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Cureus Mar 2024Introduction Nomophobia is an emerging phobia resulting from people's excessive interaction with mobile phones. This phobia is rapidly increasing due to significant...
Introduction Nomophobia is an emerging phobia resulting from people's excessive interaction with mobile phones. This phobia is rapidly increasing due to significant technological innovations and widespread acceptance and usage of mobile phones worldwide. Nomophobia is often associated with complications such as panic attacks, irritability, and anxiety. Smartphone usage is particularly high among the younger population, raising concerns as it generates distress and leads to various problems. This study aims to determine the prevalence of nomophobia among undergraduates. Method The study utilized the Nomophobia Questionnaire (NMP-Q) with a minimum sample size of 136. A total of 300 Google Forms (Google, Mountain View, California) were circulated, out of which 172 responses were received. A Google Form comprising 20 questions related to smartphone use and nomophobia was designed and distributed to all undergraduate students, who were requested to complete the form. The data based on their responses were subsequently analyzed. Results In this study, approximately 31.40% of students disagreed with experiencing panic when running out of credits or hitting monthly data limits. Additionally, 24.42% of students agreed that not having smartphones made them worried, as their family and friends could not contact them. About 16.86% of students strongly disagreed with feeling uneasy because they could not stay updated without their phones. Furthermore, 16.28% strongly agreed that they felt anxious due to the inability to contact their family and friends when not having smartphones. Conclusion It can be concluded from this study that nomophobia is present among undergraduate students. The overall usage of smartphones has increased in this population, highlighting the emergence of a serious disorder that warrants attention. Consequently, the usage of smartphones should be reduced through structured training programs, as this proves to be an effective method for enhancing undergraduates' understanding of the prevention and treatment of nomophobia.
PubMed: 38681298
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.57056 -
Journal of Public Health Research Apr 2024A syndrome centered on the dysregulation of behavioral rhythms (DBR) is discussed. Recent pandemic brought to observe: (1) Having a DBR affecting sleep patterns, eating...
A syndrome centered on the dysregulation of behavioral rhythms (DBR) is discussed. Recent pandemic brought to observe: (1) Having a DBR affecting sleep patterns, eating habits, and social interactions, before the lockdown period, was a determinant for depressive episodes during the lockdown; (2) In tighter lockdowns, DBR triggered depressive episodes in bipolar patients; (3) DBR in healthcare workers under pressure was a determinant of burnout; (4) DBR influenced the course of chronic diseases by altering immune responses. In addition, it was found that scoring positive on the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ) was closely associated with the dysregulation of sleep rhythms. MDQ is a screening tool for bipolar disorder (BD), criticized for detecting too many false positives. Studies showed that positivity to the MDQ implied a severe impairment of quality of life even in people without psychiatric diagnoses. According to this evidence, three different hyperactivation levels could be proposed (from normality to pathology): firstly, an adaptive increase in energy (e.g. athletes performing well); secondly, a DBR determined from the continuous stimulation of stress hormones, with possible positive scores on the MDQ without a diagnosis of bipolar disorder, like in burnout syndromes and, thirdly, hyperactivity during manic episodes. The Dysregulation of Mood, Energy, and Social Rhythms Syndrome (DYMERS), the second level of the scale, is proposed as a working hypothesis. DYMERS is also seen as a vulnerable condition that may evolve in other disorders (including BD) according to the individual susceptibility (including genetic predisposition) and the specific nature/level of the stressor.
PubMed: 38680762
DOI: 10.1177/22799036241248022 -
Journal of Pediatric Psychology Apr 2024Anxiety is among the major psychological concerns for children living with food allergy (FA). Yet research exploring the variables driving anxiety symptoms in FA remains...
OBJECTIVE
Anxiety is among the major psychological concerns for children living with food allergy (FA). Yet research exploring the variables driving anxiety symptoms in FA remains sparse, and most studies still utilize homogeneous samples to assess anxiety symptoms. The current study seeks to evaluate the rates of clinically significant anxiety symptoms among a diverse sample of youth with FA and examine whether a heightened risk perception of FA outcomes and FA burden (vs. FA medical history) is associated with anxiety in youth.
METHODS
94 youth ages 10-14 and their parents were recruited from FA clinics at a mid-Atlantic children's hospital. Both youth and parents completed demographic and FA medical history questionnaires, the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders, and the Food Allergy Independent Measure as part of a longitudinal study about FA adjustment and adherence.
RESULTS
Over a third (37%) of youth scored above clinical cut-offs for overall anxiety symptoms. At least 25% of youth reported clinically significant scores on panic disorder, generalized anxiety, social anxiety, separation anxiety, and school avoidance subscales. Perception of risk of adverse FA outcomes and burden-but not FA medical history-were associated with total anxiety, generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and school avoidance symptoms, but not social anxiety and separation anxiety. Having more FAs was associated with higher social anxiety scores but not with other anxiety subscales.
CONCLUSIONS
Youth with FA might benefit from psychosocial interventions that address FA risk perception management and promote appropriate FA vigilance to cope with anxiety symptoms.
PubMed: 38679905
DOI: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsae026 -
International Journal of Environmental... Apr 2024Technological addiction refers to behavior characterized by excessive and prolonged use of technological devices; reactions of anger, frustration, or panic when unable...
Technological addiction refers to behavior characterized by excessive and prolonged use of technological devices; reactions of anger, frustration, or panic when unable to use them; and unsuccessful attempts to reduce the time spent on them [...].
Topics: Humans; Smartphone; Behavior, Addictive; Internet Addiction Disorder; Internet
PubMed: 38673347
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph21040436 -
The Lancet. Psychiatry Jun 2024Globally, mental health conditions pose a substantial burden of disease. Despite the availability of evidence-based pharmacological and psychological treatments, the... (Randomized Controlled Trial)
Randomized Controlled Trial
A transdiagnostic group exercise intervention for mental health outpatients in Germany (ImPuls): results of a pragmatic, multisite, block-randomised, phase 3 controlled trial.
BACKGROUND
Globally, mental health conditions pose a substantial burden of disease. Despite the availability of evidence-based pharmacological and psychological treatments, the symptoms of a substantial subgroup of patients do not respond to these interventions, and only a minority of patients have access to them. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of ImPuls, a 6-month transdiagnostic group exercise intervention, plus treatment-as-usual, compared with treatment-as-usual alone in outpatients with various mental disorders.
METHODS
In this pragmatic, two-arm, multisite, randomised controlled trial in Germany, ten outpatient rehabilitative and medical care facilities were involved as study sites. Participants were outpatients diagnosed according to ICD-10 with one or more of the following disorders based on structured clinical interviews: moderate or severe depression, primary insomnia, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), panic disorder, or agoraphobia. Participants were required to be aged between 18 years and 65 years, insured by the health insurers Allgemeine Ortskrankenkasse Baden-Württemberg or Techniker Krankenkasse, fluent in German, and without medical contraindications for exercise. Blocks of six participants were randomly allocated to ImPuls plus treatment-as-usual or treatment-as-usual alone (allocation ratio: 1:1), stratified by study site. The randomisation sequence was generated by an external data manager. The team responsible for data collection and management was masked to the randomisation sequence. The ImPuls intervention comprised evidence-based outdoor exercises lasting 30 min, and aimed at achieving at least moderate intensity. It also incorporated behavioural change techniques targeting motivational and volitional determinants of exercise behaviour. Treatment-as-usual was representative of typical outpatient health care in Germany, allowing patients access to any standard treatments. The primary outcome was global symptom severity at 6 months after randomisation, measured using self-report on the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI-18) and analysed in the intention-to-treat sample. No individuals with lived experience of mental illness were involved in conducting the study or writing the final publication. Safety was assessed in all participants. The trial was registered with the German Clinical Trials Register (DRKS00024152) with a completion date of June 30, 2024.
FINDINGS
600 patients provided informed consent, were recruited to the study, and underwent a diagnostic interview between Jan 1, 2021, and May 31, 2022. Following this, 199 were excluded on the basis of inclusion and exclusion criteria and one withdrew consent during the baseline assessment. Of the 400 eligible participants, 284 (71%) self-identified as female, 106 (27%) self-identified as male, and nine (2%) self-identified as other. The mean age was 42·20 years (SD 13·23; range 19-65). Ethnicity data were not assessed. 287 (72%) participants met the criteria for moderate or severe depression, 81 (20%) for primary insomnia, 37 (9%) for agoraphobia, 46 (12%) for panic disorder, and 72 (18%) for PTSD. 199 participants were allocated to the intervention group of ImPuls plus treatment-as-usual and 201 to the control group of treatment-as-usual alone. 38 (19%) participants did not receive the minimum ImPuls intervention dose. ImPuls plus treatment-as-usual demonstrated superior efficacy to treatment-as-usual alone in reducing global symptom severity, with an adjusted difference on BSI-18 of 4·11 (95% CI 1·74-6·48; d=0·35 [95% CI 0·14-0·56]; p=0·0007) at 6 months. There were no significant differences in the total number of adverse events or serious adverse events between the two groups. There was one serious adverse event (male, torn ligament) related to the intervention.
INTERPRETATION
ImPuls is an efficacious transdiagnostic adjunctive treatment in outpatient mental health care. Our findings suggest that exercise therapy should be implemented in outpatient mental health care as an adjunctive transdiagnostic treatment for mental disorders such as depression, insomnia, panic disorder, agoraphobia, and PTSD. Transdiagnostic group exercise interventions might ameliorate the existing disparity in care provision between the many individuals in need of evidence-based treatment and the few who are receiving it.
FUNDING
The German Innovation Fund of the Federal Joint Committee of Germany.
Topics: Humans; Male; Female; Germany; Middle Aged; Adult; Mental Disorders; Exercise Therapy; Outpatients; Treatment Outcome; Psychotherapy, Group; Ambulatory Care; Aged
PubMed: 38670127
DOI: 10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00069-5 -
Archives of Pharmacal Research May 2024Venlafaxine, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), is indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized...
PBPK modeling to predict the pharmacokinetics of venlafaxine and its active metabolite in different CYP2D6 genotypes and drug-drug interactions with clarithromycin and paroxetine.
Venlafaxine, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), is indicated for the treatment of major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. Venlafaxine is metabolized to the active metabolite desvenlafaxine mainly by CYP2D6. Genetic polymorphism of CYP2D6 and coadministration with other medications can significantly affect the pharmacokinetics and/or pharmacodynamics of venlafaxine and its active metabolite. This study aimed to establish the PBPK models of venlafaxine and its active metabolite related to CYP2D6 genetic polymorphism and to predict drug-drug interactions (DDIs) with clarithromycin and paroxetine in different CYP2D6 genotypes. Clinical pharmacogenomic data for venlafaxine and desvenlafaxine were collected to build the PBPK model. Physicochemical and absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) characteristics of respective compounds were obtained from previously reported data, predicted by the PK-Sim software, or optimized to capture the plasma concentration-time profiles. Model evaluation was performed by comparing the predicted pharmacokinetic parameters and plasma concentration-time profiles to the observed data. Predicted plasma concentration-time profiles of venlafaxine and its active metabolite were visually similar to the observed profiles and all predicted AUC and C values for respective compounds were included in the twofold error range of observed values in non-genotyped populations and different CYP2D6 genotypes. When clarithromycin or clarithromycin plus paroxetine was concomitantly administered, predicted plasma concentration-time profiles of venlafaxine properly captured the observed profiles in two different CYP2D6 genotypes and all predicted DDI ratios for AUC and C were included within the acceptance range. Consequently, the present model successfully captured the pharmacokinetic alterations of venlafaxine and its active metabolite according to CYP2D6 genetic polymorphism as well as the DDIs between venlafaxine and two CYP inhibitors. The present model can be used to predict the pharmacokinetics of venlafaxine and its active metabolite considering different races, ages, coadministered drugs, and CYP2D6 activity of individuals and it can contribute to individualized pharmacotherapy of venlafaxine.
Topics: Venlafaxine Hydrochloride; Clarithromycin; Humans; Cytochrome P-450 CYP2D6; Drug Interactions; Paroxetine; Genotype; Models, Biological; Adult; Male; Serotonin and Noradrenaline Reuptake Inhibitors; Female; Polymorphism, Genetic; Young Adult
PubMed: 38664354
DOI: 10.1007/s12272-024-01495-0 -
Journal of Affective Disorders Aug 2024Identifying mechanisms of childhood abuse-adulthood psychopathology relations could facilitate preventive efforts, but most prior studies used cross-sectional or...
Identifying mechanisms of childhood abuse-adulthood psychopathology relations could facilitate preventive efforts, but most prior studies used cross-sectional or two-wave designs and did not test the effects of childhood maternal and paternal abuse separately. Our 18-year three-wave study thus determined if Wave 2 daily stress reactivity and risk appraisal severity mediated Wave 1 retrospectively-reported childhood maternal and paternal abuse on Wave 3 generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), major depressive disorder (MDD), panic disorder (PD), alcohol (AUD), and substance use disorder (SUD) self-rated symptom severity. Longitudinal structural equation modeling was employed, adjusting for Wave 1 psychopathology severity. Higher childhood maternal and paternal abuse consistently predicted greater future daily stress reactivity and risk appraisal, and these mediators subsequently predicted increased GAD, MDD, and PD, but not AUD and SUD severity. Daily stress reactivity and risk appraisal consistently mediated the pathways between childhood maternal and paternal abuse predicting heightened adulthood GAD, MDD, and PD (Cohen's d = 0.333-0.888) but not AUD and SUD severity. Mediation effect sizes were stronger for childhood maternal (24.5-83.0%) than paternal (19.5-56.0%) abuse as the predictor. The latent interaction between Wave 1 childhood maternal and paternal abuse did not moderate the effect of Wave 1 maternal or paternal abuse on any Wave 3 adulthood psychopathology severity through Wave 2 daily stress reactivity and risk appraisal. Our research emphasizes the urgent requirement for continuous evaluation and intervention initiatives in trauma-informed care, both in inpatient and outpatient treatment settings.
Topics: Humans; Female; Male; Adult; Longitudinal Studies; Depressive Disorder, Major; Substance-Related Disorders; Stress, Psychological; Anxiety Disorders; Panic Disorder; Mediation Analysis; Alcoholism; Adult Survivors of Child Abuse; Severity of Illness Index; Adolescent; Child Abuse; Child; Adverse Childhood Experiences; Young Adult; Risk Factors; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38663555
DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.068 -
Neuroscience Bulletin Jun 2024
PubMed: 38662273
DOI: 10.1007/s12264-024-01203-4 -
Frontiers in Physiology 2024
PubMed: 38645691
DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2024.1403768 -
Acta Psychologica Jun 2024The study's significance lies in the multitude of challenges facing individuals today, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, military conflicts like the war in Ukraine, and the... (Review)
Review
The study's significance lies in the multitude of challenges facing individuals today, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, military conflicts like the war in Ukraine, and the escalating rates of cancer morbidity and mortality. These factors contribute to the onset of anxiety and depressive disorders, disrupting various aspects of individuals' mental functioning and social interactions. Addressing these disorders effectively necessitates a comprehensive approach, combining pharmacological interventions with psychotherapeutic strategies under the guidance of specialized professionals. In this regard, the study is aimed at identifying aspects and features of the development of psychological problems and personality disorders in the modern world filled with various stressors. The leading methods of studying this problem are analysis, synthesis, induction, deduction, comparison, experiment and systematisation of approaches that will help determine a wide range of mental disorders. Theoretical methods were used to analyze the literature and summarize theoretical material on anxiety and depressive disorders. Diagnostic methods were used to assess the psychological state of the study population. The study examines significant clinical syndromes and vegetative disorders that disrupt normal lifestyle, hinder daily activities, and impede professional growth. It evaluates the roles of psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers in assisting individuals with anxiety disorders. It outlines preventive measures for anxiety and depression, while also delving into various types of anxiety disorders. The research proposes diverse methods to prevent emotional anxiety and instability. It underscores the importance of devising novel strategies for diagnosis and therapy, emphasizing a comprehensive approach involving psychotherapeutic support, medical intervention, and adaptive behavioral techniques. The findings of the study hold both practical and theoretical significance for professionals in psychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and sociology who provide support for individuals with anxiety and depressive disorders. Furthermore, the insights provided may be pertinent to researchers and scholars investigating the psychological well-being of contemporary society amidst adverse external circumstances.
Topics: Humans; COVID-19; Anxiety Disorders; Depressive Disorder; Personality Disorders
PubMed: 38642453
DOI: 10.1016/j.actpsy.2024.104285