Short STAI-Y anxiety scales: validation and normative data for elderly subjects

Effect of Weighted Blanket Versus Traditional Practices on Anxiety and Pain in Patients Undergoing Elective Surgery: A Multicenter Randomized Controlled Trial

Perioperative anxiety is common in surgical patients and linked to poor outcomes. This multicenter randomized controlled trial assessed the effect of the use of a warm weighted blanket on presurgical anxiety and pain, as well as postsurgical restlessness, nausea, and vomiting. Levels of anxiety and pain were measured in adult patients using a 100-point visual analog scale before elective surgery. Patients received either a warm weighted blanket (n = 74) or a traditional sheet or nonweighted blanket (n = 74). Patients in the intervention group had significantly lower preoperative anxiety scores (mean [SD] = 26.28 [25.75]) compared to the control group (mean [SD] = 38.73 [30.55], P = .008). However, the intervention had no significant effect on presurgical pain or postsurgical nausea, vomiting, or restlessness. These results suggest that weighted blankets reduce preoperative anxiety in adult patients.

Long-term benefits to psychological health and well-being after ceremonial use of Ayahuasca in Middle Eastern and North African immigrants and refugees

Background

Refugees and immigrants can experience complex stressors from the process of immigration that can have lasting and severe long-term mental health consequences. Experiences after ayahuasca ingestion are shown to produce positive effects on psychological wellbeing and mental health, including anecdotal reports of improved symptoms of trauma and related disorders. However, data on the longitudinal health impact of naturalistic ayahuasca use in Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) immigrant and refugee populations is limited.

Aims

The current longitudinal online survey study was conducted to gather prospective data on ceremonial ayahuasca use in a group (N = 15) of primarily female MENA immigrants and refugees and to provide further insight into the patterns and outcomes surrounding that use. The study sought to assess self-reported changes in physical and mental health, well-being, and psychological functioning, examine relationships between aspects of individual mindset (e.g., psychedelic preparedness) prior to ayahuasca use and observed outcomes during (e.g., subjective drug effects) and afterwards (i.e., persisting effects), characterize risks and negative experiences, and describe trauma exposure and personal history.

Results/Outcomes

Our findings revealed ceremonial use of ayahuasca is associated with significant improvements in mental health, well-being, and psychological functioning, including reductions in depression, anxiety, and shame, and increases in cognitive reappraisal and self-compassion. Most participants reported no lasting adverse effects and experienced notable positive behavioral changes persisting months after ingestion.

Conclusion/Interpretation

While preliminary, results suggest naturalistic ayahuasca use might hold therapeutic potential for MENA populations exposed to trauma prior to and during the process of migration.

Using Immersive Virtual Reality Distraction to Reduce Fear and Anxiety before Surgery

Presurgical anxiety is very common and is often treated with sedatives. Minimizing or avoiding sedation reduces the risk of sedation-related adverse events. Reducing sedation can increase early cognitive recovery and reduce time to discharge after surgery. The current case study is the first to explore the use of interactive eye-tracked VR as a nonpharmacologic anxiolytic customized for physically immobilized presurgery patients. Method: A 44-year-old female patient presenting for gallbladder surgery participated. Using a within-subject repeated measures design (treatment order randomized), the participant received no VR during one portion of her preoperative wait and interactive eye-tracked virtual reality during an equivalent portion of time in the presurgery room. After each condition (no VR vs. VR), the participant provided subjective 0-10 ratings and state-trait short form Y anxiety measures of the amount of anxiety and fear she experienced during that condition. Results: As predicted, compared to treatment as usual (no VR), the patient reported having 67% lower presurgical anxiety during VR. She also experienced "strong fear" (8 out of 10) during no VR vs. "no fear" (0 out of 10) during VR. She reported a strong sense of presence during VR and zero nausea. She liked VR, she had fun during VR, and she recommended VR to future patients during pre-op. Interactive VR distraction with eye tracking was an effective nonpharmacologic technique for reducing anticipatory fear and anxiety prior to surgery. The results add to existing evidence that supports the use of VR in perioperative settings. VR technology has recently become affordable and more user friendly, increasing the potential for widespread dissemination into medical practice. Although case studies are scientifically inconclusive by nature, they help identify new directions for future larger, carefully controlled studies. VR sedation is a promising non-drug fear and anxiety management technique meriting further investigation.

Naturalistic psilocybin use is associated with persisting improvements in mental health and wellbeing: results from a prospective, longitudinal survey

Introduction

The classic psychedelic psilocybin, found in some mushroom species, has received renewed interest in clinical research, showing potential mental health benefits in preliminary trials. Naturalistic use of psilocybin outside of research settings has increased in recent years, though data on the public health impact of such use remain limited.

Methods

This prospective, longitudinal study comprised six sequential automated web-based surveys that collected data from adults planning to take psilocybin outside clinical research: at time of consent, 2 weeks before, the day before, 1-3 days after, 2-4 weeks after, and 2-3 months after psilocybin use.

Results

A sample of 2,833 respondents completed all baseline assessments approximately 2 weeks before psilocybin use, 1,182 completed the 2-4 week post-use survey, and 657 completed the final follow-up survey 2-3 months after psilocybin use. Participants were primarily college-educated White men residing in the United States with a prior history of psychedelic use; mean age = 40 years. Participants primarily used dried psilocybin mushrooms (mean dose = 3.1 grams) for "self-exploration" purposes. Prospective longitudinal data collected before and after a planned psilocybin experience on average showed persisting reductions in anxiety, depression, and alcohol misuse, increased cognitive flexibility, emotion regulation, spiritual wellbeing, and extraversion, and reduced neuroticism and burnout after psilocybin use. However, a minority of participants (11% at 2-4 weeks and 7% at 2-3 months) reported persisting negative effects after psilocybin use (e.g., mood fluctuations, depressive symptoms).

Discussion

Results from this study, the largest prospective survey of naturalistic psilocybin use to date, support the potential for psilocybin to produce lasting improvements in mental health symptoms and general wellbeing.

Multiple metrics assessment method for a reliable evaluation of corneal suturing skills

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of a multiple metrics assessment method to differentiate between surgeons of differing experience while performing a corneal suturing task. Volunteer ophthalmologists were assigned to three groups (senior [SG], junior [JG] and novice [NG]) according to their experience in corneal suturing. All participants performed three sessions of corneal wound closure by three stitches. Suturing and participant posture were recorded with cameras, and assessed by two blind assessors for stitch quality (using Zhang score) and ergonomics (using Rapid Upper Limb Assessment [RULA] score). Task duration was recorded. Objective analyses of stitches geometry and instrument position were carried out. We included 24 participants: 5 in the SG, 8 in the JG and 11 in the NG. Stitch quality was significantly better and time to perform the procedure significantly lower in more experienced groups (p < 0.001 and p = 0.002, respectively). SG participants better respected regular distance and parallelism between stitches compared to others (p = 0.01). Instrument position was similar between groups, although SG participants minimized their back-and-forth movements compared to NG participants. Ergonomics assessment was similar. Multiple metrics assessment efficiently determined how to differentiate between novices and experienced surgeons on corneal suturing skills, providing hints for future training studies.

"Now I just need something sweet": Racism, emotional eating, and health among African Americans

BACKGROUND

The Environmental Affordances Model theorizes that systemic racism disproportionately exposes African Americans in the United States to chronic everyday stressors (e.g., individual racism) while simultaneously shaping the availability of coping resources (e.g., fast food outlets) and engagement in self-regulatory strategies (e.g., emotional eating). Greater engagement in self-regulatory strategies is theorized to preserve mental health while contributing to medical morbidities and mortality.

OBJECTIVE

However, few studies have tested the Environmental Affordances Model, limiting our understanding of how the proposed pathways operate in the lives of African Americans.

METHODS

In the present study, the associations between systemic racism (institutional racism, cultural racism, neighborhood disadvantage), chronic everyday stressors (exposure to individual racism), emotional eating, and mental (anxiety symptomatology) and physical (self-rated overall physical health) health are assessed in a sample of 751 African Americans aged 18 to 88.

RESULTS

The path analysis reveals that institutional and cultural racism are both positively associated with individual racism. Neighborhood disadvantage is inversely associated with individual racism. Individual racism is significantly associated with greater anxiety symptomatology but is unrelated to self-rated overall physical health. Institutional and cultural racism are associated with emotional eating although individual racism and neighborhood disadvantage are not. Moreover, engagement in emotional eating exacerbates, rather than mitigates, the impacts of individual racism on anxiety symptomatology.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that institutional and cultural racism contribute to individual racism experiences and emotional eating whereas emotional eating exacerbates associations among individual racism and anxiety symptomatology.

An exploratory study on emotion regulation strategy use in individuals with Williams syndrome, autism spectrum disorder and intellectual disability

Background

Individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders often have atypical emotion profiles, but little is known about how they regulate their emotions. While several studies have examined emotion regulation strategy use in autism spectrum disorder (ASD), only a few have included individuals with intellectual disability (ID) or focused on specific syndromes such as Williams syndrome (WS).

Methods

A parent-reported survey launched during the first months of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed to exploratorily study emotion regulation strategy use and its link to anxiety in individuals with ASD with (N=785) and without ID (N=596), WS (N=261), and Intellectual Disability not otherwise specified (N=649).

Results

Using multilevel analyses, besides revealing specific group differences in emotion regulation strategy use, a variety of strategies (e.g., rumination, avoiding information, repetitive behaviors) were found to be linked to elevated levels of anxiety, while focusing on the positive was linked to lower anxiety levels in all groups. Moreover, only autistic people without ID used humor more frequently while experiencing lower anxiety levels.

Conclusion

This study sheds light on an underexplored area of emotion regulation strategy use in different neurodevelopmental disorders. It also paves the way to further examine emotion regulation in more rigorous ways to better understand emotion regulation in different neurodevelopmental disorders as well as the impact on outcome measures such as anxiety. This exploratory study may help to develop and validate adequate measures to study a broad array of ER strategies used by individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.

The Influence of Maternal Psychological Manifestations on the Mother-Child Couple during the Early COVID-19 Pandemic in Two Hospitals in Timisoara, Romania

Background and objectives: The postpartum maternal physical and psychological state played a fundamental role in the mother−child relationship at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the study is to analyze the influence of maternal psychological manifestations on the mother−child couple through three objectives (briefly expressed): (I) Determination of the main acute and chronic conditions of newborns/infants. (II) Verification of the hypothesis of the existence of a link between the following neonatal variables: gestational age, birth weight, number of days of hospitalization, and specific neonatal therapies (oxygen, surfactant, and blood products’ transfusion). (III) Verification of the influence of postpartum maternal psychological status on the mother−child couple through three hypotheses. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in two hospitals in Timișoara, Romania, between 1 March and 1 September 2020, and included 165 mothers and their 175 newborns. Mothers answered the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Spielberger’s Inventory of State-Trait Anxiety, and the Collins and Read Revised Adult Attachment Scale. Results: (I) The acute and chronic pathology of the infants in the study group was polymorphic. (II) Large correlations were identified between the following infant variables: gestational age with birth weight, and number of hospitalization days with birth weight, gestational age, and use of blood product transfusion (all p < 0.001). (III) (1) State anxiety was the only significant predictor of number of hospitalization days (p = 0.037), number of acute disorders (p = 0.028), and number of infant chronic diseases (p = 0.037). (2) Maternal depressive symptoms were the only predictor of postpartum maternal attachment (p = 0.018). (3) Depressive symptoms, state, and trait anxiety were non-significant in all models studied (all p > 0.05). Conclusions: Postpartum maternal physical and psychological state plays a fundamental role on the mother−child relationship in the new social and complex family conditions.

Postpartum Maternal Emotional Disorders and the Physical Health of Mother and Child

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to identify the relationships between postpartum emotional manifestations and various neonatal variables, as well as variables within this category, in the context of hospitalization together after birth.

Patients and Methods

Between 1 March 2020 and 1 September 2020, a cross-sectional research design was used including mother–child couples (112 mothers, 121 newborns - 13 twins/triplets).

Results

Using a t-test for independent samples, we observed: a) the symptoms of depression were more severe in mothers of newborns hospitalized in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) [t(110) = 4.334)], provided oxygen therapy [t(109.99) = 3.162], born prematurely [t(110) = 3.157], or with adjustment disorders [t(109) = −2.947] (p < 0.01); b) a similar, for anxiety as a state [t(82.38) = 5.251], t(107.29) = 4.523, t(110) = 3.416, t(109) = −3.268, p < 0.01], and as a trait was more common [t(80.79) = 4.501, t(108.790) = 4.669, t(109) = −3.268, p < 0.001] compared to other mothers. Using Pearson’s test (p < 0.001), several very strong correlations were observed between neonatal variables, including number (no.) of days of hospitalization with birth weight (BW) (r = −0.802), head circumference (HC) (r = −0.822), and gestational age (GA) (r = −0.800) and the mother’s postpartum anxiety as a state/trait (r = 0.770). Using Poisson regression, it was observed that anxiety as a state (Λ = 0.020, z = 4.029, p < 0.001) and as a trait (Λ = 0.800, z = 6.160, p < 0.001) stimulated the intensity of symptoms of postpartum depression (optimal models).

Conclusion

Postpartum maternal psychological manifestations were associated with NICU hospitalization, pathology, and some neonatal therapies. We also noticed, that the duration of hospitalization, BW, HC, and GA, were correlated with maternal emotional disorders. Results will facilitate future optimization of birth management and postnatal care.

Autonomic function predicts cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment: Evidence from power spectral analysis of heart rate variability in a longitudinal study

Background

Despite the emerging clinical relevance of heart rate variability (HRV) as a potential biomarker of cognitive decline and as a candidate target for intervention, there is a dearth of research on the prospective relationship between HRV and cognitive change. In particular, no study has addressed this issue in subjects with a diagnosis of cognitive status including cognitive impairment.

Objective

To investigate HRV as a predictor of cognitive decline in subjects with normal cognition (NC) or Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI). Specifically, we tested the literature-based hypothesis that the HRV response to different physical challenges would predict decline in different cognitive domains.

Methods

This longitudinal study represents the approximately 3-year follow-up of a previous cross-sectional study enrolling 80 older outpatients (aged ≥ 65). At baseline, power spectral analysis of HRV was performed on five-minute electrocardiographic recordings at rest and during a sympathetic (active standing) and a parasympathetic (paced breathing) challenge. We focused on normalized HRV measures [normalized low frequency power (LFn) and the low frequency to high frequency power ratio (LF/HF)] and on their dynamic response from rest to challenge (Δ HRV). Extensive neuropsychological testing was used to diagnose cognitive status at baseline and to evaluate cognitive change over the follow-up via annualized changes in cognitive Z-scores. The association between Δ HRV and cognitive change was explored by means of linear regression, unadjusted and adjusted for potential confounders.

Results

In subjects diagnosed with MCI at baseline a greater response to a sympathetic challenge predicted a greater decline in episodic memory [adjusted model: Δ LFn, standardized regression coefficient (β) = −0.528, p = 0.019; Δ LF/HF, β = −0.643, p = 0.001] whereas a greater response to a parasympathetic challenge predicted a lesser decline in executive functioning (adjusted model: Δ LFn, β = −0.716, p < 0.001; Δ LF/HF, β = −0.935, p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our findings provide novel insight into the link between HRV and cognition in MCI. They contribute to a better understanding of the heart-brain connection, but will require replication in larger cohorts.

Psychometric properties of the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (PSSQ), a new measure of perceived social support among older adults

OBJECTIVE

Based on literature and available questionnaires, the present study aimed at creating and validating the Perceived Social Support Questionnaire (PSSQ): a 4-item scale assessing the perceived social support in older adults. Normative scores were also computed.

METHODS

Three hundred and two participants (mean age 87.68) selected from ongoing population-based studies completed a phone interview. Among these, 247 completed a second interview 4 months later allowing assessing the questionnaire fidelity over time.

RESULTS

The factor analysis evidenced two dimensions: availability of social support and satisfaction with it. Both dimensions had a satisfactory internal consistency but weak intraclass correlation coefficient. Univariate analyses revealed that age, number of calls per week and living environment marginally associated with the availability score. The satisfaction score was associated with perceived health status, sadness, depressive mood, feeling of loneliness, anxiety, and the perception of social support during the pandemic context. The norms computed were stratified on age.

CONCLUSIONS

The PSSQ is a short and easy-to-administer tool allowing assessing perceived social support in older population. Despite a weak fidelity that could actually be explained by changes in perceived social support over time, the questionnaire revealed good psychometric qualities and validity.

C, Boland P, Doherty A, Benedetto V, Gita BE, Clegg AJ. The prevalence of mental health conditions in healthcare workers during and after a pandemic: Systematic review and meta-analysis

AIMS

This review aims to explore the prevalence and incidence rates of mental health conditions in healthcare workers during and after a pandemic outbreak and which factors influence rates.

BACKGROUND

Pandemics place considerable burden on care services, impacting on workers' health and their ability to deliver services. We systematically reviewed the prevalence and incidence of mental health conditions in care workers during pandemics.

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

Searches of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library and PsychINFO for cohort, cross-sectional and case-control studies were undertaken on the 31 March 2020 (from inception to 31 March 2020).

REVIEW METHODS

Only prevalence or incidence rates for mental health conditions from validated tools were included. Study selection, data extraction and quality assessment were carried out by two reviewers. Meta-analyses and subgroup analyses were produced for pandemic period (pre- and post), age, country income, country, clinical setting for major depression disorder (MDD), anxiety disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

RESULTS

No studies of incidence were found. Prevalence estimates showed that the most common mental health condition was PTSD (21.7%) followed by anxiety disorder (16.1%), MDD (13.4%) and acute stress disorder (7.4%) (low risk of bias). For symptoms of these conditions there was substantial variation in the prevalence estimates for depression (95% confidence interval [CI]:31.8%; 60.5%), anxiety (95% CI:34.2%; 57.7%) and PTSD symptoms (95% CI,21.4%; 65.4%) (moderate risk of bias). Age, level of exposure and type of care professional were identified as important moderating factors.

CONCLUSION

Mental disorders affect healthcare workers during and after infectious disease pandemics, with higher proportions experiencing symptoms.

IMPACT

This review provides prevalence estimates of mental health conditions during and after a pandemic which could be used to inform service staffing impact and formulation of preventative strategies, by identifying clinical populations who may be at high risk of developing mental health symptoms and conditions.

Tobacco Smoking during Pregnancy: Women's Perception about the Usefulness of Smoking Cessation Interventions

Tobacco consumption during pregnancy is a serious public health problem due to its negative effects on fetal development and on pregnant women's health and well-being. Thus, it is of utmost importance to plan and implement smoking cessation interventions, to prevent the negative impact of this risk factor, namely on children's health and development. This cross-sectional study aimed at exploring the perceptions and beliefs about the usefulness of smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy, in a sample of pregnant Portuguese women. The smoking use by pregnant women, as well as the risk factors associated with tobacco smoking during pregnancy, were also analyzed. The sample included 247 pregnant Portuguese women aged between 18-43-years-old (M = 30.30, SD = 5.02): 42.5% never smoked, 18.3% quit smoking before pregnancy, 19.0% quit smoking after getting pregnant and 20.2% were current smokers. The pregnant Portuguese women who smoked during pregnancy (current smokers or who quit smoking after getting pregnant) were mostly single or divorced, with lower education levels, showed a higher prevalence of clinically significant anxiety symptoms, and perceived smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy as less useful when compared to women who never smoked or quit smoking prior pregnancy. Daily or weekly smoking cessation interventions, implemented by health professionals such as doctors, nurses, or psychologists are the ones perceived as the most useful for pregnant women. These findings provide important clues for the planning of smoking cessation interventions during pregnancy, highlighting the domains that should be carefully monitored by health professionals. Specific strategies should also be used by health professionals to promote smoking cessation considering the demands of pregnancy and postpartum.

The Development of a Short Chinese Version of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory

BACKGROUND

Few studies on anxiety in China have used the full version of the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) due to its length, despite its numerous advantages. The goal of this study was to develop a short Chinese version of the STAI and examine its reliability and validity among the general Chinese population and psychiatric patients diagnosed with anxiety.

METHOD

A total of 1,142 participants were invited to test the short Chinese version of the STAI; item analysis, validity testing and internal consistency reliability analysis were performed. Subsequently, 40 participants were enrolled to assess retest reliability 1 week later. Finally, 330 participants, including 33 psychiatric patients with anxiety, were used to assess the criterion and empirical validity. The Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS) were used as criteria, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was conducted to evaluate the discrimination of the short version of the STAI between the groups with and without anxiety disorders.

RESULT

The short Chinese version of the STAI contains six items for each subscale (STAI-S-6 and STAI-T-6). The Pearson correlation coefficients between the two shortened Chinese versions of the STAI and the full-length STAI were 0.970 and 0.962, the Cronbach's α coefficients were 0.871 and 0.842, and the retest reliability values were 0.728 and 0.813 (p < 0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the 2-factor model achieved an adequate model fit: for the STAI-S-6, CFI = 0.986, TLI = 0.974, and RMSEA = 0.075, and for the STAI-T-6, CFI = 0.994, TLI = 0.988, and RMSEA = 0.052. The short Chinese version of the STAI had a significant positive correlation with the SAS score (r = 0.289, 0.313; p < 0.001) and a negative correlation with the SWLS score (r = -0.476, 0.554; p < 0.001). A significant difference in the level of anxiety was found between participants with and without anxiety disorders. The diagnostic accuracy of the STAI-S-6 and STAI-T-6 for major anxiety disorder was acceptable, with areas under the ROC curves of 0.798 and 0.745, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The short Chinese version of the STAI demonstrates sound psychometric properties and is applicable in evaluating the level of anxiety in Chinese populations.

Living in rural area: A protective factor for a negative experience of the lockdown and the COVID-19 crisis in the oldest old population?

OBJECTIVES

Some factors influence the experience of the COVID-19 pandemic (health, loneliness, digital access...), but what about the living area? The objective was to compare between rural and urban areas, the psychological and social experiences of the older individuals with regard to the COVID-19 crisis during the first French lockdown.

METHODS

The sample included participants of three existing population-based cohorts on aging. Telephone interviews conducted by psychologists focused on the lockdown period. Data collected included living environment, professional assistance, social support, contacts with relatives, difficulties encountered, health, and knowledge and representations of the epidemic. The negative experience was defined by the presence of at least two of the following items: high anxiety symptomatology, depressive symptoms, worries or difficulties during the lockdown and insufficient social support.

RESULTS

The sample included 467 participants, aged on average 87.5 years (5.2), 58.9% were female and 47.1% lived in rural areas. Persons living in rural area had better social support, greater family presence, a less frequent feeling of imprisonment (OR = 0.60, 95 CI% = 0.36-0.99), 95% had a garden (vs. 56%), fewer depressive symptoms and lower anxiety scores, but also tended to lower comply with the health measures. Finally, they had an almost twofold lower risk of having a negative experience of the lockdown compared to their urban counterparts (OR = 0.55, 95% CI = 0.33-0.92, p = 0.0223).

CONCLUSIONS

The oldest old living in rural area experienced the first lockdown better than the urbans. Living conditions, with access to nature, a greater social support and family presence, could have contributed to these findings.

Socially desirable responding in geriatric outpatients with and without mild cognitive impairment and its association with the assessment of self-reported mental health

Background

Socially desirable responding is a potentially relevant issue in older adults and can be evaluated with the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale (MCSDS). However, the eight-item MCSDS has never been specifically administered to geriatric subjects, and there is a dearth of literature on the relationship between social desirability and cognitive impairment. Also, the connection between social desirability and subjective measures of psychological well-being is a matter of controversy. This study has three main aims. First, to determine the psychometric properties of the eight-item MCSDS in geriatric outpatients without dementia (i.e. with normal cognition (NC) or mild cognitive impairment (MCI)). Second, to investigate the link between social desirability and cognitive functioning. Third, to determine the association between social desirability and the assessment of self-reported mental health.

Methods

Community-dwelling outpatients (aged ≥ 65) were consecutively recruited and neuropsychologically tested to diagnose NC or MCI (n = 299). Social desirability was assessed with the eight-item MCSDS. Depressive and anxiety symptoms were measured with the short Geriatric Depression (GDS-s) and the State-Trait Personality Inventory Trait Anxiety (STPI-TA) scales.

Results

On principal components analysis, the eight-item MCSDS was found to have a multidimensional structure. Of the initial three-component solution, only two subscales had acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha > 0.6): “Acceptance of responsibility” and “Integrity”. The third subscale (“Kindness towards others”) appeared to gauge two distinct constructs of formal (i.e. politeness) versus substantive (i.e. forgiveness) compassion. On binary logistic regression, only higher income was a significant predictor of formal compassion. Test-retest reliability was substantial to excellent (Gwet’s AC2 ≥ 0.8). There were no meaningful differences in social desirability between the NC and MCI groups. Likewise, negative Spearman’s correlations between social desirability and cognitive Z-scores across the whole sample were weak (r_s < |0.3|) and confined to one MCSDS item. Although social desirability was an independent predictor of the STPI-TA score in multiple linear regression, it explained only a marginal amount of incremental variance in anxiety symptoms (less than 2%).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that social desirability need not be a major concern when using questionnaires to assess mental health in geriatric outpatients without dementia.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12877-021-02435-z.

Music Therapy for Preoperative Anxiety Reduction in Women Undergoing Total Laparoscopic Hysterectomy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To assess the superiority of a music therapy intervention (Music) vs usual care (Control) in reducing the preoperative anxiety of patients undergoing total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) with nononcologic indications.

DESIGN

This was a 1:2 (Music vs Control) randomized controlled study.

SETTING

A teaching hospital.

PATIENTS

One hundred patients were available for the analysis: 30 and 70 in the Music and Control arms, respectively.

INTERVENTIONS

Perioperative music therapy pathway in patients undergoing TLH for benign disease.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS

Anxiety was evaluated with the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Y Form (STAI-Y) at different time points: at baseline and during preoperative, early postoperative, and late postoperative periods. Pathologic anxiety was defined as STAI-Y state >45. Postoperative pain was registered using the visual analog scale. Women in the Music arm experienced lower anxiety levels (median STAI-Y scores 38.0 vs 41.0; p = .002) during the preoperative period. STAI-Y scores did not vary significantly by intervention at each subsequent time point. A significant difference between the groups (Music vs Control) was found in the proportion of women with pathologic anxiety during the preoperative (16.7% vs 37.2%; p = .04) and early postoperative periods (0% vs 12.9%; p = .04), whereas no significant difference between the groups was registered during the late postoperative period (6.6% vs 7.1%; p = .93). Postoperative pain intensity did not significantly differ between the groups at 1, 3, and 6 hours after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS

Music therapy might be a viable complementary modality to usual surgical care in the gynecologic setting for its ability to significantly decrease preoperative anxiety in women undergoing TLH for benign conditions.

Older Adults and the COVID-19 Pandemic, What About the Oldest Old? The PACOVID Population-Based Survey

Introduction: The literature draws a mitigated picture of the psychosocial effects of the lockdown in older adults. However, the studies conducted so far are mainly based on web surveys which may involve selection bias. The PACOVID survey relies on a population-based design and addresses the attitudes, psychological and social experiences of the oldest old regarding the pandemic and lockdown and their impact. Material and Methods: Cross-sectional phone survey involving 677 persons. Baseline report on attitudes, psychological, and social experiences of the oldest old, regarding the pandemic and lockdown measures. Results: The mean age was 87.53 (SD 5.19). About 46% were living alone during the lockdown. Concerning difficulties, "none" was the most frequent answer (35.6%). For questions addressing how often they had felt sad, depressed, or lonely (CESD-scale), the most frequent answers were "never/very rarely" (58.7, 76.6, 60.8%) and 27.1% had anxious symptomatology (STAI scale). Most (92.9%) felt socially supported. Engaging in leisure activities was the most frequent coping strategy, and for numerous participants the lockdown did not represent much of a change in terms of daily routine. A very good knowledge and awareness of COVID-19 and the safety measures was observed. Comparisons with measures collected before the pandemic showed low changes in subjective health and the CES-D questions. Discussion: With a methodological design limiting selection bias, our results claim for a weakened psychosocial impact even though the participants are concerned and aware of the pandemic issues. These results highlight the resources and resilience abilities of older persons including in advancing age.

Different dimensions of social support differentially predict psychological well-being in late life: opposite effects of perceived emotional support and marital status on symptoms of anxiety and of depression in older outpatients in Italy

BACKGROUND

Social support is important to psychological well-being in late life. However, findings in the literature regarding its effects are mixed, less information is available for anxiety than for depressive symptoms, and few studies have been carried out in Italy. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the influence of social support on symptoms of anxiety and of depression in a sample of geriatric outpatients in Italy.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study consecutively enrolled 299 outpatients without dementia (age ≥ 65, all neuropsychologically tested). Social support was assessed with the ENRICHD Social Support Instrument and by interview. Symptoms of anxiety and of depression were evaluated with short versions of the State-Trait Personality Inventory Trait Anxiety and Geriatric Depression scales. The relationship between social support and psychological well-being was examined by multiple linear regression models with socio-demographic and clinical variables, including cognitive performance, as potential confounders.

RESULTS

Perceived emotional support was a negative predictor of symptoms of anxiety (standardised beta coefficient (β) -0.288, standard error (SE) 0.074, P < 0.001) and symptoms of depression (β -0.196, SE 0.040, P < 0.001). On the contrary, marital status (i.e. being married) was a positive predictor of symptoms of anxiety (β 0.199, SE 0.728, P = 0.003) and symptoms of depression (β 0.142, SE 0.384, P = 0.035).

CONCLUSIONS

Different dimensions of social support differentially affect psychological well-being. The protective effect of perceived emotional support is consistent with social cognitive models of health. The harmful effect of being married may be capturing the distress of the pre-bereavement period. Alternatively, it may reflect oppression by gender roles within marriage in a predominantly female sample in a traditional society. Our findings provide insight into the relationship between social support and psychological well-being, and identify potential targets for psychosocial interventions promoting mental health in late life.

How we assess the perioperative anxiety of surgical patients with pulmonary nodules: the revision of state-trait anxiety inventory

PURPOSE

The aim of the study was to develop a short form of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and calculate the norms for the assessment of anxiety in surgical patients in mainland China.

METHODS

Patients who were scheduled to carry out pulmonary surgery in our department were included. The sinicized 40-item STAI Form-Y was used to assess the anxiety on the surgery eve. Then the coefficient of variation, coefficient of correlation, stepwise regression analysis, principal component analysis, and structural equation model were successively to filter the items. The reliability and validity of the revised STAI was estimated and the norms were computed.

RESULTS

445 intact replies were collected. A 13-item STAI with 6 items in state subscale and 7 items in trait subscale produced similar scores with the full version of STAI. The Cronbach alpha coefficients for the state and trait subscales were 0.924 and 0.936, respectively. The determinant coefficients were 0.781 and 0.822, respectively. Moreover, the norms of both state subscale and trait subscale are provided according to the age and gender.

CONCLUSIONS

The revised short form of STAI has good reliability and validity. It is likely to be more acceptable by reducing the fatigue effects, and is suitable for follow-up study on the assessment and intervention of perioperative anxiety of surgical patients with pulmonary nodules.

Association of state and trait anxiety with oral health status among adult dental patients

Background:

Dental caries and periodontal diseases are the most prevalent oral health problems worldwide. Behavioral and psychosocial factors along with social, economic and cultural conditions may alter the health balance, favoring the onset of dental diseases. Hence the study was conducted to assess the association of state and trait anxiety with oral health status among adult dental patients.

Methods:

The study was carried out among 456 adult dental patients visiting Panineeya Institute of Dental Sciences and Hospital, Hyderabad. Anxiety levels were measured by State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-short version (STAI-S) consisting subscales State Anxiety (SA) and Trait Anxiety (TA). Clinical examination was done using WHO Basic Oral Health survey assessment form, 2013. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences Software 21.0. p≤0.05 was considered statistically significant.

Results:

A significant gender difference (p=0.001) was noted for total anxiety with higher mean score observed among males (46.13±5.98) than females (45.32±6.00).Similarly, significant higher mean score was observed among males (23.31±4.08) than females (p=0.03) for State anxiety. Females had higher mean DMFT (3.61±3.21), DT (2.04±2.05), FT (0.49±1.34) and MT (1.08±2.09) components but significant difference was noted only for overall DMFT (p=0.03) and DT (p=0.001) component than males.

Conclusion:

Gender, education and previous dental visits didn’t show any significant association with total anxiety, state and trait anxiety. Likewise, none of the oral parameters showed any significant association except for the Decayed Teeth (DT) component of DMFT with total anxiety levels among study subjects. (www.actabiomedica.it)

Assessing anxiety and its correlates in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: The state-trait anxiety inventory

INTRODUCTION

We evaluated: (1) psychometric properties of State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Form Y (STAI Form Y); (2) clinical correlates of state and trait anxiety; (3) associations of anxiety with quality of life (QoL) dimensions.

METHODS

We assessed 159 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on STAI Form Y and on tests and questionnaires for depression, apathy, QoL, and cognitive abilities.

RESULTS

Clinically diagnosed anxiety (by Mini International Neuropsychiatric Inventory) occurred in 30 (19%) patients. STAI Form Y fitted a 2-factor structure and showed good psychometric properties. State and trait anxiety were weakly associated with female sex, bulbar functional decay, and cognitive decline in language and memory; trait anxiety was associated with lower educational attainment and poorer scores on visuospatial tasks. State and trait anxiety were associated with poorer physical and psychosocial QoL dimensions.

CONCLUSIONS

Anxiety is tightly associated with QoL in ALS, and can be reliably assessed by STAI Form Y. Muscle Nerve, 2019.

Dimensions of Anxiety, Age, and Gender: Assessing Dimensionality and Measurement Invariance of the State-Trait for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA) in an Italian Sample

The State-Trait Inventory for Cognitive and Somatic Anxiety (STICSA) is a widely used measure of state and trait anxiety that permits a specific assessment of cognitive and somatic anxiety. Previous research provided inconsistent findings about its factor structure in non-clinical samples (e.g., hierarchical or bi-factor structure). To date, no psychometric validation of the Italian version of the STICSA has been conducted. Our study aimed to determine the psychometric functioning of the Italian version of the STICSA, including its dimensionality, gender and age measurement equivalence, and convergent/divergent validity in a large sample of community-dwelling participants (N = 2,938; 55.9% female). Through confirmatory factor analysis, the multidimensional structure of both State and Trait STICSA scales, with each including Cognitive and Somatic dimensions, was supported. Factor structure invariance was tested and established at configural, metric, and scalar levels for males and females. Additionally, full factorial measurement invariance was supported for the State scale across young, middle age, and old adult groups whereas the Trait scale was partially invariant across age groups. The STICSA also showed good convergent validity with concurrent anxiety measures (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Beck Anxiety Inventory), and satisfactory internal discriminant validity with two depression measures (Teate Depression Inventory and Beck Depression Inventory-II). Results provided support for the multidimensionality of the STICSA, as well as the generalizability of the State and Trait scales as independent measures of Cognitive and Somatic symptomatology across gender in the general population. Implications for research and personality and clinical assessment are discussed.

The assessment of anxiety in aged care residents: a systematic review of the psychometric properties of commonly used measures

ABSTRACTBackground:Assessing anxiety among residential aged care facility (RACF) residents is challenging, and it cannot be assumed that valid and reliable measures used within the community are also appropriate for this setting. This review systematically examined the literature to identify which anxiety measures were most commonly used with older adults in RACFs, and determine whether psychometric data support their use within this population.

METHODS

Using the PRISMA guidelines, five electronic databases were searched using key terms and subject headings. The search was limited to literature published in English. Eligible studies utilized an anxiety measure to assess anxiety symptoms among RACF residents. Based on the findings of this search, a critical review of the research into the reliability, validity, and administrative and respondent burden of the most commonly used measures (i.e. used in four or more studies) was conducted.

RESULTS

In total, 1,771 articles were identified, with 50 studies included in this review. Overall, 22 measures were used, with the majority of studies utilizing a clinician-administered or self-report measure. The RAID, HADS, STAI, and GAI were the most commonly used measures. While overall there is a lack of research and consensus into the psychometric properties of these measures within RACFs, strongest evidence of reliability and validity was found for the GAI.

CONCLUSION

Commonly used measures of anxiety within aged care populations are not well validated for this complex subsample of older adults. Strengths and weaknesses of each measure with regards to their usefulness in aged care settings are discussed, with future research areas highlighted.

The Use of Virtual Reality to Facilitate Mindfulness Skills Training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury: A Case Study

Introduction: Paralysis from a spinal cord injury (SCI) increases risk of psychological problems including suicide attempts, substance use disorder, negative emotions (e.g., anger), depression, anxiety, ASD/PTSD. Dialectical Behavioral Therapy® (DBT®) has been shown to be effective for treating similar psychological symptoms in non-SCI patient populations. The current study explored for the first time, the feasibility and clinical potential of using Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) enhanced DBT® Mindfulness skills training to help reduce psychological symptoms (negative emotions and anxiety, ASD/PTSD) of two patients with SCI. Patient 1 was a 39-year-old male patient suffering multiple spinal cord injuries, resulting in quadriplegia, after falling out of a four story building. Patient 1 had severe depression, and anxiety symptoms. Patient 2, was a 31 year old male with a C7 vertebral body fracture, leading to paresis, after suffering a blunt force trauma injury during an attempted suicide, jumping from a moving vehicle. Patient 2 had mild depression, and anxiety symptoms. Methods: Each patient looked into VR goggles, and had the illusion of slowly "floating down" a river in virtual reality while listening to DBT® Mindfulness Skills training instructions. Each patient filled out brief psychological ratings before and after each VR session, four VR DBT® sessions for patient 1, and two VR DBT® sessions for patient 2. Results: As predicted, patient 1 reported reductions in negative emotions after each VR DBT® Mindfulness session. Patient 2 had mixed results on some of the measures of negative emotions. And both patients reported feeling less depressed, less anxious, and less emotionally upset, after VR DBT® Mindfulness Skills learning. Patient 2 reported large reductions in short term ASD/PTSD symptoms after his first VR DBT® mindfulness skills training session. Conclusion: This study explored the feasibility of using VR DBT® with quadriplegic or paresis SCI patients. Both SCI patients accepted VR, the patients liked using VR, and, with assistance from the therapist, the patients were able to use the VR equipment, despite being paralyzed. Additional research and development will be needed to determine whether VR DBT® Mindfulness Skills training leads to any long term improvements in outcome.

Anxiety before dental surgery under local anesthesia: reducing the items on state anxiety in the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-form X

BACKGROUND

It is important to evaluate preoperative anxiety and prepare sedation when performing dental surgery under local anesthesia. Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) is useful for predicting preoperative anxiety. State anxiety is defined as a subjective feeling of nervousness. Reduction in the number of the state anxiety items (questions) will be clinically important in allowing us to predict anxiety more easily.

METHODS

We analyzed the STAI responses from 1,252 patients who visited our institution to undergo dental surgery under local anesthesia. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted for 9 groups comprising anxiety level determinations using the STAI; we then developed a coefficient of determination and a regression formula. We searched for a group satisfying the largest number of requirements for regression expression while setting any necessary conditions for accurately predicting anxiety before dental surgery under local anesthesia.

RESULTS

The regression expression from the group determined as normal for preoperative state anxiety was deemed the most suitable for predicting preoperative anxiety.

CONCLUSIONS

It was possible to reduce the number of items in the STAI by focusing on "Preoperative anxiety before dental surgery."

Genome-wide association study of generalized anxiety symptoms in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos

Although generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is heritable and aggregates in families, no genomic loci associated with GAD have been reported. We aimed to discover potential loci by conducting a genome-wide analysis of GAD symptoms in a large, population-based sample of Hispanic/Latino adults. Data came from 12,282 participants (aged 18-74) in the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos. Using a shortened Spielberger Trait Anxiety measure, we analyzed the following: (i) a GAD symptoms score restricted to the three items tapping diagnostic features of GAD as defined by DSM-V; and (ii) a total trait anxiety score based on summing responses to all ten items. We first calculated the heritability due to common variants (h²_SNP ) and then conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of GAD symptoms. Replication was attempted in three independent Hispanic cohorts (Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, Women's Health Initiative, Army STARRS). The GAD symptoms score showed evidence of modest heritability (7.2%; P = 0.03), while the total trait anxiety score did not (4.97%; P = 0.20). One genotyped SNP (rs78602344) intronic to thrombospondin 2 (THBS2) was nominally associated (P = 5.28 × 10^-8 ) in the primary analysis adjusting for psychiatric medication use and significantly associated with the GAD symptoms score in the analysis excluding medication users (P = 4.18 × 10^-8 ). However, meta-analysis of the replication samples did not support this association. Although we identified a genome-wide significant locus in this sample, we were unable to replicate this finding. Evidence for heritability was also only detected for GAD symptoms, and not the trait anxiety measure, suggesting differential genetic influences within the domain of trait anxiety. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.