Penn State Worry Questionnaire Research Articles

The importance of examining early maladaptive schemas in the diagnosis and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

The aim of the study was twofolded: to identify the early maladaptive schemas characteristic of obsessive-compulsive disorder in a Hungarian sample and, to examine the presence and severity of comorbid anxiety and depressive symptoms in the light of early maladaptive schemas. 112 participants (58 men and 54 women) diagnosed with OCD were involved in the study. The questionnaire package consisted of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) and the Schema Questionnaire (SQ). We identified five early maladaptive schemas with a direct effect on the manifestation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms: Mistrust-Abuse, Inferiority/Shame, Dependence/Incompetence, Insufficient Self-Control/Self-Discipline and Entitlement/Grandiosity (reversed effect). Based on the severity of the early maladaptive schemas, three significantly different groups could be identified in our sample: patients with mild, moderate and high schema-values. Among the groups significant differences can be found in the appearance and severity of compulsive symptoms, as well as in the presence of anxiety and depressive symptoms. But contrary to our expectations, not the severity, but the numberof the early maladaptive schemas showed a stronger correlation with the symptom variables. An additional result of our study derives from canonical correlation, addressing the relationship among early maladaptive schemas, OCD symptoms, anxiety and depressive symptoms from a new perspective. The results highlight that OCD is only one and not the most serious consequence of personality damage, indicated by early maladaptive schemas. The results of our study suggest that obsessive-compulsive disorder can be divided into several subgroups, which can be separated in terms of symptom severity, comorbid psychiatric symptoms and personality impairment patterns. The relationship between OCD symptom severity and personality impairment seems to be not directly proportional. Our results strengthen the new dimensional view of OCD, which can determine the selection of the appropriate therapeutic treatment method beyond the diagnostic process.

Maternal affective symptoms and sleep quality have sex-specific associations with placental topography

BackgroundThe impacts of prenatal maternal affective symptoms on the placental structure are not well-established. Employing Geographic Information System (GIS) spatial autocorrelation, Moran's I, can help characterize placental thickness uniformity/variability and evaluate the impacts of maternal distress on placental topography. MethodsThis study (N = 126) utilized cohort data on prenatal maternal affective symptoms and placental 2D and 3D morphology. Prenatal maternal depression, stress, anxiety and sleep quality were scored for each trimester using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS), Stressful Life Event Scale (SLE), Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), respectively. Placental shape was divided into Voronoi cells and thickness variability among these cells was computed using Moran's I for 4-nearest neighbors and neighbors within a 10 cm radius. Sex-stratified Spearman correlations and linear regression were used to study associations between mean placental thickness, placental GIS variables, placental weight and the average score of each maternal variable. ResultsFor mothers carrying boys, poor sleep was associated with higher mean thickness (r = 0.308,p = 0.035) and lower placental thickness uniformity (r = −0.36,p = 0.012). Lower placental weight (r = 0.395,p = 0.003), higher maternal depression (r = −0.318,p = 0.019) and worry/anxiety (r = −0.362,p = 0.007) were associated with lower placental thickness uniformity for mothers carrying girls. LimitationsThe study is exploratory and not all GIS models were developed. Excluding high-risk pregnancies prevented investigating pregnancy complications related hypotheses. A larger sample size is needed for greater confidence for clinical application. ConclusionsPlacental topography can be studied using GIS theory and has shown that prenatal maternal affective symptoms and sleep have sex-specific associations with placental thickness.

Driving and mobile phone use: Work addiction predicts hazardous but not excessive mobile phone use in a longitudinal study of young adults.

Work addiction (WA), characterized by dimensions such as overcommitment, difficulties in detachment from work, and work-life imbalance, is presumed to be associated with increased smartphone usage, even during risky activities like driving. The study investigated the connection between WA and future problematic and hazardous smartphone use, considering personality factors: anxiety, rumination, and worry. A three-wave longitudinal study (N=1,866) was conducted from March to July 2019, June to September 2020, and June to November 2021, involving a representative sample of 18-34-year-old residents in Hungary's capital. The study employed Hungarian versions of the Bergen Work Addiction Scale, Problematic Mobile Phone Use Questionnaire, Ruminative Response Scale, Anxiety subscale of the Brief Symptom Inventory 18, and Penn-State Worry Questionnaire. Additionally, author-developed questions on mobile phone use while driving were included. At baseline, those at risk for WA showed more frequent mobile phone use while driving at both time points 2 and 3 compared to the non-risk group. Path analyses revealed rumination, anxiety at time 1, and worry at time 2 as significant mediators between baseline WA and mobile phone use while driving at time 3. However, when analyzing all three mediators together, only anxiety at time 1 and worry at time 2 remained significant. This study demonstrates that WA predicts future mobile phone use while driving through mediation by anxiety and worry. Our findings add to the growing evidence highlighting the detrimental aspects of WA, emphasizing the need for improved prevention and treatment strategies.

Associations of physical activity and sedentary time with craving and mental health in individuals with alcohol use disorder

Alcohol use disorder (AUD) treatment has high rates of relapse. Relapse likelihood is predicted by poor mental health and high alcohol craving. Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary time (SED) may be modifiable risk factors of these relapse predictors. The purpose of this study was to examine relationships between MVPA and SED with mental health (depression, anxiety and stress) and craving (self-reported and cue-induced) in individuals with AUD.Cross-sectional data were collected from individuals upon entering AUD treatment (n = 670) in the US. Participants reported demographics, depression (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale), anxiety (Penn State Worry Questionnaire), stress (Perceived Stress Scale-10), MVPA and SED (International Physical Activity Questionnaire-SF). Multiple linear regressions were conducted with MVPA and SED predicting depression, anxiety, and stress, with trend analyses, covarying for demographics and level of care.As SED decreases and MVPA increases, depression (−6.7 points, p < 0.0001), anxiety (−3.5 points, p = 0.02), and stress scores (−3.1 points, p < 0.001) are reduced. Neither MVPA nor SED were significant predictors of self-reported craving nor cue-induced craving.High SED and, especially, low MVPA may be behavioral risk factors associated with poor mental health during treatment admission in AUD. Improving engagement with these activity-related behaviors during treatment may have the potential to lead to lower relapse rates.

Suicide ideation and male-female differences in major depressive disorder

Objective This study aimed to explore male-female differences in suicide ideation (SI) and suicide risk factors in major depressive disorder (MDD). Methods We analysed 482 adults (sample 1) and 438 elderly outpatients (sample 2) with MDD. Sample 1 was treated with different antidepressant combinations (escitalopram; bupropion plus escitalopram; venlafaxine plus mirtazapine) and assessed by means of the Concise Health Risk Tracking (SI), Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology, Altman Mania Rating Scale and Psychiatric Diagnostic Screening Questionnaire. Sample 2 was treated with venlafaxine and assessed using the Hamilton scale for depression, Anxiety Sensitivity Index and Penn State Worry Questionnaire for anxiety, Beck Scale for Suicide Ideation and Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status. Results In sample 1, females had greater depression severity (O.R 0.961 99%CI: 0.929 − 0.995), males reported more alcohol abuse (O.R 1.299 99%CI: 1.118 − 1.509) and active SI (O.R 1.109 99%CI: 1.005 − 1.255). In sample 2 men showed more severe SI (O.R 1.067; 99%CI: 1.014 − 1.122) and weight loss (OR = 5.89 99%CI: 1.01 − 34.19), women more gastrointestinal symptoms. Conclusions In these selected samples, although women had more severe depression, men had more suicide risk factors. Such differences might contribute to men’s increased suicide risk.

The relationship between worry and academic performance: examining the moderating role of attention control

ABSTRACT Background: Worry is frequently associated with reduced cognitive performance, through consumption of attention control resources. Assessing attention control during acute worry may better reflect cognitive performance in real-world scenarios. This study examined whether attention control (assessed at rest and under acute worry) moderates the relationship between worry and academic performance. Methods: Worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire) and academic performance (examination grades) were assessed in 87 undergraduates, with attention control (antisaccade performance) measured at baseline and following worry induction. Results: When assessed at rest, attention control did not moderate the relationship between trait worry and academic performance. However, under acute worry, attention control significantly moderated the relationship between worry and academic performance (p = .05, f 2 = 0.14), such that at low levels of attention control under worry, higher trait worry was significantly associated with lower academic performance. At high levels of attention control under worry, however, the relationship between trait worry and academic performance was not significant. Conclusions: Findings suggest that worry may shape performance according to attention control levels, with attention control's moderating role being more pronounced under conditions of acute worry. These results provide preliminary evidence that attention control assessed under worry may better predict real-world performance, compared to assessment at rest.

Psychological Distress and Treatment Outcome in Patients With Early-Stage Mycosis Fungoides.

Skin diseases have been shown to worsen psychological distress, which, in turn, may be detrimental to treatment outcomes. Both the impact of psychological distress on response to treatment in mycosis fungoides (MF) and the effect of treatments on psychological well-being are unclear. To evaluate (1) the association between pretreatment psychological morbidity and treatment outcome in early-stage MF and (2) the impact of response to treatment on psychological well-being. This was a prospective cohort study of patients with early-stage MF who started a new stage-directed treatment for their disease. The response was determined using the modified severity-weighted assessment tool, and psychological distress was assessed using the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12) and Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). Participants were followed for 1 year. In all, 24 consecutive patients were recruited. Objective response rate was 71% (17/24), consistent with existing literature. Prior to treatment, 9 patients (38%) had clinically significant psychological distress on the GHQ-12, while 8 (33%) demonstrated high-level worry on the PSWQ. Of these patients, 6 had pathologic scores on both instruments. Patients with significantly less baseline anxiety/depression on the GHQ-12 responded better to treatment than patients with higher levels (P = .004). In addition, responders' mean GHQ-12 scores decreased by 39% and their PSWQ scores by 17%, whereas nonresponders' GHQ-12 scores increased by 93% (P = .042) and their PSWQ scores by 11% (P = .019). These findings suggest that (1) baseline psychological distress is associated with worse outcomes in patients with early-stage MF and that (2) effective treatment improves psychological morbidity.

Effect of Dialectical Behavior Therapy on Cognitive Emotion Regulation, Cognitive Flexibility, and Worry in Women With Depression: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial

Objectives This study aims to assess the effect of dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) on cognitive emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility and worry in women with depression. Methods This is a randomized controlled clinical trial with a pre-test/post-test design. The study population consists of all women with depression referred to psychology clinics in Jahrom, Iran, in 2022. From three clinics of Hami, Rahgosha, and Fardaye Behtar, 30 women with a Beck depression inventory (BDI) score of 20-28 (moderate depression) were selected using a purposeful sampling method, and were randomly divided into intervention (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. Garnefski et al.'s cognitive emotion regulation questionnaire, Dennis and Vander Wal's cognitive flexibility questionnaire, Meir et al.'s Penn State worry questionnaire, and BDI were used to collect data. Data analysis was done using the analysis of covariance. Results The DBT had a significant effect on the study variables. It has caused an increase in adaptive CER strategies and cognitive flexibility and a decrease in maladaptive CER strategies and worry. Conclusion The DBT can be used to reduce worry and improve cognitive flexibility and adaptive CER strategies in depressed women.

Associations Between Repetitive Negative Thinking and Objective and Subjective Sleep Health in Cognitively Healthy Older Adults.

Poor sleep and high levels of repetitive negative thinking (RNT), including future-directed (ie, worry) and past-directed (ie, brooding) negative thoughts, have been associated with markers of dementia risk. The relationship between RNT and sleep health in older adults is unknown. This study aimed to investigate this association and its specificities including multiple dimensions of objective and subjective sleep. This study used a cross sectional quantitative design with baseline data from 127 cognitively healthy older adults (mean age 69.4 ± 3.8 years; 63% female) who took part in the Age-Well clinical trial, France. RNT (ie, worry and brooding) levels were measured using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire and the Rumination Response Scale (brooding subscale). Polysomnography was used to assess sleep objectively, and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index and the St. Mary's Hospital Sleep Questionnaire were used to measure sleep subjectively. In primary analyses the associationsbetween RNT and sleep (ie, objective sleep duration, fragmentation and efficiency and subjective sleep disturbance) were assessed via adjusted regressions. Higher levels of RNT were associated with poorer objective sleep efficiency (worry: β=-0.32, p<0.001; brooding: β=-0.26, p=0.002), but not objective sleep duration, fragmentation, or subjective sleep disturbance. Additional analyses, however, revealed differences in levels of worry between those with short, compared with typical and long objective sleep durations (p < 0.05). In cognitively healthy older adults, RNT was associated with sleep characteristics that have been implicated in increased dementia risk. It will take additional research to ascertain the causal link between RNT and sleep characteristics and how they ultimately relate to the risk of developing dementia.

Ovarian hormones reduce the negative association between worry and cognitive control: A combined neural and behavioral investigation

BackgroundIncreased reactivity to response conflict and errors, processes governed by the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), have both been implicated in anxiety. Anxiety is also more common in females than males. Importantly, natural changes in ovarian hormones levels are related to fluctuations in anxiety symptoms in healthy and clinical populations, and ovarian hormones likely modulate prefrontal cortex structure and function. No studies, however, have examined the role of fluctuating ovarian hormones in the association between anxiety and cognitive control across the menstrual cycle. MethodsIn this multimodal proof-of-concept study, naturally cycling females (N = 30 twins from 14 complete twin pairs and 2 participants whose co-twin was not in the final sample; age 18–29) provided saliva samples to assay for estradiol and progesterone and completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire for 35 consecutive days. At two time points, during projected pre-ovulatory and post-ovulatory phases, they also completed the Flanker task while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging to probe cognitive control-related dACC activity. Multilevel modeling was used to examine within- and between-person effects of hormones and worry on cognitive-control indices. ResultsOn days when estradiol and progesterone were low relative to a female’s own average (i.e., within-subjects effect), worry was associated with greater flanker interference. In females with higher estradiol and progesterone levels compared to other females (i.e., between-subject effects), worry was associated with less error-related dACC activity, irrespective of the day that dACC activity was assessed. ConclusionFindings suggest a protective effect of ovarian hormones on the link between worry and cognitive control. Associations between worry and conflict-monitoring were sensitive to daily hormonal fluctuations (within-person states), whereas associations between worry and error-monitoring were sensitive to mean hormone levels (between-person traits), suggesting that ovarian hormones are critical to consider in studies examining associations between anxiety and cognitive control in females.

A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED TRIAL OF SELF-HELP GUIDED BY LAY PROVIDERS FOR GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER IN OLDER ADULTS

Abstract Low use of professional help for anxiety disorders in older adults may be due in part to limited access to mental health services. Self-help guided by lay providers (LPs) could help improve access to treatment. This study evaluated the efficacy and long-term outcomes of self-help guided by LPs for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in older adults. Participants (≥ 60 years) with threshold or subthreshold GAD were randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 75) or a wait-list control group (n = 75). Intervention group participants used a manual presenting readings and exercises based on principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy and received weekly support calls by LPs. Groups were similar in terms of sociodemographic characteristics and initially did not differ significantly on outcomes. At post-treatment, the intervention group had decreased significantly on various measures while the wait-list group remained stable: Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7): -4.8 vs -.03; Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ): -11.7 vs .07; Geriatric Anxiety Inventory (GAI): -5.3 vs -.07. Probability of having a diagnosis of threshold GAD decreased significantly more in the intervention group (79% to 16% vs 74% to 53%). Intervention group scores on the GAD-7, the PSWQ, and the GAI as well as probability of having a diagnosis of threshold GAD remained stable at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. Results provide evidence of the efficacy of self-help guided by LPs for GAD in older adults as well as of the maintenance of improvement following this treatment.

Associations between ruminative brooding and white matter change amongst healthy middle‐aged and older adults

AbstractBackgroundRepetitive Negative Thinking (RNT) includes negative thoughts about the future (worry) and past (ruminative brooding). RNT has been associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) pathology (Marchant et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2020;16(7)) and different patterns of functional connectivity of the triple network of attention, namely, the default mode, executive control and anterior salience networks (Solé‐Padullés et al. Front Aging Neurosci. 2022;14). However, the association between RNT and white matter microstructure is unclear (Demnitz‐King et al. Psychiatry Res Neuroimaging. 2021;316) and no existing studies have examined this association longitudinally among non‐clinical adults.MethodHealthy adults (age range: 50‐70, 51.2% women) from the Barcelona Brain Health Initiative (Cattaneo et al. Front Aging Neurosci. 2018 11;10) completed the Perseverative Thinking Questionnaire (PTQ), Rumination Response Scale (RRS), and Penn‐State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) at baseline to measure RNT levels. Participants underwent a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with T1 and T2‐weighted acquisitions to assess volume of white matter hypointensities (WMH) at baseline (N = 588) and two years later (N = 425). Change in WMH was computed taking into account time interval between scans. Stepwise linear regression analyses were conducted to investigate associations between change in WMH and baseline age, sex, PTQ, PSWQ and RRS subscale scores (brooding, reflection and depression).ResultBaseline age (t = 3.71, p&lt;0.0001) and brooding (t = 2.82, p = 0.005) were associated with increased WMH across scans (see partial regression plots, Fig 1A/B). No cross‐sectional associations were observed between volume of WMH and RNT‐related variables.ConclusionBrooding was associated with increase of WMH in healthy adults. Brooding, a maladaptive form of emotion regulation, enhances repetitive focus on one’s distress and is associated with altered connectivity of attentional networks and greater asymmetry of the Superior Longitudinal Fasciculus in depressed adults (Pisner et al. Neuroimage Clin. 2019;24). Our results are of importance considering that: WMH correlate with CSF‐amyloid in cognitively unimpaired older adults (Wei et al. Brain Behav. 2019;9(12)) and this is the first longitudinal study focusing on white matter change as related to psychological variables linked to cognitive decline and AD‐related pathology. The putative impact of psychological factors on brain integrity can be detected even at sub‐clinical levels and in earlier stages within the dementia continuum.

P158: Efficacy of a self-help cognitive-behavioral therapy (GSH-CBT) guided by lay providers for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in older adults: preliminary results

Background:Only a small proportion of older adults with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) seek professional help. One reason is the lack of access to mental health professionals licensed to provide psychotherapy. One way to improve access to psychotherapy is through guided self- help (GSH). GSH based on the principles of cognitive-behavior therapy (GSH-CBT) can be guided by trained lay providers (LPs). The purpose of this poster is to report preliminary results from a multisite randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a GSH-CBT guided by LPs for GAD in older adults.Methods:The sample included 150 participants (≥ 60 years old) with a diagnosis of threshold or subthreshold GAD randomly assigned to: 1) GSH-CBT guided by LPs (n = 75) or 2) waiting list (n = 75). The GSH-CBT lasted 15 weeks. Participants used a manual presenting weekly reading and at-home exercises. They also received weekly support calls (30 minutes maximum) by LPs (undergraduate psychology students) supervised by psychologists. Repeated-measures regression models were used to compare changes in the groups before and after 15 weeks on three outcomes: severity of GAD symptoms (Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item; GAD-7), tendency to worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire; PSWQ), and level of anxiety (Geriatric Anxiety Inventory; GAI).Results:At the first assessment, both groups were similar in terms of age, sex, level of education, marital status, occupation, and did not differ significantly on outcomes. The GSH- CBT group decreased significantly on all three outcomes (GAD-7: -4.8, 95% CI [-5.7, -3.8], PSWQ: -11.7; 95% CI [-13.6, -9.9], GAI: -5.3 95% CI [-6.5, -4.1]) while the waiting list group remained stable over 15 weeks (GAD-7: -0.3, 95% CI [-1.2, 0.6], PSWQ: 0.7; 95% CI [-1.2, 2.5], GAI: -0.7 95% CI [-1.9, -0.5]).Conclusions:GSH-CBT guided by LPs appears to be an effective intervention for reducing severity of GAD symptoms, tendency to worry, and level of anxiety in older people with GAD. Further analyses will be conducted to test whether the intervention differs in efficacy between participants with a threshold vs. subthreshold GAD. The maintenance of long-term gains (6 and 12 months after the intervention) will also be tested.

Impact of Intolerance of Uncertainty on Brain Structural Changes in Panic Disorder.

This study investigated the impact of intolerance of uncertainty (IU) on structural changes in the brain and symptom severity in patients with panic disorder. This study included 90 participants diagnosed with panic disorder. The IU Scale, Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II), Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ), Self-Forgiveness Scale (SFS), and Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF) were used. A voxel-wise correlation analysis was conducted to investigate the structural differences in the gray matter. As IU increased, the cortical thickness of the right lingual gyrus decreased significantly, while the gray matter volume of the right pars triangularis increased. The cortical thickness of the right lingual gyrus showed a significant negative correlation with the BDI-II score and a positive correlation with the SFS. Additionally, the gray matter volume of the right pars triangularis was positively correlated with the PDSS, PSWQ, and BDI-II scores and negatively correlated with the mental health domain of the SF. According to our findings, elevated IU in participants with panic disorder was associated with cortical thinning in the lingual gyrus and increased gray matter volume in the pars triangularis. These structural alterations may also have an impact on perceived quality of life, as well as high levels of depression and anxiety.

Insomnia and potential risk factors during pregnancy

Background: Insomnia during pregnancy adversely affects both mother and newborn, but evidence for its proportion and potential risk factors in Sri Lankan pregnant women is limited. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the proportion and factors associated with insomnia during pregnancy.Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 404 antenatal women who participated in pregnancysupport groups on Facebook during the COVID-19 pandemic. They responded to a self-administered questionnaire that included the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) to detect insomnia and questions adapted from the Stanford Sleep Questionnaire and an abbreviated version of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire to determine associated factors. Habitual sleep efficiency was calculated using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Logistic regression models were used to determine the associations of risk factors with insomnia.Results: The proportion of insomnia overall was 32.7%, with proportions of moderate and severe insomnia being 28% and 1.5%, respectively. The proportion of insomnia was lowest in the 1st trimester (19.2%) and highest in the 3rd trimester (42.8%). The risk factors that were associated with insomnia included age ≥30 years (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.09-2.52), third trimester (OR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.49-6.56), overweight or obesity in early pregnancy (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.04-3.16), irregular sleep routine (OR = 5.2, 95% CI 3.28-8.42), sleeping on lateral position (OR = 1.6, 95% CI 1.03-2.71), trait of worry (OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.50-4.02), night back pain (OR = 1.7, 95% CI 1.01-2.91), difficulty in breathing (OR = 2.4, 95% CI 1.37-4.39), heart burn and regurgitation (OR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.24-2.99), and awakening due to foetal movements (OR = 1.8, 95% CI 1.14-2.96).Conclusion: Insomnia during pregnancy was high and may have clinical implications for primary antenatal care practice. Many factors associated with insomnia during pregnancy are modifiable and can form the basis for prevention and management.

The Effect of Women’s Family Planning Method Use on Worry Level

Objectives: The research is aimed to determine the effect of women's family planning method use on worry level.&#x0D; Methods: The sample of this descriptive study was composed of 339 women who applied to the outpatient clinics of a hospital in Trabzon between 15.05.2019-01.10.2019. Data from the study was collected via the personal data form and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). Descriptive statistical methods, Cronbach Alpha reliability Test, t test in independent groups and ANOVA test were used to evaluate the research data. Before collecting data, permission to use the scale, research permission, ethics committee permission and written consent were obtained from the women participate in the research.&#x0D; Results: The average age of the women involved in the study was 31.51±6.53. %51 of the women were high school graduates and %65.8 were housewives. %12.4 of women expressed concern about the family planning method they used. Women received an average score of 54.16±14.39 from PSWQ. The mean scores of women using oral contraceptives, condoms, intrauterine devices and withdrawal methods from PSWQ are respectively 52.19±9.17, 58.20±15.25, 46.84±14.97 and 59.38±13.82 found to be. The PSWQ mean scores of women 25-32 aged between, 6 Months-1 years married, living in a large family, has a pregnancy and a child, the family planning method he uses negatively affects his sexual life and his relationship with his wife, dissatisfied with the family planning method he and his wife use, not trusting the method, worried about the method, fear of pregnancy it was found to be higher than other women and the difference between groups was statistically significant (p

B - 59 Testing the Cognitive Model of Pathological Worry as an Explanation for Increased Worry among the Oldest Old.

Based on past research demonstrating increased worry among the oldest old compared to younger older adults, this study tested an existing cognitive model of worry to determine whether differences in executive functioning during aging contribute to increased worry among the oldest old. 97 community-dwelling older adults (M age = 74.49; range = 60-89years) completed self-report questionnaires including the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, Geriatric Anxiety Scale, and Cognitive Problems and Strategies Assessment, and were individually evaluated with neurocognitive measures including the RBANS, DKEFS Color-Word Interference Test, and Modified Wisconsin Card Sorting Test. Two-way ANOVAs revealed no significant differences in worry based on age group (i.e., 60s, 70s, and 80s; F[2, 85] = 1.31, p = 0.28) or gender (F[1, 85] = 3.22, p = 0.08). Further, response inhibition and problem-solving did not predict anxiety or worry severity in multiple regression analyses. Lower education was the only consistent predictor of both anxiety and worry when accounting for cognitive performance, age, and gender. However, subjective cognitive functioning also predicted worry among older adults, independent of objective performance. No age differences in worry or anxiety severity were found. Also, no evidence was found to support age-differences in executive functioning as a contributor to worry presentation in late life. The cognitive model of worry may only be applicable to pathological worry or executive decline among the sample was not pronounced enough to impact anxiety. Overall, this study demonstrates that the cognitive model of worry is not supported in healthy, community-dwelling older adults. However, limitations included limited demographic diversity, small sample size, and limited measurement of executive functioning.

Abnormal multi-layered dynamic cortico-subcortical functional connectivity in major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder

Comorbidity has been frequently observed between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD), however, common and distinguishable alterations in the topological organization of functional brain networks remain poorly understood. We sought to determine a robust and sensitive functional connectivity marker for diagnostic classification and symptom severity prediction. Multi-layered dynamic functional connectivity including whole brain, network-node and node-node layers via graph theory and gradient analyses were applied to functional MRI resting-state data obtained from 31 unmedicated GAD and 34 unmedicated MDD patients as well as 33 age and education matched healthy controls (HC). GAD and MDD symptoms were assessed using Penn State Worry Questionnaire and Beck Depression Inventory II, respectively. Three network measures including global properties (i.e., global efficiency, characteristic path length), regional nodal property (i.e., degree) and connectivity gradients were computed. Results showed that both patient groups exhibited abnormal dynamic cortico-subcortical topological organization compared to healthy controls, with MDD > GAD > HC in degree of randomization. Furthermore, our multi-layered dynamic functional connectivity network model reached 77% diagnostic accuracy between GAD and MDD and was highly predictive of symptom severity, respectively. Gradients of functional connectivity for superior frontal cortex-subcortical regions, middle temporal gyrus-subcortical regions and amygdala-cortical regions contributed more in this model compared to other gradients. We found shared and distinct cortico-subcortical connectivity features in dynamic functional brain networks between GAD and MDD, which together can promote the understanding of common and disorder-specific topological organization dysregulations and facilitate early neuroimaging-based diagnosis.

Inhibitory Control Training for Anxiety and Math Achievement in Primary School Children: Protocol for a Proof-of-Concept Study.

Cognitive control training (CCT) has shown potential to reduce emotional vulnerability in adults and adolescents. However, there is scant literature testing the efficacy of CCT for the reduction of anxiety and transferring the effects to educational outcomes in children. Building on the evidence that a greater ability to suppress a prepotent response (inhibitory control) is associated with higher math achievement in children, it is plausible that training inhibitory processes using a CCT paradigm may be beneficial for reducing anxiety, improving inhibitory control, and in turn increasing math achievement. This proof-of-concept study aims to investigate the efficacy of 15 sessions of inhibitory control training for reduction in anxiety and improvement in math achievement in primary school children. We will use a 2 (group: CCT, adaptive Go/No-Go vs active control, low-load task) multiplied by 4 (time: pre- vs posttraining vs 1-month vs 3-month follow-up) randomized design in a nonselected sample of 100 children aged 8-10 years. Both groups will complete 10 minutes of daily training for 3 weeks at school. The dependent variables will be anxiety and correlates (Spence Children's Anxiety Scale, Penn State Worry Questionnaire for Children, Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale, Child Response Style Questionnaire, and Modified Abbreviated Math Anxiety Scale), inhibitory control (Go/No-Go task), shifting (color-shape shifting task), updating (n-back task), and math achievement (Applied Problems, Calculation, and Math Facts Fluency subtests from the Woodcock-Johnson IV Tests of Achievement). We opened enrollment in September 2023. The initial results are expected to be published in late 2024. We predict that children in the CCT group will show a reduction in emotional symptoms; improvements in inhibition, shifting, and updating performance; and advances in math achievement from pre- to posttraining, and that these effects will be maintained at 1- and 3-month follow-ups, compared to children in the active control group. The CCT paradigm used in our study will provide a greater understanding of the emotional and cognitive transfer effects on children and inform future work. Specifically, the findings will advance the knowledge of deploying inhibitory control training with children and provide valuable insights into its use for reducing anxiety and advancing math achievement. Open Science Framework ofs.io/de2qa; https://doi.org/10.17605/OSF.IO/DE2QA. PRR1-10.2196/52929.

Sex Differences in Prevalence and Clinical Correlates of Depression in Individuals Infected with Omicron in China.

Sex differences in depression have been well recognized. However, sex differences in depression among Omicron-infected individuals have received little systematic study. This study compared sex differences in depression in infected individuals during the 2022 Omicron pandemic in China. 506 individuals infected with Omicron (males/females = 268/238) were recruited from Tianjin and Shanghai in China. Self-developed Scale of Demographics were used to collect demographic and clinical data, Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS), Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), De Jong Gierveld Scale (DJGLS), and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) were used to measure respondents' depression, anxiety, resilience, loneliness and worry, respectively. The prevalence rate of depression in male patients was significantly higher than in female patients (42.2% versus 31.9%; χ2 = 5.64, p = 0.018). Regression analysis showed that in female patients, depression was associated with anxiety [OR = 1.26, 95% CI (1.16-1.36), p < 0.001], and resilience [OR = 0.98, 95% CI (0.96-1.00), p < 0.05], while in male patients, depression was associated with anxiety [OR = 1.24, 95% CI (1.15-1.33), p < 0.001]. This on-site study demonstrates that depression is more frequent in male than female Omicron-infected patients and suggests that sex differences should be considered in prevention and treatment strategies for depression during the Omicron pandemic.