxiety). Considering all the sessions, the subjective perception of relaxation increased 97.33% of the time. This study provides evidence that the Music Therapy intervention can effectively promote relaxation and reduce anxiety symptoms in people with SMI. This study was retrospectively registered at Clinical Trials with Protocol Identifier NCT06315049.

Decoupling the role of verbal and non-verbal audience behavior on public speaking anxiety in virtual reality using behavioral and psychological measures

Public speaking is a communication ability that is expressed in social contexts. Public speaking anxiety consists of the fear of giving a speech or a presentation and the perception of being badly judged by others. Such feelings can impair the performance and physiological activation of the presenter. In this study, eighty participants, most naive in Virtual Reality experience, underwent one of four virtual reality public speaking scenarios. Four different conditions were tested in a between-group design, where the audience could express positive or negative non-verbal behavior (in terms of body gesture and facial expression), together with positive or adverse questions raised during a question-and-answer session (Q&amp;amp;A). The primary outcomes concerned the virtual audience behavior’s effect on perceived anxiety and physiological arousal. In general, perceived anxiety seemed to be unaffected neither by the verbal nor non-verbal behavior of the audience. Nevertheless, experimental manipulation showed a higher susceptibility to public speaking anxiety in those participants who scored higher on the Social Interaction Anxiety Scale (SIAS) than those with lower Social Interaction Anxiety Scale scores. Specifically, in the case where the verbal attitude was negative, high SIAS trait participants reported a higher level of anxiety. Participants’ physiological arousal was also affected by the proposed scenarios. Participants dealing with an approving audience and encouraging Q&amp;amp;A reported increased skin conductance response. The lack of correlation between reported anxiety and skin conductance response might suggest a physiological engagement in an interactive exchange with the virtual audience rather than a form of discomfort during the task.

Evaluation of the efficacy of a simulation model used in oral and maxillofacial surgery education

BackgroundThe traditional teaching methods of dental education are gradually being replaced with futuristic education methods based on the usage of educational tools such as mannequin-based simulation models and virtual reality. However, the effectiveness of mannequin-based simulation models as a learning method in the field of oral surgery remains unclear. This study aims to investigate the efficacy of training on a tooth extraction model (TEM) in view of undergraduate dental students’ experience and perception of their education.MethodsA quasi-experimental trial was implemented with two consecutive year classes, totaling 136 students at the Dentistry Faculty of Altinbas University, Turkiye. Two cohorts were created from dental students in the classes of 2023 and 2022 graduates. Cohort 1 (n = 71) received 14 h of theoretical education followed by 10 h of preclinical education on TEM. Cohort 2 (n = 65) received only 14 h of theoretical education. An anonymous questionnaire was prepared with four main sections including the preferences of learning style, participants’ perceptions of the preclinical training methods, the students’ competency and free text comments. Students’ opinions were quantified with both 7-point Likert scales and thematic analysis. Anxiety levels were measured with the interval scale of anxiety response (ISAR). Descriptive statistics, inferential statistical and thematic analyses were conducted according to survey responses. Student characteristics were summarized and compared for two cohorts using a t-test. For all statistical analyses, the significance level was set atP ≤ 0.05.ResultCohort 1 was more comfortable with sequential motions performed with the forceps (P = 0.033) and felt more ready for their first clinical tooth extraction experience (P = 0.028). Cohort 2 showed a significantly higher preference for textbooks among supplementary materials (P = 0.04); however, they tended to exhibit lower self-confidence and higher anxiety levels, though without any statistical significance (P > 0.05).ConclusionIt is clear that the students who have yet to start seeing patients benefit from increased practice with training models, which adequately reflect and represent real-life situations encountered in everyday practice.

Evaluating Teachers’ Workplace Climate and Anxiety Response during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Information Seeking Platforms

The COVID-19 disease affected the school workplace climate for teachers and led to psychological consequences. However, it is not clear how the workplace climate affected the anxiety levels of teachers. This study assessed the connection between workplace climate and COVID-19-related anxiety among senior high school (SHS) teachers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This study further examined the moderating role of professional and social media platform use on the relationship between workplace climate and COVID-19-related anxiety among teachers. Through a cross-sectional survey design, 395 high school teachers were conveniently sampled from various schools in the Central Region of Ghana. A questionnaire was used to survey participants, and the obtained data were analysed using descriptive statistics as well as simple linear regression and moderation analyses with Hayes’ PROCESS. This study revealed a negative association between workplace climate and anxiety. The relationship between workplace climate and anxiety was contingent on social media use but not professional platform use. Therefore, the consumption of unscrutinised COVID-19-related information on social media heightened fear and anxiety among teachers, even in the midst of a safe workplace environment. An effective strategy against teachers’ COVID-19-related anxiety required the provision of accurate science-driven information about the virus. School counselling psychologists, school welfare officers, and school health coordinators are encouraged to collaborate towards designed interventions that promote a safe working environment and the mental health of teachers.

Contamination-Focussed Vignettes as an Analogue of Infectious Pandemics: An Experimental Validation using the State Disgust and Anxiety Responses in OCD.

Despite infectious pandemics proving particularly detrimental to those with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), the investigation of analogous experimental paradigms is lacking. To address this gap, we conducted two studies employing vignettes that depicted contamination-related situations commonly experienced during a pandemic (e.g., Coughing into hands and failing to use hand sanitizer). We manipulated the salience of these vignettes across three levels: high contamination, low contamination, and a neutral control condition. Our examination of state anxiety and disgust responses in all participants revealed the successful manipulation of the vignettes' impact. Specifically, individuals with more severe OCD symptoms reported significantly higher levels of state disgust and anxiety for both high and low contamination vignettes, in contrast to the group with lower symptom severity. No significant differences were observed in the neutral vignette condition between the high- and low-scoring groups. Interestingly, for those with higher OCD symptoms, high salience contamination-focused vignettes resulted in similarly elevated state disgust and anxiety, regardless of whether the vignettes were situated in public (Study 1) or domestic (Study 2) settings. This suggests that the heightened sensitivity to contamination-related scenarios observed in individuals with OCD symptoms in the present study is not confined to a specific context. These findings support the use of contamination-focused vignettes as analogues for studying infectious pandemics and provide valuable insights into OCD models, interventions, and future research.

No Association of Stathmin1 Gene Polymorphism with Trait or State Anxiety in the Chinese Population.

Stathmin 1 (Stmn1) is a neuronal growth-associated protein which was found to be involved in fear processing both in animals and humans. Moreover, it has been demonstrated that 2 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the Stmn1 gene (rs182455 and rs213641) significantly impacted individual fear and anxiety responses in German. However, there have been no reports on the correlation between Stmn1 SNPs and anxiety in Chinese. The present study thus aimed to explore such correlation. A sample of 567 healthy Han Chinese adults were genotyped for the Stmn1 SNP, namely rs182455, using polymerase chain reaction and restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. Anxiety was assessed by the Chinese version of 40-item State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), which measures 2 anxiety dimensions, state and trait anxiety. The numbers of CC, CT, and TT genotypes of rs182455 polymorphism were 227 (40.0%), 263 (46.4%), and 77 (13.6%), respectively. The genotype distribution did not deviate from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (χ 2 = 0.004, P = .953). There were no significant differences in either state or trait anxiety among the 3 rs182455 genotype groups (F = 0.457, 0.415, P = .634, .660), between the 2 dominant model groups (t = 0.865, -0.195, P = .388, .845), or between the 2 recessive model groups (t = 0.106, 0.906, P = .916, .365). Moreover, no significant gender-specific differences in any STAI scores were found among the rs182455 genotype groups (all P > .05). No evidence was demonstrated for the association of the Stmn1 gene polymorphism rs182455 with either trait or state anxiety in Chinese adults.

Parent Anxiety, Depression, Protective Responses, and Parenting Stress in the Context of Parent and Child Chronic Pain: A Daily Diary Study of Parent Variability

Parents with (vs without) chronic pain report poorer psychosocial functioning (eg, worse mental health, parenting difficulties), which has been linked to poorer child outcomes (eg, child pain). However, emerging research suggests that individuals vary in their functioning from day-to-day, particularly those with chronic pain. This study used daily diaries to compare parents with (versus without) chronic pain on variability in their anxiety, mood, protective responses, and parenting stress. We also examined parent chronic pain status as a moderator of the associations between parent variability and youth daily pain and interference. Participants were 76 youth with chronic pain (Mage = 14.26; 71.1% female) and one of their parents (89.5% mothers; n = 38 or 50.0% endorsing chronic pain). Parents and youth completed self-report questionnaires and 7 days of diaries. Parent variability was calculated to reflect the frequency and size of day-to-day changes. Multilevel models revealed that parents with (vs without) chronic pain were significantly more variable in their parenting stress, but not in their anxiety, mood, or protective responses. Contrary to hypotheses, parent variability was not significantly related to youth daily pain intensity or interference and parent chronic pain did not moderate any associations. Instead, mean levels of parent anxiety, protective responses, and parenting stress across the week significantly predicted youth daily pain interference. Findings suggest that while variability was observed among parents (with and without chronic pain) of youth with chronic pain, it did not significantly predict youth’s daily pain-related functioning. Further research is needed to confirm these initial findings. PerspectiveParents with chronic pain have expressed concerns that the variable nature of their pain negatively impacts their children. Our results found that parents (with and without chronic pain) were variable in their anxiety, mood, protective responses, and parenting stress, but this variability did not significantly predict youth’s chronic pain-related functioning.

PELATIHAN PUBLIC SPEAKING UNTUK MENINGKATKAN KEMAMPUAN KOMUNIKASI DAN KEPERCAYAAN DIRI

Public speaking is one of the skills needed in the global era and can affect success at work. With good communication, a person will be able to convey messages appropriately, build various relationships with many people and agencies, motivate others, and also be able to influence various decisions. Without good communication skills, misunderstandings will arise, reducing opportunities for building relationships and collaboration with other parties. However, public speaking often causes anxiety, stress, and intense negative behavioral responses. An initial survey by the team found that the faculty of medicine and veterinary medicine of Universitas Nusa Cendana (FKKH Undana) leadership had never received capacity-building training on public speaking. These inadequate speaking skills can undermine the ability to convey important messages or bore the audience. A person's lack of self-confidence will also hinder his/her self-development and make him pessimistic in facing challenges. Therefore, the community service team conducted public speaking training for leaders and the Undana FKKH academic community. In this activity, the participants were trained on the basics of public speaking, namely how to master themselves, master the material, and master the audience. This training received a positive response from the participants, where the participants felt an increase in their abilities and self-confidence. Public speaking can help speakers convey messages more precisely to the audience. The training is expected to improve performance in public speaking and overcome anxiety.

The Effect of Death Anxiety on Work Passion: Moderating Roles of Work Centrality and Work Connection.

Fear of death is an emotional manifestation of the instinct for self-preservation. Any threat to our existence induces an anxiety response. Death anxiety can trigger obsessive-compulsive behaviours, such as an obsessive passion for work. Using a sample of 314 participants (68.2% female), with a mean age of 38.97years (SD = 10.36), this study sought to observe the predictive effect of death anxiety on work passion, as well as the moderating effect of work-family centrality and connection on the relationship between anxiety and passion. The results revealed that death anxiety negatively affects harmonious passion, and positively affects obsessive passion. Work centrality did not moderate the influence of death anxiety on harmonious and obsessive passion. Nonetheless, work connection moderated the influence of death anxiety on harmonious passion. The negative influence of death anxiety on harmonious passion was greater in a group with high work connection than a group with low connection.

The role of melatonin deficiency induced by pinealectomy on motor activity and anxiety responses in young adult, middle-aged and old rats.

Aging affects anxiety levels in rats while the pineal gland, via its hormone melatonin, could modulate their inherited life "clock." The present study aimed to explore the impact of plasma melatonin deficiency on anxiety responses and the possible involvement of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis and heat shock proteins (Hsp) 70 and 90 in the frontal cortex (FC) and the hippocampus in young adult, middle-aged and elderly rats with pinealectomy. Melatonin deficiency induced at different life stages did not affect the lifespan of rats. Pinealectomy abolished the circadian rhythm of motor activity, measured for 48h in the actimeter, in young adult but not in middle-aged rats. Pinealectomy reduced the motor activity of the young adult rats during the dark phase and impaired the diurnal activity variations of old rats. The same generations (3- and 18month-old rats with pinealectomy) had lower anxiety levels than the matched sham groups, measured in three tests: elevated-plus maze, light-dark test, and novelty-suppressed feeding test. While the activity of the HPA axis remained intact in young adult and middle-aged rats with melatonin deficiency, a high baseline corticosterone level and blunted stress-induced mechanism of its release were detected in the oldest rats. Age-associated reduced Hsp 70 and 90 levels in the FC but not in the hippocampus were detected. Pinealectomy diminished the expression of Hsp 70 in the FC of middle-aged rats compared to the matched sham rats. Our results suggest that while melatonin hormonal dysfunction impaired the motor activity in the actimeter and emotional behavior in young adult and elderly rats, the underlying pathogenic mechanism in these generations might be different and needs further verification.

Genetic variation in endocannabinoid signaling: Anxiety, depression, and threat- and reward-related brain functioning during the transition into adolescence

BackgroundThe endocannabinoid system modulates neural activity throughout the lifespan. In adults, neuroimaging studies link a common genetic variant in fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH C385A)—an enzyme that regulates endocannabinoid signaling—to reduced risk of anxiety and depression, and altered threat- and reward-related neural activity. However, limited research has investigated these associations during the transition into adolescence, a period of substantial neurodevelopment and increased psychopathology risk. MethodsThis study included FAAH genotype and longitudinal neuroimaging and neurobehavioral data from 4811 youth (46% female; 9–11 years at Baseline, 11–13 years at Year 2) from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive DevelopmentSM Study. Linear mixed models examined the effects of FAAH and the FAAH x time interaction on anxiety and depressive symptoms, amygdala reactivity to threatening faces, and nucleus accumbens (NAcc) response to happy faces during the emotional n-back task. ResultsA significant main effect of FAAH on depressive symptoms was observed, such that depressive symptoms were lower across both timepoints in those with the AA genotype compared to both AC and CC genotypes (p’s<0.05). There were no significant FAAH x time interactions for anxiety, depression, or neural responses (p’s>0.05). Additionally, there were no main effects of FAAH on anxiety or neural responses (p’s>0.05). ConclusionsOur findings add to emerging evidence linking the FAAH C385A variant to lower risk of psychopathology, and extend these findings to a developmental sample. In particular, we found lower depressive symptoms in FAAH AA genotypes compared to AC and CC genotypes. Future research is needed to characterize the role of the FAAH variant and the eCB system more broadly in neurodevelopment and psychiatric risk.

Microbial composition, functionality, and stress resilience or susceptibility: unraveling sex-specific patterns

BackgroundFollowing exposure to traumatic stress, women are twice as likely as men to develop mood disorders. Yet, individual responses to such stress vary, with some people developing stress-induced psychopathologies while others exhibit resilience. The factors influencing sex-related disparities in affective disorders as well as variations in resilience remain unclear; however, emerging evidence suggests differences in the gut microbiota play a role. In this study, using the single prolonged stress (SPS) model of post-traumatic stress disorder, we investigated pre- and post-existing differences in microbial composition, functionality, and metabolites that affect stress susceptibility or resilience in each sex.MethodsMale and female Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to control or SPS groups. Two weeks following SPS, the animals were exposed to a battery of behavioral tests and decapitated a day later. Based on their anxiety index, they were further categorized as SPS-resilient (SPS-R) or SPS-susceptible (SPS-S). On the day of dissection, cecum, and selected brain tissues were isolated. Stool samples were collected before and after SPS, whereas urine samples were taken before and 30 min into the SPS.ResultsBefore SPS exposure, the sympathoadrenal axis exhibited alterations within male subgroups only. Expression of tight junction protein claudin-5 was lower in brain of SPS-S males, but higher in SPS-R females following SPS. Across the study, alpha diversity remained consistently lower in males compared to females. Beta diversity revealed distinct separations between male and female susceptible groups before SPS, with this separation becoming evident in the resilient groups following SPS. At the genus level, Lactobacillus, Lachnospiraceae_Incertae_Sedis, and Barnesiella exhibited sex-specific alterations, displaying opposing abundances in each sex. Additionally, sex-specific changes were observed in microbial predictive functionality and targeted functional modules both before and after SPS. Alterations in the microbial short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs), were also observed, with major and minor SCFAs being lower in SPS-susceptible males whereas branched-chain SCFAs being higher in SPS-susceptible females.ConclusionThis study highlights distinct pre- and post-trauma differences in microbial composition, functionality, and metabolites, associated with stress resilience in male and female rats. The findings underscore the importance of developing sex-specific therapeutic strategies to effectively address stress-related disorders.HighlightsSPS model induces divergent anxiety and social behavioral responses to traumatic stress in both male and female rodents.SPS-resilient females displayed less anxiety-like behavior and initiated more interactions towards a juvenile rat than SPS-resilient males.Sex-specific pre-existing and SPS-induced differences in the gut microbial composition and predictive functionality were observed in susceptible and resilient rats.SPS-resilient males displayed elevated cecal acetate levels, whereas SPS-susceptible females exhibited heightened branched-chain SCFAs.