Related Fear Research Articles

Donation related fears predict vasovagal reactions and donor attrition among high school donors.

This longitudinal study of high school whole blood donors examined relationships among donation-related fears assessed prior to donation, vasovagal reactions to donation, and the proportion of donors who attempted another donation over the subsequent 60 weeks. Data regarding vasovagal reactions and attempted donation were obtained from donor records of 530 female and 342 male high school donors who answered questions about five types of fear (ie, of blood draw, needles, seeing blood, feeling pain, or fainting) prior to their index donation. Each type of fear was associated with an increased risk of vasovagal reactions (all P < .001) and a smaller percentage of attempted donations was seen among those who reported at least one type of fear (53%) as compared to those who did not report any fear (62.1%); P = .022; β = -0.374, OR = 0.69; 95% CI, 0.50-0.94. Path analyses of the relationships among fear, vasovagal reaction, and attempted donation revealed significant indirect effects for each type of fear. Specifically, donors who reported fear were at increased odds of experiencing a vasovagal reaction, which, in turn, was associated with decreased odds of attempting a repeat donation. Donation-related fears are associated with reduced donor return rates, and this effect is mediated through an increased risk for vasovagal reactions. For both practical and ethical reasons, blood collectors are encouraged to identify and intervene with fearful donors to reduce the likelihood of negative donation-related symptoms and enhance donor retention.

Salvation Expectations of Patients of Medicine, Complementary and Alternative Medicine and Religion

Health and holistic quality of life, physical and emotional needs, somatic and spiritual aspects contain a comprehensive promise of healing. The aim of the current study is to measure the expectations of patients of medicine, alternative medicine and religion related to health and illness. The survey was carried out among 103 patients of a rural general practitioner from May to June 2013 and among 103 patients of the outpatient department for endocrinology and metabolic disease of the Jena University Hospital in 2013. All patients were asked by one interviewer (HM) on fears in relation to health/illness and expectations of help for its own life, medicine, alternative medicine and religion. The biggest fear of patients is “being in need of help of others.” There is no significant difference between religious and non-religious patients. Overall, the expectations of medicine were significantly higher in all sectors than in alternative medicine or religion. Comparing alternative medicine and religion, the expectations of alternative medicine were significantly higher excluding consolation and inner peace. The expectations for medicine in general and for the physician are very high and comprehensive and go beyond diagnosis and realization of therapies. Patients expect hope, guidance, support, comfort, inner peace and advice most from medicine. This results in considerable challenges for the physician, especially in a healthcare system with limited resources and without suitable offers. There is an urgent need to integrate these requirements into daily routine.

How different autonomous vehicle presentation influences its acceptance: Is a communal car better than agentic one?

Public acceptance of autonomous vehicles (AVs) is still questionable. Nevertheless, it can be influenced by proper communication strategy. Therefore, our research focuses on (1) the type of information concerning AVs that consumers seek and (2) how to communicate this technology in order to increase its acceptance. In the first study (N = 711) topic modeling showed that the most sought for information concern the communion and the agency of AVs. In the second, experimental study (N = 303) we measured the participants' fear and goal-orientation in relation to AVs. Then, after the manipulation of the AV advertisement (imbued with communal vs agentic content), technology acceptance components (perceived ease of use, perceived usefulness and behavioral intention) were verified. The comparative analysis of the structural model estimates showed that the both participants' fear and goal-orientation in relation to AVs were associated much more with the acceptance components of the communal AV rather than the agentic one. Therefore, people want to know both whether AVs are communal and agentic, but they are more prone to accept a communal AV than agentic one.

Moving from Face-to-Face to Remote Instruction in a Higher Education Institution during a Pandemic: Multiple Case Studies

In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, our institution, like others in higher education, suspended face- to-face classes and offered remote learning as an alternative. We report five cases of undergraduate and graduate courses that transitioned from a face-to-face to a remote mode. Each case will provide a detailed description of how the course was moved to an online mode, how the course was managed, the instructors’ previous experience in online teaching, their self-reflection on the process of transitioning to remote learning and their recommendations for a more successful experience in a similar potential scenario in the future. Further, we report the students’ perspectives based on their responses to an online survey. The combined results of the cases reported in this study reflect the resilience on both sides. A sudden shutdown of the university along with disease- related fears caused anxiety both for the students and instructors regardless of previous experience in online education. However, having online material pre-pandemic, possessing the technical skills, and previous online teaching or learning experience as well as having the infrastructure in place, facilitated the smooth navigation of the courses. The mode of delivery of the course (synchronous, asynchronous or blended) did not have an effect on students’ satisfaction.

Fears for the future among Finnish adolescents in 2019

Abstract Background Adolescents' images of the future emerge from knowledge built on experiences of the past and present and their age-related developmental tasks. Images of the future direct adolescents' decision-making, choices, and behavior. The images of the future can act as a mirror of our times, reflecting the political values and ethos of society. The aim of this study was to examine the fears for the future among Finnish adolescents in the era of climate change. Methods Data from a nationwide survey on the health and health behavior of 12-, 14-, 16-, and 18-year-olds (n = 3520, the response rate 37 %) in 2019 in Finland. An open-ended question on fears for the future was employed as a final question on the survey. The data was analyzed first by inductive content analysis and then by statistical methods. Altogether 7829 fears were reported. These were constructed into 12 main categories. Results Fears for the social relationships and loneliness were the most common (35 %). Fears related to death (33 %), physical health and wellbeing (25 %), life management and success (19 %) and working life (17 %) were next common. Only 9 % of the adolescents reported climate and the environment related fears. In age group comparisons, 12-14-year-olds reported more global and social fears, while 16-18-year-olds reported more personal fears, such as study, working life and relationships. The most common fears among boys and girls were similar in all age groups. Conclusions The most common fears among Finnish adolescents are related to personal life and less to global issues. Against our hypothesis, climate and environmental related fears were not among the top fears, even these topics are figured prominently in media and other research has also reported high proportions of climate change related fears among adolescents. The inconsistencies might be explained by the differences in the research methodologies: whether open-ended questions or structured questions are used. Key messages Most common fears for the future are related to personal issues like relationships, health and work. Fears for climate change were not among the most common ones when open-ended questions were used.

Disability and gait disturbances in older adults: a systematic review

Background: there are different alterations that produce changes in the progress of the elderly which, cause effects on the march producing a physical deterioration and establishing a relative fear of having falls. There is a high percentage, of about 93% of the geriatric population, of pathologies and alterations in the feet, percentage that is increasing with the progressive increase of the age. Because of these changes and the increase in the number of postural alterations, there is a progressive decrease in walking speed. The main objective of our review was to analyze the different technical aids that are used by older adults, including as an aid to wander footwear.&#x0D; Methods. A Narrative review was carried out, whose search was conducted for studies published in different languages, by examining the Pubmed; Enfispo, CINAHL; and Google Scholar databases. The inclusion criteria were studies related to alterations of the walking of older adults who use technical aids to improve walking, in patients over 60 and studies published in English or Spanish.&#x0D; Results: Of the potential 861 articles identified, 13 studies were included in the review for qualitative synthesis after the analysis. The imbalances have to be monitored and studied by professionals to be able to change technical assistance if necessary and that the patient does no suffer a worsening in your ambulation and quality of life.&#x0D; Conclusions: Due to the varied gait alterations, the treatment of these should be multidisciplinary. The importance of the Podiatrist's work in maintaining a walking and walking as physiologically as possible.&#x0D; Keywords: older adults, technical aids, disability.

"The COVID-19 Pandemic and its Effect on Mental Health in USA - A Review with Some Coping Strategies".

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in enormous losses in terms of human lives and economy in United States. The outbreak has been continuing to heavily impact the mental health of people. Developing key strategies to prevent mental illnesses is extremely important for the well-being of people. A survey conducted during the last week of March 2020 showed that 72% of Americans felt that their lives were impacted by the outbreak, which was a 32% increase from the survey conducted only 2 weeks earlier. The results show a positive correlation between COVID-19 infections/casualties and growing public concern. These observations suggest possible increase in mental health illnesses in United States as a consequence of the pandemic. The authors review a recently published model on COVID-19 related fear among the people. The fear of being infected or dying from the disease is one of the most significant causes of mental health disorders. Loss of employment or the fear of losing employment is another major concern leading to mental illnesses. Several unique strategies to prevent or mitigate mental illnesses are discussed.

Intolerance of Uncertainty and Loneliness in Older Adults During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ObjectiveThe COVID-19 pandemic imposed a psychological burden on people worldwide, including fear and anxiety. Older adults are considered more vulnerable during public health emergency crises. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the psychological response of older adults during the acute phase of the pandemic in Greece.MethodThis cross-sectional study was part of a larger three-day online survey. A total of 103 participants over the age of 60 fulfilled inclusion criteria. The survey included sociodemographic questions and six psychometric scales: the Fear of COVID-19 Scale (FCV-19S), the Brief Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) depression scale, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7), the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS), the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale (IUS-12), and the De Jong Gierveld Loneliness Scale (JGLS).ResultsA significant proportion of the participants reported moderate to severe depressive symptoms (81.6%), moderate to severe anxiety symptoms (84.5%), as well as disrupted sleep (37.9%). Women reported significantly higher levels of COVID-19–related fear, more severe depressive symptoms and sleep disturbances, as well as higher levels of intolerance of uncertainty. Participants living alone showed higher levels of loneliness. Intolerance of uncertainty was shown to modulate levels of loneliness.ConclusionsDuring the quarantine, attention was promptly drawn upon the risks related with older people’s loneliness. Studies identifying factors that may contribute to loneliness during a public health emergency facilitate the implementation of supportive interventions. Preparedness to address and manage older people’s loneliness may limit this deleterious emotional response during the pandemic, as well as at the post-COVID-19 phase.

Psychological distress associated with COVID-19 quarantine: Latent profile analysis, outcome prediction and mediation analysis

BackgroundMental health of the population during COVID-19 quarantine could be at risk. Previous studies in short quarantines, found mood-related and anxiety symptomatology. Here we aimed to characterize the subtypes of psychological distress associated with quarantine, assess its prevalence, explore risk/protective factors, and possible mechanisms. MethodsOnline cross-sectional data (n = 4408) was collected during the Argentine quarantine, between 1st-17th April 2020 along a small replication study (n = 644). Psychological distress clusters were determined using latent profile analysis on a wide-range of symptoms using the complete Brief-Symptom Inventory-53. Multinomial and Elastic-net regression were performed to identify risk/protective factors among trait-measures (Personality and Resilience) and state-measures (COVID-19 related fear and coping-skills). ResultsThree latent-classes defined by symptom severity level were identified. The majority of individuals were classified in the mild (40.9%) and severe classes (41.0%). Participants reported elevated symptoms of Phobic-Anxiety (41.3%), Anxiety (31.8%), Depression (27.5%), General-Distress (27.1%), Obsession-Compulsion (25.1%) and Hostility (13.7%). Logistic-regressions analyses mainly revealed that women, young individuals, having a previous psychiatric diagnosis or trauma, having high levels of trait-neuroticism and COVID-related fear, were those at greater risk of psychological distress. In contrast, adults, being married, exercising, having upper-class income, having high levels of trait-resilience and coping-skills, were the most protected. Mediation analysis, showed that state-measures mediated the association between trait-measures and class-membership. ConclusionsQuarantine was associated intense psychological distress. Attention should be given to COVID-19-related fear and coping-skills as they act as potential mediators in emotional suffering during quarantine.

The COVID-19 global fear index and the predictability of commodity price returns

In this paper, we subject the global fear index (GFI) for the COVID-19 pandemic to empirical scrutiny by examining its predictive power in the predictability of commodity price returns during the pandemic. One of the attractions to the index lies in its coverage as all the countries and by extension regions and territories in the world are considered in the construction of the index. Our results show evidence of a positive relationship between commodity price returns and the global fear index, confirming that commodity returns increase as COVID-19 related fear rises. By way of extension, we further establish that commodity market offers better safe-haven properties than the stock market given the negative association between GFI and the latter. Finally, the GFI series improves the forecast accuracy of the predictive model for commodity price returns and its forecast outcome outperforms the historical average (constant returns) model both for the in-sample and out-of-sample forecasts. Our results are robust to alternative measures of pandemics.

Associations between COVID-19 related media consumption and symptoms of anxiety, depression and COVID-19 related fear in the general population in Germany

In context of the current COVID-19 pandemic the consumption of pandemic-related media coverage may be an important factor that is associated with anxiety and psychological distress. Aim of the study was to examine those associations in the general population in Germany. 6233 participants took part in an online-survey (March 27th–April 6th, 2020), which included demographic information and media exploitation in terms of duration, frequency and types of media. Symptoms of depression, unspecific anxiety and COVID-19 related anxiety were ascertained with standardized questionnaires. Frequency, duration and diversity of media exposure were positively associated with more symptoms of depression and unspecific and COVID-19 specific anxiety. We obtained the critical threshold of seven times per day and 2.5 h of media exposure to mark the difference between mild and moderate symptoms of (un)specific anxiety and depression. Particularly the usage of social media was associated with more pronounced psychological strain. Participants with pre-existing fears seem to be particularly vulnerable for mental distress related to more immoderate media consumption. Our findings provide some evidence for problematical associations of COVID-19 related media exposure with psychological strain and could serve as an orientation for recommendations—especially with regard to the thresholds of critical media usage.

Will they let me die? Perspectives of older Swiss adults on end-of-life issues

This article contributes to scientific discussion with regard to the interplay of individual and social factors on end-of-life decisions. Semi-directed interviews (N = 18) with people over 65 years highlighted two different but articulated fears in relation to end-of-life care: on one hand, older adults fear not being allowed to die and being subjected to therapeutic obstinacy; on the other, they fear not being cared for properly, due to their age and a lack of financial resources in the health and social care system. Recommendations are given to assist professionals in discussing these fears with the people concerned and their families.

Understanding the effects of COVID-19 on the health and safety of immigrant hospitality workers in the United States

The U.S. tourism and hospitality workforce is disproportionately represented by immigrants and minorities, particularly in low-wage jobs with adverse work conditions. Immigrant hotel and foodservice workers face excess chronic stress and related syndemic risks, exacerbated by social, political, and economic inequities. COVID-19 has suddenly intensified the stressful and already difficult circumstances of immigrant service sector workers. The travel and tourism sector is one of the hardest hit due to widespread travel restrictions and shelter-in-place orders designed to curb infection spread. Restrictions and lockdowns have devastated tourism-dependent destinations and displaced millions of vulnerable workers, causing them to lose their livelihoods. Compared to the general workforce, a sizeable increase in occupational stress has already been observed in the hospitality/tourism sector over the past 15–20 years. COVID-19 and related fears add further strains on immigrant hotel and foodservice workers, potentially exerting a significant toll on mental and physical health and safety.

Adjustment Disorder, Depression, Stress Symptoms, Corona Related Anxieties and Coping Strategies during the Corona Pandemic (COVID-19) in Swiss Medical Staff

International studies point to increased mental health problems of medical staff during the Corona pandemic (COVID-19). This is the first study to investigate mental health, i. e. adjustment disorder, depression, stress symptoms, Corona related fears as well as coping mechanisms in this group in a German-speaking country. In April 2020, N=100 subjects were recruited that currently are engaged in a hospital. A series of standardized assessments were included: adjustment disorder (ADNM-20), depression (PHQ-9), stress symptoms and coping strategies (SCI). Currently, cross-sectional data are analyzed, because the study is still going on and longitudinal data is not yet assessed. Frequencies of adjustment disorder and depression are 8 and 15%, respectively. Two hierarchical regression models were run to predict adjustment disorder and depression; predictive power was higher for the first (41 vs. 35%). Fear of infection was reported to be higher regarding one's family than oneself. Nursing staff, those with preloads, and women were found to report more mental health problems. Those with direct contact to people that fell ill with COVID-19 did not differ from those with no direct contact. Currently, medical staff has a high risk for being mentally stressed. China, being epidemically experienced, has published principles for psychiatric interventions in January 2020. This might be relevant for Switzerland, too. Specific psychotherapeutic interventions, targeting at cognitive restructuring and sensitizing regarding dealing with alcohol and cigarettes, may be needed in order to protect this vulnerable group of person during and after the Corona pandemic.

Covid-19 pandemic: Is it tip of the iceberg?

The current COVID-19 pandemic has affected our daily lives and routine to a large extent. Be it our over-burdened health related services or fear of economic loss on a larger scale, this pandemic has affected everyone in some way or the other. No doubt that those getting infected with this virus are being affected the most but still there is a huge population which is not infected with this virus. This group of population is suffering due to its pre-existing illness/disease which is not being addressed currently because of various unavoidable measures like lockdown taken up by many governments across the world. This stratum of population may be hidden as of now but it will eventually pop-out when the current pandemic gets over or is slowed down and this may lead to another health crisis post COVID-19 pandemic.

Optimism-pessimism, conspiracy theories and general trust as factors contributing to COVID-19 related behavior – A cross-cultural study

The main aim of this research was to examine the role of optimism-pessimism, general trust and belief in conspiracy theories, in COVID-19 related fears, preventive and hoarding behaviors. We also examined the role of different sources of information in these relations. The convenience sample was used (N = 412) and it consisted of individuals from Serbia (N = 292) and Latin-America (N = 120). Following instruments were used: The Life Orientation Test (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994), Trust in people scale (Arbor, 1964), questions regarding fear, source of information, preventive behaviors and conspiracy constructed for the purposes of this research. The results suggest that fear of food shortage was the most pronounces one in both samples, followed by fear for oneself and finally by the fear for beloved others. Results suggest that optimists, those with high level of general trust and those who do not believe in conspiracy theories show lower level of fear and higher level of preventive behaviors. Pessimists on the other hand, show higher level of fear. Fear was related to all information sources suggesting that more information leads to higher intensity of fear – except information from the president which did not show any effect.

Concepções sobre estresse segundo alunos do ensino médio de uma cidade de pequeno porte

As entrevistas foram transcritas e analisadas por meio da análise de conteúdo e estatística descritiva. Participaram 23 adolescentes, das quais a maioria dos alunos (n=21) se considera estressado, e boa parte é do sexo feminino. Construiu-se cinco categorias: Definição do conceito de estresse, Percepção do estresse e estratégias utilizadas para reduzir ou controlar o estresse, Contextos estressores: ambiente social, família e escola, Receios e expectativas em relação ao próprio futuro e, Cidade de grande porte x Cidade de pequeno porte. Verificou-se que o contexto estressor mais referido foi a escola. Os participantes referem que utilizam estratégias de enfrentamento, como: atividades relaxantes; controle de ações impulsivas; esportes e, sentem que elas são eficazes. Conclui-se que mesmo vivendo em cidades menores os adolescentes estão sujeitos a contextos estressores e apresentam conflitos semelhantes aos daqueles que vivem em cidades maiores.

Adaptation and evaluation of Turkish version of the fear of COVID-19 Scale

We investigated the psychometric properties of the Fear of COVID-19 Scale in Turkish among a diverse group with a focus on the prevalence of coronavirus related fear across gender, age intervals, SES, chronic illness situation, and educational level. Based on a confirmatory factor analysis, the Fear of COVID-19 Scale had appropriate psychometric properties for utilization, including excellent goodness-of-fit indices, a Cronbach’s alpha value of .86, and discriminant validity, as shown by a significant negative correlation with resilience. Furthermore, group comparison analyses revealed that women reported significantly higher fear of coronavirus. Additionally, individuals from middle SES reported significantly higher fear of coronavirus while the fear of coronavirus did not differ based on participants’ educational level, socioeconomic status, and age level. Implications for mental health providers are discussed.

Maternal trauma and fear history predict BDNF methylation and gene expression in newborns.

Trauma and related fear exert significant influence on mental and physical health throughout the lifespan and are associated with intergenerational patterns of development, health, and behavior. DNA methylation and gene expression are involved in our developmental adaptations to our experiences and can be influenced by social interventions. Patterns of DNA methylation and expression of a gene involved in neurodevelopment and psychiatric risk (BDNF) have been linked with childhood trauma. Given the intergenerational patterns of health and behavior, and previous links between childhood trauma and BDNF methylation and expression, this study investigated the potential for maternal history of traumatic experiences to influence development in her newborn, via changes in her newborn’s BDNF methylation and expression. We found that mothers’ trauma history was associated with epigenetic regulation of BDNF in their newborns. Moreover, the association between maternal trauma and BDNF methylation and expression patterns were moderated by newborn sex. Male newborns showed increased BDNF expression with maternal exposure to child abuse (p = .001), and increased BDNF methylation with greater maternal fear (p = .001). Female newborns showed reduced BDNF expression with greater maternal fear (p = .004). Practitioners strive to identify prevention and intervention avenues that will reduce the harmful effects of trauma. Future research should consider the potential for maternal historical trauma experiences to influence offspring DNA methylation and gene expression in a manner that could alter development and inform novel prevention strategies.

Panic disorder: attack of fear or acute attack of solitude? Convergences between affective neuroscience and phenomenological-Gestalt perspective.

There is consensus among scientists in considering Panic Attack (PA) as an exaggerated fear response triggered by intense activation of the amygdala and related Fear brain network. Current guidelines for treatment (e.g. National Institute for Clinical Excellence, NICE, 2011), that are based on this view, do not achieve satisfactory results: one-third of all treated patients report persistent PAs and other Panic Disorder (PD) symptoms, and several meta-analyses report the high likelihood of relapse. Here we review findings from Affective Neuroscience and clinical insights from a phenomenological-Gestalt perspective, putting into question the link between PD and activation of the Fear brain network. We propose an alternative hypothesis about PD etiology: PD is mainly connected to the Panic system, that is activated in situations of separation from affective support and overexposure to the environment. In our view, PA can be understood as an acute attack of solitude which is not adequately recognized by the patient due to the intervention of a dissociative component that makes it impossible to integrate all neuro-physiological responses activated by the Panic/Separation brain system within a coherent emotional feeling. This perspective can explain many evidences that otherwise remain isolated elements without a comprehensive frame: i.e., the association with agoraphobia, the onset of PD during adolescence and young adult life, the need to be accompanied, the connection with air hunger and other respiratory anomalies, the efficacy of antidepressants and the lack of activation of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axe. We discuss future steps to test this hypothesis and the consequences for psychotherapeutic treatment.