Measures Of Anxiety Research Articles

Socioeconomic deprivation and perinatal anxiety: an observational cohort study.

Women from areas of social deprivation and minority ethnic groups are more likely to experience poor physical health and have higher rates of mental health problems relative to women from less socially disadvantaged groups. However, very little research has examined this in relation to perinatal anxiety. The current study aims to determine prevalence, risk factors and desire for treatment for perinatal anxiety in three regions of the UK with diverse regional characteristics. Women completed measures of anxiety in early, mid-, late-pregnancy and postpartum. Participants were included from three regions of the UK: Region 1 = North East England & North Cumbria n = 512; Region 2 = London North Thames n = 665; Region 3 = West Midlands n = 705. Prevalence of perinatal anxiety was lower in Region 1 (OR 0.63 95% CI 0.45 to 0.89) and Region 2 (OR 0.72 95% CI 0.52 to 0.98) relative to Region 3. Analysis showed the effect of neighbourhood socioeconomic deprivation on perinatal anxiety differed by region. In more affluent regions, living in a deprived neighbourhood had a greater impact on perinatal anxiety than living in a deprived neighbourhood in a deprived region. Other factors associated with risk of anxiety in the perinatal period included physical health problems and identifying as being from 'mixed or multiple' ethnic groups. Neighbourhood deprivation relative to regional deprivation is a better predictor of perinatal anxiety than either regional deprivation or neighbourhood deprivation alone. Women of mixed ethnic backgrounds and women with physical health problems may warrant more attention in terms of screening and support for perinatal anxiety. Self-reported desire for treatment was found to be low.

The Effects of Lucid Dreaming and Nightmares on Sleep Quality and Mental Health Outcomes

ABSTRACT Objectives This study aimed to investigate relationships between lucid dreaming and sleep and mental health outcomes within a representative sample of the general population. We also sought to examine how nightmares interact with the relationship between lucid dreaming, sleep, and mental health outcomes. Methods Participants (N = 1332) completed measures of lucid dream frequency, nightmare frequency, anxiety and depressive symptoms, stress, and sleep quality. Hierarchical regression models were conducted, where step-1 examined the direct effect of lucid dreaming on all outcome variables, and step-2 added nightmares into the equation (to examine direct effects of lucid dreaming frequency and nightmares, and the indirect effect of nightmares). Results Step-1 results demonstrated that lucid dreaming positively predicted poor sleep quality, stress, anxiety, and depressive symptoms. Step-2 results revealed that nightmares were the only significant predictor of poor sleep quality, stress, and anxiety symptoms, accounting for all of the variance of lucid dreaming. Nightmares and the interaction of nightmares and lucid dreaming positively predicted depressive symptoms. Conclusions Our results suggest that nightmares alone explain associations between lucid dreaming and poor sleep quality, anxiety symptoms, and stress. However, both nightmares and the combination of nightmares and lucid dreaming are associated with increased depressive symptoms.

College Course About Flourishing and Students' Mental Health During SARS-CoV-2.

This cohort study examines the association of a college course designed to strengthen skills for mental health taken in 2018 or 2019 with measures of anxiety, depression, and flourishing during the early months of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020.

Mental Health of Pediatric Patients with Cystic Fibrosis after 18 Months on Elexacaftor-Tezacaftor-Ivacaftor Therapy.

Research studies are conflicting regarding new highly effective modulators and the association with mental health symptoms for adults and adolescents with cystic fibrosis (CF). For younger children, small studies and case reports indicate a wide range of effects, ranging from improvement in mood to the development of neuropsychiatric symptoms. However, a large placebo-controlled study indicated no causal connection. This study evaluates the frequency and severity of mental health symptoms in children and adolescents while taking elexacaftor/tezacaftor/ivacaftor (ETI). The study includes 81 pediatric patients with CF followed at Nationwide Children's Hospital (NCH). Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS)-Anxiety and Depression, Patient Health Questionnaire 8 (PHQ-8) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire (GAD-7) were used to screen for depression and anxiety. Age-appropriate questionnaires were completed over the first 18 months after initiating ETI. At baseline, majority of participants reported mental health symptoms within normal limits (WNL). For participants with elevated baseline measures, depressive and anxiety symptoms significantly decreased throughout the study period. Depending on the metric, patients experiencing depressive and anxiety symptoms dropped to 2-3% (n = 1, on each depressive measure) and 0% (n = 0, on either anxiety measures) respectively by 18 months. Most pediatric patients with CF did not endorse symptoms of depression or anxiety disorders at ETI initiation. Over the first 18 months of ETI usage, the percentage of patients with these symptoms decreased, suggesting that the percentage of patients experiencing severe symptoms of depression and anxiety may decrease with ongoing use of ETI.

The risks of unconcern: low sensitivity to threat can have unfortunate consequences

Each one of us is confronted with warnings of danger or threats to wellbeing in our everyday life, whether in the form of certain road signs, Public Service Announcements, ominous changes in bodily functioning, or cautionary tales heard from family or friends. There is great inter-individual variation in how people respond to such threats, with some people habitually tending to ignore or dismiss them, often to their peril. The first purpose of the present paper is to review several studies showing that individuals—most often men—who score very low on measures of trait anxiety are more likely to engage in behaviors that could jeopardize their physical wellbeing. The general hypothesis that is derived from that review is that when attention to everyday threats is chronically muted by way of a dispositional trait, the likelihood of proceeding down some dangerous path is increased. Those findings are then discussed within the broader context of personality theory to highlight the importance of recognizing the bipolarity of common traits. Here the case is made for replacing the term trait anxiety with the term threat sensitivity in order to capture the full breadth of this basic personality variable. A discussion of the neurobiological underpinnings of threat sensitivity is then presented with an emphasis on individual and sex differences in the workings of the defensive survival circuitry. Taken together, this paper has implications for two subfields within psychology. For the area of personality theory, this paper provides support for the adaptationist view with the argument that low threat sensitivity has both adaptive and maladaptive potential. For the area of health psychology, it is argued that some individuals who demonstrate a habitual tendency to neglect their physical wellbeing may be acting—at least in part—in accordance with their innate neurobiological constitution.

The relationship between frontal alpha asymmetry and self-report measurements of depression, anxiety, stress, and self-regulation

Though previous research yielded inconsistent results, studies suggest an association between frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA), mood, and self-regulation. This inconsistency may be explained by the heterogeneity of experimental protocols and sample characteristics such as the baseline level of distress. The aim of the study was to gain a better understanding of the relationship between FAA and self-report measurements of depression, anxiety, stress, and self-regulation. Using data from 130 participants (Mage = 25.2; SD = 6.8), we conducted correlation analyses and Bayesian statistics to examine these associations. The results revealed moderate-level positive correlations among depression, anxiety, and stress scores measured by the Depression Anxiety Stress Scale, with notable negative correlations observed between self-regulation and depression, as well as between self-regulation and stress. The relationship between FAA and mood was sample-dependent, and effects were restricted to the sample with moderate to extreme levels of distress, revealing consistent patterns within these subgroups. Most importantly, there was a negative correlation between FAA and anxiety. However, there was no clear association between FAA and depression. Consequently, our results show that self-regulation is associated with reduced distress, and that FAA may be a useful biomarker for anxiety in individuals with moderate to high baseline distress levels.

Bivalent Fears of Evaluation in Social Anxiety: Evaluation of an Extended Psychoevolutionary Model

Fears of negative evaluation (FNEs) and fears of positive evaluation (FPEs) comprise a bivalent model of evaluation that can explain the aetiology and maintenance of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). In this study, we examined an extended version of this model which incorporates two related cognitive processes (concerns about reprisal and discounting of positive outcomes) as partial mediators of the effects of FNEs and FPEs. We built on earlier work by including a broader measure of social anxiety across different social situations and comparing models for groups of participants with and without probable SAD. Structural equation modelling was utilised to test the model in a sample of 890 university students (74.8% female, mean age 29.49). We replicated the findings of Cook et al. in the overall sample and in the group with probable SAD. FNEs and FPEs predicted social anxiety directly and were serially mediated by concerns about reprisal and discounting positive outcomes. The model was also a good fit for those without SAD; however, in the model, FNEs were no longer a direct predictor of social anxiety. The findings confirm the utility of the extended bivalent model and have implications for psychoevolutionary accounts of social anxiety.

Abstract 4121039: Refining the American Heart Association Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease EVENTs (PREVENT) equations using depression and anxiety disorder

Background: Growing evidence has suggested associations of common mental health conditions including depression and anxiety disorder with CVD, but no studies have examined their incremental predictive values in PREVENT (AHA Predicting Risk of CVD EVENTs). Research questions: Does including anxiety and/or depression improve the PREVENT predictive performance? Aims: We used a range of measures of anxiety and depression and combinations to examine whether these conditions improved the prediction performance of PREVENT. Methods: New risk prediction models were developed and internally validated using 60% and 40% of the UK Biobank cohort data, respectively. Mental health predictors included: depressive symptom score based on the four-item Patient Health Questionnaire and self-reported and record-based anxiety and depression diagnoses before baseline. CVD events were ascertained through hospital admission and death certificate data after baseline. The Cox proportional hazards models were used to calculate coefficients and 95% confidence intervals. The incremental predictive values were examined by adding the mental health predictors to the PREVENT predictors based on Harrell’s C-indices, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and net reclassification improvement indices (NRIs). Results: Of the 502,366 UK Biobank participants, 195,489 were included in the derivation set and 130,326 were included in the validation set. In the validation set, the inclusion of each mental health measure produced an increase in C-index and higher sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values compared with the PREVENT equations, with the greatest improvements for depressive symptom score. Depressive symptom score produced the greatest improvements in net reclassification overall (NRI 0.84, 95% CI 0.46–1.20) and this was further improved by adding recorded anxiety and depression (NRI 0.89, 95% CI 0.52–1.24). In addition, depressive symptom score showed better discrimination and NRI in both female and male validation sets. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that including depressive symptom score in PREVENT could improve the prediction of CVD with low cost and without invasive procedures.

QOL-21. PSYCHOMETRIC VALIDATION OF THE FEAR OF CANCER RECURRENCE INVENTORY FOR PRIMARY BRAIN TUMOR PATIENTS

Abstract BACKGROUND Fear of cancer recurrence and progression (FCR) is a significant concern among those living with primary brain tumor and may be distinct compared to FCR in other cancer populations due to poorer prognosis, neurologic symptoms, and often lifelong treatment. The gold-standard comprehensive assessment tool for FCR–the FCR Inventory (FCRI)–includes 42 items with seven subscales. Validation of the FCRI scale excluded those with primary brain tumors. The present study is the first examination of the psychometric properties of the full FCRI in a heterogeneous sample of patients with primary brain tumors. METHODS Adult patients with primary brain tumors (n=334) completed the FCRI, with six additional brain tumor-specific items, and psychological, medical, and demographic questionnaires. In accordance with best practices of measure development, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted on the FCRI at the subscale level. Correlations investigated construct validity. RESULTS EFA largely supported the overall psychometric properties of the original FCRI. Several subscales were unchanged: Psychological Distress, Functioning Impairments, Insight, and Reassurance. One brain tumor-specific item (researching treatments) exhibited good fit on the Coping Skills subscale. On the Severity subscale, one item (belief that the tumor will not return) did not fit with an otherwise strong one-factor model. Additionally, five new brain tumor-specific items demonstrated good fit with the Triggers subscale. The resultant FCRI-Brain includes 41 original FCRI items plus six new brain tumor-specific items. FCRI-Brain demonstrated good convergent validity with measures of depression (r=.72), anxiety (r=.75), and death anxiety (r=.80; ps<.05). CONCLUSIONS This is the first validation of the comprehensive FCRI in patients with primary brain tumors. Factor analysis identified a theoretically similar and brain-tumor specific seven-factor model for the FCRI-Brain. Item-level and subscale statistics will be presented, including factor iteration and construction. Future work will use the FCRI to investigate FCR intervention efficacy in neuro-oncology.

NCMP-06. GENOTYPE AND SEX IMPACT MEMORY FUNCTION AFTER BRAIN IRRADIATION

Abstract PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE Cognitive changes are a serious complication that can occur after brain radiotherapy. There is a need to better understand which individuals are more susceptible to develop strategies to preserve their function. The apolipoprotein E type 4 allele (APOEe4) APOE4 is the most prevalent genetic risk factor for Alzheimer Disease. We hypothesized that APOE genotype influences memory function after a subtherapeutic dose of whole brain irradiation in male and female mice. MATERIALS/METHODS Age-matched adult female and male mice engineered with either human APOE3 or APOE4 gene knocked-in were randomized to no treatment or whole brain irradiation (0 Gy or 5 Gy x 2), then evaluated with longitudinal neurobehavioral tests of learning, memory, pain threshold and anxiety. We performed immunohistochemical analyses of mouse brain sections at 1 month and at 4 months post-radiation to quantify extracellular amyloid beta plaques and other neuropathologic hallmarks associated with neurodegeneration. RESULTS Neurobehavioral testing identified significant sex and genotype-dependent changes in memory and anxiety measures developing longitudinally after brain irradiation. At baseline (unirradiated), APOE4 mice (male and female) performed worse on multiple memory measures. However after irradiation, sex and genotype each independently impacted multiple neurobehavioral function tests and also interacted with each other to significantly influence the timing and magnitude of changes in memory function. ApoE4 significantly impacted the toxicity of radiation in a sex-dependent manner. Neuropathologic analyses including amyloid beta plaque deposition and ApoE levels are ongoing. CONCLUSIONS After brain irradiation of relatively moderate dose, neurobehavioral performance including memory are impacted in a genotype and sex-dependent manner and dynamically over time. In addition to suggesting important sex-dependent differences in memory vulnerability, these data point to new opportunities for personalizing care for patients receiving brain irradiation.

Testing the associations between poverty stigma and mental health: The role of received stigma and perceived structural stigma.

Previous research has documented how people living on low incomes in the United Kingdom (UK) and internationally experience various forms of poverty stigma. The purpose of this study was to quantitatively examine how experiences of poverty stigma are associated with mental health outcomes. An online, cross-sectional survey was conducted with 1,000 adults living in predominantly low- and middle-income households in the UK. The survey included a questionnaire designed to measure participants' experiences of different forms of poverty stigma, as well as measures of anxiety, depression and mental well-being. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the poverty stigma questionnaire supported a two-factor solution. One factor reflected participants' experiences of being mistreated and judged unfairly by other people because they live on low income (received stigma) and the other factor reflected participants' perceptions of how people living in poverty are treated by media outlets, public services and politicians (perceived structural stigma). Both received and perceived structural stigma were independently associated with anxiety, depression and mental well-being and these relationships persisted after controlling for socioeconomic indicators. There was also evidence that received stigma and perceived structural stigma partially mediated the relationships between financial hardship and mental health outcomes. Experiences of received and perceived structural poverty stigma are both associated with mental health and well-being. This suggests that addressing interpersonal and structural forms of poverty stigma may help to narrow socioeconomic inequalities in mental health.

Addressing Mental Health Symptoms Among COVID-19 Healthcare Workers: A Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Pilot Study.

Psychological stress among frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, elevating mental health risks. Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRV-BF) is an evidence-based intervention with potential to reduce psychological burden on frontline HCWs; however, no studies have examined its use among this population since the pandemic began. We designed a trial to assess the effects of a brief HRV-BF intervention delivered via telemedicine on measures of anxiety, depression and stress, and heart rate variability, compared to an in-person intervention. We hypothesised that the telemedicine intervention would be non-inferior to the in-person intervention. Using a randomized comparison trial design, we tested a 10-day brief heart rate variability biofeedback intervention among frontline HCWs during the COVID-19 pandemic. They received remote, 30-min guided sessions every other day and were taught methods of heart rate variability biofeedback. Depression, anxiety and stress were assessed at baseline, 10days, and 40days with additional measures of anxiety measured before and after each session. HRV scores were collected at baseline, as well as during the course of the 10days. Multilevel modelling was used to examine the change in depression, anxiety, stress and HRV scores across multiple time points and session types (telemedicine vs. in-person). There was no significant differences between telemedicine (n=32) and in-person (n=15) interventions on the main outcomes. Both session types showed a significant decrease in depression, anxiety and stress scores across the entire intervention, and HRV scores significantly increased across both groups. Anxiety levels also significantly decreased after each session. The non-inferiority of the telemedicine intervention to a comparable in-person intervention affirms its promise for decreasing anxiety, depression and stress among frontline HCWs and may offer a cost-effective and feasible tool to use in crises situations.

EVALUATION OF ANXIETY AND DEPRESSION AMONG NURSING STUDENTS OVER THE COURSE OF A YEAR

Introduction: Anxiety and depression observed in young people are associated with poor quality of life during college, not only in terms of poor eating and lifestyle habits, but also the inability to deal with problems associated with college and their future profession. Each stage of life, with its due concerns and questions, interferes in the level of overload and pressure among college students. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the levels of anxiety and depression among nursing students at a public university in the interior of Paraná, at three different times, over the course of one year. Method: This is a quantitative, descriptive, exploratory study with a longitudinal design. Data collection took place at three different times throughout the year (March, July and November) of 2019, using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), validated for Brazil to assess anxiety and depression, as well as an instrument for sociodemographic and academic characterization of the subjects, constructed and validated (face, content and semantics) for this study, by experts in the area of ​​education and mental health. Descriptive and inferential analyses were performed for the variables of interest, as well as the calculation of Cronbach's alpha to assess the internal consistency of the items of the HADS scale. Student's t-test, Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and one-way ANOVA with repeated measures were used to compare the measures of anxiety and depression, as well as with sociodemographic and academic variables among the students, throughout the three evaluations. Results: Among the 77 participating students, 92.2% were women with a mean age of 21 years; 15.4% were married; 74.6% declared themselves to be Catholic; 65.8% declared themselves to be good students. Age and the fact of having a subject dependency were considered statistically significant when compared between the years of the course. Anxiety averages in the three measures, respectively, for general nursing: 10.0; 9.9; and 9.5, not being considered statistically significant. And for depression: 7.1; 7.4; 7.1 being statistically significant for the third evaluation. There was no statistically significant variation between the evaluation of anxiety and depression levels in the three measures. Conclusion: The levels of anxiety and depression evaluated by HADS, in the General Nursing group were not so expressive quantitatively, but are still higher than other studies involving nursing and/or health area university students. Data from the study indicated no difference in anxiety and depression levels, at different times, throughout the year. Not having reached the population of academics of the course in question, as a whole, in the evaluations carried out, was one of the limitations of the study.New studies are being carried out to try to explain the variations in anxiety and depression levels among students on the Nursing course in question, with methodological approaches that allow the subject studied to have a voice.

A large-scale evaluation of therapeutic alliance and symptom trajectories of depression and anxiety in blended care therapy.

This study sought to conduct a large-scale examination (N = 14,951) into the associations between therapeutic alliance and anxiety and depression symptom trajectories within a blended care therapy (BCT) program. Clients receiving blended care services completed weekly outcome measures for anxiety and depression and therapeutic alliance ratings every other therapy session. Using a retrospective, pragmatic study design, latent change score (LCS) analysis captured individual differences in initial therapeutic alliance scores and change in alliance. The LCS variables were specified as predictors of a latent growth curve model describing changes in depression and anxiety symptoms over the course of treatment. Therapeutic alliance scores in the BCT program were generally strong (initial item average = 4.10) and improved over time. Higher initial therapeutic alliance scores and greater initial increases in alliance were associated with steeper declines in anxiety and depressive symptoms at the beginning of therapy. Higher therapeutic alliance (both initial scores and initial increases) was also associated with a deeper symptom trajectory over time, indicating lower anxiety and depressive symptoms overall, as well as sustained decreases in symptoms over time. These results highlight the clinical impact of the working relationship between the provider and the client.

Validation of the Croatian version of the adverse childhood experiences questionnaire 10-item version

ABSTRACT This study aimed to validate the Croatian version of the Adverse Childhood Experiences Questionnaire 10-item version (ACE-10) in a sample of 293 emerging adults (mean age 22 years old; 56.9% women). ACE-10 is a self-report retrospective questionnaire that assesses abuse, neglect, and household dysfunction. Measures of depression, anxiety, stress, and resilience were included to assess concurrent validity. The results confirmed the expected two-factor structure, displaying robust psychometric properties and concurrent validity. The ACE-10 proves reliable, making it well-suited for examining adverse childhood experiences in Croatian samples.

The mediating role of COVID-19 anxiety on the relationship between quality of life and spiritual well-being, and hopelessness: A study on cancer patients.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused concern in the community, especially in patients. Spirituality, hopelessness, and quality of life have an impact on the management of the process in cancer patients during these crisis periods. To investigate COVID-19 anxiety's mediating role in hopelessness' relationships with the quality of life and spiritual well-being among cancer patients. This study used a cross-sectional design to collect data from cancer patients using self-administered questionnaires. The study recruited 176 cancer patients receiving treatment at a university hospital. The participants completed measures of spiritual well-being, COVID-19 anxiety, hopelessness, and quality of life. Following preliminary analyses, a mediation model was analyzed using the PROCESS macro for SPSS, with the bootstrap method applied (model 4). The results showed that spiritual well-being was negatively associated with COVID-19 anxiety and hopelessness, and positively associated with the quality of life. COVID-19 anxiety was associated positively with hopelessness, and negatively with the quality of life. Moreover, COVID-19 anxiety mediated the relationship between hopelessness, spiritual well-being, and quality of life. This study provides evidence for COVID-19 anxiety's mediating role in the relationship between spiritual well-being and quality of life and hopelessness among cancer patients. The findings suggest that interventions aimed at reducing COVID-19 anxiety may be effective in reducing hopelessness among cancer patients, by promoting higher levels of spiritual well-being and improving quality of life.

Graviception Uncertainty, Spatial Anxiety, and Derealization in Patients with Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness

Objectives: Persistent Postural-Perceptual Dizziness (PPPD) is a frequent diagnosis in patients with chronic dizziness, ineffective postural control, visual dependence, and emotional symptoms. Methods: 53 patients with PPPD (25–84 years old) and 53 adults (29–84 years old) with no vestibular disease agreed to participate in this study. Assessments included: vestibular function tests (sinusoidal yaw rotation and vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials); accuracy and precision of Subjective Visual Vertical (SVV) estimation while static and during on-axis yaw rotation; static posturography with open/closed eyes and 30° neck extension, while standing on hard/soft surface; questionnaires on symptoms of unsteadiness, spatial anxiety, dizziness-related handicap, anxiety/depression, depersonalization/derealization, and perceived stress. After preliminary bivariate analyses, analysis of covariance was performed on the measurements of postural sway, spatial anxiety, and dizziness-related handicap (p < 0.05). Results: Higher intraindividual variability (reduced precision) on SVV estimations was evident in patients with PPPD compared to adults with no vestibular disease, which was related to the length of postural sway, to velocity displacement in the sagittal plane, as well as to spatial anxiety and common mental symptoms (including depersonalization/derealization symptoms). Covariance analysis showed contribution of these factors to the dizziness-related handicap reported by the patients. Conclusions: Unprecise graviception could be a contributing factor to the postural instability and mental symptoms reported by patients with PPPD, which in turn contribute to their dizziness-related handicap.

Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy for Reducing School Anxiety in Adolescents: Pilot Study.

Virtual reality exposure therapy (VRET) is a promising treatment approach for anxiety disorders. However, while its efficacy has been demonstrated in adults, research on the efficacy of VRET in the treatment of adolescents with anxiety disorders is largely lacking. A pilot study was carried out to test whether exposure to a virtual reality (VR) school environment elicits state anxiety and autonomic arousal in adolescents with school anxiety (diagnoses covering social anxiety disorder or specific phobia involving school contexts). In addition, we examined whether repeated VR exposure led to a reduction in this fear response, trait school anxiety, and social anxiety symptoms. Moreover, the relationship of presence, the subjective sense of "being there," during VR exposure with anxiety measures and treatment response was examined. In a pilot study, 10 adolescents with school anxiety (age range 14 to 17 years) participated in five VRET sessions. Self-reported state anxiety, heart rate, and presence during exposure, as well as trait school anxiety and social anxiety before and after treatment, were measured. The VR scenario induced state anxiety and autonomic arousal. After VRET, a significant reduction in state anxiety (η2=0.74) and social anxiety symptoms (d=0.82) as well as a trend toward a decrease in trait school anxiety were observed, while autonomic arousal did not change. In addition, presence during VR exposure was associated with state anxiety and treatment response. Our findings indicate the feasibility and potential effectiveness of VRET as a treatment method for symptoms of school and social anxiety in adolescents.

The development and validation of the Intolerance of Uncertainty in Social Interactions Scale.

Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is commonly defined as the tendency for one to interpret uncertainty as negative or threatening. Most general or non-specific measures of IU show a strong relationship with worry and generalized anxiety disorder symptoms; however, a specialized measure of intolerance of uncertainty in social situations could provide insight into the role of IU in social anxiety. The purpose of this study was the development and preliminary validation of the Intolerance of Uncertainty in Social Interactions Scale (IU-SIS), a comprehensive measure designed to assess intolerance of uncertainty in social situations. Participants consisted of a non-referred sample. Based on an exploratory factor analysis, a two-factor solution was retained, with factors labelled Social Ambiguity and Need to Reduce. Both subscales were found to have good reliability and validity. Both subscales of the IU-SIS predicted up variance on measures of social anxiety after controlling for variance explained by a well-established general/non-specific measure of IU. Overall, the IU-SIS shows promise as a tool to elucidate the association between intolerance of uncertainty and social anxiety.

Psychometric Properties of the Anxiety Measure: Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 (SAVE-6) for Spanish Medical Students

Backgroud and Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychometric properties of SAVE-6 in the medical student population and assess its gender invariance. Subjects and Methods: The sample consisted of 320 medical students aged 18–23 years (153 men and 167 women) who completed an anonymous online questionnaire. Data collection took place in June 2024. To assess the scale structure, a descriptive analysis of the items was carried out, followed by a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). To analyze whether there were differences in the invariance of the measure by gender, a multigroup CFA was performed. Results: SAVE-6 showed high internal consistency, α = 0.89 and ω = 0.92, a minimum score of 12, a maximum score of 22, an unifactorial structure, and adequate convergent validity. Specifically, the following were found: the positive and significant relationship with HADS was 0.98 for the full scale, 0.76 for depression, and 0.91 for anxiety, and there was a negative and significant convergent validity with resilience (−0.82) and resilience to suicide attempts (−0.88). Regarding the gender invariance, relevant data is that the factor loadings between each item and the SAVE-6 factor were not the same, so women present a higher level of anxiety than men (Δχ 2 (6) = 42.53). Discussion: The results showed good internal reliability of SAVE-6 and good suitability. Data also revealed that they were not equal in relation to gender. Specifically, the scalar invariance revealed significant differences by items between men and women in anxiety. Conclusions: This scale can be applied to medical students as a reliable and valid instrument to assess the anxiety response to disease contagion in future health professionals.