Intervention to Reduce Anxiety Pre- and Post-Eye Surgery in Pediatric Patients in South Korea: A Preliminary Quasi-Experimental Study

In this study, we aimed to identify the effect of preoperative information on postoperative anxiety among children undergoing one-day eye surgery. We utilized a nonequivalent control group and a pretest–posttest quasi-experimental design. The participants were 15 children in the experimental group and 15 children in the control group. Preoperative information was provided to the experimental group in the waiting room. Anxiety level was measured using the Children’s Emotional Manifestation Scale and pulse rate. For pulse rate, there were no statistically significant differences between the groups. In the behavioral anxiety response, there were statistically significant differences between the experimental and control groups (Z = −4.15, p < 0.001). The results suggest that the provision of preoperative information can be an effective intervention for reducing postoperative anxiety and improving the health of children undergoing surgery.

Healthcare Workers' Resilience Mediates the Influence of Organizational Commitment and Anxiety Response to Viral Epidemic on Their Quality of Life in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: In the COVID-19 pandemic era, healthcare workers suffer from psychological problems such as anxiety in response to the viral epidemic and it may decrease their quality of life (QoL). The aim of this study was to explore the influence of healthcare workers' stress and anxiety response to the viral epidemic and their organizational commitment on their QoL. We also explored the mediating effect of resilience on any association.Methods: From January 28, 2021, to January 29, 2021, 389 workers responded to an online survey that included the rating scales Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-9 items (SAVE-9), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Brief Resilience Scale (BRS), Organizational Commitment Questionnaire (OCQ), and the WHO-5 well-being index.Results: A better QoL (WHO well-being index top 25%) of healthcare workers during the COVID-19 pandemic era was predicted by low stress and anxiety in response to the viral epidemic [SAVE-9, adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 0.92, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.87–0.97], a high level of resilience (BRS, aOR = 1.26, 95%CI 1.15–1.37), and high organizational commitment (OCQ, aOR = 1.04, 95%CI 1.02–1.07). Mediation analysis showed that resilience partially mediated the effects of stress/anxiety in response to the viral epidemic and the organizational commitment on the quality of life.Conclusion: We observed that the stress and anxiety of healthcare workers in response to the viral epidemic and organizational commitment influenced their QOL. Their resilience mediated the relationship between their psychological problems and QOL.

Distance Learning and Student Anxiety at Palangkaraya University

The Covid-19 pandemic has had a profound effect on the entire world, including the field of education. Students at the Faculty of Medicine experience anxiety due to distance learning. The purpose of this study was to ascertain the extent to which distance learning affects the anxiety level of students at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Palangkaraya. The research was conducted using a descriptive quantitative design. The population for this study was comprised of all students at the University of Palangkaraya's Faculty of Medicine and 219 individuals. The modified Halmilton Anxiety Rating Scale was used as the research instrument (HARS). The findings indicated that the greatest challenge encountered during distance learning was the absence of direct practical work (39 %). According to the level of anxiety, 141 respondents (64.38%) reported experiencing no symptoms of anxiety, 48 respondents (21.91%) reported experiencing mild anxiety, 22 respondents (10.04 %) reported experiencing moderate anxiety symptoms, and eight respondents (3.67%) reported experiencing severe anxiety. When anxiety symptoms manifest, the behavioral response manifests the highest percentage of mild anxiety symptoms, at 43.83%; the cognitive response manifests at 29.22 %; and the physiological and affective responses manifest at the same rate, at 26.48 %. The moderate and severe anxiety levels indicated that cognitive responses accounted for the highest anxiety response, at 18.27 % and 8.19 %, respectively. The study's conclusion indicates that distance education has a variable effect on the emergence of anxiety in medical faculty students at the University of Palangka Raya. As a result, support from various stakeholders is required to pay attention to the impact of distance learning on students.

Perceptions and Anxiety Level of Students during Administration of Local Anesthesia

Objective: To assess perceptions and anxiety levels of dental students during administration of local anesthesia Study Design & Setting: This comparative cross sectional study was conceived in Foundation University Dental College and conducted in multiple institutes after endorsement from the ethical committee of the university from August – October 2021. Methodology: The questionnaire comprised of three sections which included demographic profile section, perceptions, and experience of administration of mandibular, maxillary, or inferior alveolar nerve block on the 5-point Likert’s scale and comparative anxiety analysis before, during or after local anesthetic administration with interval scale of anxiety response. Results: It was found that 311 (81.8%) dental students/professionals were anxious (cumulative response of “little nervous” and above) before administrating local anesthesia injection. It was found that students were significantly more anxious during and after local anesthesia administration as compared to clinical practitioners (p<0.001). About 89% of the responders agreed to the usefulness of video demonstration while 98% agreed to the usefulness of hands-on practice of local anesthesia administration techniques Conclusion: Students were significantly more anxious during and after local anesthesia administration as compared to clinical practitioners. Video demonstration and hands-on practice are useful adjuvants in the reduction of local anesthesia administration anxiety

Parents' Psychological Aspect in Caring for the Child During COVID-19 Pandemic

Introduction: COVID-19 is unprecedented, especially for parents with children aged 2-12 years old who are prone to infection due to their activities. The psychological condition of parents will be affected as they are worried about their children being infected with COVID-19.Methods: This study aims to identify and analyse the psychological aspects of parents who are caring for children during the COVID-19 pandemic.Results: The results showed that as many as 236 parents (80.9%) showed an emotional anxiety response. The social reaction to the COVID-19 situation was more likely to be a positive response (73.8%) rather than a negative response.Conclusion: The reactions that occur in parents who have pre-school and school-aged children regarding the COVID-19 were anxiety and worry. Reactions arise due to the information obtained being less verifiable, namely social media.

Social Isolation, Loneliness and Generalized Anxiety: Implications and Associations during the COVID-19 Quarantine

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a predominantly global quarantine response that has been associated with social isolation, loneliness, and anxiety. The foregoing experiences have been amply documented to have profound impacts on health, morbidity, and mortality. This narrative review uses the extant neurobiological and theoretical literature to explore the association between social isolation, loneliness, and anxiety in the context of quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Emerging evidence suggests that distinct health issues (e.g., a sedentary lifestyle, a diminished overall sense of well-being) are associated with social isolation and loneliness. The health implications of social isolation and loneliness during quarantine have a heterogenous and comorbid nature and, as a result, form a link to anxiety. The limbic system plays a role in fear and anxiety response; the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, amygdala, HPA axis, hippocampus, prefrontal cortex, insula, and locus coeruleus have an impact in a prolonged anxious state. In the conclusion, possible solutions are considered and remarks are made on future areas of exploration.

Preventing adolescent synaptic pruning in mouse prelimbic cortex via local knockdown of α4βδ GABAA receptors increases anxiety response in adulthood

Anxiety is increasingly reported, especially in adolescent females. The etiology is largely unknown, which limits effective treatment. Layer 5 prelimbic cortex (L5PL) increases anxiety responses but undergoes adolescent synaptic pruning, raising the question of the impact of pruning on anxiety. Here we show that preventing L5PL pruning increases anxiety in response to an aversive event in adolescent and adult female mice. Spine density of Golgi-stained neurons decreased ~ 63% from puberty (~ PND35, vaginal opening) to post-puberty (PND56, P < 0.0001). Expression of α4βδ GABAA receptors (GABARs) transiently increased tenfold in L5PL at puberty (P < 0.00001), but decreased post-pubertally. Both global and local knockdown of these receptors during puberty prevented pruning, increasing spine density post-pubertally (P < 0.0001), an effect reversed by blocking NMDA receptors (NMDARs). Pubertal expression of the NMDAR-dependent spine protein kalirin7 decreased (50%, P < 0.0001), an effect prevented by α4 knock-out, suggesting that α4βδ-induced reductions in kalirin7 underlie pruning. Increased spine density due to local α4 knockdown at puberty decreased open arm time on the elevated plus maze post-pubertally (62%, P < 0.0001) in response to an aversive stimulus, suggesting that increases in L5PL synapses increase anxiety responses. These findings suggest that prelimbic synaptic pruning is necessary to limit anxiety in adulthood and may suggest novel therapies.

Analisa Faktor Yang Berhubungan Dengan Kecemasan Ibu di Ruang Nicu dan Nhcudi di Rumah Sakit Panti Rapih Yogyakarta

ABSTRACT Background: Hospitalization is the entry of individuals into the hospital as a patient to get help in medical care or treatment. Intensive care for neonates who are treated in the NICU or NHCU will cause anxiety and worry for the baby's mother. Anxiety is a vague fear accompanied by feelings of uncertainty and discomfort. Anxiety response is the most common thing experienced by mothers when there are health problems in their babies. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the factors associated with maternal anxiety in the NICU and NHCU rooms at Panti Rapih Hospital, Yogyakarta. Methods: This study uses a quantitative, analytic survey design with a cross sectional approach. The population in this study were all mothers who had babies who were treated in the NICU and NHCU rooms at Panti Rapih Hospital, Yogyakarta. Sample of 35 respondents was obtained by accidental sampling technique. The research instrument used is a questionnaire. Results: There was a significant relationship between age (p-value: 0.039), education (p-value: 0.028), occupation (p-value: 0.010), economic status (p-value: 0.003), length of stay (p-value : 0.015), and there is no significant relationship between the environment and maternal anxiety (p-value: 0.551). Conclusion: The factors that were related to the anxiety of mothers in the NICU and NHCU rooms at Panti Rapih Hospital Yogyakarta were age, education, occupation, economic status and length of stay. The unrelated factor is the environment. Suggestions for NICU and NHCU nurses are expected to increase education about the condition of the baby to the baby's mother and teach the mother in caring for her baby.

Application of Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-6 Items (SAVE-6) to Public Workers for Measuring Their Anxiety Response During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objective: This study aimed to compare the adaptability of the adapted version of Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-9 (SAVE-9) for public workers and the SAVE-6 scale and to validate them among public workers who are on the frontline of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.Methods: A total of 300 public workers responded to the anonymous online survey during April 1–12, 2021. Principal component analysis was conducted with varimax rotation to explore the factor structure of this scale. Confirmatory factor analysis was also used to explore construct validity. Spearman correlation analysis of the scale with the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) and the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was performed to explore the convergent validity. The cut-off score in accordance with the mild degree of generalized anxiety symptoms (GAD-7 score of 5) was defined using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis.Findings: The single-structure model of each scale (the adapted version of SAVE-9 and SAVE-6) was adopted based on the results of the parallel analysis. Because SAVE-6 showed good construct validity, but the adapted version of SAVE-9 did not, we adopted to apply the SAVE-6 scale to assess the anxiety response of public workers in response to the viral epidemic. SAVE-6 showed good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.817; McDonald's Omega = 0.818) and good convergent validity with GAD-7 (rho = 0.417, p &lt; 0.001) and PHQ-9 (rho = 0.317, p &lt; 0.001) scale scores. The appropriate cut-off score for SAVE-6 was determined to be ≥ 16.Conclusion: The SAVE-6 scale, as compared to the public workers' version of SAVE-9, is a reliable and valid rating scale to assess the work-related stress and anxiety of public workers due to the viral epidemic.

Peroxiredoxin 6 Knockout Mice Demonstrate Anxiety Behavior and Attenuated Contextual Fear Memory after Receiving Acute Immobilization Stress

Stress can elicit glucocorticoid release to promote coping mechanisms and influence learning and memory performance. Individual memory performance varies in response to stress, and the underlying mechanism is not clear yet. Peroxiredoxin 6 (PRDX6) is a multifunctional enzyme participating in both physiological and pathological conditions. Several studies have demonstrated the correlation between PRDX6 expression level and stress-related disorders. Our recent finding indicates that lack of the Prdx6 gene leads to enhanced fear memory. However, it is unknown whether PRDX6 is involved in changes in anxiety response and memory performance upon stress. The present study reveals that hippocampal PRDX6 level is downregulated 30 min after acute immobilization stress (AIS) and trace fear conditioning (TFC). In human retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19) cells, the PRDX6 expression level decreases after being treated with stress hormone corticosterone. Lack of PRDX6 caused elevated basal H2O2 levels in the hippocampus, basolateral amygdala, and medial prefrontal cortex, brain regions involved in anxiety response and fear memory formation. Additionally, this H2O2 level was still high in the medial prefrontal cortex of the knockout mice under AIS. Anxiety behavior of Prdx6−/− mice was enhanced after immobilization for 30 min. After exposure to AIS before a contextual test, Prdx6−/− mice displayed a contextual fear memory deficit. Our results showed that the memory performance of Prdx6−/− mice was impaired when responding to AIS, accompanied by dysregulated H2O2 levels. The present study helps better understand the function of PRDX6 in memory performance after acute stress.