Frequency Of Anxiety Symptoms Research Articles

Do Anxiety Symptoms Mediate the Association Between Cannabis Use Frequency and Psychotic-Like Experiences in Emerging Adult Undergraduates?

Cannabis is commonly used by Canadian emerging adults (ages 18-25 years), many of whom attend post-secondary institutions. Frequent cannabis use is linked with psychotic-like experiences (PLEs); however, the exact nature of this association remains unclear. Anxiety symptoms may mediate this association, as they are prevalent in emerging adults and have been independently linked with both cannabis use and PLEs. Past work found that anxiety mediated the association between cannabis use frequency and attenuated positive psychotic symptoms (further along the psychosis continuum than PLEs), however this research had yet to be validated in the Canadian population, and trait rather than state anxiety (frequency of anxiety symptoms) was studied. Thus, our primary objective was to examine if anxiety symptoms mediated the association between cannabis use frequency and PLEs in Canadian emerging adult undergraduates. Despite known sex differences in cannabis use, expression of anxiety, and PLEs, past work did not evaluate the potential impact of biological sex on the anxiety-mediated model, and thus is the secondary objective of the present study. 1,266 first-/second-year emerging adult undergraduates from five Canadian universities provided cross-sectional, self-report survey data in fall 2021 semester. Validated measures of cannabis use frequency, anxiety, and PLEs were administered. Path analyses supported mediation from cannabis use to PLEs through anxiety (b = 0.07, P < 0.001, 95% bootstrap CI [0.03, 0.10]). No direct effect was found (P = 0.457), suggesting that the cannabis-to-PLEs association was mediated by anxiety. Mediation did not depend on biological sex (i.e., bootstrapped 95% CIs crossed zero). Anxiety symptoms mediated the association between cannabis use and PLEs in emerging adults regardless of their biological sex. Assuming replication in prospective research, results highlight anxiety as an important intervention target in frequent cannabis-using emerging adults, to potentially prevent development/worsening of PLEs, and in turn psychotic illness.

A non-systematic, descriptive literature review of observational research on anxiety during the first COVID-19 pandemic phase.

Fear of contagion, together with the consequences of mitigation strategies, are often cited as causes of high levels of anxiety in the general population in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is unclear whether published reports make it possible to distinguish between normal and pathological anxiety. We conducted a non-systematic, descriptive literature review on observational studies reporting the prevalence or frequency of anxiety symptoms in non-clinical settings published between July and December 2020. Seventy-six studies were included. Two were conducted through telephone contact while the remainder were conducted on the internet. Factors associated with greater presence/severity of anxiety symptoms were sociodemographic variables (e.g., age, gender, employment, place of residence, living conditions, marital status, and educational level). Thirty publications (39.4%) reported data on a comparison group, including samples of general populations from different geographic regions or in different periods. Only 16 studies (21%) included some estimation of the functional impairment of detected anxiety symptoms. Only seven of the studies that estimated functional impairment had comparison groups. None of the studies included in this review contain sufficient contextual or descriptive information to determine whether the reported high levels of anxiety are normal reactions of subjects in high-stress situations or actual psychiatric disorders.

Depressive, Anxiety Symptom Frequency and Related Factors Among Prisoners During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Northeastern Ethiopia, a Cross-Sectional Study.

BackgroundAmong the more than 10 million people imprisoned around the world, the rate of mental illness is higher than among the general population for various reasons. Although rates of mental illnesses such as depression and anxiety in this population may have changed as a response to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak and other factors, to our knowledge, no related studies have been conducted related to depression and anxiety in this population during the pandemic. Therefore, this study aimed to assess depression, anxiety, and associated factors among Dessie City prisoners during the 2020 COVID-19 outbreak.MethodsAn institution-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in October 2020. A total of 420 prisoners were selected via a systematic sampling technique. PHQ-9 depression scale, generalized anxiety disorder-7 questionnaire, Oslo 3-item social support scale, insomnia severity index, and Brief COPE scale were used. Data were entered by using Epi-Data version 3.1 and finally exported to Statistical Package for Social Science Software version 21 for analysis. We fitted a multiple binary logistic regression model. Finally, an adjusted odds ratio with 95% confidence interval was reported and factors with a p-value < 0.05 were considered as significant for depression and anxiety.ResultsThis study showed that 279 (66.4%) of imprisoned people had major depressive disorder with 95% CI of (61.4, 70.6), while 281 (66.9) had generalized anxiety disorder with 95% CI of (61.9, 71.9).ConclusionIn this study, the overall prevalence of depression and anxiety was significantly high, and was related to a number of factors including COVID-19. Therefore, designing and implementing strategies for COVID-19 prevention and control in prisons is highly recommended to reduce mental health problems among prisoners.

Substance use and depressive and anxiety symptoms among out-of-school adolescent girls and young women in Cape Town, South Africa.

There is a high prevalence of substance use among youth in South Africa (SA), and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) experience high rates of depression and anxiety. Substance use behaviours and mental health are associated with other public health problems among AGYW such as HIV and unintended pregnancy. Therefore, understanding the relationship between substance use and mental health is imperative to improve AGYW's health. To examine the association between heavy drinking, marijuana, methamphetamine and methaqualone (Mandrax) use and depressive and anxiety symptoms among AGYW aged 16 - 19 years who have dropped out of school in Cape Town, SA. Data for this report come from the baseline data of 500 participants of an ongoing cluster-randomised trial assessing the efficacy of a young woman-focused intervention to reduce substance use and HIV risk. After AGYW consented/assented to participate, they completed a urine drug screen and a baseline questionnaire. Logistic and negative binomial regressions, controlling for clustering at the neighbourhood level, revealed that frequency of depressive symptoms was significantly and positively related to a positive drug screen for Mandrax (β=0.07; p=0.03). All other associations between the frequency of depressive symptoms and substance use were not statistically significant (ps&gt;0.05). The associations between frequency of anxiety symptoms and substance use were not statistically significant (ps&gt;0.05). Our findings highlight the need to address substance use, especially Mandrax use and its associated risk, and depression in an integrated, youth-friendly setting.

How have older adults reacted to coronavirus disease 2019?

Outbreaks have a wide spectrum of psychosocial impact on individuals. This study aimed to investigate the psychosocial effects of measures to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus disease on older adults in Turkey. A survey was conducted of 104 adults who had to stay at home during the pandemic. Participants' depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, nutritional status, health-related quality of life, and sleep quality were assessed. The frequency of depressive and anxiety symptoms was 37.5% and 29.8%, respectively. The frequency of depressive symptoms was higher in women, individuals age ≥85 years, and those with less education and low monthly income. Anxiety symptom frequency was also higher in women and those with less education and low monthly income. Quality of life and sleep were worse in those with depressive symptoms and anxiety symptoms. To our knowledge, this is the first published study to investigate the effect of a pandemic on the mood, anxiety symptoms, nutrition status, quality of life, and sleep of older adults during the pandemic period. Our findings indicate the importance of psychosocial support in older individuals during and after the pandemic period.

COVID-19 Pandemic: A Challenge for Healthcare Professionals and Assessment of Anxiety Symptoms

Introduction: Worldwide, COVID-19 pandemic caused millions of infected people and thousands of deaths. Due to enormous pressure on health-care systems and its inadequate preparedness, utter collapse is expected. In the current epidemic response, healthcare workers’ (HCWs) knowledge and practice are crucial, while the impact on their mental health is still unknown.Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted among HCWs redeployed to COVID points in the Public Institution Health Centre of Sarajevo Canton. According to guidelines and information provided by the World Health Organization and Ministries of Health, a questionnaire was developed. In addition, General Anxiety Disorder-7 as a screening tool for anxiety disorders was used.Results: Of 180 respondents, 26 (14.4%) were in direct contact with the sick patient. In total, 79 (43.9%) respondents consider their personal protective equipment is in accordance with the guidelines of the world health authorities. A total of 72 (39.7%) of respondents used the same mask for several days. In general, the danger from new coronavirus was considered minimal by 59 (32,6%) HCWs. Based on the achieved score for assessing the anxiety disorder, in 63 (35%) subjects, the presence of severe symptoms was detected.Conclusion: This study found that most HCWs do not have enough knowledge about the COVID-19 pandemic. We identified that there are differences in the sources of information and gap in perceptions of the native origin of the virus. Considering the frequency of anxiety symptoms among HCWs, interventions are necessary in order to preserve their mental health.

The Effect of Brief Supportive Psychotherapy on Prevention of Psychiatric Morbidity in Women with Miscarriage: A Randomized Controlled Trial about the First 24-hours of Hospitalization.

ObjectivesMiscarriage is a common pregnancy complication causing substantial psychiatric complications. This study was designed to investigate whether the administration of brief supportive psychotherapy (BSP) is effective on the management of women with miscarriage when conducted in the first 24 hours of hospitalization in order to prevent symptoms of anxiety, depression, and grief at four-months post-miscarriage.MethodsWe conducted a randomized clinical trial on 79 women with miscarriage hospitalized in Ayatollah Rohani teaching hospital. The women were randomly assigned into two groups (39 in the experimental group and 40 in the control group). All interventions were implemented for two study groups during the first 24 hours of hospitalization in a private room in the hospital. The experimental group received a two-hour BSP. The objective outcomes were assessed using Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and Perinatal Grief Scale (PGS), which has three subscales (active grief, difficulty coping, and despair) and were measured before the intervention and at four-months post-miscarriage.ResultsThe results of pre-tests in the follow-up of the trial suggested that the participants who received BSP reported significant reductions in the mean scores of active grief (-34.2±9.7 vs. 28.1±-6.9), difficulty coping (27.1±6.4 vs. 23.3±4.3), despair (28.0±8.4 vs. 22.8±5.2), and total PGS (89.6±23.1 vs. 74.4±15.3), in contrast to participants in the control group who did not report such results. Further, the results of generalized estimating equations models revealed that brief supportive psychotherapy caused a significant decrease in the level of factors including active grief, difficulty coping, despair, total perinatal grief, anxiety symptoms, and depressive symptoms in subjects in the experimental group compared to those in the control group after miscarriage. Also, the frequency of anxiety symptoms (13.5% vs. 60.5%), depressive symptoms (32.4% vs. 71.1%), and grief symptoms (10.8% vs. 65.8%) was found to be significantly lower in the group receiving psychotherapy than in the control group at four-months follow-up.ConclusionsAdministration of BSP session during the first 24 hours of hospitalization for women with miscarriage can be considered a reliable method to prevent anxiety symptoms, depression symptoms, and perinatal grief at four-months follow-up.

Quality of life, depression, anxiety and stress among pregnant women with previous adverse antenatal record presenting in Sheikh Zayed Medical College/ Hospital Rahim Yar Khan.

A case-control study was conducted to determine the quality of life, frequency of anxiety symptoms, depression and stress among pregnant women with previous adverse antenatal record. Forty-five patients who presented at the Sheikh Zayed Medical College/Hospital Rahim Yar Khan with adverse pregnancy outcome in the previous pregnancy and 45 patients who had normal live birth in the last pregnancy were evaluated to assess the impact of previous experience with anxiety, depression, stress and quality of life (QOL) during the subsequent pregnancy. The study was conducted between October 2018 and April 2019. Depression, anxiety and stress scale (DASS) 21 was used to determine the anxiety, depression and stress. To determine the quality of life, Quality of life scale (QOL) consisting of 16 questions was used. It was revealed that the study group patients had higher illiteracy rate 6 (13.3%) as compared to the control group 0 (0.00%). Rate of previous planned pregnancy was lower in the study group 6 (13.3%) as against 15 (33.3%) among controls. Anxiety, depression and stress score was also significantly higher among the study group as compared to the control group. The study showed that women who had previous adverse antenatal record have poor quality of life, and higher degree of anxiety, depression and stress in subsequent pregnancy as compared to those who had normal live birth in the previous pregnancy. Previous pregnancy outcome should be considered along with other psychological variables to develop the conceptual model of anxiety and depression during pregnancy.

Psychosocial problem of people with epilepsy in Ulaanbaatar of Mongolia

Background Epilepsy is a common neurological disease, which need to health care and public health service topicality that is a very important for people with epilepsy (PWE). Purpose To investigate psychosocial problem of the people with epilepsy. Method 77 patients were included in our study. In order to identify psychosocial problems we used the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and a ten-item measure of felt stigma for this cross-sectional study. Result There were 46.8% female, 44.2% were married, 75.3% unemployment. The frequencies of anxiety symptoms in PWE were 31.2% very anxiety, 32.5% anxiety and 36.4% not anxiety, the rates of depressive symptoms in PWE were 18.2% very depressed, 19.5% depressed and 62.3% not depressed, respectively. All of the 62.3% PWE felt stigma. Considering the age, psychological problem, some of the variables of the participants, the age of the people with epilepsy was associated with depression and the stigma scores, negatively. (r= -0.2 p=0.05; r = -0.2 p=0.05). There are relationships between stigma and anxiety, depression, social-interaction of the attitude scores in PWE. (r= 0.5 p= 0.01; r= 0.5 p= 0.01; r=0.4 p= 0.01). Whereas that the correlation statistic did not indicate a relationship between the duration of the epilepsy and anxiety, depression, stigma and social-interaction’s scores Conclusion This reveals that it has positive relationship with social-interaction and attitude. Frequency of epileptic seizures induces the anxiety and depression of the people with epilepsy and thus worsens their stigmatization.

Depression and anxiety in a case series of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: frequency and association with clinical features

ABSTRACTObjective To investigate the frequency of anxiety and depression and their association with clinical features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Methods This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study including a consecutive series of patients with sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis according to Awaji’s criteria. Patients underwent clinical and psychiatric assessment (anxiety and depression symptoms).Results We included 76 patients. The men/women ratio was 1.6:1. Participants’ mean age at disease onset was 55 years (SD±12.1). Sixty-six patients (86.8%) were able to complete psychiatric evaluation. Clinically significant anxiety was found in 23 patients (34.8%) while clinically significant depression was found in 24 patients (36.4%). When we compared patients with and without depression a significant difference was seen only in the frequency of anxiety symptoms (p<0.001). We did further analysis comparing subgroups of patients classified according to the presence or not of anxiety and or depression, without any significant difference regarding sex, age at onset, initial form, disease duration or functional measures. A positive correlation between anxiety and depressive symptoms was found (p<0.001).Conclusion Anxiety and depressive symptoms were highly correlated and frequent in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In addition, anxiety and depression were not associated with disease duration and presentation, sex, age at onset, and functional score.

No distinctions between different types of anxiety symptoms in pre-adolescents from the general population

Studies aimed at anxiety symptoms in children from the general population samples often make distinctions between symptoms of Separation Anxiety, Social Phobia, Panic Disorder, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Given the high comorbidity rates between these disorders, the usefulness of such distinctions is questionable. The present study was conducted to investigate which homogenous subgroups of children aged 10–12 years can be identified, according to the presence and frequencies of different types of anxiety. A general population sample of 2210 children was assessed with the RCADS, a self-report questionnaire. Latent class analysis did not yield classes of children with symptoms of one anxiety disorder, without symptoms of another anxiety disorder. Instead, five classes of children were identified that differed in the frequency of anxiety symptoms, irrespective of the type of anxiety. Results indicate that, in a general population sample, it may not be useful to discern children with different types of anxiety symptoms.

A qualitative investigation of the temporal patterning of the precompetitive anxiety response

The aim of this study was to examine retrospective perceptions and causal beliefs about temporal experiences of competitive anxiety and related symptoms in the lead up to competition. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 9 elite performers to examine the interaction of intensity, frequency and direction of symptoms associated with competitive anxiety before competition. Data analysis identified six causal networks that supported theoretical predictions suggesting that intensity of cognitive anxiety symptoms remained relatively stable in the lead up to competition, whereas somatic anxiety peaked sharply at the onset of performance. Frequency of anxiety symptoms increased as the competition approached and changes in interpretation of anxiety symptoms were also reported, with self-confidence identified as a moderating variable. The findings highlight the dynamic properties of the stress response and emphasize the need to consider the idiosyncratic nature of the level, frequency and interpretation of performers' precompetitive experiences.

Anxiety sensitivity mediates the relationships between childhood learning experiences and elevated hypochondriacal concerns in young adulthood

Objective: the present study investigated childhood learning experiences potentially associated with the development of elevated hypochondriacal concerns in a non-clinical young adult sample, and examined the possible mediating roles of anxiety sensitivity (i.e., fear of anxiety-related symptoms) and trait anxiety (i.e., frequency of anxiety symptoms) in explaining these relationships. Method: 197 university students participated in a retrospective assessment of their childhood instrumental (i.e., parental reinforcement) and vicarious (i.e., parental modeling) learning experiences with respect to arousal–reactive (e.g., dizziness) and arousal–non-reactive (e.g., lumps) bodily symptoms, respectively. Childhood learning experiences were assessed using a revised version of the Learning History Questionnaire (LHQ), anxiety sensitivity levels with the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), trait anxiety levels with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-Trait (STAI-T) scale, and degree of hypochondriacal concerns with the Illness Attitudes Scale (IAS)-Total score. Results: consistent with earlier findings [Watt MC, Stewart SH, Cox BJ. A retrospective study of the learning history origins of anxiety sensitivity. Behav Res Ther 1998; 36: 505–525.], elevated anxiety sensitivity levels were associated with increased instrumental and vicarious learning experiences related to both arousal–reactive and arousal–non-reactive bodily symptoms. Similarly, individuals with elevated hypochondriacal concerns also reported both more instrumental and vicarious learning experiences around bodily symptoms than did students with lower levels of such concerns. However, contrary to the hypothesis, the childhood learning experiences related to hypochondriacal concerns were not specific to arousal–non-reactive symptoms, but instead involved parental reinforcement and modeling of bodily symptoms in general (arousal–reactive and –non-reactive symptoms alike). Anxiety sensitivity, but not trait anxiety, partially mediated the relationships between childhood learning experiences and elevated hypochondriacal concerns in young adulthood. Conclusions: elevated anxiety sensitivity appears to be a risk factor for the development of hypochondriasis when learning experiences have involved both arousal–reactive and arousal–non-reactive bodily symptoms.

Mental disorders among the community-dwelling elderly in Dublin

The prevalence of mental disorders among the community-dwelling elderly in the catchment area of a psychiatry for the elderly service in Dublin was determined. A sample of 1232 individuals aged 65 years and over, identified from general practitioner practice lists, was interviewed using the Geriatric Mental State-AGECAT package. Depression and organic disorder occurred with prevalences of 10.3 and 4.1%, respectively. Depression diagnostic cases had comorbid anxiety at case level in 17.3% and at sub-case level in a further 59.9%. Organic diagnostic cases had comorbid depressive or anxiety symptoms, at case or sub-case level, in 32%. Depression is the most common mental disorder among the elderly in Dublin. The frequency of anxiety symptoms in the presentation of depression may be a factor in the under-diagnosis or misdiagnosis of depression in the community-dwelling elderly. Comorbid anxiety and depression in organic disorder may represent treatable symptoms.