Higher Levels Of State Anxiety Research Articles

Examination of nursing students' anxiety levels related to clinical practice with respect to peer support.

To investigate the relationship between stress and anxiety levels of nursing students at during their first clinical practice. Designed as a quasi-experimental study with a study group (n = 13) and a control group (n = 13) among nursing students at a university. Students who practiced in the clinic for the first time experienced stress and anxiety, and their stress levels increased with high levels of state anxiety. The stress and anxiety decreased using peer support of the study group there was no change in the control group. It is recommended that nursing students who enter clinical practice for the first time use peer support to reduce stress and anxiety in clinical practice.

Muriel Moyo, MS, BSN, RN, CCRN-K, NE-BC

This study aims to determine the levels of perceived stress and anxiety in patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) according to their status of being informed about the procedure. The population of this descriptive study consisted of patients who were referred to the cardiology outpatient clinic of a university hospital in the Black Sea Region of Turkey between December 2017 and May 2018 and planned to undergo CAG for the first time. The sample included 140 patients who met the study inclusion criteria. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and statistically evaluated using the SPSS 20.0 package program. Patients had moderate levels of perceived stress and trait anxiety and high levels of state anxiety. Patients who received information about CAG procedure had lower levels of perceived stress and state anxiety than those who did not. Those who had correct information about the way of application of the procedure had lower levels of perceived stress and state anxiety than those who did not know or had wrong information about it. Those who had correct information about the purpose of the procedure had lower levels of perceived stress and state-trait anxiety than those who had wrong information about it. In addition, those who had wrong information about the purpose of the procedure had lower levels of perceived stress and state anxiety than those who did not know it.

Excessive Media Consumption About COVID-19 is Associated With Increased State Anxiety: Outcomes of a Large Online Survey in Russia

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has potentially had a negative impact on the mental health and well-being of individuals and families. Anxiety levels and risk factors within particular populations are poorly described.ObjectiveThis study aims to evaluate confidence, understanding, trust, concerns, and levels of anxiety during the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population and assess risk factors for increased anxiety.MethodsWe launched a cross-sectional online survey of a large Russian population between April 6 and 15, 2020, using multiple social media platforms. A set of questions targeted confidence, understanding, trust, and concerns in respondents. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory was used to measure anxiety. Multiple linear regressions were used to model predictors of COVID-19–related anxiety.ResultsThe survey was completed by 23,756 out of 53,966 (44.0% response rate) unique visitors; of which, 21,364 were residing in 62 areas of Russia. State Anxiety Scale (S-Anxiety) scores were higher than Trait Anxiety Scale scores across all regions of Russia (median S-Anxiety score 52, IQR 44-60), exceeding published norms. Time spent following news on COVID-19 was strongly associated with an increased S-Anxiety adjusted for baseline anxiety level. One to two hours spent reading COVID-19 news was associated with a 5.46 (95% CI 5.03-5.90) point difference, 2-3 hours with a 7.06 (95% CI 6.37-7.74) point difference, and more than three hours with an 8.65 (95% CI 7.82-9.47) point difference, all compared to less than 30 minutes per day. Job loss during the pandemic was another important factor associated with higher S-Anxiety scores (3.95, 95% CI 3.31-4.58). Despite survey respondents reporting high confidence in information regarding COVID-19 as well as an understanding of health care guidance, they reported low overall trust in state and local authorities, and perception of country readiness.ConclusionsAmong Russian respondents from multiple social media platforms, there was evidence of higher levels of state anxiety associated with recent job loss and increased news consumption, as well as lower than expected trust in government agencies. These findings can help inform the development of key public health messages to help reduce anxiety and raise perceived trust in governmental response to this current national emergency. Using a similar methodology, comparative surveys are ongoing in other national populations.

Determining the Levels of Perceived Stress and Anxiety in Patients Undergoing Coronary Angiography in Accordance with Their Status of Being Informed About the Procedure

This study aims to determine the levels of perceived stress and anxiety in patients undergoing coronary angiography (CAG) according to their status of being informed about the procedure. The population of this descriptive study consisted of patients who were referred to the cardiology outpatient clinic of a university hospital in the Black Sea Region of Turkey between December 2017 and May 2018 and planned to undergo CAG for the first time. The sample included 140 patients who met the study inclusion criteria. Data were collected using a personal information form, the Perceived Stress Scale, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and statistically evaluated using the SPSS 20.0 package program. Patients had moderate levels of perceived stress and trait anxiety and high levels of state anxiety. Patients who received information about CAG procedure had lower levels of perceived stress and state anxiety than those who did not. Those who had correct information about the way of application of the procedure had lower levels of perceived stress and state anxiety than those who did not know or had wrong information about it. Those who had correct information about the purpose of the procedure had lower levels of perceived stress and state-trait anxiety than those who had wrong information about it. In addition, those who had wrong information about the purpose of the procedure had lower levels of perceived stress and state anxiety than those who did not know it.

Comparison of the levels of antenatal anxiety in pregnant women admitted for delivery before and after COVID-19 outbreak in Turkey

Objective This study aimed to compare the level of anxiety in pregnant women who were admitted to our institute before and after confirmation of COVID-19 outbreak have reached Turkey. Methods One-hundred and fifty consecutive pregnant women admitted to our institute following the emergence of the global COVID-19 outbreak (Group 1) and 150 age-matched pregnant women who were admitted to our institute for delivery following the confirmation of COVID-19 outbreak have reached Turkey (Group 2) were enrolled in this study. All patients were asked to fill out the State and Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results STAI-Trait scores, which reflect long term anxiety levels were similar in subjects admitted to our institute for delivery before the COVID-19 outbreak in Turkey compared to those admitted after COVID-19 outbreak (42.5±5.8 vs. 42.2±3.2, respectively; p=0.487). However, there was a significant difference in STAI-State scores, indicating state anxiety, between subjects admitted to our institute for delivery before and after confirmation of COVID-19 outbreak in Turkey (44.6±5.3 vs. 42.9±5.1, respectively; p=0.05). Conclusion Pregnant women admitted to our institute for delivery subsequent to the announcement of first COVID-19 case and declaration of the state of alarm have higher levels of state anxiety compared to those admitted before the establishment of first COVID-19 cases and containment measures.

Level of biogenic amines for pregnant women with psycho-emotional disorders stipulated by anxiety

The objective: determine level of biogenic amines for pregnant women with psycho-emotional disorders stipulated by anxiety. Materials and methods. 90 Pregnant women were examined in ІІ and ІІІ trimester of pregnancy. The main group includes 58 pregnant women with the medium and high level of state anxiety and 32 pregnant women with anxiety level of 30 points and less that indicates the low level of SA (control group). For estimation of the state anxiety and trait anxiety the scale of Spielberger-Hanin was used. Level of serotonin and melatonin was measured with fluorometric method in blood hemolysate of pregnant women. Results. According to the obtained results of biochemical research of hemolysate of packed red cells of blood of examined women there was stated that increase of state anxiety was accompanied by statistically reliable (p<0,05) rise of serotonin level and decrease of melatonin level. Thus, special features have direct influence on increase (p<0,05) of serotonin/melatonin index. Pregnant women of the main group have the index which was 2.5 time higher than the same index for women of the control group. Conclusions. Results of performed research among pregnant women have indicated that increase of state anxiety is accompanied by statistically reliable (p<0,05) rise of serotonin content in blood and statistically reliable (p<0,05) decrease of melatonin. Such results have direct influence on increase (p<0,05) of serotonin/melatonin index for pregnant women with medium and high levels of state anxiety comparing to the certain index for women with the low level of anxiety.

Experienced Demand Does Not Affect Subsequent Sleep and the Cortisol Awakening Response.

PurposeStress is associated with subjective and objective sleep disturbances; however, it is not known whether stress disrupts sleep and relevant physiological markers of stress immediately after it is experienced. The present study examined whether demand, in the form of cognitive tasks, disrupted sleep and the cortisol awakening response (CAR), depending on whether it was experienced or just anticipated.Participants and MethodsSubjective and objective sleep was measured in 22 healthy adults on three nights (Nights 0–2) in a sleep laboratory using sleep diaries and polysomnography. Saliva samples were obtained at awakening, +15, +30, +45 and +60 minutes on each subsequent day (Day 1–3) and CAR measurement indices were derived: awakening cortisol levels, the mean increase in cortisol levels (MnInc) and total cortisol secretion (AUCG). On Night 1, participants were informed that they were required to complete a series of demanding cognitive tasks within the sleep laboratory during the following day. Participants completed the tasks as expected or unexpectedly performed sedentary activities.ResultsCompared to the no-demand group, the demand group displayed significantly higher levels of state anxiety immediately completing the first task. There were no subsequent differences between the demand and no-demand groups in Night 2 subjective sleep continuity, objective sleep continuity or architecture, or on any Day 3 CAR measure.ConclusionThese results indicate that sleep and the CAR are not differentially affected depending on whether or not an anticipated stressor is then experienced. This provides further evidence to indicate that the CAR is a marker of anticipation and not recovery. In order to disrupt sleep, a stressor may need to be personally relevant or of a prolonged duration or intensity.

A-01 Comparing State Anxiety Between Concussed Athletes with and without a History of Sport Related Concussion

Abstract Objective To compare state anxiety between concussed athletes with and without a history of sport related concussion (SRC). Method This study utilized a cross-sectional design. The State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) was administered to athletes within 72 hours of SRC diagnosis. The STAI is a subjective, 40-item inventory that assesses state and trait anxiety; however, this study only examined the state anxiety component. Participants reported how they were feeling at the moment of testing on a 4-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (not at all) to 4 (very much so). State anxiety scores range from 20–80, with higher scores indicating higher levels of state anxiety. An independent samples t-test was used to compare state anxiety between concussed athletes with and without a history of SRC. Statistical significance was set at p < .05. Results A total of 104 (18.12 ± 2.5 years; male = 65, female = 39) high school (n = 36) and collegiate (n = 68) athletes completed the STAI within 72 hours of SRC. Fifty-nine (56.7%) concussed athletes had no history of SRC and 45 (43.3%) athletes had a history of one or more SRCs. There was no significant difference in state anxiety between concussed athletes with (37.64 ± 9.22) and without (38.47 ± 9.44) a history of SRC (p = .65). Conclusions This study suggests that concussion history does not affect state anxiety after SRC. However, clinicians should continue to assess emotional changes after SRC in order to best manage and treat SRC.

Regular Physical Activity, Short-Term Exercise, Mental Health, and Well-Being Among University Students: The Results of an Online and a Laboratory Study.

The health benefits of regular physical activity and aerobic exercise are undisputed in the literature. The present series of pilot studies had two major objectives: (a) examine mental health, well-being, and regular physical activity of university students and (b) explore the potential health benefits of short-term aerobic exercise on university students in an online and a laboratory study. Mental health and well-being were measured before (Time 1, T1) and after (Time 2, T2) a 6 week (online study) and 2 week (laboratory study) low- to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise intervention. Mental health and well-being were assessed using standardized self-report measures of depression, anxiety, positive and negative affect, perceived stress and coping strategies, body dissatisfaction, and quality of life. The effects of the aerobic exercise were compared to a cognitive non-exercise control condition (online study), motor coordination exercise (laboratory study), and a waiting list (online and laboratory). A total of 185 university students were recruited from German universities at T1. Further, 74 (women: n = 67) students completed the 6-week intervention. Similarly, 32 (women: n = 30) participants completed the 2 week intervention (laboratory study). At T1, 36.6% of the students (women and men) reported experiencing depressive symptoms. 41.83% of them (women and men) had high levels of state anxiety. All the students reported experiencing stress (e.g., due to uncertainty related to factors such as their finances, job, and social relationships). At T1, regular physical activity was negatively correlated with self-reported depression, anxiety, and perceived psychosomatic stress and positively correlated with quality of life and positive affect. Among women, cardiovascular fitness (operationalized as resting heart rate variability) was negatively correlated with self-reported anxiety (state) and depression at T1 (laboratory study). The 6 week aerobic exercise intervention resulted in significant improvements in self-reported depression, overall perceived stress, and perceived stress due to uncertainty. The present results confirm that there is a relationship between regular physical activity, cardiovascular fitness, mental health, and well-being among university students. They support the hypothesis that short-term aerobic exercise interventions can act as buffer against depression and perceived stress in university students after 6 weeks of aerobic exercise of low to moderate intensity.

Patterns, predictors, and outcome of the trajectories of depressive symptoms from adolescence to adulthood.

The long-term trajectory of depressive symptoms has a heterogeneous pattern. Identifying factors associated with different trajectories and outcomes may have important theoretical and clinical implications. This study explored patterns of depressive symptom trajectory from adolescence to adulthood, and their relationship with subsequent psychiatric disorders. A sample of 816 participants (58.8% girls; M = 16.58 years old at baseline, SD = 1.21) from a large community sample were interviewed four times during adolescence and adulthood. Depressive symptoms were also assessed. Symptom trajectory identification was based on latent class mixed modeling. Logistic regression was used for predicting emotional and drug use disorder over age 30. Three trajectories of depressive symptoms were identified: "decreasing symptom" (decreasing trajectory of symptoms; 15.1% of participants), "increasing symptom" (initially decreasing pattern of symptoms and then increasing; 6.1% of participants), and "normative symptom" (consistently low symptom levels; 78.8% of participants). Predictors of the increasing symptom trajectory were high level of loneliness and state anxiety, presence of an emotional disorder, and low involvement in physical exercise at baseline. This trajectory membership predicted the development of anxiety disorders over age 30. Predictors of the decreasing symptom class were being female and high level of worry at baseline. Long-term trajectories of depressive symptoms are heterogeneous, with each trajectory having different predictors and are associated with different outcomes during adulthood.

Antenatal depression and anxiety in primiparous Polish mothers and fathers

Mood disturbances are the most prevalent mental health problems in expectant parents. The knowledge about the factors which increase the risk of perinatal depression is insufficient, especially in fathers. The aims of the present study were to estimate the prevalence and to compare mean levels of antenatal depression and anxiety as well as to examine the relationship between the risk for depression and anxiety in primiparous Polish parents. 250 parental couples participating in antenatal classes took part in the study. Depression and anxiety were measured with the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), respectively. Paired t-test with bootstrapping was applied to compare parental EPDS, as well as STAI raw scores. Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated for depression and anxiety scores for women and men separately. The factors predictive for the increased risk of depression were investigated with the use of a multivariate logistic regression analysis. 10% of women and 4% of men were at risk of depression. High level of state anxiety was found in 7.7% of expectant mothers and 10% of fathers, whereas elevated state anxiety was found in 19% of both parents. EPDS scores correlated moderately with anxiety. The risk of depression was increased by state anxiety in the case of mothers and by trait anxiety in the case of fathers. High level of anxiety increases the risk of antenatal depression. Both parents should be screened for depression and anxiety in the prenatal period.

ОСОБЛИВОСТІ Я-КОНЦЕПЦІЇ У ОСІБ З РІЗНИМИ РІВНЯМИ АКТУАЛЬНОЇ ТА ОСОБИСТІСНОЇ ТРИВОЖНОСТІ


 
 
 
 The article is devoted to the vital topic of mutual influence of state and trait anxiety and peculiarities of I-conception: self-attitude, self-monitoring and self-presentation.Persons with high level of state anxiety also have higher level of self-monitoring, self-confidence, self-management and intrinsic value. Persons with high level of trait anxiety have higher level of self-handicapping, ingratiation, supplication and self-attachment. State anxiety has positive correlation with self-confidence and intrinsic value. Trait anxiety has positive correlation with self-confidence, self- attachment and internal conflict. State anxiety is connected directly with positive characteristics of I-conception and trait anxiety has ambivalent connections with I-conception characteristics.Factor model shows connection between trait anxiety, internal conflict, self- handicapping and self-blaming and between state anxiety and self-confidence and makes clear adaptive role of medium state anxiety and neurotic character of trait anxiety.
 
 
 

Confidence is key: Unlocking the relations between ADHD symptoms and math performance

Are ADHD symptoms uniquely related to affect about mathematics in university students? Undergraduates (n = 425) completed three math performance measures (i.e., arithmetic, computational skills, and word problem solving) and self-report measures of ADHD symptoms, state anxiety, and confidence about math and literacy (i.e., affect and perceived self-efficacy). Students who reported more ADHD symptoms were less confident in both their mathematics and literacy skills. ADHD symptoms were indirectly linked to math performance through math confidence. People who reported more ADHD symptoms were anxious before starting the study, but this anxiety level remained constant. In contrast, people with lower math confidence had higher levels of state anxiety, and this level of anxiety increased during the study. In summary, ADHD symptoms were related to academic confidence in general; links with math performance were mediated through math confidence. There was no evidence for a specific link between attentional symptoms and mathematics.

The Impact of Noise and Message Content on Message Elaboration of Psychiatric Help-Seeking Information – A Pilot Study

The decision to access healthcare resources and psychiatric treatment may be impacted by information provided in the external environment. For messages about depression, how and where messages are delivered may be critical to whether an individual seeks help. In this study, participants were placed in a simulated environment and asked to provide ratings of state anxiety, message elaboration, psychiatric help-seeking intentions, mental health anxiety, trait anxiety, and attitudes towards psychiatric help-seeking after 30 minutes. Overall, the study revealed that (1) the subjects in a high noise condition reported a higher level of state anxiety than subjects in a low noise condition, and (2) the effect of state anxiety on message elaboration depends on anxiety-relatedness. The study improves our understanding of the relationships between state anxiety, mental health anxiety, and trait anxiety. The results also offer implications for mental health communication as a critical path to depression treatment.

IMPLEMENTING ‘GUIDED IMAGERY’ METHOD IN PSYCHO-CORRECTIVE WORK WITH ATHLETES WITH ANXIETY

The article is devoted to the approbation of ‘Guided Imagery’ techniques (katathym-imaginative psychotherapy) in athletes’ anxiety correction in psychological provision of athletic activity. The necessity of such a research is derived from the fact that athlete’s trait anxiety characterizes a strong propensity to perceive a wide range of situations as threatening, reacting on such situations with anxious state. State anxiety is characterized by tension, restlessness, and nervousness. High level of state anxiety triggers difficulty concentrating, sometimes with fine motor coordination disruption. Very high level of trait anxiety directly correlates with the presence of neurotic conflict, with emotional and neurotic collapses, and with psychosomatic disorders, that, in turns, can lead to lowering the athlete’s performance, or, even, can lead to the athlete’s career termination. The article reveals the meaning of the notion of anxiety in sports activity, the need for corrective work for high level trait and state anxiety was analyzed. Chosen psychotherapeutic approach for corrective work was substantiated. The individual psycho-corrective work viability with young martial arts practitioners was analyzed. The positive changes were noticed in emotional reactions of research subjects that gives a green light in using the guided imagery techniques in psychological support of an athlete in his/her achievements.

Co-occuring symptoms in older oncology patients with distinct attentional function profiles.

Evaluate how subgroups of older adults with distinct attentional function profiles differ on the severity of nine common symptoms and determine demographic and clinical characteristics and symptom severity scores associated with membership in the low and moderate attentional function classes. Three subgroups of older oncology outpatients were identified using latent profile analysis based on Attentional Function Index (AFI) scores. Symptoms were assessed prior to the second or third cycle of CTX. Logistic regressions evaluated for associations with attentional function class membership. For trait anxiety, state anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, morning fatigue, and evening fatigue scores, differences among the latent classes followed the same pattern (low > moderate > high). For morning and evening energy, compared to high class, patients in low and moderate classes reported lower scores. For pain, compared to moderate class, patients in low class reported higher scores. In the logistic regression analysis, compared to high class, patients with lower income, higher comorbidity, higher CTX toxicity score, and higher levels of state anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance were more likely to be in low AFI class. Compared to high class, patients with higher comorbidity and trait anxiety and lower morning energy were more likely to be in moderate AFI class. Consistent with the hypothesis that an increased risk for persistent cognitive decline is likely related to a variety of physical and psychological factors, for six of the nine symptoms, a "dose response" effect was observed with higher symptom severity scores associated with a progressive decline in attentional function.

203-OR: Characterizing Moment-to-Moment Fluctuations in Stress, Anxiety, and Blood Glucose Levels in Adolescents with Type 1 Diabetes

Objectives: It is now well documented that adolescents with T1D are at greater risk for elevated anxiety than young people without diabetes. In addition, higher levels of state anxiety are associated with higher haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), less frequent blood glucose monitoring, and more poorly controlled diabetes. Anxiety is also predictive of poor glycaemic control as far as 12 months into the future. To better understand how stress and anxiety may be related to moment-to-moment fluctuations in blood glucose levels, we used a novel method of measuring changes in emotional state in real time, known as experience sampling methodology (ESM), in combination with continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) technology. Methods: ESM is an ambulatory research method whereby participants respond to questions sent via a smartphone ‘app’ at multiple times throughout the day. In this study, adolescents (n= 53) diagnosed with T1D (aged 12-18 years) responded to questions regarding their current emotional state 10 times a day, over a 10-day period. Results: Preliminary analysis, using multilevel regression modelling, explored the relationships between anxiety and measures of glycaemic control. The following measures of glycaemic control were examined: concurrent sensor glucose (SGL), mean sensor glucose in the previous 60 minutes, and standard deviation (SD) of sensor glucose in the previous 60 minutes. The results of the model indicated that a quadratic term for concurrent SGL (p < 0.001) and SD of sensor glucose (p = 0.005) were significant independent predictors of anxiety. The relationship between concurrent SGL and anxiety was U-shaped, with the vertex (minimum) of 7.8 mmol/L. Conclusions: These novel findings confirm that elevated anxiety is associated with sub-optimal blood glucose levels in the preceding hour. Further analysis of this data will explore this relationship in greater detail, including possible inter-individual variation in this pattern. Disclosure K. Bebbington: None. D. Rudaizky: None. G.J. Smith: None. A.M. Hunt: None. E.A. Davis: None. T. Jones: Research Support; Self; Dexcom, Inc., Medtronic MiniMed, Inc. Speaker's Bureau; Self; Eli Lilly and Company, Roche Diabetes Care. A. Lin: None.

COMPARISON OF THE PREVALENCE AND DYNAMICS OF ANXIETY, DEPRESSION AND QUALITY OF LIFE IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC RHEUMATIC HEART DISEASE

The objective. The assessment of the severity, prevalence and five-year dynamics of anxiety and depression in those studied with rheumatic heart disease.Materials and methods. The study included 168 patients with rheumatic heart disease: mean age 58,69±0,47 years; 141 women (83,93%) and 27 men (16,07%). To assess anxiety and depression, the following scales were used: HADS (hospital anxiety and depression scale), CES-D (depression scale of the epidemiological research center), and STAI (Spielberger anxiety scale). Quality of life was assessed using total scale SF-36 (Short Form Medical Outcomes Study), KCCQ (Kansas questionnaire for patients with cardiomyopathy), and MHFLQ (Minnesota questionnaire for the quality of life of patients with CHF).Results. Initially, patients with rheumatic heart disease had mild depression and anxiety, except for the high level of state anxiety according to STAI — 48.00 ± 0.95. More pronounced depressive disorders were revealed in patients with CHF NYHA III and IV. According to CES-D — 17,58±1,27 for FC I and 23,4±0,75 for FC IV, for HADS — 7,00±0,64 for FC I and 13,6±0,78 for FC IV. Anxiety disorders, on the contrary, were less with III and IV FC CHF: 8,5±0,49 with FC I and 8,2±1,02 with FC IV in HADS. According to STAI state anxiety — 47,58±1,22 (FC I) and 42,8±1,76 (FC IV), for trait anxiety — 42,67±1,08 (FC I) and 40,4±1,85 (FC IV). For the five-year period there was no negative and positive dynamics according to the questionnaires of anxiety and depression. The only exception was the increase in anxiety according to HADS by 0.66 points. In terms of quality of life, there was a decrease in physical health according to SF-36 by 1.78, and in overall summary score according to KCCQ by 1.55 and MHFLQ by — 3.99.Conclusions. In patients with rheumatic heart disease, the severity of anxiety and depression is insignificant and does not increase during five years of observation. Indicators of depression are more pronounced in the group with CHF NYHA III and IV, and anxiety indicators in patients with CHF NYHA I and II. An increase in depression rates in subjects with rheumatic heart disease is associated with a deterioration in the quality of life. With an improvement in the quality of life values, depressive symptoms decrease, and anxiety rates increase.

Effects of heart rate variability biofeedback training on psychological state and cardiac autonomic regulation in stressed people

IntroductionPsychological stress is common in our fast‐paced society and strongly influences mental and physical well‐being. Specific training methods have been recently proposed to deal with the negative effects of stress. heart rate variability biofeedback training, a method whereby the subject controls an unusually breathing rate to reach cardiac coherence, has been shown to reduce anxiety and improve cardiac autonomic dynamics in diseased people as well as in young competitors. The present study was designed to examine the effects of short sessions of biofeedback (BFB) training in subjects classified as being severely stressed.MethodsTwenty‐four participants characterized by a high level of state anxiety, were randomly assigned into a BFB group (n=12) or a control Group (n=12). In the BFB group, cardiac coherence training using a biofeedback device (URGOfeel®, URGOTECH) was conducted during 5 weeks, 5‐min twice a day.Subjects completed two sessions of tests (before and after 5‐weeks BFB training). Each session consisted in 4 conditions, a baseline “quiet” condition, a condition of cognitive tasks (to assess different domains of executive functioning), and two conditions of cognitive tasks associated to two levels of environmental‐induced stress. To create gradual level of environmental stress, the experimental context was modified by generating visual and sound interferences with negative feedback and time pressure. Heartbeat intervals were recorded (Polar Belt) for 10‐min both at baseline and after 5‐weeks BFB training and was assessed in temporal domain (RMSSD) and from non‐linear analyses (entropy index calculated from MultiScale Entropy, MSE). Participants filled out a series of questionnaires on‐line, notably the Spielberger state anxiety questionnaire (STAI) and the NASA‐TLX to measure the impact of stress on anxiety and workload, before and after each session and conditions.ResultsBefore BFB training the induced stress, was associated with a high level of anxiety and a low entropy when compared to baseline and cognitive tasks conditions. After BFB training, both psychological state and entropy in cardiac dynamics were improved in every condition.Conclusionthe present study confirms the blunting of physiological complexity in heart rate dynamics in stressed subjects especially under acute stress. The phenomenon is generally associated with an altered heart‐brain interconnectivity and a lesser adaptive capacity to everchanging environments. The main outcome here was the efficiency of (very) short BFB training sessions to restore an improved autonomic control in stressed subjects whatever their environment.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Comparison of pregnant women from public and private health care: a psychological approach

Abstract Objectives: to compare sociodemographic, anthropometric and psychological factors in pregnant women receiving public and private health care, as well as verify the influence of eating attitudes, depressive symptoms, self-esteem and anxiety on body attitudes in both sectors. Methods: this study included 386 pregnant women aged 18-46 (mean of 29.32 ± 6.04 years). Instruments were applied to evaluate body attitudes, eating attitudes, depressive symptoms, self-esteem and anxiety. Anthropometric and obstetric data were collected. Descriptive, comparative and correlational analyses were performed. Results: troubled sociodemographic characteristics, negative body attitudes, inappropriate eating attitudes, depressive symptoms, low self-esteem, and high levels of trait and state anxiety were significantly higher among participants receiving public health care (p<0.05). Eating attitudes and self-esteem directly influenced the body attitudes of those receiving public health care (R2 adjusted=0.336, p<0.001) and private health care (R2 adjusted=0.324, p<0.001). Conclusions: it was concluded that the sociodemographic, anthropometric, and psychological factors were more worrying in pregnant women receiving care in the public sector when compared to those of the private sector.