Sympathetic and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal asymmetry in generalized anxiety disorder

Hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, with the consequent hypercortisolism, is one of the most consistent findings in chronic stress and depression. The stress response will depend on characteristics of stressors, their subjective appraisal and the resulting coping strategies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of cognitive therapy (CT) in the treatment of a chronic stress condition, such as generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), as it would be reflected through both psychological and biological parameters. For this purpose, a group of outpatients with GAD were treated with CT for up to a maximum of 24 sessions. In order to assess psychological and biological changes, anxiety-related symptoms were evaluated according to the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A), and the HPA function was determined through assessment of circulating cortisol levels.Upon completion of the treatment, a significant decrease in HAM-A scores, along with significant changes in plasma cortisol levels, were observed in treated subjects. These observations contribute to demonstrate that CT may be effective to treat a chronic stress disorder, such as GAD, as it was observed at both psychological and biological levels, and moreover, this could represent an effective approach to treat hypercortisolism due to hyperactivity of the HPA axis. Therapeutic and preventive strategies will also be discussed.

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The French Version of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS) in a Nonclinical Sample

Swiss Journal of Psychology ◽

10.1024/1421-0185/a000158 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 74 (3) ◽

pp. 119-127 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Martine Bouvard ◽

Anne Denis ◽

Jean-Luc Roulin

Keyword(s):

Factor Analysis ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Confirmatory Factor Analysis ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Child Anxiety ◽

Depression Scale ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

French Version ◽

Confirmatory Factor

This article investigates the psychometric properties of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS). A group of 704 adolescents completed the questionnaires in their classrooms. This study examines potential confirmatory factor analysis factor models of the RCADS as well as the relationships between the RCADS and the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders-Revised (SCARED-R). A subsample of 595 adolescents also completed an anxiety questionnaire (Fear Survey Schedule for Children-Revised, FSSC-R) and a depression questionnaire (Center for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale, CES-D). Confirmatory factor analysis of the RCADS suggests that the 6-factor model reasonably fits the data. All subscales were positively intercorrelated, with rs varying between .48 (generalized anxiety disorder-major depression disorder) and .65 (generalized anxiety disorder-social phobia/obsessive-compulsive disorder). The RCADS total score and all the RCADS scales were found to have good internal consistency (> .70). The correlations between the RCADS subscales and their SCARED-R counterparts are generally substantial. Convergent validity was found with the FSSC-R and the CES-D. The study included normal adolescents aged 10 to 19. Therefore, the findings cannot be extended to children under 10, nor to a clinical population. Altogether, the French version of the RCADS showed reasonable psychometric properties.

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Psychometric Properties of the Spontaneous and Deliberate Mind Wandering Scales

European Journal of Psychological Assessment ◽

10.1027/1015-5759/a000470 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 35 (6) ◽

pp. 878-890 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

David Marcusson-Clavertz ◽

Oscar N. E. Kjell

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Psychometric Properties ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Social Desirability ◽

Cognitive Task ◽

Experience Sampling ◽

Well Being ◽

Mind Wandering ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Psychological Variables

Abstract. Thinking about task-unrelated matters (mind wandering) is related to cognition and well-being. However, the relations between mind wandering and other psychological variables may depend on whether the former commence spontaneously or deliberately. The current two studies investigated the psychometric properties of the Spontaneous and Deliberate Mind Wandering Scales (SDMWS; Carriere, Seli, & Smilek, 2013 ). Study 1 evaluated the stability of the scales over 2 weeks ( N = 284 at Time 1), whereas Study 2 ( N = 323) evaluated their relations to Generalized anxiety disorder symptoms, Openness, Social desirability, and experience-sampling reports of intentional and unintentional mind wandering during an online cognitive task. The results indicated that the SDMWS were better fitted with a two-factor than a one-factor solution, although the fit was improved with the exclusion of one item. The scales exhibited strong measurement invariance across gender and time, and moderately high test-retest reliability. Spontaneous mind wandering predicted Generalized anxiety disorder and experience-sampling reports of unintentional mind wandering, whereas Deliberate mind wandering predicted Openness and experience-sampling reports of intentional mind wandering. Furthermore, Spontaneous mind wandering showed a negative association with social desirability of weak-to-medium strength. In sum, the scales generally showed favorable psychometric properties.

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