Anxiety In Men Research Articles

Men's Depression, Externalizing, and DSM-5-TR: Primary Signs and Symptoms or Co-occurring Symptoms?

Men's Depression, Externalizing, and DSM-5-TR: Primary Signs and Symptoms or Co-occurring Symptoms?

Spirituality as The Foundation of The Hierarchy of Needs in The Humanistic Psychology of Abraham Maslow and Sufi Psychology of Said Nursi

Abraham Maslow’s theory discredits the existence of religion and substitutes it with secular spirituality. It provides a space for anthropocentrism and materialism philosophy, freedom, authorization, and a single human potentiality. On the other hand, Said Nursi’s Sufi Psychology sets religious teachings as the radiance of spirituality. It identifies the genuineness of human beings as creatures who are obedient to God. This study aims to reveal how humanistic psychology and Sufi psychology perceive the need for spirituality by referring to Abraham Maslow and Said Nursi. Researchers identify, select, and formulate relevant and constructive narratives to support each theory stated. They then conducted a deductive content analysis of the references using the available variables, categories, and content tabulations. This research finds that Maslow's spirituality relies on subjective human experience, and life satisfaction can be achieved by maximizing one's potential. On the other hand, Nursi's spirituality is based on the Shari'a and leads to fundamental happiness. For Maslow, the existence of God has been alienated from the human mind, and religion has become a secondary component. At the same time, Nursi has a Tauhidic perspective on reality and believes that religion is the primary guidance of life. Meanwhile, secular spirituality promises nothing but illusory pseudo-happiness. This concept originated from the confusion of Modern Western Psychology on the nature of God, religion, and human psychology. This confusion will vanish if it refers to religious teaching as the ultimate truth. Although both have differences in their ontological nature and conceptual psychological foundations, they both present a similar understanding of recognizing a Higher Entity capable of controlling human life. This entity is called God. In conclusion, Nursi's concept of Tawhid-based spirituality offers a solution to modern man's anxiety, emptiness, and powerlessness of their life problems.

Acoustic and Linguistic Features of Impromptu Speech and Their Association With Anxiety: Validation Study.

BackgroundThe measurement and monitoring of generalized anxiety disorder requires frequent interaction with psychiatrists or psychologists. Access to mental health professionals is often difficult because of high costs or insufficient availability. The ability to assess generalized anxiety disorder passively and at frequent intervals could be a useful complement to conventional treatment and help with relapse monitoring. Prior work suggests that higher anxiety levels are associated with features of human speech. As such, monitoring speech using personal smartphones or other wearable devices may be a means to achieve passive anxiety monitoring.ObjectiveThis study aims to validate the association of previously suggested acoustic and linguistic features of speech with anxiety severity.MethodsA large number of participants (n=2000) were recruited and participated in a single web-based study session. Participants completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item scale assessment and provided an impromptu speech sample in response to a modified version of the Trier Social Stress Test. Acoustic and linguistic speech features were a priori selected based on the existing speech and anxiety literature, along with related features. Associations between speech features and anxiety levels were assessed using age and personal income as covariates.ResultsWord count and speaking duration were negatively correlated with anxiety scores (r=–0.12; P<.001), indicating that participants with higher anxiety scores spoke less. Several acoustic features were also significantly (P<.05) associated with anxiety, including the mel-frequency cepstral coefficients, linear prediction cepstral coefficients, shimmer, fundamental frequency, and first formant. In contrast to previous literature, second and third formant, jitter, and zero crossing rate for the z score of the power spectral density acoustic features were not significantly associated with anxiety. Linguistic features, including negative-emotion words, were also associated with anxiety (r=0.10; P<.001). In addition, some linguistic relationships were sex dependent. For example, the count of words related to power was positively associated with anxiety in women (r=0.07; P=.03), whereas it was negatively associated with anxiety in men (r=–0.09; P=.01).ConclusionsBoth acoustic and linguistic speech measures are associated with anxiety scores. The amount of speech, acoustic quality of speech, and gender-specific linguistic characteristics of speech may be useful as part of a system to screen for anxiety, detect relapse, or monitor treatment.

A resting state fMRI study of major depressive disorder with and without anxiety

BackgroundThe neurobiology of the Major depressive disorder (MDD) with anxiety is still unclear. The present study aimed to explore the brain correlates of MDD with and without anxiety in men and women during resting-state fMRI. MethodsTwo hundred and fifty-four patients with MDD (MDD with anxiety, N = 152) and MDD without anxiety, N = 102) and 228 healthy controls (HCs) participated in this study. We compared the fALFF(fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuations) and ReHo(regional homogeneity) of ACC(anterior cingulate cortex) and insula among these three groups. We also compared gender difference between MDD with anxiety and MDD without anxiety. ResultsWe found that the fALFF values within the ACC and insula were significantly lower in MDD with anxiety compared to without anxiety and HCs. However, we did not find differences in ReHo values among the three groups. In women, we found significant differences in fALFF values between MDD with and without anxiety. These differences were not observed in men. ConclusionsIt is possible that MDD with anxiety show less spontaneous BOLD-fMRI signal intensity within the ACC and insula compared to MDD without anxiety, especially in women. The fALFF within the ACC and insula can be a potential biomarker for severe MDD phenotype.

Comparison of Student Anxiety Levels in Facing CBT Exams Based on Gender

Anxiety is assumed to be an unclear feeling, which causes worry, fear of everything that does not necessarily happen. This anxiety has a psychological impact on a person including it can affect learning achievement. Various studies related to anxiety theory state that gender affects the level of anxiety. Women are considered more prone to anxiety than men. In this study, researchers measured men's anxiety degrees compared to women when taking computer-based tests (CBT) during the pandemic. Exams with this method are suspected to be one of the triggers for anxiety in medical students. The purpose of this study was to compare the level of anxiety of students and female students in facing CBT at Wijaya Kusuma University Surabaya during the pandemic. This study used a cross-sectional approach with a total sampling technique. The total number of respondents was 60 people, 16 men and 44 women. Respondents' anxiety degrees were measured by a measurement scale of depression, anxiety, and stress or what is known as the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale 21 (DASS-21). The results showed that 12.5% of men and 31.8% of women were in the heavy and very heavy group. The conclusion of this study is that the level of anxiety of women is higher than those men.&#x0D; Keywords: anxiety levels, medical students, gender, computer based test exam

Gender Differences in Attachment Anxiety and Avoidance and Their Association with Psychotherapy Use-Examining Students from a German University.

Attachment anxiety and avoidance might explain gender differences in psychotherapy use, which is generally lower in men. In addition, university students are a particularly vulnerable group for mental health problems, and understanding psychotherapy use, especially among mentally distressed male students, is pivotal. A total of 4894 students completed an online survey answering questions regarding psychotherapy use and completing the PHQ-D identifying psychological syndromes. In addition, the ECR-RD12 was used to measure attachment anxiety and avoidance. Significant gender differences for attachment anxiety and avoidance emerged, showing higher attachment anxiety in female students and higher attachment avoidance in male students. Male students used psychotherapy significantly less than female students. Male students’ attachment anxiety and avoidance predicted psychotherapy use, while for female students, only attachment anxiety emerged as a significant predictor. Attachment anxiety is positively associated with psychotherapy use, and lower attachment anxiety in men may explain lower psychotherapy use in male students.

Anxiety and Food Addiction in Men and Women: Results From the Longitudinal LIFE-Adult-Study.

BackgroundAnxiety is a widespread phenomenon, and it is connected to disordered eating and obesity. We want to analyze the connection between anxiety and food addiction (FA) over two points in time to better understand the directionality of the association. Since there are gender differences with regard to anxiety and eating, we are also interested in differences between men and women.MethodsWe used data from the population-based LIFE-Adult-Study (N = 1,474) at time 1 (baseline) and time 2 (first follow-up) to analyze the connections between anxiety (GAD-7) and FA (YFAS) using a multiple group latent cross-lagged panel model with female and male participants as groups. We controlled for age, marital status, socioeconomic status and social support.ResultsAnxiety (women: β = 0.50, p ≤ 0.001; men: β = 0.59, p ≤ 0.001) as well as FA (women: β = 0.37, p ≤ 0.001; men: β = 0.58, p ≤ 0.001) exhibited stability over time for both genders. We found a significant association between anxiety at time 1 and FA at time 2 for women (β = 0.25, p ≤ 0.001) but not for men (β = 0.04, p = 0.10), and significant associations between FA at time 1 and anxiety at time 2 for women (β = 0.23, p ≤ 0.001) as well as men (β = 0.21, p ≤ 0.001).ConclusionFood addiction longitudinally affects anxiety, independent of gender and other sociodemographic variables. In addition, anxiety affects subsequent FA as well, but only in women. Interventions that address FA could reduce anxiety in men and women, while interventions that mitigate anxiety could help prevent FA in women.

MP28-08 BURDEN OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN MEN WITH HIGH-RISK, INTERMEDIATE-RISK OR LOW-RISK PROSTATE CANCER

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 May 2022MP28-08 BURDEN OF DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY IN MEN WITH HIGH-RISK, INTERMEDIATE-RISK OR LOW-RISK PROSTATE CANCER Sumedha Chhatre, S. Bruce Malkowicz, and Ravishankar Jayadevappa Sumedha ChhatreSumedha Chhatre More articles by this author , S. Bruce MalkowiczS. Bruce Malkowicz More articles by this author , and Ravishankar JayadevappaRavishankar Jayadevappa More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000002571.08AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: While psychological difficulties such as depression and anxiety facing men with prostate cancer are acknowledged widely, they remain understudied. Objective was to assess the short-term and log-term burden of depression and anxiety by treatment type across different risk categories of prostate cancer. METHODS: We used data from a multi-centered randomized controlled study among localized prostate cancer patients. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, and at 3, 6, 12 and 24-month follow-up. Treatments were robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical prostatectomy, radiation therapy and active surveillance. Participants were categorized into risk groups as: low risk (PSA <10 ng/ml, Gleason ≤ 6, clinical stage T1-2a), intermediate risk (PSA 10 -20 ng/ml, Gleason 7, clinical stage T2b), and high risk (PSA > 20, Gleason ≥8, clinical stage T2c-3a). Depression was assessed using Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression (CES-D) scale. CES-D score > 16 indicates depression. Anxiety was assessed using Scale for Prostate Cancer (MAX-PC). MAX-PC score > 27 indicates anxiety. Proportion of participants with depression and anxiety were compared by treatment type, for each prostate cancer risk category. RESULTS: Total of 743 localized prostate cancer patients were recruited for the study. Retention rate was > 75% during follow-up. 34% patients were low-risk, 32% were intermediate-risk and 34% were high-risk. For all risk groups, proportion of patients with depression increased between baseline and 24-month, for all treatment types. For low-risk group, at 24-month, proportion of patients on active surveillance who were depressed was lower than surgery and radiation groups (25% vs. 46% and 43%). For intermediate-risk and high risk-group, at 24-month, proportion of patients with depression was comparable between surgery and radiation. Similar pattern was observed for burden of anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: Ours is one of the largest randomized controlled study that has assessed the burden of depression and anxiety in localized prostate cancer patients. In our study, we observed that a substantial proportion of localized prostate cancer patients experienced depression and anxiety. Especially, in the follow-up period, the proportion of patients with depression and anxiety increased significantly. Future studies need to examine the effects of depression and anxiety on process of care and outcomes; and the pathways. Patient-centered survivorship care strategies are needed for reducing depression and anxiety and improving outcomes in prostate cancer care. Source of Funding: Patient-centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) CE-12-11-4973 © 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 207Issue Supplement 5May 2022Page: e463 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2022 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Sumedha Chhatre More articles by this author S. Bruce Malkowicz More articles by this author Ravishankar Jayadevappa More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF DownloadLoading ...

INCREASING STRESS RESISTANCE BY TRANSCRANIAL ELECTRICAL STIMULATION IN PATIENTS AFTER PROSTATE CANCER SURGERY

Anxiety in men often increases during the rehabilitation period after prostate cancer surgery. Moreover, simultaneous development of erectile dysfunction is also observed. This contributes to psycho-emotional stress formation.&#x0D; The aim of the study is to evaluate the effect of transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) on stress vulnerability during the rehabilitation period after various types of prostate cancer surgery.&#x0D; Materials and Methods. The authors estimated anxiety level and erectile dysfunction in 124 men 6 months after prostate cancer surgery. The patients were divided into groups according to the surgery type: Group 1 (n=24) – high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU); Group 2 (n=50) – laparoscopic radical prostatectomy; Group 3 (n=50) – laparotomic radical prostatectomy. Serum concentration of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, adrenaline, interleukins 1 and interleukins 2 (IL-1, IL-2) and stress vulnerability level according to N.V. Kirsheva and N.V. Ryabchikova test, Holmes and Rahe stress scale, S. Cohen and G. Williamson test, and “Prognosis” method was determined twice: before and after tES.&#x0D; Results. Erectile dysfunction was detected in 37 patients 6 months after radical prostatectomy (Group 2, n=17; Group 3, n=20). All the patients of Group 1 (HIFU) restored erection. A decrease in stress vulnerability was observed in all patients, regardless of the surgery type and the severity of functional disorders. After tES, a significant decrease in the levels of ACTH, cortisol, IL-1, IL-2 was estimated (p&lt;0.05). According to all tests used, a significant increase in stress vulnerability was noted, regardless of the type of surgery (p&lt;0.001).&#x0D; Conclusion. In terms of frequency of functional disorder development during the rehabilitation period, HIFU has advantages over radical prostatectomy, regardless of the surgical approach. Transcranial electrical stimulation 6 months after surgery significantly reduces the level of stress hormones and interleukins in patients’ blood serum; increases stress vulnerability regardless of the surgery type and functional disorders. Moreover, tES can be recommended for all patients after prostate cancer surgery.

Depression, anxiety and stress, comorbidity evaluation among a large sample of general adults: results from SEPAHAN study

Depression, anxiety and stress are common psychological disorders (PDs). This study aimed to assess the odds of co-occurrence of mentioned PDs in total sample and different levels of socio-demographic characteristics, specifically among a large sample of general adults. In a cross-sectional, community-based study conducted among 4763 Iranian adults, depression and anxiety were assessed with Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and stress with General Health Questionnaire (GHQ). The loglinear analysis was applied to investigate their comorbidities. Based on selected models with pair-comorbidity of anxiety with stress, depression with stress, and anxiety with depression, the results showed the odds of comorbidity between anxiety and depression (odds ratio (OR) =12.29, 95%CI: 9.58-15.80), depression and stress (OR = 7.80, 95%CI: 6.55-10.18), and stress and anxiety (OR = 4.62, 95%CI: 3.71-5.75). Also, ORs of pair-comorbidities were the same, except between stress and anxiety for men compared to women (adjusted-OR = 6.47, 95%CI: 4.44-9.49 versus 3.85, 95%CI: 2.95-5.00) and comorbidity between stress and depression for the participants with lower than 40 years compared to others (adjusted-OR = 9.03, 95%CI: 7.17-11.36 versus 6.41, 95%CI: 4.90-8.41), p&lt; 0.05. Stress comorbidity with depression was higher level than other pair-comorbidities. Obvious discrepancies were also observed in terms of ORs of pair-comorbidities between three mentioned disorders in different levels of SDCs.

Thyroid dysfunction in Greece: Results from the national health examination survey EMENO.

BackgroundNationwide data on thyroid disease prevalence in Greece is lacking. Using the national health examination survey EMENO data resources, we aimed to estimate the prevalence of hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism and associated risk factors in adults living in Greece.MethodsA random sample of the adults (≥18 years) living in Greece was drawn by multi-stage stratified random sampling based on the 2011 census. During home visits, trained interviewers administered a standardized questionnaire to study participants. All participants answered questions concerning demographic parameters (e.g., age, sex, degree of urbanization, income) and questions concerning smoking habits, alcohol, dietary habits and psychological parameters such as anxiety and thyroid disease. Weighted logistic regression models were fitted to assess factors associated with thyroid disease.ResultsIn total, 6006 individuals were recruited in the Greek Health Examination Survey EMENO (response rate 72%) of whom 5981 were eligible for this study. The prevalence of thyroid disease was 9%, where 0.4% was related to hyperthyroidism and 8.6% to hypothyroidism. The prevalence of thyroid disease was higher in women (14.9%) than men (2.7%) (p<0.001). The highest rates of thyroid disease were observed in former iodine-deficient areas. A decrease in the prevalence of thyroidopathies with increasing alcohol consumption was found. Thyroid disease was associated with anxiety in men. Multivariable regression analysis showed that age, geographic area, and smoking were related to thyroid disease.ConclusionThe prevalence of thyroid disease in Greece is higher in women. Age, habits, and characteristics of geographic areas determine the distribution of thyroidopathies in Greece.

Effects of circulating estradiol on physiological, behavioural, and subjective correlates of anxiety: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial

Anxiety-related behaviours as well as the prevalence of anxiety disorders show a large sex difference in humans. Clinical studies in humans as well as behavioural studies in rodents suggest that estradiol may have anxiolytic properties. In line with this, anxiety symptoms fluctuate with estradiol levels along the menstrual cycle. However, the influence of estradiol on subjective, behavioural, as well as physiological correlates of anxiety has never been systematically addressed in humans.We ran a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study (N = 126) to investigate the effects of estradiol on anxiety in men and women. In healthy volunteers, circulating estradiol levels were elevated through estradiol administration over two consecutive days to simulate the rise in estradiol levels around ovulation. Subjective, behavioral, as well as, physiological correlates of anxiety were assessed using a virtual reality elevated plus-maze (EPM).Estradiol treatment reduced the physiological stress response with blunted heart rate response and lower cortisol levels compared to placebo treatment in both sexes. In contrast, respiration frequency was only reduced in women after estradiol treatment. Behavioural measures of anxiety as well as subjective anxiety on the EPM were not affected by estradiol treatment. In general, women showed more avoidance and less approach behavior and reported higher subjective anxiety levels on the EPM than men.These results highlight the limited anxiolytic properties of circulating levels of estradiol in humans, which influence physiological markers of anxiety but not approach and avoidance behaviour or subjective anxiety levels.

Depression, Anxiety, and Their Association to Health-Related Quality of Life in Men Commencing Prostate Cancer Treatment at Tertiary Hospitals in Cape Town, South Africa.

BackgroundComorbid depression and anxiety in men with localised prostate cancer (CaP) largely go undiagnosed and untreated and their effects on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in men with CaP should not be underestimated. We examined the prevalence of depression and anxiety and its association with HRQOL in men about to commence treatment for CaP and the differences between treatment groups, radical prostatectomy (RP) and radiation therapy (RT).MethodOne hundred and seven participants from a longitudinal prospective observational study assessing depression, anxiety and HRQOL in men with localised CaP (DAHCaP), were used in this cross-sectional analysis. Data were collected shortly before participants were scheduled to receive their treatment. The Centre for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Memorial Anxiety Scale for Prostate Cancer (MAX-PC), the European Organisation for Research and Treatment in Cancer Quality of Life questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30) and (EORTC QLQ-PR25) were used in this analysis.ResultsSymptoms of depression pre-treatment were noted in 39.3%, state anxiety 28%, trait anxiety 31.4% and prostate cancer anxiety in 12.1% of participants. Statistically significant correlations (P ≤ .05) with the CES-D and a cluster of symptoms on the EORTC QLQ-C30 domains for Global Health (rs = −.35), fatigue (rs = .38), pain (rs = .32), dyspnoea (rs = .28), insomnia (rs = .30) and finance (rs = .26) and EORTC QLQ-PR25 domains for urinary symptoms (rs = .43), bowel (rs = .43) and hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (rs = .41) were observed.Statistically significant correlations were also noted between the STAI-S and EORTC QLQ-C30 and EORTC QLQ-PR25. No statistically significant difference was noted between treatments.ConclusionMore men were depressed than anxious with significant associations with HRQOL prior to commencement of treatment. CaP treatments should focus not only on the prevailing indisposition but include a psychooncological and HRQOL assessment at pre-treatment in high-risk individuals.

Predictive Factors for Depression and Anxiety in Men During the Perinatal Period: A Mixed Methods Study.

The purpose of this study was to identify the risk factors associated with paternal perinatal mental distress in a sample of Australian men. A mixed-methods design was used. The qualitative component (N = 13) using thematic analysis identified maternal depression, marital distress, masculine gender role stress, unplanned pregnancy, work–family conflict, and sleep disturbance as risk factors for paternal perinatal mental distress. The quantitative component (N = 525) expanded on the qualitative findings and examined the associations between the identified risk factors and mental distress of fathers in the perinatal period measured by Edinburgh postnatal depression scale. Hierarchical multiple regression analysis revealed six significant predictors of paternal perinatal mental distress with masculine gender role stress being the most significant risk factor for paternal perinatal mental distress. The results from this study provide an insight into how masculine gender role may affect the expression and experience of mental distress in fathers within the perinatal period. Implications of research findings are discussed.

The effect of sexual counseling on depression, anxiety, stress, sexual knowledge and sexual quality of life in men who have undergone invasive coronary interventions: An RCT.

BackgroundSexual dysfunctions are common in men with ischemic heart disease, especially in men undergoing therapeutic interventions.ObjectiveThis study intended to assess the effect of counseling on depression, anxiety, stress, sexual knowledge and sexual quality of life in men after invasive coronary interventions in the post catheterization department of Kashan Shahid Beheshti Hospital during 2018.Materials and MethodsThe study population consisted of 54 male participants who had undergone an invasive coronary intervention. The intervention group received counseling and the control group underwent the standard ward routine. Data were collected using the depression anxiety stress scales, Abraham's sexual quality of life, and the Yi-Hung Sexual Knowledge questionnaires before discharge and also two months later.ResultsWithin two months, the intervention group's mean score of sexual knowledge significantly increased, compared with the control group, from 12.37 to 14.81 (p 0.001). The intervention group's mean score of sexual quality of life also significantly increased, compared with the control group, from 48.2 to 60.7 (p 0.001). Moreover, the mean anxiety score changed in the intervention group from 11.18 to 5.25, again a significant difference compared with the control group (p = 0.01). But, the differences in the depression and stress scores were not significant.ConclusionOur findings suggest that sexual counseling may improve sexual knowledge, sexual quality of life and anxiety in men following invasive coronary intervention, but might not reduce their stress or depression. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

The Role of Circadian Rhythms (Morning-Evening) on Sleep Quality and Corona Anxiety

Background and Aim: The type of circadian rhythms is essential in maintaining physical and mental health and recovery from the disease. This study aimed to investigate the role of circadian rhythms on sleep quality and corona anxiety in men and women. Methods &amp; Materials: The present study is a descriptive comparative causal description. The statistical population included all 18-50 who participated in the survey online. People who completed the questionnaire online were selected for sampling. The research instruments included the circadian inventory rhythms Horne and Ostberg (1976), Petersburg Quality of Sleep Questionnaire (1989), and Alipour et al.’s (2020) Corona-related Anxiety Scale in the Iranian sample. Multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and the Scheffe test were used to analyze the data. Ethical Considerations: This study was registered with the Ethics Committee Razi University Technology Units Development Center at Institute for Psychoanalytic Studies (No.: 99133). Results: The results showed that the mean of mental and corona physical anxiety in women and men with evening type is higher than in other classes. Men and women in the evening type have a lower sleep quality than in the morning and middle types. The results also showed significant differences between the types regarding corona anxiety, sleep quality, and sex. The difference between the mean of the morning type and evening types’ mean was more than other differences between the means. Conclusion: Individual differences in morning-evening types seem to play an essential role in the quality of sleep and the experience of corona anxiety

Stigma, social appearance anxiety and coping in men and women living with skin conditions: A mixed methods analysis.

The psychological impact of living with a skin condition can have a profound impact on quality of life and could cause appearance-related social anxiety. Existing research suggests ambiguous findings in relation to whether the impact of living with a skin condition differs between males and females. The present study aimed to explore the association between stigma, coping styles and social appearance anxiety in men and women living with a skin condition in the United Kingdom. 231 participants (n=199 females, n=30 males, n=2 non-binary) completed a cross-sectional online questionnaire, capturing quantitative data with the social appearance anxiety scale (SAAS), the shortened version of the coping inventory for stressful situations (CISS-21), and qualitative data from free-text comments and thematic content analysis. Respondents were also asked to provide additional free text comments in relation to the challenges faced and how these were managed. Content analysis revealed that males and females faced daily practical, social and emotional challenges and coped with them in several ways; with higher levels of social appearance anxiety associated with both higher perceived severity of skin condition and younger age. Males and females appeared equally as emotionally affected by living with a skin condition, with the only significant gender difference being females as significantly more likely to engage in avoidant coping behaviours than males. Living with a skin condition presents daily practical, social, and psychological challenges for males and females that have the potential to impact on quality of life. Findings highlight the need for dermatological care to routinely address these issues, and psychosocial interventions must be made available to promote healthy coping with skin conditions.

Adult experience of stress and anxiety and coping in the first phase of the lockdown related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine adults’ coping with risks and losses experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, taking into account: anxiety level, gender, age and place of residence.&#x0D; Method: For this purpose, research was carried out on a total of 235 adults, divided into five groups based on Levinson's (1978) model of life development, recruited using the snowball technique via remote communication technology. Self-report data was collected using the Covid-19-RL (Risks and Losses) open interview, polish adaptation of Spielberger’s STAI Inventory (assessing anxiety as a state) by Sosnowski et al (2011) and Carver’s COPE inventory adapted by Juczyński and Ogińska (2009). Comparative analyses were performed using the ANOVA model in the SPSS Program.&#x0D; Results: The results show the pandemic is a considerable deprivation factor and a threat to a broad spectrum of needs, and it generates a high level of anxiety in men and women in all adult age groups. Simultaneously, the perception of stressors depends on gender, age and place of residence. It was also found that age and place of residence differentiated people’s choice of the type of coping (confrontational, defensive and ignoring). The paper ends with the discussion of the results and limitations of the study.

Relaxation Effects of Aromatherapy Intervention on Female and Male Anxiety: A Randomized Control Trial

Background: The control or reduction of anxiety before surgery is one of the most important components of preoperative care. The question is whether anxiety differs in male and female candidates for surgery. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate the effect of aromatherapy with Citrus aurantium on anxiety in men and women candidates for surgery. Methods: This single-blind randomized clinical trial was performed on 60 patients and controlled by placebo. The patients were divided into 30 subjects in the control group and 30 subjects in the aromatherapy group (inhaling C. aurantium essential oil). The patients completed the Spielberger state-trait anxiety inventory before and after the intervention. After collecting information, the questionnaire information was analyzed using SPSS software (version 16). Results: After aromatherapy, 20% of men had mild state and trait anxiety. Moreover, 80% of men had relatively mild state and trait anxiety. In the group of women, 20% of the cases had mild state and trait anxiety. Furthermore, 73.3% of women had relatively mild state and trait anxiety. Additionally, 6.7% of women had relatively severe anxiety. Anxiety reduced after the intervention among men and women (P &lt; 0.001). In addition, the severity of anxiety among women in the control group increased after placebo intervention (P &lt; 0.05). Moreover, the effect of C. aurantium aroma was further observed in women than men; however, there was no statistically significant difference (P &gt; 0.05). Conclusions: The results of this study indicated that inhaling the C. aurantium aroma reduces anxiety in patients. Aromatherapy also has the potential to be replaced by chemical drugs due to fewer side effects and risks, and cost-effectiveness.

O-166 A smartphone video clip on the patient journey to reduce patient’s anxiety: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract Study question Can a smartphone video clip detailing the patient journey decrease the anxiety of women and men on the day of their first oocyte aspiration? Summary answer The video clip does not affect the anxiety of women but does reduce the anxiety of men on the day of couples’ first oocyte aspiration. What is known already Infertility and in vitro fertilisation (IVF) decrease the personal wellbeing of women and men. Couples shared that this contributed to their IVF discontinuation despite a good prognosis and reimbursement of IVF. Previous longitudinal studies confirmed that pre-IVF anxiety is associated with IVF discontinuation. Limiting treatment anxiety is, therefore, relevant for fertility patients and clinics. Studies from the field of reproductive medicine examining the effect of preparatory information on anxiety suggest that focussed interventions seem more effective than complex interventions. Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) found that preparatory information movies reduce anxiety for out-patient cardiology procedures in women and men. Study design, size, duration This monocentric RCT randomized (1:1 allocation; computerized) 190 heterosexual couples about to start their first IVF cycle between care as usual (i.e. preparatory information session 1-3 months before IVF) and care as usual combined with a novel intervention during a 24 months recruitment period (2018-2020). The novel intervention is a 5-minute smartphone video clip detailing the patient journey on the day of oocyte aspiration, which was sent to both partners the day before oocyte aspiration. Participants/materials, setting, methods Upon arrival at a private fertility clinic for their first oocyte aspiration women and men independently filled out the ‘STAI-State anxiety inventory’ and the ‘infertility distress scale (IDS)’ and evaluated the novel intervention, if applicable. A minority of randomized couples didn’t comply with the standard IVF trajectory (n = 27) or didn’t fill out the questionnaires (n = 8). The data of 155 couples (76-79/group, a-priori sample size calculation requested minimally 76/group) was subjected to a modified intention-to-treat analysis. Main results and the role of chance Women and men were on average 33 and 35 years old, respectively. Couples had a mean duration of infertility of 27 months and 63 of them (41%) had tried intrauterine insemination. The background variables were equally distributed between the intervention (IG) and control group (CG). The video clip did not affect women’s anxiety on the day of oocyte aspiration (mean STAI-State score IG 42.7±8.1 vs CG 42.1±8.5, p = 0.67). However, men who watched the video clip were significantly less anxious than men who did not watch it (mean STAI-State score IG 35.8±6.4 vs CG 38.2±7.6, p = 0.04). Surprisingly, infertility-specific distress was higher among women and men who watched the video clip (mean IDS scores of 25.8±4.9 and 22.6±5.0, respectively), as compared to women (p = 0.05) and men (p = 0.02) who did not watch the video clip (mean IDS score 24.3±4.6 and 20.8±4.7, respectively). All women and men of the intervention group, except one woman, would recommend the video clip to friends and family going through IVF. The intervention and control group did not differ significantly regarding clinical pregnancy rate (31/76 vs. 29/79, p = 0.60) or miscarriage rate (2/76 vs. 3/79, p = 0.68) 12 weeks after their first oocyte aspiration. Limitations, reasons for caution Patients nor assessors were blinded and there was no attention control group. Selection bias is plausible although the participation rate was 89%. Assessing infertility-specific distress the day after watching the video clip was not optimal, as priming couples to feel infertility-specific distress short term is less problematic than longer term. Wider implications of the findings Providing additional procedural information is interesting for clinics as patients recommended the video clip and as it decreased men’s anxiety. A follow-up study should examine whether the video clip’s priming effect on infertility-specific distress lasts longer than only the day after and whether the video clip affects IVF discontinuation. Trial registration number NCT03717805