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JACC. Advances Sep 2023Preprocedural anxiety may have detrimental effects both cognitively and physiologically.
BACKGROUND
Preprocedural anxiety may have detrimental effects both cognitively and physiologically.
OBJECTIVES
The objective of this study was to determine the association between state (situational) and trait (persistent in everyday life) anxiety and differences between the adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) and acquired heart disease populations.
METHODS
The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and financial stress scale were administered to adults with acquired and CHD at 4 tertiary referral centers in the United States prior to cardiac catheterization. Student's -test and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator regression analyses were used to assess differences in anxiety between groups and identify the optimal model of predictors of anxiety.
RESULTS
Of the 291 patients enrolled, those with CHD (n = 91) were younger (age 41.3 ± 16.3 years vs 64.7 ± 11.3 years, < 0.001), underwent more cardiac surgeries ( < 0.001), and had higher levels of trait anxiety (t[171] = 2.62, = 0.001, d = 0.33). There was no difference in state anxiety between groups (t[158.65] = 1.37, = 0.17, d = 0.18). State anxiety was singularly associated with trait anxiety. Trait anxiety was negatively associated with age and positively associated with state anxiety and financial stress. Patients with CHD of great complexity were more trait ([2,88] = 4.21, = 0.02) and state anxious ([2,87] = 4.59, = 0.01), though with relatively small effect size.
CONCLUSIONS
Trait anxiety levels are higher in the ACHD population and directly associated with state anxiety. Specialists caring for ACHD patients should not only recognize the frequency of trait anxiety but also high-risk subgroups that may benefit from psychological or social interventions to reduce preprocedural anxiety.
PubMed: 38939501
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100589 -
JACC. Advances Sep 2023
PubMed: 38939500
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100588 -
JACC. Advances Aug 2023Up to one-half of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) experience psychological distress, including anxiety.
BACKGROUND
Up to one-half of adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) experience psychological distress, including anxiety.
OBJECTIVES
This paper sought to: 1) assess the contribution of illness perception in explaining anxiety symptoms beyond sociodemographic and medical variables in adults with CHD; and 2) investigate the potential mediating effect of coping style.
METHODS
CHD adult patients were recruited at Montreal Heart Institute between June 2019 and April 2021 for this cross-sectional study. Participants responded to self-reported questionnaires (Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, and Brief COPE). Medical characteristics (CHD complexity, NYHA functional class, and cardiac devices) were collected from medical records. We conducted hierarchical multiple linear regression and mediation analyses.
RESULTS
Of the 223 participants (mean age 46 ± 14 years, 59% women), 15% had clinically significant anxiety symptoms. Medical and sociodemographic variables explained 15% of the variation in anxiety symptoms. Adding illness perception explained an additional 18% of the variation in anxiety. This R change was significant ([1,188] = 49.06, < 0.0001). Illness perception explained more variance (18%) than medical and sociodemographic variables combined. A more threatening perception of illness was associated with greater anxiety symptoms (β = 0.45, < 0.0001). Furthermore, illness perception was associated with coping, which was linked to reduced anxiety symptoms. Coping response style accounted for 20% of the total effect of illness perception on anxiety.
CONCLUSIONS
Illness perception and coping are associated with anxiety in adults with CHD. Future initiatives should assess whether targeting these potentially modifiable factors effectively prevents or mitigates anxious symptoms in adults with CHD.
PubMed: 38939437
DOI: 10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100425 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024The current research concept of mentalization is used in the study to clearly identify affective and cognitive abilities of the caregiver-child dyad with the aim of...
Navigating foster care: how parental drug use and caregiver attitudes shape children's mentalization processes-an exploratory longitudinal follow-up study: study protocol.
BACKGROUND
The current research concept of mentalization is used in the study to clearly identify affective and cognitive abilities of the caregiver-child dyad with the aim of compensating deficits on both sides with psychological-psychotherapeutic strategies.
METHODS
The objective of this explorative, longitudinal intervention study is to provide an in-depth understanding of the psycho-social background of 30 children aged 6-12 years living in institutional or family-centered foster care. Data will be collected at three time points: before, after and 12 months after participating in the newly developed group intervention, which intends to address the particular needs of children of drug abusing parents living in foster care in the latency period. The study is conducted at the Faculty of Psychology of the University of Vienna in collaboration with the Association "Dialogue" (Verein Dialog). The treatment duration spans 5 months, during which two specifically trained psychotherapists conduct 10 group sessions for children and three group sessions for foster caregivers. All statistical analyses will consider the type of data available. Therefore, the primary outcome of the study will be assessed via the Friedman test due to the ordinal dependent variable as it is the non-parametric alternative to the one-way ANOVA for repeated measures. In addition, the Mann-Whitney U test is used to compare differences between two independent groups (children living in institutional foster care vs. family foster care). To assess potential correlations regarding the child and caregivers' capacity to mentalize, Spearman correlations (ρ) are conducted. To examine the secondary outcome, apart from the methods previously outlined, we will also utilize qualitative thematic analysis.
DISCUSSION
The present study uses the current research concept of mentalization to identify affective and cognitive abilities of the caregiver-child dyad with the aim of compensating deficits on both sides with psychological-psychotherapeutic strategies. There are some limitations of the study to mention: the small sample size does not allow to generalize the results. Due to the lack of a comparison group, a randomized control study (RCT) was not conducted. The authors are aware of these limitations. However, the studies' findings, will help to deduce research questions for further studies.
PubMed: 38939232
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1295809 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024Based on developmental systems and dynamic systems theories, we propose the lifeworld approach-a conceptual framework for research and a hypothesis concerning early...
Based on developmental systems and dynamic systems theories, we propose the lifeworld approach-a conceptual framework for research and a hypothesis concerning early social-cognitive development. As a framework, the lifeworld approach recognizes the social embeddedness of development and shifts the focus away from individual developmental outcomes toward the reciprocal interplay of processes within and between individuals that co-constitutes early social-cognitive development. As a hypothesis, the lifeworld approach proposes that the changing developmental system-spanning the different individuals as their subsystems-strives toward attractor states through regulation at the behavioral level, which results in both the emergence and further differentiation of developmental attainments. The lifeworld approach-as a framework and a hypothesis, including key methodological approaches to test it-is exemplified by research on infants' self-awareness, prosocial behavior and social learning. Equipped with, first, a conceptual framework grounded in a modern view on development and, second, a growing suite of methodological approaches, developmental science can advance by analyzing the mutually influential relations between intra-individual and interactional processes in order to identify key mechanisms underlying early social-cognitive development.
PubMed: 38939231
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1399903 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024Satisfaction with an intervention influences the uptake of behavior changes and the long-term efficacy of the intervention. Therefore, it is crucial to assess...
Satisfaction with an intervention influences the uptake of behavior changes and the long-term efficacy of the intervention. Therefore, it is crucial to assess satisfaction by participant profile when creating and adapting behavior interventions for minoritized populations. Qualitative and quantitative data on participant trauma symptom severity and intervention satisfaction were collected through self-report surveys from 54 women. The sample was 59.3% Hispanic, with an average age of 33.21 (SD = 10.42), who were in residential treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs) and participated in a 12-session mindfulness-based intervention. Qualitative responses were coded using thematic analysis, and an integrative mixed-methods approach was used to compare qualitative theme frequency between high-trauma ( = 28) and low-trauma ( = 26) groups at session 2 and session 11. High- and low-trauma groups were determined by interquartile ranges (bottom 25% = low; top 75% = high). In session 2, the low-trauma group reported significantly higher satisfaction ( = 4.20, SD = 0.55) than the high-trauma group ( = 3.77, SD = 0.89); (43) = 1.90, = 0.03. In session 11, there was no significant difference between groups. The mixed-methods analysis revealed that "trouble focusing" appeared more frequently in the high-trauma group than in the low-trauma group during session 2, but the theme was not present in either group at session 11, suggesting that this might pose an initial barrier for individuals with high trauma but subsides as the intervention progresses. This speaks to the importance of retention strategies tailored for participants with SUDs and high trauma while they adjust to the intervention. Assessing initial challenges with satisfaction may help facilitators intervene to increase participant satisfaction.
PubMed: 38939226
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1359174 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024Even simple tapping tasks require cognitive processes. Some variants of the Finger Tapping Test (FTT) may reveal cognitive aspects associated with frontal processing,...
INTRODUCTION
Even simple tapping tasks require cognitive processes. Some variants of the Finger Tapping Test (FTT) may reveal cognitive aspects associated with frontal processing, including executive functions such as inhibition, or emotional aspects such as anxiety. A context of particular interest for the application of cognitive-motor-anxiety interactions is sports. Although athletes generally exhibit better anxiety levels, they may experience heightened anxiety before important competitions. The problem lies in determining whether the application of anxiety control techniques can be useful in pre-competition situations, given the lack of quick and easy methods to detect if an athlete is experiencing anxiety at a particular moment.
METHODS
This exploratory study evaluated anxiety using online versions of questionnaires (ISRA, the Competitive State Anxiety Inventory-2, and STAI) and applied a variant of the FTT to 204 participants, both athletes and non-athletes. The scores were compared and correlated.
RESULTS
Athletes exhibited lower general anxiety and greater cognitive resistance to interference (better cognitive inhibition). Non-athletes displayed a particular parameter in the FTT variant that differed from the one obtained by athletes and exhibited higher anxiety levels. In the athletes' group only, anxiety was correlated with a specific parameter of the FTT task.
DISCUSSION
Our conclusion is that this parameter holds potential relevance in elite sports performance to detect if an athlete is experiencing anxiety. It could be of particular interest in psychological interventions in sports. Further investigation is warranted to fully explore this potential.
PubMed: 38939223
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1424152 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024Metformin has been used as a targeted treatment to potentially improve cognition and slow the typical IQ decline that occurs during development among individuals with...
INTRODUCTION
Metformin has been used as a targeted treatment to potentially improve cognition and slow the typical IQ decline that occurs during development among individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS). In this follow-up study, we are following the trajectory of IQ and adaptive behavior changes over 1 to 3 years in individuals with FXS who are clinically treated with metformin in an open label trial.
METHOD
Individuals with FXS ages 6 to 25 years (mean 13.15 ± 5.50) and nonverbal IQ mean 57.69 (±15.46) were treated for 1-3 years (1.88 ± 0.63). They all had a baseline IQ test using the Leiter-III non-verbal cognitive assessment and the Vineland-III adaptive behavior assessment before the start of metformin. Repeat Leiter-III and Vineland-III were completed after at least 1 year of metformin (500-1,000 mg/dose given twice a day).
RESULT
There were no significant changes in non-verbal IQ or in the adaptive behavior measurements at FDR < 0.05. The findings thus far indicate that both IQ and adaptive behavior are stable over time, and we did not see a significant decline in either measure.
CONCLUSION
Overall, the small sample size and short follow-up duration limit the interpretation of the effects of metformin on cognitive development and adaptive functioning. There is individual variability but overall for the group there was no significant decline in IQ or adaptive behavior.
PubMed: 38939222
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1305597 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024Children autonomously make sound moral judgments based on internal criteria, but they tend to make erroneous judgments in the presence of social influences, and the...
Children autonomously make sound moral judgments based on internal criteria, but they tend to make erroneous judgments in the presence of social influences, and the reasons for these errors are not well understood. Thus, the current research investigated how the presence of observers who can see and listen to 3-year-old children's judgments but who do not present their opinions influences children's conformity in moral judgment behavior. In Experiment 1, the children ( = 30) were presented with pictures depicting prosocial behaviors and asked whether the behaviors were acceptable. The children's tendency to change their answers after hearing the counterintuitive opinions of informants was then measured. The results showed that the children's moral judgments were more likely to conform to that of the group in the presence of observers. Experiment 2 aimed to determine the reason children were more likely to conform to a group when being watched by observers in Experiment 1. Children ( = 30) were randomly assigned to two conditions with different observer conditions as follows. Observers were either wearing headsets, indicating that they could not hear the children's responses, or had them hanging around their necks, indicating that they could. The results showed that children's conformity behavior depended on whether observers could hear what they were saying. The current findings are expected to help elucidate not only social factors that affect children's moral judgments but also the developmental mechanism of an observer effect.
PubMed: 38939221
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1289292 -
Frontiers in Psychology 2024Are universal school-based mindfulness interventions an effective way to reduce risk for mental disorders and improve adolescents' lives? To answer this question, we...
Are universal school-based mindfulness interventions an effective way to reduce risk for mental disorders and improve adolescents' lives? To answer this question, we reanalyzed data from Dunning et al.'s (2022) meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials of mindfulness interventions delivered to children and adolescents. Though Dunning et al. (2022) reported some benefits of universal mindfulness interventions, their analysis did not examine adolescents separately from children. Consequently, their conclusions may not entirely reflect the effectiveness of universal mindfulness interventions specifically for adolescents, a developmental period when mental disorders are known to increase. Using their open-access data tables, we tested impacts of 22 randomized controlled trials ( = 16,558) on eight outcome categories-anxiety/stress, attention, depression, executive functioning, mindfulness, negative behavior, social behavior, and wellbeing-at immediate post-test and longest follow-up. Our reanalysis shows that when compared to passive controls, mindfulness interventions significantly reduced trait mindfulness ( = -0.10). When compared to active controls, mindfulness interventions significantly improved anxiety/stress ( = 0.17) and wellbeing ( = 0.10). When compared to all controls combined, mindfulness interventions did not significantly improve any outcome (s = 0.01 to 0.26). No effects of mindfulness interventions were observed at follow-up assessment. Overall, results of our analysis cast doubt about the value of existing school-based mindfulness interventions as a universal prevention strategy for adolescents.
PubMed: 38939220
DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1384531