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Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy 2023Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has led to the demise of millions of people worldwide; additionally, it has resulted in a significant economic and mental health... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
Coronavirus disease-19 (COVID-19) has led to the demise of millions of people worldwide; additionally, it has resulted in a significant economic and mental health burden. Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, various measures have been constructed to evaluate pandemic-related fear and anxiety. The COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome Scale (C-19ASS) is a promising measure that assesses coping strategies (e.g., avoidance, checking, worrying and threat monitoring), termed 'COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome', in response to COVID-19 fear and anxiety. The measure has been broadly welcomed, leading to its use in Brazil (Portuguese), China, Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Iran (Farsi), Italy, Saudi Arabia (Arabic), Turkey, the United Kingdom and the United States. To gain a better understanding of the relevance of the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome, we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to explore the psychological correlates and psychometric properties of the C-19ASS. Through the analysis of a total of 17,789 individuals (age range 19-70; female = 33%-85%), the C-19ASS demonstrated a consistent factor structure, measurement invariance across gender and acceptable reliabilities. Furthermore, a significant association with COVID-19 anxiety, depressive symptoms, generalized anxiety, health anxiety, psychological distress and functional impairment (work and social adjustment) during the COVID-19 pandemic was observed. When considering the Big Five personality traits, the C-19ASS and its subscales were only significantly and negatively associated with extraversion; only the total score on the measure was associated with neuroticism. The observed effect sizes ranged from very small to medium. Given that all included studies (K = 24) were cross-sectional, and due to the nature of the COVID-19 Anxiety Syndrome, which may well persist after the pandemic ends, it is recommended to continue screening society for the persistence of this syndrome.
Topics: Humans; Female; United States; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; Aged; COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; Pandemics; Psychometrics; Depression; Anxiety
PubMed: 37166175
DOI: 10.1002/cpp.2861 -
Journal of Psychiatric Research Dec 2022Adjustment disorder (AD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders and is generally conceptualized to be mild and short-lived. Despite the frequent... (Review)
Review
Adjustment disorder (AD) is one of the most commonly diagnosed mental health disorders and is generally conceptualized to be mild and short-lived. Despite the frequent use of AD in clinical settings, little is known about the prognosis of this condition. Our goal was to systematically review research on a range of AD outcomes in order to provide a broad characterization of AD prognosis. We conducted searches in MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO. We included 31 cohort or randomized controlled trials with a total of 1,385,358 participants. Many patients maintained an AD diagnosis or were diagnosed with another mental health disorder months to years after initial diagnosis. Patients with AD tended to show symptom improvement at higher rates and to utilize less treatment than did patients with other disorders. AD-diagnosed groups experienced subsequent development of numerous physical conditions, such as infection, cancers, Parkinson's disease, and cardiovascular events, at higher rates than did control groups. Results were mixed regarding suicidality and occupational impairment. We rated most studies as having a moderate risk of bias. Based on limited findings, AD appears to progress as a milder disorder than do other disorders, but it not uncommonly transitions to more severe mental health states and may predict the development of future health issues, both mental and physical. Future prospective research that conforms to prognosis study guidelines is needed to better understand the course of this common disorder.
Topics: Humans; Adjustment Disorders; Suicidal Ideation
PubMed: 36347110
DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2022.10.052 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Feb 2024The use of technology in psychological treatments can bring evidence-based interventions closer to more people using fewer resources. The aim of this systematic review... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
The use of technology in psychological treatments can bring evidence-based interventions closer to more people using fewer resources. The aim of this systematic review and preliminary meta-analysis was to summarize all the available information about technology-supported psychological treatments for Adjustment Disorder (AjD) patients of all ages.
METHOD
Eligibility criteria included studies that tested a technology-supported treatment in patients with AjD and reported data on a mental health outcome. Case studies and case series were excluded. Searches were conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and PsycINFO databases. Study quality was assessed using the Cochrane RoB 2.0. tool for Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) and the NHLBI tool for pre-post studies.
RESULTS
Nine articles (8 RCTs and 1 pre-post study) were included, eight that tested computerised interventions and two that used virtual reality. The meta-analysis showed the superior efficacy of the intervention groups compared to control conditions in reducing mental health symptomatology and a significant improvement between pre- and post-treatment.
LIMITATIONS
The small number of studies included and the high heterogeneity among them were two of the main limitations.
CONCLUSIONS
These results are similar to those observed in previous systematic reviews on technology-supported treatments for other mental disorders and suggest that these interventions could be effective for patients with AjD. However, further research is needed to determine the advantages and disadvantages of these interventions for the treatment of AjD in different age populations such as children, adolescents or older adults, as well as effective means for improving treatment retention.
Topics: Adolescent; Aged; Child; Humans; Adjustment Disorders; Mental Health; Technology
PubMed: 37992766
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.11.059 -
Pediatrics Jun 2017The purpose of this systematic literature review is to describe what is known about fragile X syndrome (FXS) and to identify research gaps. The results can be used to... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVES
The purpose of this systematic literature review is to describe what is known about fragile X syndrome (FXS) and to identify research gaps. The results can be used to help inform future public health research and provide pediatricians with up-to-date information about the implications of the condition for individuals and their families.
METHODS
An electronic literature search was conducted, guided by a variety of key words. The search focused on 4 areas of both clinical and public health importance: (1) the full mutation phenotype, (2) developmental trajectories across the life span, (3) available interventions and treatments, and (4) impact on the family. A total of 661 articles were examined and 203 were included in the review.
RESULTS
The information is presented in the following categories: developmental profile (cognition, language, functional skills, and transition to adulthood), social-emotional profile (cooccurring psychiatric conditions and behavior problems), medical profile (physical features, seizures, sleep, health problems, and physiologic features), treatment and interventions (educational/behavioral, allied health services, and pharmacologic), and impact on the family (family environment and financial impact). Research gaps also are presented.
CONCLUSIONS
The identification and treatment of FXS remains an important public health and clinical concern. The information presented in this article provides a more robust understanding of FXS and the impact of this complex condition for pediatricians. Despite a wealth of information about the condition, much work remains to fully support affected individuals and their families.
Topics: Adult; Caregivers; Child; Cross-Sectional Studies; DNA Mutational Analysis; Delivery of Health Care; Developmental Disabilities; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein; Fragile X Syndrome; Genetic Testing; Humans; Language Development Disorders; Male; Parenting; Phenotype; Prognosis; Public Health; Social Adjustment; Trinucleotide Repeats
PubMed: 28814537
DOI: 10.1542/peds.2016-1159C -
Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics and... Sep 2022Women are nearly twice as likely as men to suffer from depression throughout the life span. In particular, reproductive transition phases mark a period of vulnerability... (Review)
Review
BACKGROUND
Women are nearly twice as likely as men to suffer from depression throughout the life span. In particular, reproductive transition phases mark a period of vulnerability for female mood disorders. The life events of being pregnant and giving birth harbor multiple psychological and physiological challenges, and a lack of adjustment to these events can result in mood swings and depression. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the symptomatology of postpartum depression (PPD), including tools that have been used to assess PPD, and potential phenomenological differences to major depression during other life phases.
METHODS
A systematic literature search in the databases PubMed, Cochrane Library and PsycINFO was conducted with the keywords "postpartum depression" and "symptomatology". A total of 33 studies fulfilled the chosen criteria and were selected for the review.
RESULTS
Within the studies, 22 different tools were used to assess depressive symptoms throughout pregnancy and the postpartum period. A total of 29 questionnaires or interviews were applied to detect additional psychopathological symptoms present in the perinatal period, such as anxiety. Most studies that included a control group of non-perinatal women concluded that postpartum depression is nosologically distinct from depression occurring at other stages of female life.
DISCUSSION
Somatic symptoms in the puerperium contribute to psychopathological burden and might result in diverse clinical representations of postpartum depression. Anxiety frequently co-occurs with depression during the perinatal period. However, the diversity of screening instruments for postpartum depression does not allow for general conclusions to be drawn about similarities or differences in the psychopathological profiles of postpartum women with depression and women with depression at other stages of life.
Topics: Anxiety; Depression; Depression, Postpartum; Depressive Disorder, Major; Female; Humans; Postpartum Period; Pregnancy
PubMed: 34468259
DOI: 10.1080/0167482X.2021.1962276 -
Long-term adjustment to unmet parenthood goals following ART: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Human Reproduction Update May 2017Fertility treatment is not guaranteed to succeed and around 30% of patients do not achieve parenthood. Failed treatment represents the loss of parenthood and often... (Meta-Analysis)
Meta-Analysis Review
BACKGROUND
Fertility treatment is not guaranteed to succeed and around 30% of patients do not achieve parenthood. Failed treatment represents the loss of parenthood and often triggers intense and prolonged grief reactions. There is an increasing awareness of the need to support patients in the aftermath of failed treatment; however, there are no effective interventions for the effect. This need for support is expected to increase as the number of people delaying parenthood increases and therefore so does the number for whom assisted reproduction will not offer a solution.
OBJECTIVE AND RATIONALE
This mixed-methods review aims at investigating if patients with failed fertility treatment experience significant psychosocial adjustment difficulties that warrant the provision of psychosocial support, and at developing a comprehensive model of adjustment to unmet parenthood goals that can be used to assist the design of theory led psychosocial interventions.
SEARCH METHODS
Five databases were systematically searched between 1978 and December 2015. Search terms were variations of fertility treatment AND psychosocial adjustment AND post-treatment. Quantitative studies had to include group mean comparisons on psychosocial adjustment (mental-health and well-being) between patients who had failed treatment and a control group. Qualitative studies had to focus on experiences of psychosocial adjustment after failed treatment. Screening, data extraction and critical appraisal were carried out independently by the authors using predefined protocols. Two meta-analyses were performed on mental-health and well-being with a random effect model. The primary outcome was Hedge's g. Publication bias was checked with visual inspection of funnel plots, Egger's test and the trim-and-fill method. A three-stage thematic analysis of results reported in primary qualitative papers was implemented. First-order descriptive and second-order interpretative themes were extracted.
OUTCOMES
Nine quantitative (9052 individuals, 8 countries) and 9 qualitative (267 individuals, 6 countries) studies were included. Six (67%) of the quantitative studies reported on mental-health and six on well-being. The meta-analyses showed that the failed group had worse mental-health (g = -0.496, P = 0.001, 95% CI [-0.791 to 0.200]; I2 = 88%, P < 0.001) and well-being (g = -0.324, P < 0.001, 95% CI [-0.454 to 0.193], I2 = 0%, P = 0.552) than controls. The qualitative review resulted in 28 first-order themes that were grouped into 6 second-order themes: individual and relational adjustment, social adjustment, acceptance, pursuit of new life goals, meaning making, and fertility care perceptions and needs. The data showed that individual, relational and social adjustment tended to increase with time since treatment, and that individuals' care perceptions and needs also changed. The data also suggested that individuals who engage in the psychological tasks of accepting and making meaning of their situation and pursuing new life goals adjust better and have fewer support needs. These predictions were articulated in the Three Tasks Model of Adjustment to Unmet Parenthood Goals.
WIDER IMPLICATIONS
Results provide compelling evidence for the provision of psychosocial care directed at helping individuals who are relinquishing their parenthood goals. The Three Tasks Model of Adjustment to Unmet Parenthood Goals offers comprehensive guidance on the therapeutic mechanisms that psychosocial care should target to promote adjustment. Future research should test the model with prospective cohort studies or by developing and testing interventions based on its predictions.
Topics: Adaptation, Psychological; Counseling; Female; Humans; Infertility; Male; Mental Health; Parents; Qualitative Research; Reproductive Techniques, Assisted; Sex Factors; Treatment Failure
PubMed: 28164236
DOI: 10.1093/humupd/dmx001 -
Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing Jun 2023Self-perceived burden (SPB) is a painful experience for patients with cancer and their caregivers. However, the intervention and coping strategies for SPB have not been... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
Self-perceived burden (SPB) is a painful experience for patients with cancer and their caregivers. However, the intervention and coping strategies for SPB have not been systematically summarized. This work reviews the effects of interventions and coping strategies on SPB.
METHODS
A systematic search, including trawling through six electronic databases, was performed to identify the articles published from January 2003 to February 2023, both in English and in Chinese. The key terms related to burden on others, intervention, and coping of patients with cancer were adopted. Manual search was also applied.
RESULTS
Thirty articles were identified. Interventions were presented in three dimensions: physical, psychological, and financial/family. Coping strategies were presented in terms of coping attitudes and behaviors. Interventions such as functional exercise and psychological adjustment can improve SPB in the three dimensions mentioned above and thus alleviate SPB. Patients with different coping styles have different implications for prognosis. In addition, the impact of caregivers on patients and the coping they provided were worthy of attention.
CONCLUSIONS
This article reviewed interventions for SPB in patients with cancer and the coping strategies from patients and caregivers. The interventions targeting on SPB can alleviate SPB by improving patients' physical condition, psychological status, and financial/family situation. However, the coping attitudes and behaviors of both patients and caregivers were depending on the individual cognitions and perceptions; different coping strategies produced different outcomes. To achieve improvements in SPB, interventions should incorporate the coping strategies. Appropriate patient-caregiver dyad interventions should be constructed based on the commonalities in coping with SPB.
PubMed: 37251112
DOI: 10.1016/j.apjon.2023.100231 -
Developmental Neurorehabilitation Dec 2016The prevalence of abnormal behavioural responses to a variety of stimuli among individuals with autism has led researchers to examine whether physiological reactivity... (Review)
Review
OBJECTIVE
The prevalence of abnormal behavioural responses to a variety of stimuli among individuals with autism has led researchers to examine whether physiological reactivity (PR) is typical in this population. This article reviewed studies assessing PR to sensory, social and emotional, and stressor stimuli in individuals with autism.
METHODS
Systematic searches of electronic databases identified 57 studies that met our inclusion criteria. Studies were analysed to determine: (a) participant characteristics; (b) physiological measures used; (c) PR to sensory, social and emotional or stressor stimuli; (d) the relation between PR and behavioural or psychological variables and (e) baseline physiological activity. A novel measure of methodological quality suitable for use with non-randomized, non-interventional, psychophysiological studies was also developed and applied.
RESULTS
Individuals with autism were found to respond differently than typically developing controls in 78.6%, 66.7% and 71.4% of sensory, social and emotional, and stressor stimulus classes, respectively. However, this extant literature is characterized by variable and inconsistent findings, which do not appear to be accounted for by varying methodological quality, making it difficult to determine what specific factors differentiate individuals with autism who present with atypical PR from those who do not.
CONCLUSIONS
Despite this uncertainty, individual differences in PR are clearly present in autism, suggesting additional research is needed to determine the variables relating to PR among those with ASD and to examine the possible existence of physiological subtype responders in the population.
Topics: Autistic Disorder; Brain; Electroencephalography; Emotions; Heart Rate; Humans; Hydrocortisone; Saliva; Sensation; Social Adjustment; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 25356589
DOI: 10.3109/17518423.2014.971975 -
Clinical Child and Family Psychology... Sep 2021This systematic review summarises the parenting intervention literature for parents of children who have a sibling with a chronic health condition, and evaluates... (Review)
Review
This systematic review summarises the parenting intervention literature for parents of children who have a sibling with a chronic health condition, and evaluates intervention efficacy for improving parent (parenting skills, parenting efficacy) and child (emotional and behavioural adjustment, condition knowledge, quality of life) outcomes. Electronic databases were searched to identify relevant papers published in English from inception until May 2020. Reference lists of eligible papers were further searched for relevant articles. Six papers (two controlled trials, four uncontrolled trials) evaluating four separate intervention programs met inclusion criteria. All included parent- and child-focused intervention components. Results showed an overall trend for pre- to post-intervention improvement in children's behavioural and emotional adjustment and health condition knowledge. Few studies examined effects on parent outcomes, and there was no evidence of change on these measures. Overall, results suggest that parenting interventions may help to improve siblings' emotional and behavioural adjustment and condition knowledge; however, all of the interventions combined parent- and child-directed intervention components, making it difficult to determine which intervention elements drive change. Further research is needed to test mechanisms by which parenting interventions may improve outcomes for siblings of children with chronic health conditions, and to establish the efficacy of this approach.
Topics: Child; Child Rearing; Humans; Parenting; Parents; Quality of Life; Siblings
PubMed: 34184174
DOI: 10.1007/s10567-021-00357-1 -
Journal of Alzheimer's Disease : JAD 2020It has been estimated that one third of dementia cases may be preventable through modifiable lifestyle interventions. Epidemiological evidence suggests a link between...
BACKGROUND
It has been estimated that one third of dementia cases may be preventable through modifiable lifestyle interventions. Epidemiological evidence suggests a link between stressful life events and aging-related cognitive decline and dementia; however, inherent methodological limitations in examining subjective and biological measures of stress separately leads to interpretive constraints.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the current study was to conduct a systematic review of the research literature investigating the effect of perceived and biological measures of stress on dementia risk.
METHODS
A systematic review was conducted of cohort, case-control, longitudinal prospective or retrospective studies examining the association between stress and risk of developing dementia. Studies were identified from a systematic search across major electronic databases from inception to February 2020.
RESULTS
Overall, 22 studies were identified including a total of 496,556 participants, approximately 50% were females, with sample sizes ranging from 62-270,977. There was considerable heterogeneity in the definition and measurement of stress. Most of the identified studies reported a significant positive association between stress and dementia risk.
CONCLUSION
Evidenced from the current review is that personality traits linked to increased perceived stress and elevated reported perceived stress, are associated with greater statistical risk for dementia. However, this review highlights that caution must be exhibited in interpreting these findings, as methodological issues with confounding adjustment may mediate these results. Future research should focus on the investigation of stress on dementia risk with a full range of confounding adjustment, and on biological measures of stress.
Topics: Adult; Aged; Alzheimer Disease; Case-Control Studies; Cohort Studies; Dementia; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Personality; Prospective Studies; Retrospective Studies; Stress, Psychological
PubMed: 33016901
DOI: 10.3233/JAD-191096