Current Anxiety Levels Research Articles

Long Working Hours, Precarious Employment and Anxiety Symptoms Among Working Chinese Population in Hong Kong.

This study aimed to examine the association between working hours and anxiety of a working population in Hong Kong. We used a cross sectional data from a population-based household survey of Hong Kong Chinese adults. Key measures included employment status, skill level, working hours, length of stay at current job and anxiety level. Symptoms of anxiety were assessed using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS-21). The data were analysed using logistic regression. Chinese adults who had long working hours (≥ 72h per week) had higher odds of developing symptoms of anxiety than those who worked for ≤ 36h per week (odds ratio [OR] 5.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.82‒19.41). Compared with short period (< 1year), long period of stay at current job (≥ 5years) was found as a protective factor from anxiety (OR 0.38, 95% CI: 0.20‒0.73). We found that a working period of 72h per week was a significant threshold to cause anxiety to workers. Stable job arrangement was a protective factor to workers from anxiety. Implementation of labour market regulations, such as standard working hour policy and stable job arrangement, was also significant to mitigate risk of anxiety for working people in Hong Kong.

Mental health and quality of life for people with rheumatoid arthritis or ankylosing spondylitis in Aotearoa New Zealand following the COVID-19 national lockdown.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of lockdown on the mental health (anxiety and depression) and quality of life (QOL) of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic and public health measures instituted at a national level by the New Zealand Government. The present cohort was 104 individuals with RA (73.1%) and AS (26.9%) who had previously completed surveys for the Patient Opinion Real-Time Anonymous Liaison (PORTAL) project in 2018. Participants completed an online survey between July and September 2020 assessing their experiences over the first national COVID-19 lockdown in New Zealand (March–May, 2020). Fear of SARS-CoV-2 infection, baseline anxiety, and being younger in age were all predictors of participants’ current anxiety levels. Current QOL scores were significantly lower than prior to lockdown and were predicted by baseline QOL and current depression. No variables predicted current depression other than baseline levels. The COVID-19 pandemic appears to have had an impact on QOL and anxiety levels, but not depression for people with RA and AS in New Zealand. These novel findings imply that appropriate screening of mental health issues should be included in planning within the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and for future pandemics to optimise the wellbeing of people with RA and AS.

Adolescent risk substance use behavior, posttraumatic stress, depression, and resilience: Innovative considerations for disaster recovery

Natural and technological disasters cause long-term psychological trauma and increase substance use in adults. It is unclear whether these problems also occur in children and whether trauma influences long-term psychological outcomes due to developmental stages at the time of trauma. One community of interest is located in southeastern Louisiana, where, as children, many locals were exposed to Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill in 2010. We hypothesized individuals exposed to these disasters in early childhood would exhibit higher rates of anxiety, depression, and alcohol use as adolescents than the general population. To test this, we developed a questionnaire with a focus on severity of disaster exposure, indicators of psychological resilience, and current levels of anxiety, depression, and alcohol use. This survey was administered to over 1000 adolescents in local high schools throughout southeastern Louisiana. Structural equation modeling was performed to test correlations and moderation effects. We found disaster exposure was positively associated with trauma-like symptoms and substance use and psychological resilience was negatively related to these outcomes. These findings demonstrate childhood disaster exposure has the potential to cause chronic psychological distress and predispose individuals to substance use later in life. They also suggest resilience may be protective for disaster survivors. Future studies should expand these concepts to other age groups and types of disasters. Whether resilience-focused psychotherapy may be beneficial in these populations is also a relevant topic for exploration.

Alexithymia and Sensory Processing Sensitivity: Areas of Overlap and Links to Sensory Processing Styles.

Alexithymia is a dimensional trait characterized by difficulties identifying and describing feelings and an externally oriented thinking (EOT) style. Here, we explored interrelationships between alexithymia and measures assessing how individuals process and regulate their responses to environmental and body-based cues. Young adults (N = 201) completed self-report questionnaires assessing alexithymia, sensory processing sensitivity (SPS), interoceptive accuracy (IA), sensory processing styles, and current levels of depression, anxiety, and stress. Whereas EOT was related to low orienting sensitivity, problems with emotional appraisal (difficulties identifying feelings/difficulties describing feelings) were related to heightened sensory sensitivity. In addition, features of SPS improved the prediction of alexithymia above and beyond that accounted for by IA. We suggest that EOT is linked to problems maintaining a representation of one’s emotions in working memory and that low IA and problems with emotional appraisal are linked to atypicalities in sensory processing that may impact embodiment. A latent profile analysis revealed five classes of individuals distinguished by the relative strength of different alexithymic traits and by differences in IA and sensory processing styles. The classes identified included two lexithymic, one modal, and two alexithymic groups, showing different susceptibilities to SPS. Overall, our findings lend support to the view that alexithymia is associated with atypicalities in both bottom–up and top–down processes that impact emotion processing and regulation. They also raise the possibility that individuals with different alexithymia subtypes may differ with regard to a range of factors, including not only SPS but also early life experiences, mental health outcomes, and susceptibility to various personality disorders.

Intelligence and academic achievement in inpatient adolescents with comorbid anxiety and depression.

Few studies have investigated the relationship between comorbid depression and anxiety and cognitive and academic functioning. To understand this relationship, this study used a retrospective chart review from an inpatient facility for 42 adolescents diagnosed with a comorbid anxiety and depressive disorder. Multiple regression was used to determine whether anxiety and depression predicted academic achievement, as well as whether intelligence predicted current levels of anxiety and depression. Results indicated that higher severity of depression was associated with lower reading (β = -0.39) and writing (β = -0.40) achievement, while higher severity of anxiety was associated with higher scores on reading (β = 0.41) and writing (β = 0.36). Full-scale IQ was not significantly predictive of anxiety severity (β = 0.08) or depression severity (β = -0.24). Results are discussed in terms of identifying risk factors and improving outcomes for adolescents with severe comorbid anxiety and depression psychopathology.

Mental health status of healthcare versus other essential workers in Australia amidst the COVID-19 pandemic: Initial results from the collate project

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) has necessitated many healthcare workers operating on the frontlines. Another segment of the population whose mental well-being is being tested are the ‘other essential workers’ (e.g. supermarket workers). The current study aimed to compare the mental health of healthcare versus other essential workers in the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak. The COVID-19 and you: mentaL heaLth in AusTralia now survEy (COLLATE) project is a nationwide online mental health survey launched on 1 April 2020, aimed at identifying key mental health concerns. Adults currently living in Australia were invited to take part, and non-discriminative snowball sampling was employed. Participants were partitioned into healthcare workers (HCW; n=905), other essential workers (OEW; n=810), and the general population (GNP; n=3443). Across all groups, top COVID-19 related concerns were primarily associated with the health and well-being of loved ones. In terms of current levels of depression, anxiety, stress and quality of life, HCWs fared the best, and OEWs fared the worst (with the GNP falling in between). In the face of this medical crisis, Australian HCWs seem to be managing their mental health relatively well, but more supports need to be devoted to OEWs to safeguard their mental well-being.

Active Shooter Protocols: Perceptions, Preparedness, and Anxiety

The national concern about active shootings has pushed schools to implement intense drills without considering unintended consequences. Studies have found that, although training had the potential to increase preparedness, it also increased anxiety. These findings apply to short-term effects, but there is a lack of empirical research on long-term effects of active shooter drills. The present study investigated whether active shooter training completed in high school impacts current levels of anxiety and preparedness of undergraduates. Collegiate participants (N = 364) completed an online survey and answered questions about their perceived knowledge of protocols, protocol actions, and training methods from high school followed by the same set of questions, this time referring to their current university. Participants then completed an anxiety measure (Spielberger, 1983) and a preparedness measure. Two hierarchical regression analyses were conducted to predict anxiety and preparedness. This study expanded findings on the effects of active shooter training by demonstrating long-term effects for high school training. Evacuation protocols (β = −.13, p = .03; β = .16, p = .007) and perceived knowledge (β = −.16, p = .004; β = .14, p = .01) positively impacted anxiety and preparedness, respectively, of university students. Experiences at the university level had an additional, larger impact on student anxiety, ΔR2 = .11, F(8, 347) = 5.88, p &lt; .001, and preparedness, ΔR2&gt; = .26, F(8, 347) = 17.32, p &lt; .001, which seems to overshadow the effects from high school. This may be problematic because the perceived knowledge that leads to higher feelings of preparedness may not translate into appropriate actions in a real-life situation, potentially risking lives.

Anxiety and Sleep Disturbances Among Health Care Workers During the COVID-19 Pandemic in India: Cross-Sectional Online Survey.

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 has become a serious concern among the global medical community and has resulted in an unprecedented psychological impact on health care workers, who were already working under stressful conditions.ObjectiveIn this study, we aimed to evaluate and measure the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anxiety levels and sleep quality among health care workers in India, as well as to determine how the unavailability of personal protective equipment affects their willingness to provide patient-related care.MethodsWe conducted an online cross-sectional study using piloted, structured questionnaires with self-reported responses from 368 volunteer male and female health care workers in India. Study participants were identified through social networking platforms such as Facebook and WhatsApp. The survey evaluated the participants’ degree of signs and symptoms of anxiety and sleep quality based on the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD-7) scale and single-item Sleep Quality Scale, respectively. Information on the availability of personal protective equipment was collected based on responses to relevant survey questions.ResultsThe majority of health care workers (126/368, 34.2%) were in the age group 45-60 years, and 52.2% (192/368) were doctors. Severe anxiety (ie, GAD-7 score >10) was observed among 7.3% (27/368) health care workers, whereas moderate, mild, and minimal anxiety was observed among 12.5% (46/368), 29.3% (108/368), and 50.8% (187/368) health care workers, respectively. Moreover, 31.5% (116/368) of the health care workers had poor-to-fair sleep quality (ie, scores <6). Univariate analysis showed female gender and inadequate availability of personal protective equipment was significantly associated with higher anxiety levels (P=.01 for both). Sleep disturbance was significantly associated with age <30 years (P=.04) and inadequate personal protective equipment (P<.001). Multivariable analysis showed that poorer quality of sleep was associated with higher anxiety levels (P<.001).ConclusionsThe COVID-19 pandemic has potentially caused significant levels of anxiety and sleep disturbances among health care workers, particularly associated with the female gender, younger age group, and inadequate availability of personal protective equipment. These factors put health care workers at constant risk of contracting the infection themselves or transmitting it to their families. Early identification of at-risk health care workers and implementation of situation-tailored mitigation measures could help alleviate the risk of long-term, serious psychological sequelae as well as reduce current anxiety levels among health care workers.

The prevalence of severe grief reactions after bereavement and their associations with mental health, physical health, and health service utilization: a population-based study

ABSTRACT Background: Previous research has shown that bereaved individuals are at risk of developing physical and mental health problems. However, knowledge is scarce about the associations between severe grief reactions after bereavement and physical and mental health problems and the use of health services. Objectives: The present study sought to investigate the prevalence of severe grief reactions and to study the associations of severe grief reactions with mental and physical health and health care utilization. Method: The sample comprised 20,453 adults aged 40 and above (mean age = 57.2 years, SD = 11.3 years, 52.4% female) who participated in the seventh wave of the Tromsø study. Severe grief was assessed with one question asking whether the respondent has experienced the death of a loved one and currently has difficulty accepting the loss, yearns for the deceased, and experiences intense emotional pain related to the loss. Furthermore, participants answered questions about their current physical health, mental health (Hopkins Symptom Checklist – 10), and the use of health services in the past year. Results: Overall, 5.2% of the participants reported severe grief after a loss in childhood, 25.9% after bereavement in adulthood and 4.1% after bereavement in the previous year. Female gender, higher age, living without a partner, non-Norwegian ethnicity, and lower socio-economic status were associated with severe grief. Severe grief reactions were negatively related to self-reported health, predicted positively current levels of depression and anxiety, and were positively associated with the use of health services. Effect sizes were small. Gender differences in the use of health services were observed. Conclusion: Severe grief reactions are common in individuals aged 40 and older and associated with self-reported physical and mental health problems as well as increased use of health services. Health service providers should be attentive to possible severe grief in connection with health complaints.

Associative Learning Processes in the Formation of Intergroup Anxiety and Avoidance in Society.

Laboratory-based aversive conditioning studies have reliably induced fear toward an image of an outgroup member by pairing the image with a fear-inducing, aversive stimulus. However, laboratory-based studies have been criticized for being simplistic in comparison to the complexities of the real world. The current study is the first to apply an aversive conditioning framework to explain the formation of intergroup fear and subsequent anxiety toward, and avoidance of, the outgroup outside the laboratory. Two samples recalled details of their first negative encounter with an African American (N = 554) or Muslim (N = 613) individual, respectively. Congruent with learning theory, participants who reported an unpleasant event with an outgroup member reported more fear during the encounter than did those who did not report experiencing an unpleasant event. Additionally, the intensity of unpleasantness during the first encounter indirectly predicted outgroup avoidance, via retrospectively recalled fear and current levels of intergroup anxiety.

The interaction of 5-HTT variation, recent stress, and resilience on current anxiety levels in adolescents and young adults from the general population.

Previous work on gene-environment (GxE) interplay concerning anxiety has focused on the interaction of 5-HTTLPR with childhood adversities or traumatic events whereas the impact of recent stressors is understudied, as is the integration of resilience. The current study aimed to investigate the interactive effect of 5-HTTLPR and recent stress on anxiety in adolescents considering resilience as buffer of a GxE risk constellation. In a random population-based sample of 14-21 years old from Dresden, Germany, (N = 1180; genotyped = 942) recent stress (Daily Hassles [DH] Scale, Perceived Stress Scale, Screening Scale of the Trier Inventory for the Assessment of Chronic Stress), resilience (Connor-Davidson resilience scale) and anxiety (Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System Anxiety Short Form) were assessed via questionnaire in 2015 or 2016. Fractional regression models revealed that resilience interacted with recent stress in form of DH as well as recent chronic stress and 5-HTTLPR regarding anxiety. Participants carrying the more active LA LA genotype reported consistently higher levels of anxiety when experiencing more DH or more recent chronic stress and having low levels of resilience. When the resilience scores were high, LA LA carriers reported the lowest anxiety scores despite DH or recent chronic stress. Findings revealed an interactive relationship between 5-HTTLPR genotype and recent stress suggesting resilience to function as an additional dimension buffering the impact of a GxE risk constellation. Early interventions to build resilience may be useful to prevent an escalation of distress and associated unfavorable health outcomes.

Factor Structure and Gender Invariance of Chinese Version State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Form Y) in University Students.

BackgroundAnxiety can be classified as state anxiety and trait anxiety which present the current level of anxiety and the generalized anxiety tendencies of individuals, respectively. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory form Y (STAI-Y) is a reliable instrument used to test both the levels of state and trait anxiety across various countries. However, the optimal factor structure of STAI-Y in different populations is not consistent and is not clear in Chinese university students. In addition, the gender invariance is the premise for comparing the scores of STAI-Y between men and women which also need to be verified. Therefore, this study explored the optimal factor structure of STAI-Y and examined whether the optimal factor structure satisfied measurement invariance across gender in Chinese university students.MethodA sample of 2117 Chinese university students participated in this study including 748 men and 1369 women. The optimal factor structure was decided by singer group confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM). Furthermore, the configural invariance, metric invariance, scalar invariance, and strict invariance models were administrated in multigroup CFA to detect the measurement equivalence of STAI-Y across gender in Chinese university students. The reliability of STAI-Y was tested by Cronbach’s alpha coefficient and McDonald’s omega coefficients.ResultsThe optimal factor structure of STAI-Y was four-factor model and reached strict gender invariance in Chinese university students. Moreover, the STAI-Y also had adequate reliability in Chinese university students.ConclusionThis study explored the factor structure and gender invariance of STAI-Y in Chinese university students. In sum, the four-factor structure of STAI-Y obtained the best goodness-of-fit and satisfied gender invariance which deepened the understanding of STAI-Y in Chinese university students.

Sedentary behavior among breast cancer survivors: a longitudinal study using ecological momentary assessments.

Sedentary behavior (SB) or any waking behavior ≤ 1.5 METs is associated with an increase in body weight and fatigue and poor quality of life among cancer survivors. The purpose of this study was to explore longitudinal trends in SB using accelerometers and associated variables via ecological momentary assessments (EMA) among breast cancer survivors. Breast cancer survivors (within 5years post-diagnosis) were recruited for a 12-month observational study. Participants were asked to download an EMA application to their smartphones to receive prompts for 7days and to concurrently wear an Actigraph accelerometer. Participants responded to 35 prompts during each 7-day assessment period at baseline, and at 3, 6, 9, and 12months. Within each prompt, participants were asked questions about their current level of affect, sadness, anxiety, stress, worry and fatigue, and cancer-related symptoms (e.g., neuropathy). Twenty-two survivors (mean age = 51.5years) were recruited and 20 participants completed the study. Mean baseline SB averaged 76.7h/week. Univariate longitudinal models suggested higher levels of sadness, anxiety, stress, worry, and fatigue were associated with more SB while more positive affect was associated with less SB. Additionally, non-leisure context (work) was associated with more SB. Autoregressive models indicated cross-lagged effects of affective valence, fatigue, and SB. More negative affective valence and higher fatigue were associated with more SB. Reducing negative affect valence and offering non-sedentary approaches to manage fatigue may help reduce SB. Specific interventions are needed to reduce SB among cancer survivors-particularly those that target negative affect valence and fatigue.

Emerging public health challenge in UK: perception and belief on increased COVID19 death among BAME healthcare workers.

BackgroundCoronavirus infection Disease 19 impacted every part of the world and routine life. Recent report from the Office of national statistics in UK reported disproportionate death among Black Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) population. NHS is heavily relied on the BAME work force both in front line and in the community. We attempted to explore the beliefs and perception about reported worrying issue among BAME health work force in a Diverse city of Leicester.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional survey using 20 questions in an electronic format. The target population was identified through Leicester Asian Doctors Society and Leicester Asian Nurses Society. The questionnaire was then distributed electronically to the members. Survey questionnaire was accessed by 372, incomplete response (172) were excluded and 200 completed responses were analysed.ResultsMajority of BAME workforce are routinely involved in front line duties. More than 70% were anxious about their role during this pandemic. The Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) supply was adequate, and the support received from the local healthcare providers was more than satisfactory. The work force perceived co-morbidity, lack of PPE and testing were one of the few reasons for increased death in BAME. BAME group felt adequate provision of PPE, increased testing and improving mental health well-being is required to alleviate concerns and improve BAME working life in NHS.ConclusionBAME workforce are routinely involved in front line work and current anxiety level is very high. Adequate provision of mental health support with clear risk stratification for return to work is required urgently.

An investigation of mental health status of children and adolescents in china during the outbreak of COVID-19

The sudden outbreak of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has had a dramatic effect on the mental health of the public. In the present study, we demonstrated the psychological effects on children and adolescents associated with the epidemic . By using convenience sampling method, questionnaires, such as Spence Child Anxiety Scale, Child Depression Inventory and Coping style Scale, were distributed to participating 359 children and 3254 adolescents online. The anxiety levels of children and adolescents were (23.87 ± 15.79) and (29.27 ± 19.79), respectively. 22.28% respondents were suffering from depressive symptoms. Seven significant factors associated with increased levels of anxiety, including female, resident in urban regions, emotion-focused coping style. Nine factors associated with increased levels of depression, such as smartphone addiction (OR 1.411, 95% CI 1.099-1.180), Internet addiction (OR 1.844, 95% CI 1.209-2.811), and resident in Hubei province (OR 3.107, 95% CI 1.252-7.708). Two additional factors associated with decreased levels of depressive symptoms: hours spend on Internet per day before the epidemic (OR 0.652, 95% CI 0.609-0.697) and tendency to apply problem-focused coping style (OR 0.937, 95% CI 0.923-0.951). Our findings indicate that the COVID-19 outbreak has had a significant psychosocial impact on children and adolescents. Findings of current levels of anxiety and depression not only highlight the need to address emotional distress for children and adolescents during the epidemic but also provide researchers with scientific fundamentals to formulate targeted interventions based on the significant influencing factors.

The Impact of Sibling Relationships on Later-Life Psychological and Subjective Well-Being

Previous research indicates the importance of having high levels of attachment with parents in order to realise positive outcomes of psychological and subjective well-being in later-life. Additionally, sibling attachment in childhood may impact future psychological and subjective well-being directly and independently from parental influences. To our knowledge, there is no existing study that examines the moderating role of sibling attachment on the association between parental attachment and later-life well-being. Participants (n = 254) were asked to retrospectively rate their attachments to their parents and the sibling closest in age to them. Additionally, they completed self-report questionnaires probing current levels of depression, anxiety, stress, self-esteem, and satisfaction with life. The expected significant relationships between childhood attachments and later-life well-being were found for maternal and sibling attachments, but not paternal attachment. Furthermore, retrospectively-rated sibling attachment seemed to be a stronger predictor of later-life well-being than paternal attachment. Taken together, these findings indicate the importance of early-life attachment figures on future well-being. Furthermore, these findings concur with the general propositions of attachment theory, arguing that experiences with attachment figures during childhood heavily shape an individual’s developmental trajectory and their internal working models about the self, others, and the world. However, sibling attachment was not found to moderate the relationship between parental attachment and later-life psychological and subjective well-being. Speculative explanations as to why a moderating effect was not found include limited sibling resources, innate attachment effects, and contrast effects.

Are negative beliefs about psychosis associated with emotional distress in adults and young people with such experiences? A meta-analysis.

ObjectiveEmotional distress, including depression and anxiety, is commonly reported amongst individuals experiencing psychosis. The beliefs individuals hold about the meaning of their psychosis may explain the distress they experience. The current meta‐analysis aimed to review the association between beliefs about psychosis experiences and emotional distress.MethodThree electronic databases (PsycINFO, MEDLINE, and CINAHL) were searched using keywords and controlled vocabulary (e.g., Medical Subject Headings) from date of inception to August 2019. A total of 19 eligible papers were identified.ResultsOur random‐effects meta‐analysis revealed that depression and anxiety held moderate association with psychosis beliefs, with perceptions concerning a lack of control over experiences having the strongest association with distress. Longitudinal studies suggest that negative beliefs at baseline are associated with depressive symptoms at follow‐up.ConclusionsThe results suggest that the endorsement of negative beliefs about psychosis is associated with current level of depression and anxiety. The results are consistent with theories of emotional distress in psychosis. However, the small number of longitudinal papers limits what can be concluded about the direction or other temporal characteristics of these relationships. Therapies that target unhelpful beliefs about psychosis may beneficial.Practitioner points Negative beliefs about experiences of psychosis are associated with greater emotional distress such as depression and anxiety.Beliefs about a lack of control over experiences had the strongest association with distress.Interventions that aim to modify or prevent the formation of unhelpful beliefs about psychosis may be beneficial for this population.

Child maltreatment is linked to difficulties in identifying with social groups as a young adult

Subjective feelings of disconnectedness from social groups have been found to be detrimental to mental health. However, little is known about the factors determining people's ability to attach to groups. We contend that child maltreatment will impair people's ability to group identification across the lifespan, and present a cross-sectional study involving 396 young adults from Spain, aimed at testing this hypothesis. Results reveal that, as expected, a greater degree of maltreatment received before the age of 14 is linked to a lower number of social groups one identifies with, even after controlling for current levels of depression, anxiety, and borderline personality. Statement of contribution What is already known on this subject? Experiencing a subjective sense of identification with groups promotes well-being and psychological adjustment. Subjective feelings of disconnectedness from social groups are detrimental to mental health. What does this study add? Little is known about the factors determining people's ability to identify with groups. Child maltreatment is analysed as an important distal determinant of this ability. Child maltreatment thwarts people's ability to develop a sense of belonging to social groups. A greater degree of maltreatment received before the age of 14 is linked to a lower number of social groups young adults identifies with, after controlling for core mental health dimensions.

Sex Differences and Reporting of SCAT-5 Concussion Symptoms in Adolescent Athletes.

To elucidate specific symptoms that may differ between adolescent female and male athletes after a sports-related concussion (SRC) and identify symptoms that may require greater clinical attention by medical and athletic staff. Prospective. This study is part of a larger research project conducted at clinics in the North Texas Concussion Network (ConTex) Registry. Subjects (N = 491) aged 12 to 18 years who sustained a diagnosed SRC within 30 days of clinic visit. Sex (female vs male). Covariates included age, race, current mood (anxiety and depression), learning disability/ADHD, and time to clinic. Twenty-two individual postconcussion symptoms as measured by the Post-Concussion Symptom Scale from the Sport Concussion Assessment Tool-5 (SCAT-5). Girls endorsed higher levels of anxiety and depression symptoms at initial clinic visit. analysis of covariance results revealed that girls had significantly greater symptom severity of headache, dizziness, sensitivity to light, sensitivity to noise, pressure in the head, feeling slowed down, fatigue, and drowsiness than boys. Ordinal logistic regression results also revealed that girls had significantly greater predicted odds of higher symptom severity on these 8 symptoms and in trouble concentrating than boys. Closer examination of specific symptoms with attention to patients' current levels of anxiety and depression symptoms may better inform medical and athletic staff to anticipate and address symptoms that may present greater challenges for adolescent girls than boys.

The Effect of Video Assisted Information on Anxiety and Pain Associated with Intrauterine Device Insertion

Introduction: Fear of procedural pain or stress may be a barrier to women accessing intrauterine device (IUD) for contraception. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of video-assisted information on the anxiety and pain levels of patients undergoing IUD placement procedure. Methods: A total of 100 patients who underwent IUD insertion were prospectively enrolled in this observational case-control study. Study group included 50 patients who received both verbal and video-based information, while control group included 50 patients who received only verbal information regarding IUD insertion. The anxiety of the participants was measured by Spielberger’s State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) scale, both before and after the IUD insertion. State Anxiety Scale (STAI-S) was used to evaluate the current anxiety levels, and Trait Anxiety Scale (STAI-T) was used to evaluate the general and stable aspects of anxiety. Pain was measured using visual analog scale (VAS) immediately after the IUD insertion procedure. Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the pre-intervention STAI-S and STAI-T scores between the study and control groups (p = 0.098 for STAI-S, p = 0.641 for STAI-T). Similarly, there was no statistically significant difference between the post-intervention STAI-S score between the groups (p = 0.381). However, pain scores measured by VAS were significantly lower in the study group when compared with the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Video-assisted information about IUD insertion did not have a reducing effect on anxiety, but was associated with a statistically significant decrease in pain.