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Norweg A, Hofferber B, Oh C, Spinner M, Stavrolakes K, Pavol M, DiMango A, Raveis VH, Murphy CG, Allegrante JP, Buchholz D, Zarate A, Simon N. Capnography-Assisted Learned, Monitored (CALM) breathing therapy for dysfunctional breathing in COPD: A bridge to pulmonary rehabilitation. Contemp Clin Trials 2023; 134:107340. [PMID: 37730198 DOI: 10.1016/j.cct.2023.107340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 07/20/2023] [Accepted: 09/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although dyspnea is a primary symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), its treatment is suboptimal. In both COPD and acute anxiety, breathing patterns become dysregulated, contributing to abnormal CO2, dyspnea, and inefficient recovery from breathing challenges. While pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) improves dyspnea, only 1-2% of patients access it. Individuals with anxiety who use PR have worse outcomes. METHODS We present the protocol of a randomized controlled trial designed to determine the feasibility and acceptability of a new, four-week mind-body intervention that we developed, called "Capnography-Assisted Learned, Monitored (CALM) Breathing," as an adjunct to PR. Eligible participants are randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either CALM Breathing program or Usual Care. CALM Breathing consists of 10 core, slow breathing exercises combined with real time biofeedback (of end-tidal CO2, respiratory rate, and airflow) and motivational interviewing. CALM Breathing promotes self-regulated breathing, linking CO2 changes to dyspnea and anxiety symptoms and targeting breathing efficiency and self-efficacy in COPD. Participants are randomized to CALM Breathing or a Usual Care control group. RESULTS Primary outcomes include feasibility and acceptability metrics of recruitment efficiency, participant retention, intervention adherence and fidelity, PR facilitation, patient satisfaction, and favorable themes from interviews. Secondary outcomes include breathing biomarkers, symptoms, health-related quality of life, six-minute walk distance, lung function, mood, physical activity, and PR utilization and engagement. CONCLUSION By disrupting the cycle of dyspnea and anxiety, and providing a needed bridge to PR, CALM Breathing may address a substantive gap in healthcare and optimize treatment for patients with COPD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Norweg
- Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Brittany Hofferber
- Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Cheongeun Oh
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Spinner
- Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kimberly Stavrolakes
- Outpatient Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program, New York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marykay Pavol
- Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Angela DiMango
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Victoria H Raveis
- Department of Cariology and Comprehensive Care, College of Dentistry, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Charles G Murphy
- Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - John P Allegrante
- Department of Health and Behavior Studies, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - David Buchholz
- Department of Primary Care, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA
| | - Alejandro Zarate
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
| | - Naomi Simon
- Department of Psychiatry, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
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2
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Newman MG, Basterfield C, Erickson TM, Caulley E, Przeworski A, Llera SJ. Psychotherapeutic treatments for generalized anxiety disorder: cognitive and behavioral therapies, enhancement strategies, and emerging efforts. Expert Rev Neurother 2022; 22:751-770. [PMID: 36107159 PMCID: PMC9754763 DOI: 10.1080/14737175.2022.2125800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is common and disabling. Different versions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) have been tested, but no treatment works for everyone. Therefore, researchers have attempted approaches to enhance CBT. AREAS COVERED The current narrative review examines meta-analyses and individual trials of CBT-based treatments for GAD. We focus on CBT and its cognitive and behavioral components as well as efforts to enhance CBT and its dissemination and generalizability. Enhancement efforts included interpersonal and emotional processing therapy, mindfulness-based CBT, emotion regulation therapy, intolerance of uncertainty therapy, the unified protocol, metacognitive therapy, motivational interviewing, and contrast avoidance targeted treatment. Emerging strategies to enhance dissemination have focused on technologically based treatments. Attempts at generalizability have included examination of efficacy within diverse racial and ethnic groups. EXPERT OPINION We conclude that CBT is efficacious, and a number of enhancement efforts have shown some promise in improving upon CBT in single trials. However, more research is needed, particularly efforts to determine which enhancements work best for which individuals and what are the mechanisms of change. Furthermore, few technological interventions have been compared to active treatments. Finally, much more attention needs to be paid to ethnic and racial diversity in randomized controlled trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle G Newman
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Thane M Erickson
- Department of Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Evan Caulley
- Department of Psychology, Seattle Pacific University, Seattle, Washington, USA
| | - Amy Przeworski
- Department of Psychology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Sandra J Llera
- Department of Psychology, Towson University, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
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3
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Keefe JR, Chambless DL, Barber JP, Milrod BL. Predictors and moderators of treatment dropout in cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic therapies for panic disorder. Psychother Res 2021; 31:432-442. [PMID: 32584211 DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2020.1784487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Panic disorder patients who drop out of treatment typically do not remit from their disorder. How patient-level moderators influence dropping out of one panic-focused treatment over another has never been examined, nor in non-CBT treatments. Method: 200 patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia were randomized to receive cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), panic-focused psychodynamic psychotherapy (PFPP), or applied relaxation training (ART) across two sites. Therapy was twice a week for 12 weeks. A two-step variable search method was applied to identify potential prognostic predictors and moderators of patient dropout. Survival models predicting hazard of session-by-session dropout tested the resulting variables. Results: Across treatments, unemployment and higher psychosocial disability on the Sheehan Disability Scale predicted increased risk of dropout, while patients with higher anxiety sensitivity were more likely to complete treatment. Patients who reported experiencing childhood abuse had heightened dropout in ART, but not CBT or PFPP. Men were especially likely to complete PFPP. Session 2 expectancies and patient-rated alliance predicted lower dropout only in CBT. Conclusions: Patient-level factors may influence both whether patients will complete any treatment, and whether they continue in a particular panic-focused therapy. Moderators of dropout (e.g., abuse history) may inform treatment decisions for specific patients.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00353470.
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Affiliation(s)
- John R Keefe
- Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY, USA
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4
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Rashtbari A, Saed O. Contrast avoidance model of worry and generalized anxiety disorder: A theoretical perspective. COGENT PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/23311908.2020.1800262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alireza Rashtbari
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
| | - Omid Saed
- Department of Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Zanjan University of Medical Sciences, Zanjan, Iran
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5
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Boeke EA, Holmes AJ, Phelps EA. Toward Robust Anxiety Biomarkers: A Machine Learning Approach in a Large-Scale Sample. BIOLOGICAL PSYCHIATRY. COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE AND NEUROIMAGING 2020; 5:799-807. [PMID: 31447329 PMCID: PMC6925354 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpsc.2019.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2019] [Revised: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The field of psychiatry has long sought biomarkers that can objectively diagnose patients, predict treatment response, or identify individuals at risk of illness onset. However, reliable psychiatric biomarkers have yet to emerge. The recent application of machine learning techniques to develop neuroimaging-based biomarkers has yielded promising preliminary results. However, much of the work in this domain has not met best practice standards from the field of machine learning. This is especially true for studies of anxiety, creating uncertainty about the potential for anxiety biomarker development. METHODS We applied machine learning tools to predict trait anxiety from neuroimaging measurements in humans. Using publicly available data from the Brain Genomics Superstruct Project, we compared a suite of neuroimaging-based machine learning models predicting anxiety within a discovery sample (n = 531, 307 women) via k-fold cross-validation, and we tested the final model (a stacked model incorporating region-to-region functional connectivity, amygdala seed-to-voxel connectivity, and volumetric and cortical thickness data) in a held-out, unseen test sample (n = 348, 209 women). RESULTS Though the best model was able to predict anxiety within the discovery sample (cross-validated R2 of .06, permutation test p < .001), the generalization test within the holdout sample failed (R2 of -.04, permutation test p > .05). CONCLUSIONS In this study, we did not find evidence of a generalizable anxiety biomarker. However, we encourage other researchers to investigate this topic, utilizing large samples and proper methodology, to clarify the potential of neuroimaging-based anxiety biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily A Boeke
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, New York
| | - Avram J Holmes
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut; Department of Psychiatry, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
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6
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Arndt A, Rubel J, Berger T, Lutz W. Outpatient and self-referred participants: Adherence to treatment components and outcome in an internet intervention targeting anxiety disorders. Internet Interv 2020; 20:100319. [PMID: 32346518 PMCID: PMC7178477 DOI: 10.1016/j.invent.2020.100319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 02/14/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE While adherence is an important factor influencing the effectiveness of internet interventions, many studies operationalize adherence only by the number of sessions and do not report adherence to specific treatment components. The goal of this study was to investigate adherence to treatment components as well as outcome in outpatients and self-referred participants who participated in an internet intervention targeting anxiety. METHOD Outpatients (N = 50) were compared to self-referred (N = 37) participants and a matched outpatient waitlist sample (based on nearest neighbor matching): Using t-test and χ2 tests adherence to treatment components based on the number of completed exercises was compared between participant groups. A 2 × 2 repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare pre-to post symptom change between participant groups. Primary measures included the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) and the Mini Social Phobia Inventory (Mini-SPIN). Using nonparametric bootstrap analyses number of sessions and adherence to treatment components were investigated as potential mediators of the relationship between participant group and outcome. Finally, predictors of adherence to treatment components in outpatient participants were investigated using LASSO and logistic regression. RESULTS Self-referred participants were more adherent than outpatient participants, however the groups did not differ significantly in outcome. Outpatient participants who adhered to relaxation showed greater improvement during the waiting period than the matched outpatient waitlist sample. The effect of participant group on outcome was mediated via adherence to exposure and number of sessions. CONCLUSIONS In internet interventions adherence to treatment components differs between participant groups and has a mediating effect on treatment outcome. Therefore, it should be fostered, especially when participants are not self-referred. In line with these findings more studies should investigate relevant participant characteristics in more depth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Arndt
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Trier, Germany
| | - Julian Rubel
- Department of Psychotherapy Research, Justus-Liebig-University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Thomas Berger
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Bern, Switzerland
| | - Wolfgang Lutz
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Trier, Germany,Corresponding author at: Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, University of Trier, Am Wissenschaftspark 25+27, D-54286 Trier, Germany.
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7
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Kim H, Newman MG. The paradox of relaxation training: Relaxation induced anxiety and mediation effects of negative contrast sensitivity in generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. J Affect Disord 2019; 259:271-278. [PMID: 31450137 PMCID: PMC7288612 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2019.08.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 08/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Contrast Avoidance Model postulates that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) fear a sharp spike in negative emotion, and thus, prefer to worry to maintain their negative affect rather than being in a more euthymic state, such as relaxation. Relaxation induced anxiety (RIA) is a paradoxical phenomenon wherein people experience a spike in their anxiety during relaxation training. Because these phenomena may be related and may also operate among individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD), we attempted to test whether negative contrast sensitivity was a mediator of GAD or MDD in the prediction of RIA. METHODS Individuals with GAD (n = 32), MDD (n = 34), and healthy controls (n = 30) were exposed to a negative emotional contrast by engaging with relaxation practice and then watching a negative emotional video. This was followed by the assessment of their negative contrast sensitivity. After this, participants engaged again with relaxation and RIA was measured. We examined mediation effects of negative contrast on the relationship between diagnostic status and RIA. RESULTS Negative contrast sensitivity fully mediated GAD and partially mediated MDD in predicting RIA. CONCLUSIONS Our findings support the hypotheses that negative contrast sensitivity is the mediator of both GAD and MDD in predicting RIA. This may have implications for assessment and treatment of GAD and MDD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanjoo Kim
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, United States.
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8
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Calvo-Francés F, Barraza-Illanes P. Differential effects of the different Short Self-Applied Relaxation Therapy (SART) components on anxiety, activation and stress / Efectos diferenciales de los distintos componentes de la Relajación Breve Sugestiva Auto aplicada (RBSA) sobre la ansiedad, la activación y el estrés. STUDIES IN PSYCHOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1080/02109395.2019.1585166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022] Open
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9
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Lang AJ, Malaktaris AL, Casmar P, Baca SA, Golshan S, Harrison T, Negi L. Compassion Meditation for Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Veterans: A Randomized Proof of Concept Study. J Trauma Stress 2019; 32:299-309. [PMID: 30929283 DOI: 10.1002/jts.22397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 12/04/2018] [Accepted: 12/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
There is considerable interest in developing complementary and integrative approaches for ameliorating posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Compassion meditation (CM) and loving-kindness meditation appear to offer benefits to individuals with PTSD, including symptom reduction. The present study was a pilot randomized controlled trial of CM for PTSD in veterans. The CM condition, an adaptation of Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT®), consists of exercises to stabilize attention, develop present-moment awareness, and foster compassion. We compared CM to Veteran.calm (VC), which consists of psychoeducation about PTSD, rationale for relaxation, relaxation training, and sleep hygiene. Both conditions consist of 10 weekly 90-min group sessions with between-session practice assignments. A total of 28 veterans attended at least one session of the group intervention and completed pre- and posttreatment measures of PTSD severity and secondary outcomes as well as weekly measures of PTSD, depressive symptoms, and positive and negative emotions. Measures of treatment credibility, attendance, practice compliance, and satisfaction were administered to assess feasibility. A repeated measures analysis of variance revealed a more substantive reduction in PTSD symptoms in the CM condition than in the VC condition, between-group d = -0.85. Credibility, attendance, and satisfaction were similar across CM and VC conditions thus demonstrating the feasibility of CM and the appropriateness of VC as a comparison condition. The findings of this initial randomized pilot study provide rationale for future studies examining the efficacy and effectiveness of CM for veterans with PTSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel J Lang
- VA San Diego Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,Department of Family Medicine and Public Health, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Anne L Malaktaris
- VA San Diego Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health, San Diego, California, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Pollyanna Casmar
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Selena A Baca
- Veterans Medical Research Foundation, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Shahrokh Golshan
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA.,VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, California, USA
| | | | - Lobsang Negi
- Department of Religion, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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Newman MG, Shin KE, Lanza ST. Time-varying moderation of treatment outcomes by illness duration and comorbid depression in generalized anxiety disorder. J Consult Clin Psychol 2019; 87:282-293. [PMID: 30714750 PMCID: PMC6632089 DOI: 10.1037/ccp0000385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To extend the sparse literature on moderators, we used time-varying effect modeling (TVEM; Tan, Shiyko, Li, Li, & Dierker, 2012) to examine how depressive symptoms and duration of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) moderated effects of 3 treatments for GAD (applied relaxation [AR], cognitive-behavioral therapy [CBT], and nondirective therapy [ND]) over time using intensive repeated measures. METHOD In a secondary analysis of Borkovec and Costello (1993), 66 GAD clients were randomly assigned to AR (n = 23), CBT (n = 23), or ND (n = 20). Clients received 12 therapy sessions over 6 weeks, and after 2 weeks of posttreatment assessment, had 2 additional weekly fading sessions. They completed thrice daily anxiety ratings during this 10-week period. GAD duration (Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule-Revised) and depressive symptoms (Hamilton Depression Rating Scale) were assessed at baseline. RESULTS Longer GAD duration predicted less anxiety reduction in CBT and ND relative to AR. These effects were pronounced in the later phase of treatment, suggesting benefits of focused relaxation practice for clients with longer duration. Higher depression predicted better response to CBT than AR and ND. The moderation effects were also more noticeable in the later phase. In multilevel analyses, a similar moderation pattern held at 1-year follow-up on clinician-rated measures. CONCLUSION GAD clients with long-standing symptoms may benefit more from repeatedly practicing fewer skills than learning multiple skills. On the other hand, clients with comorbid depression may respond better to CBT than AR, perhaps because CBT includes cognitive interventions that can generalize to depression. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ki Eun Shin
- Department of Psychology, Pennsylvania State University
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11
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A neurobehavioral account for decentering as the salve for the distressed mind. Curr Opin Psychol 2019; 28:285-293. [PMID: 31059966 DOI: 10.1016/j.copsyc.2019.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2018] [Revised: 01/21/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Distress is commonly characterized by prolonged internal suffering that can range from self-focused processing of negative emotions and stressors, to highly intensely aversive and prolonged emotional states, thereby, worsening or complicating emotional and physical conditions. Decentering represents a metacognitive capacity thought to reflect three interrelated processes: meta-awareness, disidentification from internal experience, and reduced reactivity to thought content-which is reliably increased with mindfulness-based interventions. In this essay, we seek to link the clinical presentation of distress disorders to known or hypothesized disruptions in neural networks that underlie emotion, cognition, and goal directed behavior, and offer a neurobehavioral account for how and why treatments imbued with mindfulness meditation might ameliorate these conditions, in part through increases in decentering.
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12
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Jacobson NC, Roche MJ. Current evolutionary adaptiveness of anxiety: Extreme phenotypes of anxiety predict increased fertility across multiple generations. J Psychiatr Res 2018; 106:82-90. [PMID: 30296705 PMCID: PMC6219631 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2018.10.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2018] [Revised: 09/12/2018] [Accepted: 10/01/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Although recent research has begun to examine the impact of elevated anxiety on evolutionary fitness, no prior research has examined anxiety across a continuum. Such research is important as the effect of traits across a continuum on fertility hold important implications for the levels and distribution of the traits in later generations. METHOD In a three-generational sample (N = 2657) the linear and quadratic relationship between anxiety and the number of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren 15 years later was examined. RESULTS The findings suggested that anxiety had a positive quadratic relationship with the number of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren 15 years later. These relationships were not significantly moderated by sex. Moreover, most of the variance between anxiety and the number of great-grandchildren was explained by anxiety's influence on the number of children and grandchildren, as opposed to anxiety having an independent direct impact on the number of great-grandchildren. CONCLUSION These findings suggest that extreme values from the mean anxiety are associated with increased evolutionary fitness within the modern environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas C Jacobson
- Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, The Pennsylvania State University, United States.
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13
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Llera SJ, Newman MG. Development and validation of two measures of emotional contrast avoidance: The contrast avoidance questionnaires. J Anxiety Disord 2017; 49:114-127. [PMID: 28500921 PMCID: PMC8765496 DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2017.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2016] [Revised: 03/26/2017] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The Contrast Avoidance (CA) model (Newman & Llera, 2011) proposed that individuals with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) fear sharp emotional shifts (or contrasts), such as the shift from a pleasant or neutral state to one of sudden distress following a negative event. Further, the model suggests that chronic worry is employed by those with GAD to sustain negative emotionality as a means to avoid sudden shifts into negativity. The model has received empirical support; however, no validated measure exists to assess CA tendencies. In this paper we developed and tested two measures of CA: one focusing on worry, and another examining broader mechanisms of CA that could be used test whether CA is applicable to other disorders. In Study 1, Part 1, we used 3 samples of participants (each N=410) to perform item reduction, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis. In Study 1, Part 2, we performed tests of construct validity. In Study 2, we used a new sample (N=126) to determine test-retest reliability. All data point to the strong psychometric properties of the CA questionnaires and their relationship to GAD. Both measures distinguished between participants reporting clinical levels of GAD symptoms and nonanxious controls, demonstrating their utility as complementary measures of CA tendencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra J. Llera
- Department of Psychology, Towson University, United States,Corresponding author at: Department of Psychology, Towson University, 8000 York Road, Towson, MD 21252, United States. (S.J. Llera)
| | - Michelle G. Newman
- Department of Psychology, The Pennsylvania State University, United States
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