Greater Anxiety Research Articles

Is It All That Positive? An Exploratory Study of Emotions in the Older Adult In-Person and Online EFL Classrooms

Late-life foreign language education (i.e., FL geragogy, FLG) is said to be related to the de- lay of age-related cognitive changes in healthy individuals and has been shown to positively affect the quality of life of older adults, the fastest-growing age group worldwide. These are also the two main reasons which seem to be behind the high enrolment rates for FL courses at the Universities of the Third Age (U3A) and senior centres alike. Nowadays, following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic and months spent in the emergency remote teaching, some of the older learners decided to continue their ed- ucation online, others came back to the classrooms. In both cases, the research on third age learner emotions remains rather scarce, despite a gradually increasing interest of applied linguists in this age group. The aim of this paper is thus to bridge the gap between FLG and Positive Language Education (Mercer et al.) by discerning the reasons behind the learners’ choice of in-person or online classes and investigating the emotions experienced in both modes. To this end, the qualitative research was conducted in two groups of older adult English as a FL learners in the in-class (n = 11) and online mode (n = 6). The data was collected via open-ended questionnaire and a thematic analysis of the dataset was done to identify patterns of meaning. The results indicate that although the emotions in both modes are similar, and learning English in later life is a source of pride, satisfaction, and self-fulfilment irrespective of the form of classes, the online experience is decidedly more negative and causes greater anxiety, frustration, and boredom. In addition, face-to-face social interaction seems to play a vital role in the learners’ overall perception of the course.

Nationwide, Couple-Based Genetic Carrier Screening

BackgroundGenomic sequencing technology allows for identification of reproductive couples with an increased chance, as compared with that in the general population, of having a child with an autosomal recessive or X-linked genetic condition.MethodsWe investigated the feasibility, acceptability, and outcomes of a nationwide, couple-based genetic carrier screening program in Australia as part of the Mackenzie’s Mission project. Health care providers offered screening to persons before pregnancy or early in pregnancy. The results obtained from testing at least 1281 genes were provided to the reproductive couples. We aimed to ascertain the psychosocial effects on participants, the acceptability of screening to all participants, and the reproductive choices of persons identified as having an increased chance of having a child with a condition for which we screened.ResultsAmong 10,038 reproductive couples enrolled in the study, 9107 (90.7%) completed screening, and 175 (1.9%) were newly identified as having an increased chance of having a child with a genetic condition for which we screened. These conditions involved pathogenic variants in 90 different genes; 74.3% of the conditions were autosomal recessive. Three months after receiving the results, 76.6% of the couples with a newly identified increased chance had used or planned to use reproductive interventions to avoid having an affected child. Those newly identified as having an increased chance had greater anxiety than those with a low chance. The median level of decisional regret was low in all result groups, and 98.9% of participants perceived screening to be acceptable.ConclusionsCouple-based reproductive genetic carrier screening was largely acceptable to participants and was used to inform reproductive decision making. The delivery of screening to a diverse and geographically dispersed population was feasible. (Funded by the Medical Research Future Fund of the Australian government; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT04157595.)

The quality of life among women with breast cancer: a qualitative study in the environment of healthcare in Morocco

ABSTRACT Breast cancer is a real Moroccan public health problem, deeply affecting the quality of life of patients. This qualitative study aimed to explore the quality of life among breast cancer patients in Morocco. Twenty-three patients were interviewed during November-December 2023. The data was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. The results showed that patients confirmed the feeling of great depression and anxiety after the announcement of the diagnosis. Side effects of treatment are the most difficult challenge for patients. Married participants reported alteration of sex life and salaried patients abandon their professions. Yet, the patients maintained good self-esteem. These results indicate the need for multidisciplinary interventions to maintain a good quality of life in breast cancer patients.

Factors associated with dentists' fear of infecting family members as a consequence of dental practice

Dentists are exposed to the risk of infection by respiratory diseases to aerosols potentially contaminated. The factors associated with dentists' fear of infecting relatives because of dental practice were investigated. Questionnaires structured in Google Forms were sent to dentists in Belo Horizonte city, Brazil, who worked before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. The dependent variable was “fear of infecting family members”. The independent variables were sociodemographic characteristics, use of personal protective equipment (PPE) before and during the pandemic, important actions to prevent infection, knowledge and feelings about the pandemic, and the future of the profession. Analyses were performed using Pearson's chi-square test and Fisher's exact test (p≤0.05). The prevalence of fear was 84.3%. Having changed the use of surgical masks (p=0.038) and N95/PFF2/PFF3 masks (p = 0.043), having not changed the use of lab coats (p=0.013), greater anxiety during the pandemic period (p=0.004), and fear of being infected by a patient or colleague (p<0.001) were associated with the fear of infecting family members. The fear of infecting relatives made the dentists more anxious, with the fear of infection by patients or co-workers as well as more careful about the use of PPE.

Strategic Infectious Diseases in Beef Cattle in Balongpanggang during 2023

Strategic infectious animal diseases have a great impact on the national economy as they may cause great economic loss, public anxiety, and high mortality. In Indonesia, among the diseases considered as strategic infectious animal diseases is foot and mouth disease (FMD). This study reported the incidence of strategic infectious animal diseases in Balongpanggang district during 2023. Throughout 2023, FMD only accounted for 4% of the total diseases of the year and was the only strategic infectious animal disease reported that year. Meanwhile, bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) incidence reached 57% (876/1546) of the total diseases in beef cattle in 2023. In addition to BEF, official veterinary services reported a total case of 1546 throughout 2023 that comprises; diarrhea (99), limping (24), helminthiasis (91), ectoparasite (11), hematochezia (3), wound (3), mastitis (4), allergy (1), dystocia (28), vaginal prolapse (11), dermatitis (45), enteritis (27), tympani (11), scabiosis (122), arthritis (67), ophthalmic problem (11), endometritis (1), uterine retention (13), indigestion (2), pneumonia (21), hypoglycemia (5), abscess (21), ovariohysterectomy (1), orchitis (1), intoxication (1), and papilloma (1). In conclusion, the only strategic infectious animal disease reported in 2023 in Balongpanggang was FMD with the incidence as high as 3% as compared to the non-strategic infectious animal diseases, BEF, which reached 54% of the total cases during 2023.

Self-Management Experiences of Diabetic Patients in One-Person Household

Though the role of the family is important in diabetes management, the increase in one-person household is complicating this role. Therefore, we divided diabetes patients who lived alone with overall health vulnerability into age groups to understand their lives and seek educational methods that can help them. Young one-person household diabetes patients suffered greatly from anxiety and depression about the future, while patients who managed well accurately understood information about their health and tried to manage it on their own. Middle-aged one-person household diabetes patients who were men had greater difficulty preparing meals, while women had greater anxiety about worsening health, but they tried to improve their lifestyle habits to look after their health and become independent. Elderly one-person household diabetes patients had great difficulty living independently due to old age and needed help with diabetes care. This study aimed to understand the lives of one-person household diabetes patients and learn about their experiences with self-management. Based on this, diabetes educators should pay attention to the personal and environmental factors of patients and strive to provide customized education. They should also identify and connect to various resources available in the community.

Lymph node metastasis diagnosis of postoperative OSCC patients by analyzing extracellular vesicles in drainage fluid based on microfluidic isolation

Lymph node metastasis (LNM) is a typical marker in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) indicating poor prognosis. Pathological examination by artificial image acquisition and analysis, as the main diagnostic method for LNM, often takes a week or longer which may cause great anxiety of the patient and also retard timely treatment. However, there are few efficient fast LNM diagnosis methods in clinical applications currently. Our previous study profiled the proteomics of extracellular vesicles (EVs) derived from postoperative drainage fluid (PDF) and showed the potential of detecting specific EVs that expressed aspartate β-hydroxylase (ASPH) for LNM diagnosis in OSCC patients. Considering that the analysis of ASPH+ PDF-EVs is challenging due to their low abundance (counting less than 10% of total EVs in PDF) and the complex EV isolation process of ultra-centrifugation, we developed a facile platform containing two microfluidic chips filled with antibody-modified microbeads to isolate ASPH+ PDF-EVs, with both the capture and retrieval rate reaching around 90%. Clinical sample analysis based on our method revealed that a mean of 6 × 106 /mL ASPH+ PDF-EVs could be isolated from LNM+ OSCC patients compared to 2.5 × 106 /mL in LNM- OSCC ones. When combined with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique that was commonly used in clinical laboratories in hospitals, this microfluidic platform could precisely distinguish postoperative OSCC patients with LNM or not in several hours, which were validated by a double-blind test containing 6 OSCC patients. We believe this strategy has promise for early diagnosis of LNM in postoperative OSCC patients and finally helps guiding timely and reasonable treatment in clinic.

The effect of assessor visibility on student stress and anxiety in emergency care simulation assessments

BackgroundSimulation assessment can result in anxiety for students. These assessments involve being observed by assessors, so there is a significant socio-evaluative stress component which may cause greater anxiety if assessors are visible to students during assessments. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of assessor visibility on biological and physiological markers of stress and levels of anxiety experienced by pre-hospital emergency care students in a simulation assessment environment.MethodsA paired comparison, pre-post test research design was used with two conditions; an assessor visible condition with simulation assessors visible to students in the room and an assessor not visible condition with assessors not in the room but connected via video link. With a sample of 29 emergency care students anxiety was measured with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and stress was measured with salivary cortisol and heart rate variability (HRV).ResultsDifferences in state anxiety scores, HRV variables and salivary cortisol suggested lower stress and anxiety in the assessor visible group. Only heart rate was significantly different between the groups (p = 0.016), with a higher heart rate in the assessor not visible group.ConclusionsGreater stress and anxiety may be experienced by students during emergency care simulation assessments when assessors are not visible to students.

The Influence of Temperament, Theory of Mind, Inhibitory Control, and Prosocial Behavior on Child Anxiety Symptoms in the First Five Years of Life.

Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent of all mental health disorders, often originating in early childhood and extending into later childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. Determining salient risk factors that precede their development is important for prevention and intervention efforts. Towards this end, we examined the role of temperament, theory of mind, inhibitory control, and prosocial behavior on child anxiety symptoms in the first 5years of life. A community sample of children and their parents (N = 399) enrolled in a longitudinal study of emotion processing were assessed when the children were infants and at ages 2years, 3years, and 5years. Linear mixed models and linear regression models revealed that greater anxiety at 5years was associated with greater negative affectivity and behavioral inhibition, lower effortful control, lower theory of mind scores on the "desires" domain, and higher scores on the "intentions" domain (assessed from infancy to 3years of age). These characteristics may be useful to assess in clinical settings to evaluate a patient's risk for developing anxiety. They may also be useful in developinginterventions targeting specific vulnerabilities.

The S in STEM: gender differences in science anxiety and its relations with science test performance-related variables

BackgroundSTEM education has experienced significant growth due to its pivotal role in innovation and economic development. While cognitive factors like prior knowledge are known predictors of STEM success, non-cognitive factors, including attitudes and demographics, also play vital roles. However, there is a notable scarcity of research focusing on the "S" in STEM—science—compared to extensive studies in fields like mathematics. This study aims to address this gap by exploring gender differences in science test performance and related attitudes, providing insights into this under-researched aspect of STEM education.ResultsThe effective sample comprised 1839 Estonian 12th-grade students who took a computer-assisted science test. The test consisted of tasks combining chemistry, physics, biology, and geography, and a post-test survey was also administered. Across the total sample, the results showed that test performance positively correlated with test-taking duration, effort, and test importance. Test performance was negatively correlated with perceived test difficulty. Interestingly, while general science anxiety was not associated with test performance, subject-specific anxiety, especially chemistry anxiety had a negative association with test performance. While there were no gender differences in test performance, female students scored consistently higher on all science anxiety measures, compared to male students. Furthermore, female students assessed the science test to be more difficult, and they also took more time to complete the test. The correlations in gender subsamples mirrored those observed in the total sample.ConclusionsThe association between science test performance and test-related variables is nuanced: students might not necessarily have a “general” STEM anxiety but it may be associated with a specific subject. Moreover, the findings imply that although there are no gender differences in test performance, girls have a greater anxiety when it comes to natural sciences subjects. These findings indicate the need for investigating the origin of such anxieties, which do not seem to stem from aptitude.

Surgeon stress, anxiety, and workload: a descriptive study of participant reported responses to fundamentals of laparoscopic surgery exercises

BackgroundStress while operating is an important contributor to surgeon health and burnout. Measuring stress is key to improving surgeon and patient outcomes, however biological responses to stress during surgery are variable and difficult to interpret. Participant reported measures of stress have been suggested as an alternative, but the most appropriate measure has not been defined. This study’s primary aim was to assess measures of anxiety, stress, and workload before and after surgical simulation and characterize the relationship between these measures.MethodsSurgeons completed three laparoscopic exercises from the fundamentals of laparoscopy program (peg transfer, pattern cutting, intracorporeal suturing) in a neutral environment and “stressed” environment (ergonomic, noise, or time pressure). State trait anxiety and self-reported stress on a visual analogue scale were collected prior to simulation and again immediately afterwards. The NASA task load index (TLX) was also administered post-simulation.ResultsOf the 26 participants from gynecological and general surgery specialties, state anxiety increased in 98/148 simulations (62%) with a significant mean increase during simulation (32.9 ± 7.9 vs 39.4 ± 10.2, p < .001). Self-reported stress increased in 107/148 simulations (72%), with a significant increase in mean scores during simulation (38.7 ± 22.5 vs 48.9 ± 23.7, p < .001). NASA-TLX scores immediately after simulation ranged from 40 to 118 (mean 60.5 ± 28.7). Greater anxiety and stress scores were reported in “stressed” simulations (43.6 ± 23.1 vs 54.2 ± 23.3; 68.7 ± 27.0 vs 52.4 ± 28.2 respectively) with a significant interaction effect of the “stressed” environment and type of exercise. Anxiety and stress were moderately positively correlated prior to simulation (r = .40) and strongly positively correlated post-simulation (r = .70), however only stress was strongly correlated to workload (r = .79).ConclusionStress and anxiety varied by type of laparoscopic exercise and simulation environment. Correlations between anxiety and stress are stronger post-simulation than prior to simulation. Stress, but not anxiety, is highly correlated with workload.Graphical

A - 99 Examining the Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Neuropsychological Functioning, and Neurocognitive Status among Older Adults

Abstract Objective Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are associated with poorer cognitive and mental health outcomes in adulthood. However, there is limited research elucidating the relationship between ACE severity and specific neuropsychological outcomes among examinees with cognitive impairment. This study assessed the relationship between ACE exposure and cognitive and psychiatric outcomes among older adults with and without cognitive impairment. Method This cross-sectional study included 75 patients (64% female; MAge = 67, SD = 8.6; MEducation = 12.8, SD = 3.2) undergoing neuropsychological evaluation at an academic medical center. Analyses of variance (ANOVAs) compared high versus low ACE groups on specific tests of verbal fluency, processing speed, working memory, executive functions, and on depression and anxiety measures. Groups were formed based on neurocognitive status (i.e., no diagnosis, mild cognitive impairment, dementia) and ANOVAs were re-run for each diagnosis. Results No significant differences were detected on neurocognitive measures among the overall group or when groups were subdivided by diagnosis. Among the overall sample, significant group differences were detected for depression and anxiety symptoms, F(1,73) = 16.696, p &amp;lt; 0.001 and F(1,73) = 12.268, p = 0.001 respectively, such that higher ACE groups endorsed significantly more psychiatric symptoms. Among the no-diagnosis group, depressive symptoms were bordering insignificance, p = 0.048, and no differences were detected for anxiety. By contrast, higher ACEs were associated with greater anxiety among the mild cognitive impairment group and greater depression among the dementia group. Conclusions Findings reinforce the impact of ACEs on psychiatric symptoms among older adults. Although there were no significant cognitive differences, further research is necessary to better understand the relationship between ACEs, neurocognitive impairment, and psychiatric functioning.

A cross-sectional examination of the relationship between learning environment and anxiety among dental hygiene students.

This study's purpose was to determine if the learning environment impacts student anxiety in a dental hygiene program by evaluating the two main learning environments: the dental clinic and the traditional classroom. This study also examined educational tasks and their association with anxiety in each learning environment. A web-based survey was conducted using a convenience sample of dental hygiene students enrolled in a two or four yearCODA-accredited dental hygiene program in the United States. The Beck Anxiety Inventory was used to determine each participant's anxiety levels in both learning environments. Data analysis included descriptive statistics, correlation, and an analysis of variance. According to the Beck Anxiety Inventory scoring, dental hygiene students experience a moderate level of anxiety when learning in the dental clinic and a low level of anxiety when learning in the classroom. Nervousness was the most reported anxiety symptom in both the dental clinic and the traditional classroom. Test results from the Spearman correlation show that all dental clinic and classroom educational tasks have a significant correlation (p<0.01) to a student's anxiety level. Anxiety reported by students did not statistically differ by the year in which they were in the dental hygiene program. Findings suggest anxiety does exist at a moderate level in dental hygiene students. The dental clinic learning environment is associated with greater anxiety among dental hygiene students. Results from this study will be beneficial in understanding how to facilitate student success in a dental hygiene program.

Costly Causes of Funeral Dissatisfaction and Satisfaction—Responses to an All-Japan Survey

Background: Previous research shows that grief causes medical and psychological problems for a substantial minority of the bereaved, which places stress on modern medical and social welfare systems. Other research demonstrates that funeral dissatisfaction correlates with medical and psychological problems, but does not address what aspects of funerals cause greatest satisfaction or dissatisfaction. We examined anonymized survey responses describing aspects of funerals causing the greatest anxiety or relief to bereaved Japanese individuals—and in turn affecting medical/welfare costs for the entire society. Method: A research team centered at Kyoto University collected over 1400 questionnaires from recently bereaved Japanese, of whom more than 300 volunteered anonymous comments about their funeral experiences. This article categorizes and analyses these qualitative data. Results: We classified their comments into 10 themes: Hospital Interaction; Pre-arrangement; Timing good-byes; Attendance; Friends/relations; Rituals; Crematorium; Ceremonial meals; Costs; Follow-up. Conclusions: The greatest disappointment appeared in attendance, connection to friends and relations and rituals. When lacking, insufficient, or ill-handled, these leave long-standing bad memories and dissatisfaction that aggravate mourners’ psychological and physical ailments. Our research highlights the psychological effects of cremation, and the value of itemization and explanation of funeral costs. Funeral directors can significantly reduce dissatisfaction by awareness of and sensitivity to these issues, thus contributing to national health and welfare.

Anxiety and fear of cancer recurrence as predictors of subsequent pain interference in early cancer survivorship: Exploring the moderating roles of cognitive and emotional factors.

Following treatment, cancer survivors often experience pain that negatively impacts their quality of life. Although both anxiety and fear of cancer recurrence (FCR) have been shown to exacerbate pain interference, less is known about either the temporal relationship between anxiety/FCR and pain interference or modifiable cognitive/emotional factors that might moderate that relationship among cancer survivors. This longitudinal study aims to advance our understanding of the impact of both anxiety and FCR following primary cancer treatment on subsequent pain interference. We also examined potentially modifiable moderators (i.e., cancer-related illness beliefs and emotion regulation difficulties) of the relationship between anxiety/FCR and subsequent pain interference. Adults (N = 397; 67% female; Mage = 59.1 years) diagnosed with breast, colorectal, or prostate cancer completed self-report measures at baseline (average of 2.5 months following treatment completion) and at 6-month follow-up. Both greater anxiety and FCR not only predicted subsequent pain interference, but also predicted increases in pain interference over time. Additionally, complex interaction patterns were observed between anxiety and the potential moderators on pain interference. Specifically, lower Personal Control beliefs and higher Consequences beliefs were associated with greater pain interference for those with lower levels of anxiety/FCR. Emotion regulation difficulties also moderated the anxiety-pain interference link (i.e., was more strongly associated with greater pain interference at lower levels of anxiety), but not the FCR-pain link. Chronicity beliefs did not interact with anxiety or FCR in predicting pain interference. This study advances our understanding of the role of anxiety/FCR on pain interference over time as well as potential psychological treatment targets for individuals at greater risk for longer-term pain following cancer treatment.

The relationship between momentary experiential avoidance and anxiety symptoms

ABSTRACT Background Experiential avoidance (EA) may serve as a risk factor for a wide range of anxiety-related psychopathology. Anxiety is thought to trigger the use of EA, while also serving as a consequence of EA efforts. Previous ecological momentary assessment (EMA) studies found that EA was associated with greater anxiety in nonclinical undergraduates and patients with social anxiety disorder. Methods The present study examined the in-the-moment, bidirectional relationship between EA, perceived stress, and two facets of anxiety (autonomic arousal and worry/misery) in a sample of treatment-seeking patients broadly diagnosed with an anxiety-related disorder (N = 46). Participants completed a baseline assessment followed by an EMA assessment period (assessments three times daily for seven days). We hypothesized that there would be a bidirectional relationship between EA and anxiety/stress. Results Results largely supported a unidirectional relationship such that greater EA at one time point predicted higher stress at a later time point controlling for previous stress levels and linear time. Trend-level associations between EA and anxiety symptoms are discussed. Conclusions The current study provides important insight into the relationship between EA and anxiety symptoms in a clinical sample of participants with anxiety-related disorders.

Impact of various nutritional interventions on the physical and mental state of patients undergoing surgery for oral and maxillofacial tumor: guiding patients' informed choices.

To compare the effects of oral nutritional supplements (ONS), parenteral nutrition (PN), and enteral nutrition (EN) on the recovery of patients who underwent oral and maxillofacial surgery. The shared decision-making process assigned 37, 56, and 35 patients to the ONS, PN, and EN groups, respectively. Details such as demographic data, duration of hospitalization, cost of nutritional therapy, nutritional assessments, patients' satisfaction, and compliance, Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) score, and relevant biochemical indices were systematically recorded and compared between the groups. Patients with healthier biochemical indices and physical states at baseline, including a higher body mass index, preferred ONS. Patients using dentures and those with medical insurance often chose EN, while patients with recurrent disease preferred PN. Patients receiving EN had a similar duration of hospitalization to patients receiving ONS and also had the lowest nutritional costs. Patients receiving ONS had higher lymphocyte counts and levels of hemoglobin, albumin, and C-reactive protein. Patients in the PN group had elevated levels of serum potassium, chlorine, and sodium, while those receiving EN reported higher HAM-A scores, indicating greater anxiety than their counterparts. Predischarge surveys showed higher satisfaction and compliance in the PN and ONS groups than in the EN group. The PN group reported more adverse symptoms. At 7days post-discharge, patients with EN reported a greater feeling of well-being. ONS is the optimal choice for patients in good preoperative conditions, while PN is preferred during disease recurrence or when financially feasible. EN is suitable for patients using dentures or those with limited finances despite its potential psychological discomfort. Future studies with increased sample sizes and longer follow-up duration are necessary to corroborate our findings. The Trial Registration Number is ChiCTR2100049547. The date of registration isAugust 2, 2021.

Sleep disorder experienced by healthcare nurses after terminating Zero-COVID-19 policy

ObjectiveMedical staff, especially nurses, suffered great anxiety and stress from the COVID-19 pandemic, which negatively affected their sleep quality. In this study, we aimed to analyze the sleep quality of nursing staff after terminating the Zero-COVID-19 policy in China.Methods506 participants were involved in our study. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) was used to evaluate the sleep status of the participants. Binary regression was performed to evaluate the impact factors related to sleep difficulty.ResultsThe majority of participants (96.44%) suffered from sleep disturbances. There were significant differences in age, education level and front-line activity between participants with good sleep quality and sleep difficulty. Younger age (16–25 years old) was independently associated with less sleep difficulty, while front-line activity was independently associated with severe sleep difficulty.ConclusionSleep disorder was very common among nurses after ending the Zero-COVID-19 policy in China. More front-line nurses suffered severe sleep difficulty in particular, which should be worthy of attention.

Socioeconomic Disadvantage and Youth Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown

Adolescence is a period in which mental health problems emerge. Research suggests that the COVID-19 lockdown may have worsened emotional and behavioral health. To examine whether socioeconomic status was associated with mental health outcomes among youths during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study is a multisite 10-year longitudinal study of youth neurocognitive development in the US. Recruitment was staggered where the baseline visit (ages 9 to 10 years) occurred from 2016 to 2018, and visits occurred yearly. The COVID-19 lockdown halted research collection during the 2-year follow-up visits (ages 11 to 12 years), but eventually resumed. As some youths already underwent their 2-year visits prior to lockdown, this allowed for a natural experiment-like design to compare prepandemic and intrapandemic groups. Thus, data were gathered from the 1-year follow-up (pre-COVID-19 lockdown for all youths) and the 2-year follow-up, of which a portion of youths had data collected after the lockdown began, to compare whether a period of near social isolation was associated with mental health symptoms in youths. The prepandemic group consisted of youths with a 2-year follow-up visit collected prior to March 11, 2020, and the intrapandemic group had their 2-year follow-up visit after lockdown restrictions were lifted. Assessments included measures on income-to-needs ratio (INR; derived from total household income), the Child Behavior Checklist (a measure of mental health symptomology), and the Family Environmental Scale. The final sample included 10 399 youths; 3947 (52.3%) were male; 2084 (20.3%) were Latinx/Hispanic; 6765 (66.0%) were White; 4600 (44.2%) reported caregiver education levels below a 4-year college degree; and 2475 (26.2%) had INR either below 100% (indicating poverty) or between 100% and less than 200% (near poverty). Among youths in the intrapandemic group, worse mental health symptoms (eg, more total problems, greater depression, and greater anxiety) over time were associated with being from a household with higher socioeconomic status (eg, when comparing individuals who differed by 1 unit on INR between prepandemic and intrapandemic groups from 1-year to 2-year follow-up, their expected difference in total problems score was 0.79 [95% CI, 0.37-1.22]; false discovery rate-corrected P < .001). This cohort study found that the COVID-19 lockdown was associated with disproportionately negative mental health outcomes among youths from higher socioeconomic status backgrounds. Although this study does not shed light on the direct mechanisms driving these associations, it does provide some support for positive outcomes for youths. Future studies are needed to understand whether these associations persist over longer periods of time.

Associations of state and chronic loneliness with interpretation bias: The role of internalizing symptoms

Loneliness is common and, while generally transient, persists in up to 22% of the population. The rising prevalence and adverse impacts of chronic loneliness highlight the need to understand its underlying mechanisms. Evolutionary models of loneliness suggest that chronically lonely individuals demonstrate negative interpretation biases towards social information. It may also be that such biases are exacerbated by momentary increases in state loneliness, or elevated anxiety or depression. Yet, little research has tested these possibilities. The current study aimed to advance understandings of loneliness by examining associations of chronic loneliness with individual differences in negative interpretation bias for social (relative to non-social) stimuli, and testing whether these associations change in the context of increased state loneliness and current levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. These aims were explored in 591 participants who completed an interpretation bias task before and after undergoing a state loneliness induction. Participants also self-reported chronic loneliness, anxiety, and depression. Linear mixed models indicated that only state (but not chronic) loneliness was associated with more positive interpretations of non-social stimuli, with greater anxiety and depressive symptoms predicting more negative interpretations. Implications of these findings for present theoretical models of loneliness are discussed.