Excessive Worry Research Articles

Nomophobia in India: A Psychological Disorder that Causes the Brain to Release Dopamine in Response to Tweets, Emoticons, and other Acts, Rewarding the Behaviour and Sustaining the Habit of using Social Media Addiction

The term nomophobia was first used in the 2000s, according to records. The first instance of nomophobia that OED found was in the Daily Mail (London) in 2008. College students frequently use the internet’s social media platforms in ways that could have a detrimental effect on several aspects of their lives. This study, one of the largest to be carried out in India and other nations, attempts to understand how tradition has been shifting to digital cultures and to assess the incidence of problematic addiction to social networking websites among college students through internet use. People who suffer from a phobia of losing their connection to their mobile phones are said to suffer from NOMOPHOBIA, or NO MObile PHone PhoBIA. An insatiable need to use or log on to social media, excessive concern for social media, and spending so much time and energy on social media that it interferes with other crucial aspects of life are the characteristics of social media addiction. According to numerous polls, every student at various universities owns a smartphone and uses it frequently both at home and on campus. Since addiction can result from excessive regular usage of anything, including digital devices, researchers have decided to categorize and identify smartphone addiction as “nomophobia.” This research assesses if and to what degree nomophobia is an issue at various university students using a mobile phone-based study of a self-assessment survey. The purpose of this study is to ascertain the degree of nomophobia among Indians between the ages of 15 to 35. According to this study, there is a serious concern for our “physical, mental, and social health” and a moderate to severe case of nomophobia

Specific emotion regulation difficulties and executive function explain the link between worry and subsequent stress: A prospective moderated mediation study

BackgroundWorry is a transdiagnostic risk factor for stress-related mental health complaints such as anxiety, depression, and insomnia. Although worry may function as a form of avoidance of unwanted emotions and accordingly interfere with adaptive emotion regulation, the specific domains of emotion regulation that are perturbed by excessive worry to confer risk for stress-related symptoms are unclear. Further, it is unknown if cognitive control mechanisms that underlie successful emotion regulation influence the effect of worry on stress. The present study addressed these gaps in the literature by examining specific emotion regulation difficulties as mediators of the relationship between worry and subsequent stress, as well as executive function as a moderator of the mediated effects. Method656 community adults were assessed for trait worry, emotion dysregulation, stress, and executive dysfunction once per month for three months (time 1 – time 3). ResultsThe effect of worry (time 1) on subsequent stress (time 3) was partially mediated by difficulties with emotional clarity and difficulty engaging in goal-directed behavior when upset (time 2) after controlling for age, gender, and baseline stress. Moderated mediation models revealed that the indirect effect of worry on stress via difficulty with goal-directed behavior was significantly moderated by executive dysfunction, such that fewer executive function difficulties acted as a buffer against the harmful effects of worry. LimitationsLimitations include reliance on self-report measures, lack of experimental manipulation, and a nonclinical sample. ConclusionsFindings point to specific domains of emotion regulation as treatment targets for individuals with high worry proneness.

Mental Health Challenges: Anxiety Among Medical Students - A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study

BACKGROUND: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by consistent and excessive worry, significantly impacting daily functioning and academic performance. Medical students encounter various challenges during their academic years and clinical rotations that put them at a higher risk of developing anxiety. In addition, Sudan is currently experiencing a complex social and political environment characterized by political unrest and economic crises. These factors may further increase medical students' risk of developing GAD. Unfortunately, limited research has been conducted on GAD among medical students in Sudan. This study aimed to determine GAD prevalence, assess risk factors, and examine its impact on academic achievement and daily activities among Sudanese medical students. METHODS: A cross-sectional analytical study was done among undergraduate medical students at Omdurman Islamic University in Sudan from January to February 2023. A systematic random sampling technique was used to select 374 participants. Data were collected via an electronic self-administered questionnaire comprising two parts: sociodemographic information and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7), a validated tool for screening and assessing GAD severity. Descriptive statistics, t-tests, one-way ANOVA, and multivariate regression analysis were used to analyze the data. Effect sizes were measured using Cohen's d and eta-squared. The cut-off p-value for statistical significance was set at < 0.05. RESULTS: The prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) was 33.7%, with severity levels of 41.2% for mild anxiety, 21.4% for moderate anxiety, and 12.3% for severe anxiety. The mean GAD score was significantly higher among female medical students (p < 0.001) and those with chronic diseases (p = 0.034). GAD significantly impacted daily activities among those who reported higher GAD scores (p < 0.001). In multivariate regression analysis, medical students in the final year had almost 4.246 higher odds of having GAD [95% CI for AOR = 1.267, 14.221] (p = 0.019). Females had 2.4 times higher odds of having GAD [95% CI for AOR = 1.458, 3.946] (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: The prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) among Sudanese medical students is relatively high and has a detrimental impact on daily activities. Medical students in the final year have a higher risk of GAD, and significant associations were found between GAD and female sex, as well as chronic diseases. The high prevalence of GAD among medical students is concerning and highlights the urgent need for increased awareness, normalizing discussions about mental health issues, and providing resources and support to students struggling with anxiety. Universities should identify and offer medical students effective anxiety relief techniques and promote a wellness culture that encourages healthy routines such as regular exercise, sufficient rest, and effective stress management. Future research should evaluate the effectiveness of different interventions in preventing and treating GAD among medical students and identify and address the barriers to accessing mental health care for medical students in Sudan.

Challenges in China's Thriving Children's Book Market: A Comprehensive Analysis and Solutions

With the development of society and the improvement of material conditions for Chinese people's lives in the 21st century, parents are increasingly willing to invest more money in books to educate their children. Consequently, the children's book market in China is becoming more and more prosperous. As an essential component of China’s publishing industry, the children's book publishing sector is very competitive. However, many problems have emerged behind the boom. This research aims to investigate various challenges amidst this growth by analyzing existing literature and comparing data. It is found that there are three significant problems, including the circulation of books that are not conducive to children’s physical and mental development, publishers engaging in repetitive behaviors solely for profitability, and parents’ excessive concern about education leading them to overly scrutinize seemingly innocuous books. This research also aims to offer targeted suggestions for addressing these problems.

Exploring symptom-level associations between anxiety and depression across developmental stages of adolescence: a network analysis approach

BackgroundAnxiety and depression often co-occur during adolescence, but the associations between symptoms of these two disorders in this developmental period are not yet fully understood. Network analysis provides a valuable approach to uncover meaningful associations among symptoms and offers insights for prevention and intervention strategies. This study aimed to investigate symptom-level associations between anxiety and depression using network analysis and to identify core symptoms, bridge symptoms, and differences in network structure across different stages of adolescence.MethodsThe cross-sectional study was conducted in March 2022 in Shenzhen, China. Participants completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 and Patient Health Questionnaire Depression Scale, along with demographic questionnaires assessing age and gender. Chinese adolescents aged 10 to 17 who were in Grades 5 or 6 of elementary school, Grades 1 or 2 of middle school, or Grades 1 or 2 of high school, and who could comprehensively understand and read Chinese were recruited as participants. Students in Grade 3 of middle and high schools were excluded due to their upcoming high school or college entrance examinations. Based on age, participants were categorized into early, middle, and late developmental stages of adolescence.Results“Loss of control” was among the most central symptoms in the comorbidity network throughout all three developmental stages; “excessive worry” and “anhedonia” emerged as the core symptoms in early adolescence, and “restlessness” as the core symptom in late adolescence. “Anhedonia,” “sad mood,” and “fatigue” were identified as bridge symptoms between anxiety and depression across all three developmental stages of adolescence. The global strength of the network in middle adolescence was significantly higher compared to the other two stages.ConclusionThese findings highlight the core and bridge symptoms that require special attention and intervention at each stage of adolescence. Moreover, significantly higher network connectivity in middle adolescence suggests this is a critical period for intervention to prevent the development of comorbid mental disorders.

Perinatal interventions to reduce the severity of postpartum depression: A narrative review

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a mental disorder that can affect mothers and their families, with symptoms of fatigue, mood swings, frequent anger for no reason, and excessive worry for the baby. Several studies regarding interventions that can be given to postpartum women with PPD have been carried out. The purpose of this review is to assess evidence on the effectiveness of a broad range of perinatal interventions to reduce the severity of PPD. The review of the literature has been done through PubMed, for papers with Randomized Control Trial (RCT) design published in 2012-2021. The approach was to explore quantitative parameters which is the EPDS score. More than 300 papers were identified, but only 6 studies met the inclusion criteria. A narrative review was conducted due to the studies' significant heterogeneity. Six studies reported a decrease in EPDS score. Six interventions have been identified to reduce the severity of PPD, they are exercise, psychological intervention, telephone-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), iBA (internet Behavioral Activation), application-based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and psychoeducation. This review suggests that multiple intervention program may lead to better outcomes in terms of client’s satisfaction. There is also some indication that psychoeducation support Maternal Parental Self-efficacy (MPSE) and social support besides EPDS.

Differences in anxiety, worry, and perceived stress among naturally cycling women and oral contraceptives users: a cross-sectional study investigating the role of contraceptive types

The goal of our study was to test whether the types of OC affect the link between anxiety and its main maintenance factors: worry and perceived stress. Women are particularly at risk of being affected by excessive worrying, a core component of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), and they are twice as likely as men to suffer from GAD. The literature suggests that gonadal hormones and types of oral contraceptives (OC) should be taken into account when exploring anxiety disorders in women, but the precise mechanism of this link remains understudied. We performed an observational cross-sectional study on a sample of 908 women, including 499 women naturally cycling (NC) and 409 taking OC (277 in the anti-androgenic group, 132 in the androgenic group). The participants filled in a battery of online questionnaires. Anxiety positively correlated with worry and perceived stress in the whole sample and in the three groups: androgenic OC, anti-androgenic OC, and NC. There was no significant difference between the groups on all the variables apart from the age of the participants. However, we found that women taking anti-androgenic OC had significantly higher levels of worry than NC women (after controlling for stress and age). The differences in OC types should be taken into account in future studies which might also lead to a better choice of OC based on women’s individual needs.

Mapping network connection and direction between anxiety and depression symptoms across the early, middle, and late adolescents: Insights from a large Chinese sample

Depression and anxiety are two mental disorders prevailing among adolescents. However, issues regarding the trajectory of depression and anxiety are still controversial on both the disease and symptom dimensions. The novel method of network analysis was used to provide insight into the symptom dimension. 20,544 adolescents (female = 10,743, 52.3%) aged between 14 and 24 years (age mean ± sd = 16.9 ± 2.94) were divided into three subgroups according to age so that the course of depression and anxiety could be traced. Network analysis and the Bayesian network model were used in the current study. The results indicated that uncontrollable worry - excessive worry was the most significant edge for all adolescents, whereas concentration - motor had the highest edge weights for early adolescents, and anhedonia - energy was the most critical pairwise symptom for middle and late adolescents. Irritability can bridge anxiety and depression in the early and middle stages of adolescence, while suicide plays a bridging role in the early and late stages of adolescence. Restlessness and guilt can bridge anxiety and depression in middle- and late-stage adolescents, and feeling afraid plays a unique role in middle-stage adolescents. Except for sad mood, which can trigger middle adolescents’ anxiety and depression, the other three subgroups were mainly triggered by nervousness. In addition, all results in our current study were shown to be stable and accurate. In treatment, targeting central and triggering symptoms at different stages of adolescence may be critical to alleviating the comorbidity of anxiety and depression.

Measurement properties of the Health Anxiety by Proxy Scale (HAPYS): A new questionnaire to assess parents' worries about their child's health

ObjectiveHealth anxiety by proxy refers to parents' excessive worries about their child's health. The Health Anxiety by Proxy scale (HAPYS) is a new self-report questionnaire to assess parents' worries and behaviors regarding their child's health. This study aimed to investigate the measurement properties of the HAPYS. MethodsQuestionnaires were completed by 204 parents, and a HAPYS score was obtained for 200 parents: 39 parents diagnosed with health anxiety, 33 parents with different anxiety disorders, 33 parents with a Functional Somatic Disorder, and 95 healthy parents. We evaluated the following measurement properties: structural validity, reliability, convergent validity ((pain catastrophizing, parents' reports of child's emotional and physical symptoms), discriminant validity (parental reports of child's well-being), and known-groups validity (see compared groups above). ResultsHAPYS demonstrated a one factor dimensionality, and excellent internal reliability (α = 0.95; CI: 0.93–0.97) and test-retest reliability after two weeks (ICC = 0.91; CI: 0.87–0.94). Convergent validity with the construct of parental catastrophizing about child pain was good (r = 0.72; CI: 0.64–0.78)). Good known-groups validity was demonstrated by the largest total HAPYS score observed in parents with health anxiety (median = 35; IQR: 9–53) and the lowest score in healthy parents (median = 9; IQR: 5–15) (p < 0.001). ConclusionThe findings support that HAPYS is a useful measure of health anxiety by proxy. Future research should examine the measurement properties in larger samples and different languages with further statistical analyses of structural validity.

Edukasi Terapi Butterfly Hug untuk Menurunkan Masalah Psikososial: Ansietas pada Masyarakat di Wilayah Kerja Puskesmas Tamalanrea Jaya Kota Makassar

Anxiety is a condition that needs attention. Excessive worry about activities or events that take place almost every day, for 6 months or more is a frequent psychosocial problem, generally in adolescence to adulthood. Anxiety can be caused by various internal and external factors such as family history, history of trauma. Some people do not know how to deal with the anxiety they experience. For this reason, we from Hasanuddin University Nurse Profession Students, are trying to hold counseling regarding how to deal with anxiety with butterfly hug therapy in the work area of the Tamalanrea Jaya Makassar Health Center. This activity aims to increase public knowledge in dealing with anxiety experienced. The method used is a demonstration using leaflets and banners as reading material that can add to the public's insight regarding anxiety and butterfly hug relaxation technique. The results achieved from this counseling activity are that the community understands, understands, and can explain correctly related to psychosocial problems, namely anxiety and how to handle them with the butterfly hug relaxation technique

Influence of Social Media and Family Environment on Adolescent Anxiety Disorder

Adolescent anxiety disorder is a prevalent psychological disorder that has a substantial impact on the mental health and total development of adolescents. This study reviews and investigates the definition, characteristics, and the two essential etiological components of anxiety disorders in adolescents, namely social media and home environment. This is achieved by describing and analyzing prior research pertaining to anxiety disorders and adolescent mental health. The paper begins by defining adolescent anxiety disorder, noting that it is primarily characterized by excessive concern and tension, which is frequently accompanied by physical discomfort and emotional distress. Adolescents may exhibit social distress, avoidance behaviors, and academic difficulties that impair their daily functioning and learning. As a significant aspect of adolescents' existence, social media has a significant effect on their anxiety levels. Social anxiety, body image anxiety, and other stressors brought on by social media may aggravate anxiety symptoms. Moreover, online violence and negative remarks may have a negative effect on adolescents' mental health. Another crucial etiologic factor is the family environment. Instability, conflict, and tension in the home may increase the risk of adolescents developing anxiety disorders. Anxiety disorders have also been linked to parental styles and economic circumstances. Although numerous scientific studies have been conducted on adolescents and anxiety disorders, additional research is required to shed light on the progression of mental health disorders in adolescents and bring them to the attention of society.

COVID-19 anxiety and related factors amid adjusted epidemic prevention policies: a cross-sectional study on patients with late-life depression in China

ObjectivesTo explore the prevalence and associated factors of COVID-19 anxiety in patients with late-life depression (LLD) during the adjustment of epidemic prevention policies in China.DesignCross-sectional study.SettingThe data analysed in this...

Associations of generalized anxiety and social anxiety with perceived difficulties in school in the adolescent general population.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), marked by excessive worry, and social anxiety disorder (SAD) are among the clinically most important anxiety disorders in the adolescent population. This study aimed to explore the associations between perceived difficulties in school and heightened levels of self-reported noncomorbid and comorbid GAD and SAD symptoms. Survey data of 37,905 Finnish upper secondary school students with a mean age of 17.33 years (SD = 0.63) were obtained from the School Health Promotion study, implemented in April and May 2015 in Finland. Exploratory factor analysis was used to determine indicators of academic and social difficulties in school. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to examine multivariate associations between anxiety symptoms and difficulties in the school. The anxiety symptom thresholds were based on the seven-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (≥10 points) for GAD-relatedsymptoms and the Mini-SPIN (≥6 points) for SAD-related symptoms. Self-reported generalized anxiety and social anxiety were both significantly associated with various perceived difficulties in school among this adolescent general population sample. Noncomorbid and comorbid GAD and SAD symptoms were both associated with an increased risk of academic and social difficulties, even when controlling for school performance. Comorbid symptoms were associated with significantly higher rates of social difficulties than noncomorbid symptoms of GAD or SAD. Furthermore, GAD symptoms were associated with a high risk for academic difficulties, irrespective of comorbidity. Excessive worry, a defining feature of GAD, is central to school-related impairments among adolescents. The present study highlights the importance of school-based interventions for anxious adolescents. Interventions to improve adolescents'; school functioning should account for the interference of pathological worry related to GAD.

Adolescents Concerned about Climate Change: A Hermeneutic Study.

Climate change is a public health threat on a global scale. Over the last two decades, research has uncovered the myriad health effects of climate change and its associated costs. The literature is also beginning to show the direct and indirect effects of climate change to be an indicator of increased adverse mental health outcomes including excessive worry, anxiety, grief, and post-traumatic stress disorder. The development of scales to measure some of these effects in adult populations has shown the critical need to understand the various ways climate change affects mental well-being in adolescent populations who are at a critical juncture in psychological development. The purposes of this study were to understand the lived experience of adolescents who are concerned about climate change and uncover the meaning of climate change concern for adolescents as informed by emerging patterns. This study utilized Hermeneutic Phenomenology as a philosophical foundation and methodological approach for data retrieval and analysis. An interview-based approach with a purposeful sample (n = 11, aged 12-17 years) revealed the multi-layered elements of climate change concern and its effects. Three patterns emerged: Climate Change as a Temporal Threat and Pressure, Awareness and Concern as a Continuum, and Experiencing Concern and Making Meaning. These findings may now inform interdisciplinary knowledge on upstream mitigation efforts and the promotion of positive outcomes relating to climate change. The need for focused educational attention to adolescent behaviors and concerns is explicated and exemplified.

Body image dissatisfaction and its relation to body mass index among female medical students in Sudan: across-sectional study 2020-2021

BackgroundBody image is mainly determined by biological, social, psychological and cultural factors thus it is a multifaceted vigorous construct. Body image is an essential aspect of girls' self-definition and individual identity. Excessive concern about body image and body image misconceptions leads to dissatisfaction, disturbed eating patterns, affecting the nutritional status and also leading to depression and anxiety disorder.MethodsThis is a descriptive cross-sectional university-based study aiming to investigate body image dissatisfaction and its relation to BMI among female medical students at the University of Khartoum, faculty of medicine. The study was carried out between December 2020 and January 2021. Simple random sampling was applied and a two-sectioned questionnaire was used. The first part consisted of socio-demographic data and the second part contained questions to assess body image the data was. A total of 277 participants were enrolled in the study. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20.ResultsWe enrolled 277 female medical students the majority of participants (53%) were considered of normal weight according to BMI, 7% considered obese, and 18% underweight. Large number of participants thought that they are not in the ideal weight according to their height (62%). (21% to 17%) of participants always feel pressure from people or society to get to a certain weight. With respect to attitude towards weight, (29%) of participants always wear clothes that don't reveal their body shape, (35%) of them always tend to wear clothes that hide their excess weight.ConclusionsThe study concluded that participants who were overweight, obese or underweight have significant increase risk for poor body image perception with odd ratio of 39, 11, and 59 respectively. Thus early and proper interventions are necessary to circumvent the impact and future repercussion of body image distortion.

Dietary counselling plus omega-3 supplementation in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: protocol for a randomized wait-list controlled pilot trial (the “EASe-GAD Trial”)

BackgroundAnxiety disorders are prevalent and disabling conditions involving excessive worry and tension. Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the most common anxiety disorder, affects 5% of individuals from high-income countries and many individuals report that treatment options are not accessible, effective, or tolerable. Clinical evidence suggests that nutrition interventions, based on the Mediterranean diet and supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids, can significantly improve symptoms of depression; however, the effect of nutrition interventions on anxiety symptoms has not been studied in a clinical population. The primary objective of the present study is to assess the feasibility and acceptability of a dietary counselling and omega-3 fatty acid supplementation intervention delivered to adult women with GAD. The secondary objectives include assessing changes in anxiety symptom severity, assessing changes in quality of life, assessing changes in biomarkers, and evaluating the components of the program.MethodsThis study is a randomized, wait-list controlled pilot trial delivering a 12-week, dietary counselling intervention and omega-3 supplementation to 50 adult women with GAD. Participants will complete seven individual counselling sessions which include education, personalized recommendations, mindful eating techniques, motivational interviewing, and goal setting. They will be provided with recipes, instructional videos, and food items. The intervention is designed based on the Social Cognitive Theory and previous research that has been done by the author team to identify dietary constituents with the most evidence to support their use in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Questionnaires and blood work will be completed at baseline, after the waiting period (for those in the waitlist group), and after the intervention.DiscussionResults from this study will lay the foundation for future large-scale studies in this area and may provide preliminary evidence of the role of diet counselling and omega-3 supplementation in the management of GAD. Research on the role of nutrition in psychiatric care has been identified as a priority by a number of international organizations. The present trial directly addresses the call for the research that is most needed to advance the field.Trial registrationThis protocol was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on October 10, 2022; NCT05573672.Trial sponsor: The Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, 1255 Sheppard Ave E, Toronto, ON M2K 1E2, 416–498-1255.Steering committee: Composed of MA, LL, KC, IvdW, SM, UN, AJ. The committee meets monthly to oversee the trial.Protocol identifier: CCNM_EASe-GADCT_2201v4.

On People’s Worries about Becoming a Victim of Events or Conditions Often Blamed on Those up There

The authors study people’s worries about becoming victimized by events and conditions often blamed on “those up there”. Excessive worries are bad for people’s performance because they lead to risk avoidance and lower self-confidence. In two representative surveys conducted in Germany, it is found that victimization concerns are positively correlated with people’s gender, previous victimization, their estimated likelihood of being victimized, their fear of crime, their crime-avoidance behavior, their striving for tradition and security, and their negative attitudes toward crimes. Negative correlations are found for people’s education, their striving for universalism, and their social capital. When considering all predictors combined, people’s expected likelihood to become victimized is found to be the optimal predictor of victimization concerns. It is recommended that management concentrates on setting realistic levels of such risk estimates to avoid negative effects on people’s performance.

Association between health anxiety dimensions and preventive behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic among Japanese healthcare workers

ObjectiveHealth anxiety (HA), defined as excessive worry about having a serious medical condition, may affect preventive behaviors during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. We examined the distinct role of two dimensions of HA—perceived likelihood (probability dimension) and awfulness of illness (awfulness dimension)—in self-protection, as reflected in preventive behaviors during the pandemic. MethodsParticipants comprised 657 healthcare workers. Data were collected between February 24 and 26, 2021. The Short Health Anxiety Inventory determined the HA dimensions. Adherence to the government's recommendations for COVID-19 preventive behaviors was self-rated. An independent association between each HA dimension and participants' adherence to the recommendations was examined using multivariable regression. ResultsWithin the analyzed sample of 560 subjects, severe HA was observed in 9.1 %. The more the participants felt awful, the less frequently they engaged in the recommended preventive behaviors (adjusted odds ratio = 0.993, 95 % confidence interval: 0.989, 0.998, p = 0.003) regardless of their profession, working position, psychological distress, sleep disturbance, and current physical diseases. However, the probability dimension was not associated with their preventive behaviors. ConclusionThe awfulness dimension of HA could be a more sensitive marker of preventive behaviors than the probability dimension. Paying particular attention to the awfulness dimension may help optimize self-protection strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic. A two-dimensional understanding of HA may be useful for the maintenance of the healthcare system and public health as well as healthcare workers’ own health.

COPSYC-19: The impact of early phase lockdown on mental health among people with psychotic disorders.

On March 12th 2020 extensive measures were implemented to prevent spread of the coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19). These measures were commonly referred to as "lockdown". In this study we investigate the psychological impact associated with living under these circumstances among patients with psychotic disorders receiving care from specialized mental health services in Norway. During early phases of lockdown, patients and clinicians receiving and providing mental health care for psychotic disorders in specialized health services at Oslo University Hospital were asked to fill out questionnaires developed for the study. 129 participants from outpatient clinics (91 patients and 38 clinicians) and 89 from inpatient wards (15 patients and 74 clinicians) were recruited. Data regarding mental health and related symptoms were analysed using Wilcoxon signed rank tests and standard multiple regression. Outpatients reported significantly less extensive worrying, loneliness and hallucinatory experiences during early phase lockdown compared to the two weeks prior. Reductions in loneliness were predictive of experienced improvement in subjective mental health. However, the majority of clinicians from outpatient clinics believed their patients were experiencing more worrying and loneliness. The result of this study suggests that many patients with psychosis experienced less loneliness, excessive worrying and hallucinations during the first phase of lockdown. This contrasts the clinicians' perceptions, as the patients show signs of resilience during times of uncertainty. The limitation in the study timeframe should be noted.

Annual Research Review: Health anxiety in children and adolescents-developmental aspects and cross-generational influences.

Health anxiety involves excessive worries about one's health along with beliefs one has an illness or may contract a serious disease. Concerning evidence suggests that health anxiety is on the rise in society, possibly further fueled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Recent classification systems acknowledge that impairing health-related worries and beliefs can emerge in early childhood with significant levels of symptoms persisting throughout childhood, and possibly continuous with diagnostic considerations in adulthood. This narrative review summarizes recent research advances in health anxiety in children and adolescents, focusing on various developmental aspects of health anxiety and related concepts in youths. Findings suggest that health anxiety symptoms in young age groups are associated with impairment, distress, and increased healthcare use, as well as substantial comorbidity with mainly other emotional problems and disorders. Furthermore, longitudinal studies suggest that childhood health anxiety can persist across adolescence, perhaps with links to chronic courses in adulthood. The growing literature was further reviewed, thus extending our understanding of early risk factors, including the potential role of exposure to serious illness and transgenerational transmission of health anxiety. Learning more about developmental trajectories will be highly relevant to inform strategies for early detection and prevention. While modified cognitive behavioral therapies in adults are successful in treating health anxiety, specific interventions have not yet been tested in youths. Given substantial overlaps with other psychopathology, it could be important to develop and explore more transdiagnostic and scalable approaches that take advantage of common factors in psychotherapy, while also including a wider perspective on potential familiar maladaptive illness cognitions and behaviors.