scholarly journals COVID on the Brain: Anxiety Sensitivity and Mindful Awareness Mediate the Relationship between COVID-19 Obsession and Anxiety

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 1-1
Author(s):  
Emily Beitzell ◽  
◽  
Purnaja Podduturi ◽  
Megan Hook ◽  
Amelia Jones ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Sensitivity ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Sensitivity Index ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
General Anxiety ◽  
Mindful Awareness ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
The Brain

The coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has produced a global mental health crisis and many individuals have obsessive thoughts and worry about COVID-19 which may, both directly and indirectly, relate to more general anxiety. This study explored anxiety sensitivity and mindful awareness as mediators in the relationship between COVID-19 obsession and general anxiety. College student participants (N = 172) completed the Obsession with COVID-19 scale, the Anxiety Sensitivity Index, the awareness subscale of the Five Factor Mindfulness Questionnaire, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale. Process was used to test a mediational model. We found both anxiety sensitivity and mindful awareness to be significant mediators such that COVID-19 obsession predicted increased anxiety sensitivity which predicted decreased mindful awareness which, in turn, predicted increased general anxiety. These results demonstrate that anxiety about COVID-19 increases awareness and worry surrounding one’s physical and mental state which lead to a decrease in mindful awareness. Our findings identify mechanisms by which worry about COVID-19 may be leading to increased general anxiety and can be used to inform mindfulness interventions to help prevent these negative effects.

Acceptance Mediates the Relationship Between Tinnitus-Related Cognitions and Anxiety Sensitivity

2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-242 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Moring ◽  
Anne Bowen ◽  
Jenifer Thomas ◽  
Jeremy Joseph
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Distress ◽  
Anxiety Sensitivity ◽  
Emotional Responses ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Sensitivity Index ◽  
Negative Cognitions ◽  
Acceptance And Action Questionnaire ◽  
Bodily Sensations ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Online Measures

Purpose Negative cognitions related to tinnitus sensation have been previously shown to affect the level of emotional distress. Anxiety sensitivity is another psychological factor that influences individuals to more closely monitor their own bodily sensations, resulting in increased negative cognitions and negative emotional responses among tinnitus patients. However, increasing acceptance of tinnitus sensation may attenuate emotional distress. The goal of this research was to investigate the relationship between negative tinnitus-related cognitions, acceptance, and anxiety sensitivity. Method Two hundred sixty-seven participants completed online measures of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (Newman, Jacobson, & Spitzer, 1996), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (Hayes, Follette, & Linehan, 2004), and the Anxiety Sensitivity Index–3 (Taylor et al., 2007). Results Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that acceptance fully mediated the relationship between negative tinnitus-related cognitions and anxiety sensitivity. Conclusions On the basis of these results, it is suggested that practitioners improve acceptance of tinnitus sensation, duration, and intensity. More research is warranted on the clinical techniques to improve acceptance.

scholarly journals The Relationship between Higher Chronic Opioid Therapy Dose and Specific Personality Traits in Individuals with Chronic Pain

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-9
Author(s):  
Amanda McIntyre ◽  
Swati Mehta ◽  
Danielle Vanderlaan ◽  
Keith Sequeira ◽  
Eldon Loh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Pain ◽  
Personality Traits ◽  
Outcome Measures ◽  
Anxiety Sensitivity ◽  
Experiential Avoidance ◽  
Short Form ◽  
Pain Interference ◽  
High Dose ◽  
Sensitivity Index ◽  
The Relationship

Objective. To evaluate the relationship between opioid use and specific personality traits among individuals with chronic pain stratified by morphine equivalent doses (MEQ). Design. Observational cohort study. Setting. Chronic pain outpatient clinic in Canada (2017–2019). Patients. Participants were included if they (1) were at least 18 years old, (2) had been diagnosed with chronic pain (pain >3 months), and (3) were able to read and write in English. Interventions. None. Main Outcome Measures. Completion of the following outcome measures: Acceptance and Action Questionnaire, Anxiety Sensitivity Index, Brief-Coping with Problems Experience 28-item, Brief Pain Inventory Short Form, CAGE-AID substance misuse screening tool, EuroQol-5D, Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item, and Patient Health Questionnaire 9-item. One-way analysis of variance compared outcomes between MEQ groups. Results. 215 individuals (64.2% female) were included with a mean age of 52.7 ± 11.7 years and time since pain onset of 14.1 ± 10.2 years (range 1–45). There were no significant differences between MEQ groups with respect to sociodemographic and clinical health variables except for gender and employment status and time since pain onset. After controlling for gender, time since pain onset, and average pain severity, patients with MEQ 90+ mg had significantly higher scores for experiential avoidance and anxiety sensitivity in addition to increased pain interference, greater depressive and anxiety symptoms, more dysfunctional coping, and poorer QoL than those with MEQ 1–89 mg or MEQ 0 mg. Conclusions. Compared to individuals using no or lower-dose opioids to treat chronic pain, those using high-dose opioids had higher scores on two maladaptive personality traits (i.e., anxiety sensitivity and experiential avoidance) which was associated with poorer mood, greater pain interference, lower quality of life, and dysfunctional coping. These maladaptive personality traits may help to explain how individuals with chronic pain utilize higher doses of opioid analgesics.

What Are the Potential Impacts of a Global Health Crisis on Economic Inequalities in Some Countries?

2022 ◽  
pp. 144-161
Author(s):  
Ahmet Eren Yıldırım
Keyword(s):  
Developing Countries ◽  
Global Health ◽  
Oecd Countries ◽  
Gender Inequalities ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Economic Inequalities

This study investigates the relationship between the COVID-19 crisis and economic inequalities in some developed and developing countries. Many institutions, like OECD, ILO, and UNDP, have released several reports deal with the relationship between COVID-19 and different kinds of inequalities. These reports generally emphasize the same problem. This study includes some indicators about the situation of education and gender inequalities in OECD countries. These indicators purely reveal that COVID-19 has negative effects on both education and gender inequalities in most of developed and developing countries. The main contribution of the study is to point out the importance of recovery policies the cover the inequality problems.

Clinical review of user engagement with mental health smartphone apps: evidence, theory and improvements

2018 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 116-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Torous ◽  
Jennifer Nicholas ◽  
Mark E Larsen ◽  
Joseph Firth ◽  
Helen Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Best Practices ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Evidence Theory ◽  
User Engagement ◽  
Smartphone Apps ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Health Apps ◽  
High Engagement

The potential of smartphone apps to improve quality and increase access to mental health care is increasingly clear. Yet even in the current global mental health crisis, real-world uptake of smartphone apps by clinics or consumers remains low. To understand this dichotomy, this paper reviews current challenges surrounding user engagement with mental health smartphone apps. While smartphone engagement metrics and reporting remains heterogeneous in the literature, focusing on themes offers a framework to identify underlying trends. These themes suggest that apps are not designed with service users in mind, do not solve problems users care most about, do not respect privacy, are not seen as trustworthy and are unhelpful in emergencies. Respecting these current issues surrounding mental health app engagement, we propose several solutions and highlight successful examples of mental health apps with high engagement. Further research is necessary to better characterise engagement with mental health apps and identify best practices for design, testing and implementation.

scholarly journals Can Mental Health Apps Be Effective for Depression, Anxiety, and Stress During a Pandemic?

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Longyear ◽  
Kostadin Kushlev
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Randomized Clinical Trials ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Low Cost ◽  
Economic Recession ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Health Apps

Covid-19 is poised to exacerbate the global mental health crisis as social isolation, unemployment, and economic recession are risk factors for negative mental health consequences. Since the need for social distancing can make face-to-face services less accessible, people may turn to mental health apps as an accessible and inexpensive solution. But are the claims about the efficacy of these apps supported by evidence? We identified 19 published articles on PubMed of peer-reviewed randomized clinical trials of mental health apps focused on stress, anxiety, and depression. Despite some evidence for the effectiveness of mental health apps, it remains unclear how effective these apps are compared to standard of care. Populations studied so far also lack diversity, making it difficult to generalize any benefits to racial minorities and low-income individuals—the very people who have been most negatively impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and traditionally have higher barriers to mental health services. While apps are not a substitute for face-to-face therapy, further evidence is warranted given their potential for delivering scalable, low-cost care to patients. We call for regulatory oversight as a means to ensure mental health apps demonstrate safety and effectiveness prior to marketing.

The Relationship Between Caregiver Capacity and Intensive Community Treatment for Children with a Mental Health Crisis

2008 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 303-311 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Epstein ◽  
Neil Jordan ◽  
Yong Joo Rhee ◽  
Gary M. McClelland ◽  
John S. Lyons
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Community Treatment ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Caregiver Capacity

Leveraging Convergence Science to Address Global Mental Health Challenges

2021 ◽  
pp. 7-28
Author(s):  
Erin Smith ◽  
Helen Lavretsky ◽  
Charles F Reynolds III ◽  
Michael Berk ◽  
Harris A Eyre
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Early Stage ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
New Era ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
The World ◽  
Medical Educators

The world is in the throes of a global mental health crisis with severe physical, societal, and economic ramifications. This has only exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. Modern mental health problems are characterized by their complexity, multisystemic nature, and broad societal impact, making them poorly suited to siloed approaches of thinking and innovation. To solve the unprecedented complexities and challenges associated with the current global mental health crisis, a paradigm shift is needed. Convergence science integrates knowledge, tools, and thought strategies from various fields and is the point where novel insights arise. In the context of mental health, convergence involves integration of scientists, clinicians, bioinformaticists, global health experts, engineers, technology entrepreneurs, medical educators, caregivers, and patients; synergy between government, academia, and industry is also vital. A convergence mental health approach will lead to improved outcomes for patients and healthcare systems. Predicate examples of convergence science in adjacent fields to mental health provide a model for the path forward. Further, within the field of mental health, there are examples of convergence science currently in action that include early-stage companies, neuroscience initiatives, public health projects, and unconventional funding mechanisms. The world has a historic opportunity to leverage convergence science to lead to a new era of innovation and progress in global mental health.

scholarly journals Digital Mental Health: The Answer to the Global Mental Health Crisis?

10.2196/18472 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (6) ◽  
pp. e18472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brittany N Rudd ◽  
Rinad S Beidas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Global Mental Health ◽  
Health Interventions ◽  
Health Prevention ◽  
Mental Health Crisis ◽  
Health Crisis ◽  
Prevention And Intervention ◽  
Mental Health Interventions

Digital mental health interventions are often touted as the solution to the global mental health crisis. However, moving mental health care from the hands of professionals and into digital apps may further isolate individuals who need human connection the most. In this commentary, we argue that people, our society’s greatest resource, are as ubiquitous as technology. Thus, we argue that research focused on using technology to support all people in delivering mental health prevention and intervention deserves greater attention in the coming decade.

scholarly journals Mediation Role of Anxiety Sensitivity on the Relationships between Intolerance of Uncertainty and Fear of COVID-19

2022 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Eyüp Çelik ◽  
Eda Biçener ◽  
Ümit Bayın ◽  
Erol Uğur
Keyword(s):  
Anxiety Sensitivity ◽  
Mediation Analysis ◽  
Screening Method ◽  
Intolerance Of Uncertainty ◽  
Research Data ◽  
Sensitivity Index ◽  
Anxiety Sensitivity Index ◽  
The Relationship

The aim of the present study is exploring the mediation role of anxiety sensitivity on the relationships between intolerance of uncertainty and fear of COVID-19. The study was conducted with the relational screening method. The research data were collected online from 302 individuals (Male n = 76, Female n = 226) with Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale. The result of both mediation analysis and bootstrapping analysis (with 5000 bootstrap resamples) showed that the relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and fear of COVID-19 was mediated by anxiety sensitivity. Anxiety sensitivity decreased the effect of intolerance of uncertainty on fear of COVID-19. Moreover, comparing intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity in terms of their predictive levels of the fear of COVID-19, it was concluded that anxiety sensitivity predicted the fear of COVID-19 more, and that anxiety sensitivity included the variance of intolerance to uncertainty associated with the fear of COVID-19. El objetivo del presente estudio es explorar el papel mediador de la sensibilidad a la ansiedad en las relaciones entre la intolerancia a la incertidumbre y el miedo al COVID-19. El estudio se realizó con el método de cribado relacional. Los datos de la investigación se recopilaron en línea de 302 personas (hombres n = 76, mujeres n = 226) con la escala de miedo a COVID-19, índice de sensibilidad a la ansiedad-3, escala de intolerancia a la incertidumbre. El resultado tanto del análisis de mediación como del análisis bootstrapping (con un remuestreo de 5000 bootstrap) mostró que la relación entre la intolerancia a la incertidumbre y el miedo al COVID-19 estaba mediada por la sensibilidad a la ansiedad. La sensibilidad a la ansiedad disminuyó el efecto de la intolerancia a la incertidumbre sobre el miedo al COVID-19. Además, al comparar la intolerancia a la incertidumbre y la sensibilidad a la ansiedad en términos de sus niveles predictivos del miedo al COVID-19, se concluyó que la sensibilidad a la ansiedad predijo más el miedo al COVID-19 y que la sensibilidad a la ansiedad incluyó la varianza de la intolerancia a la incertidumbre asociada. con el miedo al COVID-19.

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