Single-Subject Experiments to Determine Individually Differential Effects of Anxiolytics in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a prevalent psychiatric disorder associated with substantial impairment and poor treatment response. Yoga influences processes that are linked to the maintenance of GAD including mindfulness, anxiety, and heart rate variability, but has yet to be evaluated among people with the disorder. The present study is a first step toward documenting the efficacy of yoga for reducing worry among people with GAD using a single-subject AB design case series and daily ratings of worry. Standardized self-report measures of worry, trait anxiety, experiential avoidance, mindfulness, and heart rate variability were assessed pre- and post-intervention. Three participants with primary GAD received eight twice-weekly Kripalu yoga sessions following a baseline data collection period. All participants showed systematic improvement in daily worry ratings on at least one index and all scores on self-reported measures of worry, anxiety, experiential avoidance, and mindfulness changed in the expected direction following yoga (with one or two exceptions). Participants also showed improved heart rate variability during a worry period from pre- to post-intervention. Yoga has the potential to improve the processes linked to GAD and should stimulate further research in this area.

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Differential effects of cranial electrotherapy stimulation on changes in anxiety and depression symptoms over time in patients with generalized anxiety disorder

Journal of Affective Disorders ◽

10.1016/j.jad.2020.09.006 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 277 ◽

pp. 785-788 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Richard Morriss ◽

Larry Price

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Anxiety And Depression ◽

Depression Symptoms ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Differential Effects ◽

Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation ◽

Over Time

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Efficacy of Virtual Reality Based Worry Exposure Therapy on the Anxiety Severity and Worry in Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Advances in Bioscience and Clinical Medicine ◽

10.7575/aiac.abcmed.v.9n.2p.21 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (2) ◽

pp. 21

Author(s):

Neda Keshavarz ◽

Touraj Hashemi Nosrat Abad ◽

Mansour Beyrami ◽

Majid Mahmoud alilou ◽

Abbas Bakhshipour Roudsari

Keyword(s):

Virtual Reality ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Exposure Therapy ◽

Reliable Change Index ◽

Single Subject ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Penn State Worry Questionnaire ◽

Penn State ◽

State Worry

Background: Generalized anxiety disorder is one of the most common anxiety disorders observed in clinical centers and the general population. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of virtual reality-based worry exposure therapy on the Anxiety Severity and worry in patients with symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder. Materials and Methods: This study was conducted in the framework of a single-subject experimental design using Multiple baselines with a 6-week follow-up. Three women with GAD were selected through a structured clinical interview based on the criteria of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 by Convenience Sampling among those who referred to the Counseling centers in Tabriz. The protocol of this study followed the manual by Becker and Margraf which describes imaginal exposure for GAD applied in 15 sessions. The only difference was that in this research exposure to virtual reality replaced with imagination. In this study, three 360-degree films were made by the researcher used for exposure. The content made in the form of 360-degree videos and displayed to patients through virtual reality tools. The scales to assess changes in Anxiety Severity and worry include The Penn State Worry Questionnaire and The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale. Data analyzed with visuals inspection, improvement percentage, and reliable change index strategies. Results: Results showed that virtual reality-based worry exposure therapy has significant efficiency on the reduction of Anxiety Severity and worry clinically and statistically (p<0.05). Conclusion: Virtual reality-based worry exposure therapy has appropriate efficacy in reducing GAD symptom severity.

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Emotional Schema Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Single-Subject Design

International Journal of Cognitive Therapy ◽

10.1521/ijct.2017.10.4.269 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (4) ◽

pp. 269-282 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Mohammad Khaleghi ◽

Robert L. Leahy ◽

Elyas Akbari ◽

Shahram Mohammadkhani ◽

Jafar Hasani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ◽

Single Subject ◽

Generalized Anxiety ◽

Schema Therapy ◽

Single Subject Design ◽

Subject Design

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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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