scholarly journals Yoga of Immortals Intervention Reduces Symptoms of Depression, Insomnia and Anxiety

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sadhna Verma ◽  
James Donovan ◽  
Hari S. Tunuguntla ◽  
Renuka Tunuguntla ◽  
Babu V. Gupta ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Generalized Anxiety ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Previous Diagnosis ◽  
Patient Health

Background: Depression, anxiety, and disordered sleep are some common symptoms associated with sub-optimal mental health. During the COVID-19 pandemic, mental health issues have grown increasingly more prevalent in the population. Due to social distancing and other limitations during the pandemic, there is a need for home-based, flexible interventions that can improve mental health. The Yoga of Immortals (YOI) mobile application provides a structured intervention that can be used on any mobile device and applied from the user's home.Methods: A total of 1,505 participants were enrolled in the study and used the YOI app for an 8-week period. Participants were asked to fill out three questionnaires: The Patient Health Questionnaire, 8 items (PHQ-8), the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire (GAD-7) and the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI). These three items were completed by 1,297 participants a total of four times: before starting YOI, two more times during use, and a fourth time after the 8-week usage period. Changes in PHQ8, GAD7 and ISI in participants were compared to a control group, who did not use the YOI app but completed all questionnaires (590 controls finished all questionnaires).Results: Participants reported significant decreases in depression and anxiety-related symptoms. Compared to baseline, PHQ-8 scores decreased 50% on average after the 8-week period. GAD-7 scores also decreased by 40–50% on average, and ISI scores decreased by 50%. These changes were significantly greater (p < 0.05) than that observed in the control group. Participants who reported a previous diagnosis of depression and generalized anxiety reported significantly larger decreases in PHQ-8 and GAD-7 as compared to participants with no prior diagnosis (p < 0.05).Conclusions: Regular use of the YOI intervention over an 8-week period led to significant decreases in symptoms of both depression and anxiety, as well as alleviation of insomnia.

scholarly journals A Longitudinal Study on the Mental Health of College Students in Jinan During the Peak Stage of the COVID-19 Epidemic and the Society Reopening

2021 ◽  
pp. 102-110
Author(s):  
Xiaolei Zheng ◽  
Yuji Guo ◽  
Wen Ma ◽  
Hui Yang ◽  
Liyan Luo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
College Students ◽  
Severe Depression ◽  
Severity Index ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Health Issues ◽  
Mental Health Issues ◽  
Prevalence Of Depression ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Peak Versus

<b><i>Introduction:</i></b> COVID-19, a continuously emerging human-to-human infectious disease, has exerted a significant impact on the mental health of college students. However, little is known regarding the variations in the mental health issues experienced by college students during the peak versus reopening stages of the COVID-19 epidemic in China. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> To assess these issues, an online longitudinal survey was conducted via a WeChat applet. Undergraduates (<i>n</i> = 300) were recruited from 26 universities throughout Jinan in February 2020 (T1 – the epidemic peak stage) and in January 2021 (T2 – the society reopening stage). Their mental status was determined using the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 item, and the Insomnia Severity Index. <b><i>Results:</i></b> Of the original 300 college students recruited for this survey, 294 responses at T1 and 285 at T2 were analyzed. Compared with responses obtained at T1, college students at T2 showed a greater prevalence of depression (65.3 vs. 51.0%; <i>p</i> = 0.001) and anxiety (47.7 vs. 38.1%, <i>p</i> = 0.019), and experienced more severe depression (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001) and anxiety (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.001). Both males (<i>p</i> = 0.03) and females (<i>p</i> &#x3c; 0.01) showed higher levels of depression at T2 versus T1, while no differences were obtained with regard to anxiety and insomnia. At T1, Grade 4 students showed greater levels of depression (<i>p</i> = 0.005) and anxiety (<i>p</i> = 0.008) than that of Grade 1 students. While at T2, only greater levels of depression (<i>p</i> = 0.004) were present when compared with that of Grade 1 students. Additionally, Grade 4 college students demonstrated a greater prevalence of depression at T2 versus T1 (<i>p</i> = 0.03), but no statistically differences were present for anxiety and insomnia. No statistically significant differences were obtained among the 4 grades of college students for insomnia at either the T1 or T2. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> With progression of the COVID-19 epidemic, college students showed increasing levels of depression and anxiety, with Grade 4 college students being most seriously affected. It is imperative that intervention strategies be implemented to mitigate against these mental health issues resulting from the COVID-19 epidemic.

scholarly journals Effects of a School-Based Intervention On Levels of Anxiety and Depression: A Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial of The MindPower Program in Ten High Schools in Norway

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gry Anette Sælid ◽  
Nikolai Czajkowski ◽  
Leif Edvard Aarø ◽  
John Roger Andersen ◽  
Thormod Idsøe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High School ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Mixed Model ◽  
Large Population ◽  
Depression Scale ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
School Based

Abstract BackgroundThe previous decade has shown increased symptoms of depression and anxiety among adolescents. To promote mental health and reduce mental illness, the government of Norway has, as in other countries, pledged that all schools must incorporate life-skills education. We report results from an evaluation of MindPower, a modification of the Coping With Depression (CWD) course, delivered universally in the classroom to secondary high school students, aged 15-16 years, in one county in Norway. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of MindPower on symptoms of depression and anxiety.MethodsWe utilized a two-groups` delayed intervention design where 110 first year high school classes were randomized into one of two intervention groups (IG1 and IG2). IG1 participated in MindPower while IG2 served as a control group for four months until the intervention started also in this group. IG1 and IG2 responded to questionnaires before and after the eight weeks course, at the start of the first and the second booster session, and at the five months follow up. Questionnaires, including online versions of the Hopkins Symptom Checklist (SCL-8) and the Reynolds Adolescent Depression Scale (RADS-2:SF), were administered to 1673 out of a total of 2384 students. SCL-levels were also compared with those from a large population study (UngData).ResultsAccording to mixed model analyses, SCL-8 and RADS-2:SF showed significant baseline differences between IG1 and IG2. In IG1 and IG2, both SCL-8 and RADS-2:SF showed a small but significant increase in mean scores throughout the study period, with markedly lower mean scores among boys. The SCL-levels were first lower for both girls and boys and then after the completion of MindPower the SCL-levels, equal to the SCL-levels in UngData.ConclusionsNo effects of the intervention were found. This large universal school-based trial suffered from considerable drop-out of participants. Experiences from implementation and evaluation of universal mental health promotion and preventive school interventions are thoroughly discussed, including, preparation, resources, support, time, realistic expectations, teacher selection and training, implementation, and research designs and more. Several empirically based, practical advices are presented. Clinical Trial registration 27/08/2018. Registration number NCT03647826.

scholarly journals Depression and Anxiety in Hong Kong during COVID-19

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 3740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edmond Pui Hang Choi ◽  
Bryant Pui Hung Hui ◽  
Eric Yuk Fai Wan
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Hong Kong ◽  
Multiple Logistic Regression Analysis ◽  
Population Based ◽  
Global Rating ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Work From Home ◽  
Home Based ◽  
Surgical Masks ◽  
Patient Health

It has been three months since the first confirmed case of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Hong Kong, and people now have a more complete picture of the extent of the pandemic. Therefore, it is time to evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 on mental health. The current population-based study aimed to evaluate the depression and anxiety of people in Hong Kong during the COVID-19 pandemic. Respondents were randomly recruited and asked to complete a structured questionnaire, including the patient health questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), the generalized anxiety disorder-7 (GAD-7), the global rating of change scale and items related to COVID-19. Of the 500 respondents included in the study, 19% had depression (PHQ-9 score ≥ 10) and 14% had anxiety (GAD score ≥ 10). In addition, 25.4% reported that their mental health had deteriorated since the pandemic. Multiple logistic regression analysis found that not experiencing the SARS outbreak in 2003, being worried about being infected by COVID-19, being bothered by having not enough surgical masks and being bothered by not being able to work from home were associated with a poorer mental health status. Psychological support, such as brief, home-based psychological interventions, should be provided to citizens during the pandemic.

Neuropsychological Changes in Primary Hyperparathyroidism after Parathyroidectomy

2016 ◽  
Vol 82 (9) ◽  
pp. 839-845 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Y. Liu ◽  
Neil D. Saunders ◽  
Aaron Chen ◽  
Collin J. Weber ◽  
Jyotirmay Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Primary Hyperparathyroidism ◽  
Neuropsychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Severe Depression ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Relative Indication ◽  
Neuropsychological Changes ◽  
Sporadic Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPSs) of sporadic primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) are often subtle and effects of parathyroidectomy (PTX) on symptoms remains poorly characterized. Our aim was to evaluate effects of PTX on NPS in patients with PHPT. A prospective questionnaire was distributed to all patients undergoing PTX and to a thyroidectomy (TX) control group. The questionnaire included the validated scales Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) to assess for depression and anxiety respectively, as well as questions modified from Pasieka's Parathyroid Assessment of Symptoms (M-PAS). Point values were assigned to questionnaire answers to create a score, with a maximum of 63. Fifty-eight patients underwent PTX (58.6%) and 41 TX (41.4%). Mean preoperative scores were greater in PTX versus TX patients in total score, PHQ-9, GAD-7, and M-PAS (all P < 0.05). Post-PTX scores were lower than pre-PTX in total score, PHQ-9, GAD-7, and M-PAS (all P < 0.05), but not in pre- and post-TX. Post-PTX 69.0 and 82.8 per cent of patients showed no symptoms of depression and anxiety, respectively, compared with 37.9 and 56.9 per cent pre-PTX. A total of 16.2 and 10.3 per cent of patients had moderately severe to severe depression and anxiety, which fell to 0 per cent post-PTX. NPSs are more common in patients with PHPT when compared with TX. Patients undergoing PTX have improvements in NPS. NPS scoring should occur in all patients with PHPT and severity of NPS should be considered a relative indication for PTX.

scholarly journals Long-Term Outcomes of a Therapist-Supported, Smartphone-Based Intervention for Elevated Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: Quasiexperimental, Pre-Postintervention Study

10.2196/14284 ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (8) ◽  
pp. e14284 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Economides ◽  
Kristian Ranta ◽  
Albert Nazander ◽  
Outi Hilgert ◽  
Philippe R Goldin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Intention To Treat ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Point Reduction ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Common Mental Health Problems ◽  
Clinically Significant

Background Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders and severely impacts one’s physical, psychological, and social functioning. To address access barriers to care, we developed Ascend—a smartphone-delivered, therapist-supported, 8-week intervention based on several evidence-based psychological treatments for depression and anxiety. A previous feasibility study with 102 adults with elevated depression reported that Ascend is associated with a postintervention reduction in depression symptoms. Objective We aimed to examine whether Ascend is associated with a reduction in symptoms of anxiety, and importantly, whether reductions in symptoms of depression and anxiety are maintained up to 12-months postintervention. Methods We assessed whether the previously reported, end-of-treatment improvements seen in the 102 adults with elevated symptoms of depression extended up to 12 months posttreatment for depression symptoms (measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]) and up to 6 months posttreatment for anxiety symptoms (added to the intervention later and measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 [GAD-7] scale). We used linear mixed effects models with Tukey contrasts to compare time points and reported intention-to-treat statistics with a sensitivity analysis. Results The intervention was associated with reductions in symptoms of depression that were maintained 12 months after the program (6.67-point reduction in PHQ-9 score, 95% CI 5.59-7.75; P<.001; Hedges g=1.14, 95% CI 0.78-1.49). A total of 60% of the participants with PHQ-9 scores above the cutoff for major depression at baseline (PHQ≥10) reported clinically significant improvement at the 12-month follow-up (at least 50% reduction in PHQ-9 score and postprogram score <10). Participants also reported reductions in symptoms of anxiety that were maintained for at least 6 months after the program (4.26-point reduction in GAD-7 score, 95% CI 3.14-5.38; P<.001; Hedges g=0.91, 95% CI 0.54-1.28). Conclusions There is limited evidence on whether outcomes associated with smartphone-based interventions for common mental health problems are maintained posttreatment. Participants who enrolled in Ascend experienced clinically significant reductions in symptoms of depression and anxiety that were maintained for up to 1 year and 6 months after the intervention, respectively. Future randomized trials are warranted to test Ascend as a scalable solution to the treatment of depression and anxiety.

scholarly journals Sex and age differences in clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety among people in Australia in the first month of COVID-19 restrictions: a national survey

BMJ Open ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. e042696
Author(s):  
Karin Hammarberg ◽  
Thach Tran ◽  
Maggie Kirkman ◽  
Jane Fisher
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Age Differences ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Clinically Significant ◽  
Sex And Age Differences ◽  
Disproportionate Burden

ObjectivesTo identify sex and age differences in clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety and the factors associated with these differences among adults in Australia during COVID-19-related restrictions.DesignAnonymous online survey.SettingAustralia.ParticipantsAdults aged over 18 years living in Australia were eligible and 13 829 contributed complete data. Of these, 13 762 identified as female (10 434) or male (3328) and were included in analyses.InterventionsNone.Outcome measuresClinically significant symptoms of depression (≥10 on Patient Health Questionnaire 9) or anxiety (≥10 on Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale 7 (GAD-7)), and experiences of irritability (GAD-7 item 6).ResultsWomen were more likely than men to have clinically significant symptoms of depression (26.3% (95% CI 25.4 to 27.1) vs 20.1% (95% CI 18.7 to 21.5), p<0.001) and anxiety (21.8% (95% CI 21.0 to 22.6) vs 14.2% (95% CI 13.0 to 15.4), p<0.001) and to have experienced irritability in the previous fortnight (63.1% (95% CI 62.1 to 64.0) vs 51.4% (95% CI 49.7 to 53.2), p<0.001). They were also more likely than men to be doing unpaid work caring for children (22.8% (95% CI 22.0 to 23.6) vs 8.6% (95% CI 7.7 to 9.6), p<0.001) and dependent relatives (9.8% (95% CI 9.2 to 10.3) vs 5.7% (95% CI 4.9 to 6.5), p<0.001) which made significant contributions to the mental health outcomes of interest. Loss of employment, fear of contracting COVID-19 and feeling a severe impact of the restrictions were associated with poorer mental health in women and men of all ages.ConclusionsRates of clinically significant symptoms of depression and anxiety were higher among women than men. Rather than being intrinsically more vulnerable to mental health problems during the COVID-19 pandemic, the higher risk of symptoms of anxiety and depression among women may in part be explained by their disproportionate burden of unpaid caregiving.

scholarly journals Long-Term Outcomes of a Therapist-Supported, Smartphone-Based Intervention for Elevated Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety: Quasiexperimental, Pre-Postintervention Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcos Economides ◽  
Kristian Ranta ◽  
Albert Nazander ◽  
Outi Hilgert ◽  
Philippe R Goldin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Depression Symptoms ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Intention To Treat ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Point Reduction ◽  
Patient Health ◽  
Common Mental Health Problems ◽  
Clinically Significant

BACKGROUND Depression is one of the most common mental health disorders and severely impacts one’s physical, psychological, and social functioning. To address access barriers to care, we developed Ascend —a smartphone-delivered, therapist-supported, 8-week intervention based on several evidence-based psychological treatments for depression and anxiety. A previous feasibility study with 102 adults with elevated depression reported that Ascend is associated with a postintervention reduction in depression symptoms. OBJECTIVE We aimed to examine whether Ascend is associated with a reduction in symptoms of anxiety, and importantly, whether reductions in symptoms of depression and anxiety are maintained up to 12 months postintervention. METHODS We assessed whether the previously reported, end-of-treatment improvements seen in the 102 adults with elevated symptoms of depression extended up to 12 months posttreatment for depression symptoms (measured by the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 [PHQ-9]) and up to 6 months posttreatment for anxiety symptoms (added to the intervention later and measured using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 [GAD-7] scale). We used linear mixed effects models with Tukey contrasts to compare time points and reported intention-to-treat statistics with a sensitivity analysis. RESULTS The intervention was associated with reductions in symptoms of depression that were maintained 12 months after the program (6.67-point reduction in PHQ-9 score, 95% CI 5.59-7.75; P<.001; Hedges g=1.14, 95% CI 0.78-1.49). A total of 60% of the participants with PHQ-9 scores above the cutoff for major depression at baseline (PHQ≥10) reported clinically significant improvement at the 12-month follow-up (at least 50% reduction in PHQ-9 score and postprogram score <10). Participants also reported reductions in symptoms of anxiety that were maintained for at least 6 months after the program (4.26-point reduction in GAD-7 score, 95% CI 3.14-5.38; P<.001; Hedges g=0.91, 95% CI 0.54-1.28). CONCLUSIONS There is limited evidence on whether outcomes associated with smartphone-based interventions for common mental health problems are maintained posttreatment. Participants who enrolled in Ascend experienced clinically significant reductions in symptoms of depression and anxiety that were maintained for up to 1 year and 6 months after the intervention, respectively. Future randomized trials are warranted to test Ascend as a scalable solution to the treatment of depression and anxiety.

A fully automated conversational agent with artificial intelligence capabilities (Youper) for treating depression and anxiety: A nonrandomized feasibility trial (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jose Hamilton Vargas ◽  
Thiago Antonio Marafon ◽  
Diego Fernando Couto ◽  
Ricardo Giglio ◽  
Marvin Yan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Financial Incentives ◽  
Empirical Support ◽  
Digital Technologies ◽  
Feasibility Trial ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Conversational Agents ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Viable Solution

BACKGROUND Mental health conditions, including depression and anxiety disorders, are significant global concerns. Many people with these conditions don't get the help they need because of the high costs of medical treatment and the stigma attached to seeking help. Digital technologies represent a viable solution to these challenges. However, these technologies are often characterized by relatively low adherence and their effectiveness largely remains empirical unverified. While digital technologies may represent a viable solution for this persisting problem, they often lack empirical support for their effectiveness and are characterized by relatively low adherence. Conversational agents using artificial intelligence capabilities have the potential to offer a cost-effective, low-stigma and engaging way of getting mental health care. OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and effectiveness of Youper, a mobile application that utilizes a conversational interface and artificial intelligence capabilities to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy-based interventions to reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety in adults. METHODS 1,012 adults with symptoms of depression and anxiety participated in a real-world setting study, entirely remotely, unguided and with no financial incentives, over an 8-week period. Participants completed digital versions of the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) and the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder scale (GAD-7) at baseline, 2, 4, and 8 weeks. RESULTS After the eight-week study period, depression (PHQ-9) scores of participants decreased by 48% while anxiety (GAD-7) scores decreased by 43%. The RCI was outside 2 standard deviations for 93.0% of the individuals in the PHQ-9 assessment and 90.7% in the GAD-7 assessment. Participants were on average 24.79 years old (SD 7.61) and 77% female. On average, participants interacted with Youper 0.9 (SD 1.56) times per week. CONCLUSIONS Results suggest that Youper is a feasible, acceptable, and effective intervention for adults with depression and anxiety. CLINICALTRIAL Since this study involved a nonclinical population, it wasn't registered in a public trials registry.

The effects of short-term mindfulness-based group intervention utilising a school setting for Japanese adolescents with trauma

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-6
Author(s):  
Daisuke Ito ◽  
Yuki Kubo ◽  
Ayako Takii ◽  
Asuka Watanabe ◽  
Tetsuhiro Ohtani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
High School Students ◽  
Group Intervention ◽  
School Setting ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Depression And Anxiety ◽  
Short Term ◽  
School Students ◽  
Japanese Adolescents ◽  
Intervention Session

Abstract The use of mindfulness as a tool to improve mental health has received increased attention. Schools provide ideal environments for short-term prevention and skill development for mental health. Further, teachers can promote and reinforce students’ daily use of mindfulness. This study explored the effects of a short-term group mindfulness-based intervention on the mental health of adolescents who have experienced trauma. A total of 49 high school students received a mindfulness-based intervention session followed by homework and teacher reinforcement. The results suggest that a short-term group intervention for mindfulness can potentially improve mindfulness attention awareness and reduce depression and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. As there was no control group, additional research examining the effectiveness of the intervention is essential.

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