Role Of Anxiety Research Articles

Coping and Conformity Motives Mediate the Joint Effects of the Behavioral Inhibition and Approach Systems on Alcohol Problems in Young Adults

Background: Gray’s original Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (RST) posits that an oversensitive behavioral inhibition system (BIS) may increase risk for negative-reinforcement-motivated drinking, given its role in anxiety. However, existing data provides mixed support for the BIS-alcohol use association. The inconsistent evidence is not surprising, as the revised RST predicts that the behavioral approach system (BAS) should moderate the effect of the BIS on alcohol use. A strong BAS is thought to bring attention to the negatively reinforcing effects of alcohol, leading to problem drinking among those with a strong BIS. While emerging results support this interaction, we still have much to learn about the mechanisms underlying this effect on alcohol use. Accordingly, we examined motives for alcohol use as mediators of the joint associations of the BIS and the BAS on drinking behaviors. Specifically, our central hypothesis was that individuals with a strong BIS and a strong BAS would endorse increased negative reinforcement motives for drinking (coping and conformity motives), which in turn would predict heavy drinking and alcohol problems. Method: Participants (N=346; 195 women) completed study measures as part of the baseline assessment for a larger study. Results: Overall, results partially supported the hypotheses. Mediated moderation analyses showed that the indirect effect of the BIS on alcohol problems, through coping and conformity motives, was strongest at high levels of the BAS. This effect was not supported for alcohol use. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that clinical interventions should target coping and conformity reasons for drinking among anxious, reward responsive, young adults.

Social Distancing and Shopping Behaviour: The Role of Anxiety, Attention, and Awareness on Safety Preferences while Queuing during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic increased global anxiety, and many people shopped less frequently. This study quantifies customer preferences in where to shop while following social distancing regulations, specifically focusing on customers' anxiety. Collecting data online from 450 UK participants, we measured trait anxiety, COVID-19 anxiety, queue awareness, and queue safety preferences. Confirmatory factor analyses were used to develop novel queue awareness and queue safety preference variables from new items. Path analyses tested the hypothesised relationships between them. Queue awareness and COVID-19 anxiety were positive predictors of queue safety preference, with queue awareness partially mediating the effect of COVID-19 anxiety. These results suggest that customers' preferences for shopping at one business and not another may depend on safe queueing and waiting conditions, especially in those more anxious about COVID-19 transmission. Interventions that target highly aware customers are suggested. Limitations are acknowledged and areas for future development are outlined.

Emotional and social loneliness and their unique links with social isolation, depression and anxiety

BackgroundLoneliness and social isolation are known to be associated with depression, general anxiety, and social anxiety. However, knowledge on the overlapping and unique features of these relationships, while differentiating between social loneliness (perceived absence of an acceptable social network) and emotional loneliness (perceived absence of close connections), is lacking. MethodsWe constructed a network analysis to examine the relationships between self-reported social loneliness, emotional loneliness, social isolation, depression, general anxiety and social anxiety in a large sample of university students (N = 7314, 67.4 % female, range 16.3–75.8 years, Mage = 23.9, SDage = 5.7). Hierarchical regression analyses were used to examine whether depression, general anxiety and social anxiety moderated the relationship between social isolation and loneliness types. As comorbidity between anxiety and depression is high, the role of anxiety as a moderator in the relationship between depression and loneliness types was also examined. ResultsThe network analysis showed that social loneliness was most strongly explained by social isolation, whereas emotional loneliness was most strongly explained by social anxiety and depression. General anxiety was solely related to loneliness through depression. The regression analyses showed that general and social anxiety and depression did not moderate the relationship between social isolation and loneliness types. LimitationsDifferences found between loneliness types may be influenced by a methodological artifact of the DJGLS. ConclusionsThese findings highlight the importance of social anxiety over general anxiety in relation to loneliness. Also, it showed unique relationships for social- and emotional loneliness with psycho-social variables, which has important implications for research- and clinical settings.

Prospective Relations Between Dysfunctional Metacognitive Beliefs, Metacognitive Strategies, and Anxiety: Results From a Four-Wave Longitudinal Mediation Model

The metacognitive model of psychological disorders suggests that emotional disorders are related to maladaptive metacognitive strategies corresponding to underlying dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs. There is substantial empirical evidence supporting a role of metacognition in psychopathology, but fewer studies have evaluated the metacognitive model using longitudinal data and taken into consideration its differentiation between components and how they are hypothesized to be related to each other. Thus, more specific model evaluation is important as it relates to identifying mechanisms of disorder with a potential to provide clinical advances. In the present study, 868 participants took part in a 4-wave survey and reported on metacognitive beliefs and strategies and anxiety symptoms. Two longitudinal mediation models (forward and reversed causation) were run to test temporal precedence and bidirectional relations. The results indicated that metacognitive beliefs significantly predicted metacognitive strategies, which further predicted anxiety symptoms and mediated the indirect effect in the relationship between metacognitive beliefs and anxiety over time. The relationship between metacognitive beliefs and anxiety symptoms over time were bidirectional, but this relationship was not accounted for by metacognitive strategies. These findings largely support central predictions set forward by the metacognitive model and indicate that metacognitions play a preceding and maintaining role in anxiety.

SAG, a sonic hedgehog signaling agonist, alleviates anxiety behavior in high-fat diet-fed mice

Anxiety is a prevalent and disabling psychiatric disorder. Mitochondrial dysfunction due to the high-fat diet (HFD) was regarded as a risk factor in the pathogenesis of anxiety. The Sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway was known to improve mitochondrial dysfunction through antioxidant and anti-apoptotic effects on some neurological diseases. Nonetheless, its effect on anxiety has not been well studied. In this study, we aimed to explore whether SHH signaling pathway plays a protective role in anxiety by regulating mitochondrial homeostasis. SAG, a typical SHH signaling agonist, was administered intraperitoneally in HFD-fed mice. HFD-induced anxiety-like behavior in mice was confirmed using the open field and elevated plus maze tests. Immunofluorescence staining and Western blotting assays showed that the SHH signaling was downregulated in the prefrontal cortex neurons from HFD-fed mice. Electron microscopy results showed the mitochondria in the prefrontal cortex of HFD-fed mice were fragmented, which appeared small and spherical, and the area, perimeter and circularity of mitochondria were decreased. Mitofusin2 (Mfn2) and dynamin-related protein 1 (Drp1) were the key proteins involved in mitochondrial division and fusion. SAG treatment could rectify the imbalanced expression of Mfn2 and Drp1 in the prefrontal cortex of the HFD-fed mice, and alleviate the mitochondrial fragmentation. Furthermore, SAG decreased anxiety-like behavior in the HFD-fed mice. These findings suggested that SHH signal was neuroprotective in obesity and SAG relieved anxiety-like behavior through reducing mitochondrial fragmentation.

Anxiety predicts internet addiction, which predicts depression among male college students: A cross-lagged comparison by sex.

Internet addiction has become an increasingly serious public health issue, putting young people at particular risk of psychological harm. This study aimed to analyze the interactions between college students' depression, anxiety, and Internet addiction and explore how these interactions differ between men and women. A 6-month follow-up study was conducted on 234 college students using the Self-Rating Depression Scale, Self-rating Anxiety Scale, and Revised Chen Internet Addiction Scale. Depression, anxiety, and Internet addiction were positively correlated (p < 0.01). Anxiety can predict Internet addiction and that Internet addiction can predict depression. Moreover, anxiety had a significant predictive effect on Internet addiction among men. Anxiety predicts Internet addiction, and Internet addiction predicts depression among male college students. These findings may better inform future Internet addiction intervention strategies. Particularly, interventions may better address Internet addiction by focusing on the role of anxiety, especially among men.

The role of anxiety and depressive symptoms in mediating the relationship between subjective sleep quality and cognitive function among older adults in China

BackgroundDeterioration of cognitive function has a significant impact on the unavoidable burden on individuals, families, and society. This study aimed to examine the serial multiple mediating effects of anxiety and depressive symptoms on the relationship between subjective sleep quality and cognitive function among older adults in China. MethodsWe selected 6442 Chinese older adults aged 65 years and older from the 2018 Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey. The SPSS PROCESS macro was employed to perform simple and serial multiple mediation analyses. ResultsSubjective sleep quality, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and cognitive function were significantly related (P < 0.01). Poor sleep quality can have a direct negative influence on cognitive function among older adults (effect = −0.110; 95 % CI = [−0.166, −0.053]), but it can also have an indirect negative impact via three pathways: the independent mediation of anxiety symptoms (effect = −0.028; 95 % CI = [−0.048, −0.011]), the independent mediation of depressive symptoms (effect = −0.014; 95 % CI = [−0.026, −0.002]), and the serial mediation of anxiety and depressive symptoms (effect = −0.009; 95 % CI = [−0.017, −0.001]). LimitationsThis study used a cross-sectional design, which restricts the ability to infer causal relationships. ConclusionsThe effect of subjective sleep quality on cognitive function was serially mediated by anxiety and depressive symptoms among older adults. Diverse therapies targeted at improving sleep quality in older adults may improve mood and cognitive functioning.

Impact of Psychological Factors on Functional Performance among Patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

The role of anxiety and depression in functional performance during walking in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is controversial. In this cross-sectional study, we aimed to assess the effects of anxiety, depression, and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) on the functional performance of this patient population. Seventy COPD patients aged 63 ± 11 years participated in the study. To measure their functional performance, the six-minute walk test (6MWT) was used. Anxiety and depression were assessed using two questionnaires: the Anxiety Inventory for Respiratory Disease (AIR) scale and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). The St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) was used to assess HRQOL. Based on their anxiety levels, the patients were divided into a no anxiety group and a high anxiety group. There were no significant differences between the two groups in terms of pulmonary function profile or smoking status. The mean AIR and HADS (depression) scores were high (12.78 ± 4.07 and 9.90 ± 3.41, respectively). More than one-third of the patients (46%) reported high anxiety levels (above the standard cutoff score of 8). The mean score of the aggregated HADS scale was significantly higher in the high anxiety group (20.87 ± 6.13) than in the no anxiety group (9.26 ± 4.72; p = 0.01). Patients with high anxiety had poorer functional performance (6MWT: 308.75 ± 120.16 m) and HRQOL (SGRQ: 56.54 ± 22.36) than patients with no anxiety (6MWT: 373.76 ± 106.56 m; SGRQ: 42.90 ± 24.76; p < 0.01). The final multivariate model explained 33% of the variance in functional performance after controlling for COPD severity (F = 8.97). The results suggest that anxiety, depression, and poor health status are significantly associated with poor functional performance. This study highlights the need to screen patients with COPD at all stages for anxiety and depression.

Craving for alcohol – the role of anxiety

Craving for alcohol – the role of anxiety

焦虑抑郁在原发性高血压中的作用及其研究进展

焦虑抑郁在原发性高血压中的作用及其研究进展

Protective behaviors during COVID-19 confinement measures in Greece: the role of anxiety, perceived risk and risky-choice framing.

Confinement measures at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic imposed major changes on the global population. The aim of this study was to explore the level to which the public adhered to protective guidelines by adopting the most appropriate behaviors at that time (such as hand washing with soap and using sanitizer gel) and to identify the determinants of these behaviors. A purposive sample of 1013 individuals was invited and voluntarily participated in the online survey. The questionnaire collected information on demographic data, hand washing, risk perception, anxiety (through the S = Anxiety scale of STAI) and risky-choice framing. Results showed increased levels of anxiety, a moderate perception of the risk of catching coronavirus and increased adoption of protective behaviors, such as handwashing and cleaning surfaces with disinfectant/antiseptic products. Multiple ordinal logistic regression models showed that being female, more educated and cleaning home with disinfectant / antiseptic products predicted handwashing with soap. Additionally, having an increased perception of getting the coronavirus, being older and cleaning the home with disinfectant / antiseptic products predicted handwashing with antiseptics. Public health interventions should take into consideration the unified cleaning pattern and the combined effect of sociodemographic variables and risk perception on the adoption of protective behaviour in the context of a health crisis which is out of people's control.

Perfectionistic Self-Presentation and Body Dissatisfaction: The Role of Anxiety and Depression

This purpose of the study was to investigate the role of perfectionistic self-presentation aspect of perfectionism with the desire to present a perfect self, which may have a significant impact on emotional and social well-being. The present research assessed the experience of anxiety, depression and body dissatisfaction among university students (N =1000) including males (n = 500) and females (n = 500) enrolled in a four-year undergraduate program. Perfectionistic Self-presentation Scale (Hewitt et al., 2003), Body Dissatisfaction Scale (Tariq &amp; Ijaz, 2015), Beck Depression Inventory (Beck et al., 1996) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (Beck et al., 1988) were used to assess the study variables. Results indicated that perfectionistic self-presentation was significantly correlated with anxiety, depression and body dissatisfaction in female participants whereas, there was significant correlation between perfectionistic self-presentation and anxiety in male participants. Moreover, two mediation models were tested to see the relationship between perfectionistic self-presentation and body dissatisfaction using anxiety and depression as mediators. Using regression analysis, results suggested that there was a significant change in the relationship between perfectionistic self-presentation and body dissatisfaction after adding the mediators i.e., anxiety and depression. The study provided evidence that individuals who display high perfectionistic-self presentation are particularly vulnerable to anxiety, depression and body dissatisfaction. The results have been discussed in the light of previous findings.

Acute Wheel-Running Increases Markers of Stress and Aversion-Related Signaling in the Basolateral Amygdala of Male Rats

Physical activity (PA) is a non-invasive, cost-effective means of reducing chronic disease. Most US citizens fail to meet PA guidelines, and individuals experiencing chronic stress are less likely to be physically active. To better understand the barriers to maintaining active lifestyles, we sought to determine the extent to which short- versus long-term PA increases stress- and aversion-related markers in wild-type (WT) and low voluntary running (LVR) rats, a unique genetic model of low physical activity motivation. Here, we tested the effects of 1 and 4 weeks of voluntary wheel-running on physiological, behavioral, and molecular measures of stress and Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA)-axis responsiveness (corticosterone levels, adrenal wet weights, and fecal boli counts). We further determined measures of aversion-related signaling (kappa opioid receptor, dynorphin, and corticotropin releasing hormone mRNA expression) in the basolateral amygdala (BLA), a brain region well characterized for its role in anxiety and aversion. Compared to sedentary values, 1, but not 4 weeks of voluntary wheel-running increased adrenal wet weights and plasma corticosterone levels, suggesting that HPA responsiveness normalizes following long-term PA. BLA mRNA expression of prodynorphin (Pdyn) was significantly elevated in WT and LVR rats following 1 week of wheel-running compared to sedentary levels, suggesting that aversion-related signaling is elevated following short- but not long-term wheel-running. In all, it appears that the stress effects of acute PA may increase molecular markers associated with aversion in the BLA, and that LVR rats may be more sensitive to these effects, providing a potential neural mechanism for their low PA motivation.

Correction to: Digital and In-Person Interpersonal Emotion Regulation: The Role of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress

Correction to: Digital and In-Person Interpersonal Emotion Regulation: The Role of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress

Pimavanserin reverses multiple measures of anxiety in a rodent model of post-traumatic stress disorder

Pimavanserin is a highly selective 5-HT2A inverse agonist in current medical use. Prior studies suggest that 5-HT2A serotonin receptors may play a role in anxiety and emotional memory. Therefore, pimavanserin was tested in a rat model of PTSD to determine whether it might ameliorate PTSD-like symptoms. The lifetime prevalence of PTSD is estimated to be 125% higher in women than men. Consequently, in an effort to create a robust model of PTSD that was more representative of human PTSD prevalence, 20-week old female rats of the emotionally hyperreactive Lewis strain were used for these studies. The rats were single-housed and exposed twice to restraint stress coupled with predator odor or to a sham-stressed condition. Twenty days after the second stress or sham-stress exposure, rats were injected with saline alone or with 0.3 or 1.0 mg/kg pimavanserin, doses that were confirmed to substantially block 5-HT2A receptor activity in this study without causing any non-specific behavioral or adverse effects. One hour later, rats were tested for anxiety through acoustic startle response, the elevated plus-maze and three parameters of open field behavior. Five days later, blood was sampled for plasma corticosterone. The stressed/saline-injected rats had higher anxiety scores and corticosterone levels than sham-stressed/saline-injected rats. Pimavanserin significantly and generally dose-dependently reversed these persistent stress effects, but had no significant effect on the behavioral measures in normal, non-stressed rats. These results, consistent with a role for the 5-HT2A receptor, suggest that pimavanserin might have potential to reduce some consequences of traumatic stress.

Psychiatric Manifestations in the Patients of Obstructive Sleep Apnea at Tertiary Care Center of Northern India

Aim: The aim of the study is to understand the role of anxiety and depression in obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients. Patients and Methods: This prospective, observational study was conducted at King George's Medical University, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, from September 2011 to August 2012. Seventy-one patients were enrolled in the study after obtaining informed written consent. Polysomnography (PSG) was performed to confirm OSA, and the psychiatric features were determined using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale score. Results: A total of 71 individuals were enrolled in the study, and after exclusion, 48 individuals had participated in PSG. Of the 48 patients, 44 (91.67%) had shown OSA with PSG. From 44 OSA-diagnosed patients, 10 (22.73%) patients were diagnosed of having psychiatric manifestations (50% with depression, 30% with anxiety, and 20% having features of both depression and anxiety). No significant difference was found in between those with psychiatric features than that those without in body mass index (mean ± standard deviation [SD]: 32.38 ± 7.17 and 31.64 ± 3.93, P = 0.610), Epworth's sleepiness scale score (mean ± SD: 13.20 ± 4.71 and 11.88 ± 5.63, P = 0.505), apnea/hypopnea index (mean ± SD: 48.01 ± 31.71 and 37.81 ± 22.84, P = 0.263), average saturation (mean ± SD: 92.19 ± 4.37 and 91.74 ± 4.38, P = 0.774), and lowest saturation (mean ± SD: 74.50 ± 11.97 and 74.32 ± 11.97, P = 0.968), respectively. Conclusion: Although patients with OSA must be screened for psychiatric manifestations, the severity of OSA is not directly related to the severity of psychiatric features.

The Roles of Anxiety and Self-Esteem in the Risk of Eating Disorders and Compulsive Buying Behavior

In contemporary society, following the sudden changes that occur, different forms of addiction are becoming popular. Of note are the new addictions and concepts of poly-dependencies that involve common behaviors and trap people who suffering from them in a vicious circle. The main goal of this study is to investigate the possible mediating role that self-esteem had between trait anxiety and two specific new addictions: compulsive buying behavior and eating disorders. Furthermore, it was verified through a multigroup analysis that trait anxiety had a greater effect on eating disorders in a group of compulsive consumers. Three-hundred and fifty-two participants (67.9% women) were enrolled to participate in this study. The results showed that there was a direct effect of trait anxiety on eating disorders and on compulsive buying behavior; self-esteem mediated the effect of trait anxiety on eating disorders and compulsive buying behavior with specific differences; multi-group analysis showed differences in anxiety's effect on eating disorders between compulsive and non-compulsive consumers; the group of compulsive consumers revealed a significant and stronger effect of trait anxiety on eating disorders in all domains identified. Further research is recommended to better understand the predictors of these disorders and to contribute to a more effective preventive intervention.

Digital and In-Person Interpersonal Emotion Regulation: The Role of Anxiety, Depression, and Stress.

Interpersonal emotion regulation (IER) is the process by which individuals change their emotional experiences by socially interacting with others. While the literature on IER for in-person settings is growing, there is a dearth of research exploring IER in digital social interactions (i.e., via technology) - especially when considering the presence of psychopathology. The aim of this study was to compare perceived IER efficacy and use in digital versus in-person contexts and explore the impact that anxiety, depression, and stress have on IER. A sample of 93 university undergraduate students showed that participants perceived in-person IER as more efficacious than digital IER, and participants high in anxiety, depression, and stress tended to use both modalities of IER more than those low anxiety, depression, and stress. This study addresses a critical gap in our understanding of emotion regulation in digital environments and sheds light on how this is related to psychopathology and the psychotherapy experience.

Autism Spectrum Disorder as a Disorder of Prediction in Sensorimotor Processing

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by persistent social interactive and communicative difficulties and repetitive, restricted behavioral patterns. Previous theories suggested impairments in two distinct sets of core abilities as an explanation for ASD. One is the delayed ability to reflect on others’ mental content, and the other is the lack of the tendency to integrate details to create meanings in contexts. In the current field, there is an emergent explanation to consider ASD as a disorder of prediction. Under this notion, two competing views proposed different accounts for the specific deficits in ASD predictive system. The Bayesian view believes that ASD individuals experience reduced priors and are less reliant on top-down information when making predictions. Alternatively, the predictive error view believes that ASD impairments result from a failure to ignore accidental prediction errors caused by environmental noise, leading to overly frequent updates and less generalizable predictions. Though both views seem credible, no previous studies have comprehensively examined their reliability in empirical evidence. Therefore, the present paper fills in the gap by reviewing the two views and their relevant psychological and neuroscientific evidence with a specific focus on sensorimotor prediction. The major conclusion is that most empirical evidence was consistent with the reduced prior proposal but not the prediction error weighing proposal. Specifically, the ASD population is resistant to reliable contextual priors even though their associative learning may remain unimpaired. In keeping with the reduced prior proposal, the ASD population showed atypical connectivity between brain areas, suggesting insufficient communication of top-down information. Additionally, subjective anxiety during the Bayesian inferential process probably hinders the prediction performance. One possible limitation of the present review is the generalizability of conclusions to the domain of social impairments. Future studies should dedicate to exploring the restrictive conditions on the reduced Bayesian prior and E/I ratio imbalance and the role of anxiety in moderating the predictive process. One practical implication is to promote context-dependent imitations in sensorimotor learning in ASD. This review can provide some insights to future intervention studies and practices for children with ASD.

"I just want to be certain": psychometric properties and predictive role of the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale-12

Introduction: Intolerance of uncertainty (IU) is a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor characterized by a negative reaction at an emotional, cognitive, and behavioral level to uncertain situations. Aim: The current study investigates the factor structure, reliability, and convergent validity of the Iranian version of the intolerance of uncertainty scale-12 and its predictive role in anxiety, depression, and contrast avoidance (CA). Method: This is a cross-sectional, psychometric study. Two large samples (N1=1210, N2=228) were collected with the convenience sampling method from three university students in Zanjan city (i.e., University of Medical Sciences, Azad University, and Payame Noor University) who were studying from February to July 2020. Data were collected using CAQ-GE, BAI, BDI-II, GAD-7 and IUS-12. The data were analyzed with Mplus 7.4, Amos 24, and SPSS 26 software. Results: EFA and CFA supported the two-factor model for IUS-12. In addition, the results indicated that the IUS-12 has an excellent convergent validity (p&lt;0.01) and an acceptable internal consistency (α=0.89). Regression analysis results confirmed the predictive role of IUS-12 in predicting anxiety and depression and pointed out the possible transdiagnostic nature of the CA. Conclusion: Iranian version of IUS-12 showed good psychometric properties and a robust two-factor structure. Therefore, using it in predicting constructs related to anxiety and depression could help us extend our knowledge of the underlying factors of psychiatric disorders.