ABSTRACT
In response to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, many individuals turned to synchronous online video communication technologies as a substitute for real-world face-to-face interactions. Evidence indicates that some users of such technologies show symptoms of exhaustion and fatigue during and after videoconferences – this phenomenon is referred to as Videoconference Fatigue (VC fatigue). Research characterizing the possible vulnerability factors for VC fatigue is still scarce and considered to be in its early stage. Contributing to closing this gap in the existing literature is the motivation for the present study. Survey data was collected from 311 German-speaking participants to explore the relationships of VC fatigue with several psychological factors including autistic traits, social phobia, Fear of COVID-19, tendencies towards Internet Use Disorders (IUD tendencies), and Fear of Missing Out (FoMO, trait and state variables). Results showed that VC fatigue was significantly positively correlated with all of these psychological factors, and mediation analyses provided further evidence for the positive association between autistic traits and VC fatigue. Specifically, the relationship between autistic traits and VC fatigue was mediated by Fear of COVID-19 and IUD tendencies rather than social phobia, with the latter being a preregistered hypothesis. This study adds to the literature by revealing several possible vulnerability factors associated with VC fatigue. In essence, the present work sheds light on the complex association between autistic traits and VC fatigue. We discuss the implications of our study as well as its limitations and potential avenues for future research.
ABSTRACT
Misophonia is a condition in which individuals suffer a wide range of intense emotions in response to sound triggers. Emotions such as anxiety, irritability, and disgust may lead individuals to engage in avoidance behaviors to escape or suppress sound triggers. Transdiagnostic treatment may serve as a practical intervention for misophonia as it addresses a broad scope of emotions and physiological sensations. This paper presents the first reported case example of misophonia treated with a transdiagnostic treatment protocol, the Unified Protocol for Emotional Disorders in Adolescents (UP-A). In this case, the UP-A was efficacious in treating a client with autism spectrum disorder, comorbid misophonia and anxiety symptoms. The client evidenced reliable change in misophonia and related problems. Future research should investigate the efficacy of the UP-A in a larger sample of youth with misophonia, as well as assess mechanisms of change in transdiagnostic treatment of this disorder in youth.Copyright © 2022 Society of Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychology.
ABSTRACT
Background: Gaming addiction is a compulsive mental health condition that can have severe negative consequences on a person's life. As online gaming has increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, studies have shown a heightened risk of mental health issues. This study aims to assess the prevalence of severe phobia and addiction to online gaming among Arab adolescents and identify risk factors associated with these disorders. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted across 11 Arab nations. Participants were recruited using convenience sampling through an online survey distributed on social media platforms in 11 Arab countries. The survey included demographic questions, the Nine-item Internet Gaming Disorder Scale-Short Form (IGDS-SF9) to measure participants' online gaming addiction, the Social Phobia Scale (SPS), and questions assessing the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of internet gaming addiction. The data were analyzed using SPSS win statistical package version 26. Results: Out of 2,458 participants, 2,237 were included in the sample due to non-response and missing data. The average age of the participants was 19.9 ± 4.8 years, and the majority were Egyptian and unmarried. 69% of the participants reported playing more than usual since the COVID-19 pandemic, as they were confined to their homes. Higher social phobia scores were associated with being single, male, and Egyptian. Participants from Egypt and those who felt that the pandemic significantly increased their gaming time had higher scores for online gaming addiction. Several major criteria, such as playing hours per day and beginning gaming at an early age, were associated with a higher level of online gaming addiction with social phobia. Conclusion: The study's findings suggest that there is a high prevalence of internet gaming addiction among Arab adolescents and young adults who play online games. The results also indicate a significant association between social phobia and several sociodemographic factors, which may inform future interventions and treatments for individuals with gaming addiction and social phobia.
ABSTRACT
Over decades research has been conducted to measure connections between playing video games and mental health. Fewer studies have examined individual differences in motivations to play video games as an explaining factor in negative mental health symptoms experienced by adult gamers. This study utilized the Gaming Motivation Scale (GAMS) to capture the relationship between different types of motivation to play and negative mental health outcomes (anxiety, depression, and social phobia). Participants were 77 adults (age 18-40 81% male) who play 20 or more hours of video games a week. To mitigate the potential, influence the COVID-19 pandemic had on gaming habits, participants were asked to identify gaming habits prior to COVID-19 (between March 2019-Febuary 2020) and after (since March 2020). The study's hypotheses were that higher endorsements of "amotivation scores" on the GAMS will correlate with higher depression scores;that those who endorse higher "introjected regulation" will show higher levels of depression, anxiety, and social phobia scores;and that those who endorse higher "integrated regulation" will have lower levels of anxiety, social phobia, and depression scores. It was found that the GAMS was not a significant predictor of mental health problems, and no relationships were found between number of hours spent playing, motivation type, and mental health outcomes. Although the hypotheses were not supported, the results give rise to a possible interpretation: That adults who spent a large amount of time playing video games do not necessarily experience mental health problems. The overall levels of clinical depression, anxiety, or social phobia were in fact fairly low. Motivation to play video games and time spent playing do not necessarily correlate with mental health itself. Even though the number of hours spent playing video games increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, time spent playing did not correlate with negative mental health symptoms. With a history of stigma towards video games, the study's findings may reiterate the importance of comprehensive assessment to create stronger distinctions between clients who present with clinically significant uses and those who engage with gaming in the context of a passion or a hobby. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The present dissertation focuses on patterns of emotions and emotional experiences of individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) in their daily lives. Much of the research on SAD has been conducted in controlled laboratory settings which prioritize internal validity at the expense of external validity. This literature has contributed significantly to our understanding of the disorder. However, examining SAD outside of the lab and its influence on participants' daily lives is extremely important and can complement previous research and facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the disorder. In addition, most of the research on SAD has focused on cognitions and behaviors and the few studies that have examined emotions focused on the broad concepts of positive and negative affect. In the present dissertation we wanted to broaden our understanding of emotions in SAD and examine discrete emotions and emotional patterns that may be related to the disorder and its maintenance. To achieve these goals we used the experience sampling method (ESM), a research paradigm that involves real-time systematic collection of self-report data aimed to tap naturally occurring discrete emotions and events as well as participants' emotional reactions to them. We examined 88 individuals (44 with SAD and 44 without SAD) over the course of 21 days, and during naturalistic interactions occurring in their daily lives. Specifically, the first two studies included in this dissertation each focused on a discrete emotion and its experience and role in the disorder: the first was loneliness, and the second was envy. In the third study we examined the use of visual and non-visual mediums of communication with others and their impacts on emotions. This third study was especially pertinent in light of the COVID-19 pandemic which had a substantial impact on the ways in which individuals around the world interact. Below, we describe each of these studies. The first study included in this dissertation- "All by Myself: Loneliness in Social Anxiety Disorder" (Oren-Yagoda, Melamud-Ganani, & Aderka, in press) examines loneliness among individuals with and without SAD, contexts that may moderate the experience of loneliness, and the temporal relationship between loneliness and anxiety. Findings from this study indicated that individuals with SAD experienced significantly more loneliness compared to individuals without SAD. Characteristics of social situations (negativity, positivity, and meaningfulness) predicted loneliness for individuals with SAD but not for individuals without SAD. Finally, for individuals with SAD, both anxiety and loneliness predicted changes in each other creating a deleterious cycle. Findings from this study are discussed in the context of the SAD literature, CBT models and interpersonal models of SAD, the bivalent fear of evaluation model and potential clinical implications for treatment are presented. The second study included in the dissertation- "The grass is always greener: Envy in social anxiety disorder" (Oren-Yagoda, Schwartz, & Aderka, 2021) examines envy in SAD and its potential role in maintaining the disorder, social contexts and modes of communication that may serve as moderators of envy in SAD, as well as the temporal relationship between envy and anxiety in the disorder. Findings from this study indicated that individuals with SAD experienced elevated envy compared to individuals without SAD especially in social (compared to non-social) contexts. In social events, individuals with SAD also demonstrated an effect for modes of communication. Specifically, they experienced elevated levels of envy when the mode of communication was visual compared to voice/text (but not individuals without SAD). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world population; however, there is limited knowledge about its impact on adolescents. The aim of this study was to estimate the prevalence and risk factors associated with mental health in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in young people in northern Chile. The sample consisted of 1315 young people between the ages of 14 and 18. Univariate analysis and multiple logistic regression were performed to identify the risk factors associated to the considered symptomatology. Depressive symptomatology was reported at 36.3%, anxiety at 6%, and social phobia at 27.8%. Adolescent females reported a higher probability of presenting depressive (OR, 3.409), anxious (OR, 3.949), and social phobia (OR, 3.027) symptomatology. Young women between the ages of 17 and 18 were more likely to present anxiety (OR, 2.172); moreover, being a migrant was related to lower odds of presenting anxiety (OR, 0.259) and depression (OR, 0.662). Having a family member diagnosed with COVID-19 was associated with depressive symptomatology (OR, 1.369). The COVID-19 pandemic can have serious repercussions on the mental health of adolescents. It is important to generate interventions to meet the needs of youth during the post-confinement period.
ABSTRACT
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in negative mental health outcomes throughout the world, and its impact on social interactions and relationships is likely to be evident in problematic social anxiety. This systematic review qualitatively synthesized data from studies that have reported on the effects of the pandemic on social anxiety. A systematic search of Web of Science Core Collection, Embase, PsychINFO, Scopus, EBSCOhost, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Proquest Central-Dissertations and Theses was conducted, with thirty-three studies meeting the inclusion criteria. The results suggest that social anxiety has been heightened in the general population due to the pandemic, with women and low-income earners being especially vulnerable. Other contributing factors include impaired coping strategies, lower socio-emotional well-being, limited support networks, and contraction of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Individuals with a Social Anxiety Disorder diagnosis may be at risk of a deterioration of mental health in general. Limitations of the literature reviewed include the predominance of cross-sectional study designs, which limit causal inferences are limited. Additionally, associations may be inflated as many studies have not accounted for mediating variables. Taken together, the research suggests that social anxiety, either pre-pandemic or arising due to the pandemic environment, has contributed to a variety of negative mental health outcomes related to social anxiety.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Humans , Female , COVID-19/epidemiology , SARS-CoV-2 , Pandemics , Cross-Sectional Studies , Anxiety/epidemiology , Anxiety/psychology , Depression/epidemiologyABSTRACT
Over decades research has been conducted to measure connections between playing video games and mental health. Fewer studies have examined individual differences in motivations to play video games as an explaining factor in negative mental health symptoms experienced by adult gamers. This study utilized the Gaming Motivation Scale (GAMS) to capture the relationship between different types of motivation to play and negative mental health outcomes (anxiety, depression, and social phobia). Participants were 77 adults (age 18-40 81% male) who play 20 or more hours of video games a week. To mitigate the potential, influence the COVID-19 pandemic had on gaming habits, participants were asked to identify gaming habits prior to COVID-19 (between March 2019-Febuary 2020) and after (since March 2020). The study's hypotheses were that higher endorsements of "amotivation scores" on the GAMS will correlate with higher depression scores;that those who endorse higher "introjected regulation" will show higher levels of depression, anxiety, and social phobia scores;and that those who endorse higher "integrated regulation" will have lower levels of anxiety, social phobia, and depression scores. It was found that the GAMS was not a significant predictor of mental health problems, and no relationships were found between number of hours spent playing, motivation type, and mental health outcomes. Although the hypotheses were not supported, the results give rise to a possible interpretation: That adults who spent a large amount of time playing video games do not necessarily experience mental health problems. The overall levels of clinical depression, anxiety, or social phobia were in fact fairly low. Motivation to play video games and time spent playing do not necessarily correlate with mental health itself. Even though the number of hours spent playing video games increased during the COVID-19 pandemic, time spent playing did not correlate with negative mental health symptoms. With a history of stigma towards video games, the study's findings may reiterate the importance of comprehensive assessment to create stronger distinctions between clients who present with clinically significant uses and those who engage with gaming in the context of a passion or a hobby. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
Background: The pandemic resulted in the societal changes as conflicts and instability were the common concerns experienced by families because of the lockdown. However, the psychological impact of the COVID-19 on the United Arab Emirates (UAE) population is not studied extensively. Objective: The study evaluates the psychological impact of lockdown during the pandemic on the people in the UAE. Material and methods: This study was cross-sectional in nature and was conducted using a questionnaire consisting of 35-items. The questions were related to social, psychological, and personal aspects. Multivariate Linear regression was used to find the outcomes between independent variables. Results: The mean value of social phobia was 2.56 ± .620, followed by the mean score of anxiety (2.47 ± .666), stress (2.44 ± .631), and depression (2.42 ± .682). The higher the respondents experienced the scores, the more depression, anxiety, and stress. Demographics such as marital status, age, and occupation and education level have a statistically significant association with social phobia, anxiety, depression, and stress. Conclusion: The study concludes that the lockdown more psychologically impacted males, older people, and unemployed individuals during the pandemic.
ABSTRACT
The present dissertation focuses on patterns of emotions and emotional experiences of individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) in their daily lives. Much of the research on SAD has been conducted in controlled laboratory settings which prioritize internal validity at the expense of external validity. This literature has contributed significantly to our understanding of the disorder. However, examining SAD outside of the lab and its influence on participants' daily lives is extremely important and can complement previous research and facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the disorder. In addition, most of the research on SAD has focused on cognitions and behaviors and the few studies that have examined emotions focused on the broad concepts of positive and negative affect. In the present dissertation we wanted to broaden our understanding of emotions in SAD and examine discrete emotions and emotional patterns that may be related to the disorder and its maintenance. To achieve these goals we used the experience sampling method (ESM), a research paradigm that involves real-time systematic collection of self-report data aimed to tap naturally occurring discrete emotions and events as well as participants' emotional reactions to them. We examined 88 individuals (44 with SAD and 44 without SAD) over the course of 21 days, and during naturalistic interactions occurring in their daily lives. Specifically, the first two studies included in this dissertation each focused on a discrete emotion and its experience and role in the disorder: the first was loneliness, and the second was envy. In the third study we examined the use of visual and non-visual mediums of communication with others and their impacts on emotions. This third study was especially pertinent in light of the COVID-19 pandemic which had a substantial impact on the ways in which individuals around the world interact. Below, we describe each of these studies. The first study included in this dissertation- "All by Myself: Loneliness in Social Anxiety Disorder" (Oren-Yagoda, Melamud-Ganani, & Aderka, in press) examines loneliness among individuals with and without SAD, contexts that may moderate the experience of loneliness, and the temporal relationship between loneliness and anxiety. Findings from this study indicated that individuals with SAD experienced significantly more loneliness compared to individuals without SAD. Characteristics of social situations (negativity, positivity, and meaningfulness) predicted loneliness for individuals with SAD but not for individuals without SAD. Finally, for individuals with SAD, both anxiety and loneliness predicted changes in each other creating a deleterious cycle. Findings from this study are discussed in the context of the SAD literature, CBT models and interpersonal models of SAD, the bivalent fear of evaluation model and potential clinical implications for treatment are presented. The second study included in the dissertation- "The grass is always greener: Envy in social anxiety disorder" (Oren-Yagoda, Schwartz, & Aderka, 2021) examines envy in SAD and its potential role in maintaining the disorder, social contexts and modes of communication that may serve as moderators of envy in SAD, as well as the temporal relationship between envy and anxiety in the disorder. Findings from this study indicated that individuals with SAD experienced elevated envy compared to individuals without SAD especially in social (compared to non-social) contexts. In social events, individuals with SAD also demonstrated an effect for modes of communication. Specifically, they experienced elevated levels of envy when the mode of communication was visual compared to voice/text (but not individuals without SAD). (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved)
ABSTRACT
There are a very limited number of sport-specific mental health and sport performance interventions available for athletes of color. This study examined The Optimum Performance Program in Sports (TOPPS) in a biracial adolescent athlete who was diagnosed with Agoraphobia and Social Anxiety Disorder. A multiple-baseline across behaviors case trial design was used to evaluate outcomes. A battery of psychological measures specific to mental health and sport performance was administered at baseline, post-intervention, and a 3-month follow-up. Social skill sets (i.e., positive assertion and negative assertion) were systematically targeted sequentially in a virtual format using HIPAA compliant video-conferencing technology to safeguard against contracting COVID-19. Results demonstrated improvement in negative and positive assertion skills when targeted by the intervention. Severity of concurrent symptoms associated with Social Anxiety Disorder and Agoraphobia Symptoms, general psychiatric functioning, relationships with coaches, teammates and family, and factors interfering with sports performance improved from pre- to post-intervention. These improvements were maintained at the 3-month follow-up. Athlete ratings indicated their satisfaction with TOPPS was high, and intervention components were implemented with high integrity. Copyright © The Author(s) 2022.
ABSTRACT
: Background: Twin studies have consistently shown a high genetic overlap amongst anxiety disorders and depression. Some research has also identified modest genetic specificity to fear-based anxiety disorders not shared with general anxiety. Identifying the genetic variants shared amongst all anxiety disorders or specific to one or more requires large sample sizes. Measuring anxiety disorders in large cohorts typically involves in-depth symptom-based diagnoses or minimally phenotyped single-item self-report diagnoses. A trade-off exists between maximising sample size and the level of detail in the phenotyping. Aims: First, to explore genetic correlations between generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) and the fear disorders (panic disorder, agoraphobia, specific phobia and social phobia) using a combination of in-depth and minimal phenotyping. Second, to compare the results from using minimal phenotyping of the anxiety disorders to that of in-depth phenotyping. Methods: We will use two case-only samples for analyses: the Genetic Links to Anxiety and Depression (GLAD) Study (∼N = 18,000) and the Australian Genetics of Depression Study (AGDS) (∼18,000). In addition, we will use three studies that provide both cases and controls: the COVID-19 Psychiatric and Neurological Genetics (COPING) study (N = ∼10,000), the QSkin study (N = ∼18,000) and the UK Biobank (N = ∼157,366). We will conduct three independent sets of case-control anxiety disorder genome-wide association studies (GWAS) before meta-analysing all five samples together (expected N cases ∼53,000, N controls ∼160,000). Results from GWAS meta-analyses of lifetime anxiety disorder, GAD, and fear-based disorders will be used to explore genetic correlations across anxiety disorders and depression and a wide range of complex traits. As sensitivity analyses, we will explore genetic correlations between anxiety phenotypes assessed using minimally phenotyped single-item diagnoses versus in-depth symptom-based diagnoses. Results: We hypothesise that the anxiety disorders will have a SNP-based heritability of approximately 15%. We also hypothesise that GAD and fear-based disorders will be moderately to highly genetically correlated, with some genetic variants that are specific to the fear disorders [1]. Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Adjustment disorders are now primary diagnoses in the trauma and stressrelated disorders section of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). Adjustment disorder with anxiety (AjDA) is the development of emotional or behavioral symptoms considered excessive in response to stressful events, significantly impairing a person's ability to function in social, occupational, and/ or other situations. Traumatic experiences related to the COVID-19 pandemic may have increased rates of adjustment disorders, especially among those whose life routines were disrupted by pandemic-associated stress and anxiety. PH94B (3b-hydroxy-androsta-4,16-dien-ol) has shown rapid-onset efficacy in the treatment of social anxiety disorder (Liebowitz et al. Am J Psychiatry. 2014). PH94B is a neuroactive steroid administered as a nasal spray that engages olfactory chemosensory neurons, activating subsets of olfactory bulb neurons that project directly to the limbic amygdala regulating fear and anxiety circuits. OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy, safety, and tolerability of PH94B in adults with AjDA. METHODS: This is an exploratory, phase 2A, randomized, double-blind, 4-week, placebo-controlled, 2-arm study in adults with AjDA. The primary outcome is change from baseline to week 4 in the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HAM-A) total score after intranasal administration of PH49B 4 times daily vs placebo. Patients with a DSM-5 diagnosis of AjDA confirmed by the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) with Adjustment Disorders Module and a clinician-rated HAM-A score of ≥20 at screening (Visit 1), with ≤15% decrease at baseline (Visit 2, randomization) are eligible for inclusion. Secondary outcomes include change from baseline to week 4 in the Adjustment Disorder New Module Scale (ADNM), the International Adjustment Disorder Questionnaire (IADQ), the Clinical Global Impression of Improvement (CGI-I), and the Patient Global Impression of Change (PGI-C). Change from baseline in the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAM-D) was exploratory. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients will be randomized (1:1 drug to placebo). The study design features the use of the ADNM and IADQ, newly developed according to ICD-11 criteria for evaluation of AjDA. While both are validated, neither has been tested in placebo-controlled clinical trials. Both scales begin with a list of stressors (18 for ADNM and 9 for IADQ);a yes answer to any 1 stressor triggers a series of questions about the frequency and duration of a patient's reaction to the stressor (ADNM) or quantifies symptoms in response to the stressor (IADQ). CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychiatric disorders and a leading cause of disability. Anxiety and impaired functioning are increasing, particularly in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and no pharmacologic treatment is currently approved by the FDA for AjDA. PH94B, an investigational pherine nasal spray, is also being studied for treatment of other anxiety-related disorders.
ABSTRACT
Recent years have seen an increase in online activity by young adults, mainly in two broad areas: online interactions on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, etc.and online gaming. More so, with the onset of the COVID- 19 pandemics and the subsequent social distancing and restrictions, social activities have shifted online even more.In this chapter we investigate the relation between online activity (social activities versus gaming) and social phobia and sociability in young adults, aged between 18 and 25 yrs.We monitored the online activity of 78 young adults (41 males, 37 females), all volunteers,during one month, via the Quality Time app for Android. The participants were divided in two groups, one group (N = 40) with high activity on social platforms (at least 2 hrs/day) and the other group (N = 38) with high gaming activity (at least 2 hrs/ day). Social phobia was assessed using the homonymous scale from the Psychiatric Diagnostic and Screening Questionnaire (PDSQ), while Sociability was measured with the homonymous scale from the Zuckerman- Kuhlman Personality Questionnaire (ZKPQ). Our results show that individuals with high gaming activity have higher levels of social phobia compared to individuals with high activity on social media platforms. Sociability is a good predictor of time spent online: highly sociable people tend to spend less time online than those with lower sociability levels even in the current social context. We conclude that, given the present social environment favoring online activities, increase in social online activities and decrease in gaming could reduce social phobia and boost psychological wellbeing. © Peter Lang GmbH Internationaler Verlag der Wissenschaften Berlin 2022. All rights reserved.
ABSTRACT
Background: Anxiety disorders are considered the sixth most important factor resulting in non-fatal health loss in the world. Moreover, they are among the first ten causes of years lived with disability (YLD) across the globe. Important clinical disorders include e.g., panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobia. Objectives: The study aimed to analyse the occurrence of level anxiety in students who start work at the time of the COVID-19 pandemic, with relation to the socio-demographic factors and health status, vaccination, conovirus infection, assistance of a psychologist or psychiatrist in the past, and using tranquilizers. Methods: The study involved 255 students from Poland starting work with coronavirus patients during the pandemic. It was conducted using our own questionnaire, the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale (LSAS) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). Results: Fifty-one percent of subjects demonstrated symptoms of mild to severe social phobia. Level of trait anxiety among students correlated significantly with age and gender (females). The level of social anxiety in the evaluated students was significantly correlated with marital status, the self-assessment of the experienced fear, self-perceived health status, having had a coronavirus infection, fear of deterioration of one's health after starting work with coronavirus patients, and fear of contracting the disease while working with coronavirus patients, and using tranquilizers. Level of state anxiety significantly correlated with state anxiety, the self-assessment of professional preparedness for work with coronavirus patients, self-perceived health status, vaccination against coronavirus, and the assistance of a psychiatrist in the past. Conclusions: The proportion of students showing social anxiety is alarming. Anxiety among the evaluated students during the COVID-19 pandemic was correlated with many factors.
ABSTRACT
Background: Hikikomori, a severe and often prolonged social withdrawal observed primarily in young people, was first described in Japan, but cases have now been reported in many other countries. Methods: A review paper on hikikomori has been prepared following the literature searches in 3 databases. Search terms related to hikikomori included epidemiology, globalization, diagnosis, treatment, comorbidity, and COVID-19. Conclusions: Hikikomori was first reported in Japan and has been described in detail by researchers there, but there are now reports in many countries of hikikomori-like cases. It occurs primarily in young people, often men in their late teens and early twenties who isolate themselves, sometimes confining themselves to their homes for months or even years. It has been proposed that hikikomori has increased in recent years in part because of advances in information technology that result in decreased socialization. Hikikomori was originally considered a non-psychotic phenomenon, but comorbidity with psychiatric disorders is often present and should be considered during diagnosis. Considerable efforts have been made in recent years to establish reliable, widely applicable guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of hikikomori. There is very little information with regard to neurobiology, although involvement of the immune system, oxidative stress, and the social brain network has been proposed. It is widely agreed that hikikomori must be treated in a multi-dimensional fashion, with family support very important. Lessons learned from these treatment approaches are relevant to the potential increased risk of social withdrawal arising from COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: Telehealth is being increasingly incorporated into the delivery of mental health care and has received widespread attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for its ability to facilitate care during physical distancing restrictions. Videoconferencing is a common telehealth modality for delivering psychotherapy and has demonstrated similar outcomes to those of face-to-face therapy. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the most common psychotherapy evaluated across various telehealth modalities; however, studies on CBT delivered via videoconference, particularly in a group therapy format, are lacking. Further, little research exists on videoconference group CBT for anxiety disorders. Accordingly, the present study compared the outcomes of group CBT for anxiety and related disorders delivered via videoconference versus face-to-face. METHOD: Using a non-randomized design, data on attendance, dropout, clinical outcomes, and functional impairment were collected from 413 adult outpatients of a tertiary care anxiety disorders clinic who attended a CBT group for panic disorder/agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), or obsessive-compulsive disorder delivered either face-to-face (pre-COVID-19 pandemic) or via videoconference (since the onset of COVID-19 pandemic). Outcomes were assessed using well-validated self-report measures. Data were collected pre-treatment, across 12 weekly sessions, and post-treatment. Intent-to-treat analyses were applied to symptom outcome measures. RESULTS: Face-to-face CBT conferred only a slight benefit over videoconference CBT for symptom outcomes across all groups, but when assessed individually, only the GAD group showed greater symptom improvement in the face-to-face format. Effect sizes for significant differences between the delivery formats were small. Participants in videoconference groups tended to have slightly higher attendance rates in some instances, whereas functional improvement and treatment dropout were comparable across the delivery formats. CONCLUSIONS: Results provide preliminary evidence that videoconference group CBT for anxiety and related disorders may be a promising and effective alternative to face-to-face CBT. Additional research is needed to establish equivalence between these delivery formats.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Telecommunications , Adult , Anxiety/therapy , Anxiety Disorders/psychology , Anxiety Disorders/therapy , Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/methods , Humans , PandemicsABSTRACT
The paper presents the results of studies on the Covid-2019 pandemic influence on the transport business and the business climate in the industry in 2020–2021. The data were obtained on the basis of a study by the authors of statistical reports on the business climate in the transport industry in Russia. The research results are based on the results of mathematical processing of questionnaire data. The authors studied in detail the influence of various phobias of transport workers on the parameters of the transport services market, which forms the environment for the functioning of transport companies and determines the business climate in the industry, its market dynamics. To conduct their own research, the authors created a conceptual model for studying the business climate from the input parameters. Symptomatic, psychological and social phobia are taken as factors describing the inputs of the built structures. The business climate of the transport industry in Russia was chosen as the effective parameter of the model. The research results should be used in the development of special programs for managing the transport business in conditions of instability and crises. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
ABSTRACT
This study focuses on the fear of public speaking, or glossophobia, among postgraduate students in Spain. The main objective is to evaluate the levels of glossophobia in this group, with special attention paid to online public speaking. COVID-19 has forced the online performance of multiple academic activities, including the defence of Master's Theses (MT). A mixed research method (qualitative-quantitative) has been employed by means of a survey (500 responses) of the student body conducted at the time of presentation of their MT (June-July 2020). Fifteen experts had previously validated the questionnaire. The resulting Cronbach's coefficient alpha, which measures its reliability, was 0.82. The main result is that the vast majority of the group is aware of their oratorical weakness. Almost all show interest in improving this competence and consider that presenting the MT has been the greatest speaking challenge in their lives. Among the main conclusions, the need to introduce specific training in public speaking in the students' curriculum stands out. It should be included in the curriculum of postgraduate programs, regardless of their specialty, with particular emphasis on online interactions. Glossophobia has been shown to be transversal and affects all types of students. The proposal made herein is currently non-existent in Spain.