A Rapid Access Brief Psychotherapy Intervention to Respond to Healthcare Workers in Ontario Whose Mental Health was Negatively Impacted During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

OBJECTIVE: Although the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had widespread negative impacts on the mental health of healthcare workers (HCWs), there has been little research on psychological interventions during the pandemic for this population. The current study examines whether a brief coping-focused treatment intervention delivered in a virtual individual format would be associated with positive changes in Canadian HCWs' mental health during the pandemic. METHOD: Three hundred and thirty-three HCWs receiving the intervention at 3 large specialty tertiary care hospitals in Ontario, Canada, completed measures of anxiety, depression, perceived stress, work/social impairment, insomnia and fear of COVID-19. After completing treatment, HCWs rated their satisfaction with the treatment. RESULTS: The intervention was associated with large effect size improvements in anxiety, depression, perceived stress, insomnia and fear of COVID-19, and moderate effect size improvements in work/social impairment. At treatment session 1, prior mental health diagnosis and treatment were both significantly correlated with depression, anxiety, and work/social impairment scores. Secondary analyses of data from one of the sites revealed that treatment-related changes in anxiety, depression, perceived stress and work/social impairment were independent of age, gender, occupational setting, profession and the presence of a previous mental health diagnosis or treatment, with the exception that nurses improved at a slightly greater rate than other professions in terms of work/social impairment. HCWs were highly satisfied with the treatment. CONCLUSIONS: A large number of HCWs experiencing significant distress at baseline self-referred for assistance. Timely and flexible access to a brief virtual coping-focused intervention was associated with improvements in symptoms and impairment, and treatment response was largely unrelated to demographic or professional characteristics. Short-term psychological interventions for HCWs during a pandemic may have a highly positive impact given their association with improvement in various aspects of HCWs' mental health improvement.

Do all obsessions contradict personal values to the same degree? A pilot investigation.

Although much is known about how intrusive thoughts become obsessions, the factors that determine which particular thoughts do so is not. The degree to which intrusions are personally significant may be such a determinant. Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is heterogeneous; thus, it is possible that contradictions of personal values may play a varying role in the development of obsessions depending on which OCD symptoms manifest and may change differentially following treatment. Archival data were examined. Patients with a diagnosis of OCD (N = 62) reported their most upsetting obsession and the degree to which it violated values both pre- and postparticipation in group cognitive-behavioral therapy for OCD. At pretreatment, contradiction ratings differed across symptom domains, such that participants with primary symptoms of obsessions/checking exhibited contradiction ratings that were significantly greater than did participants with other primary symptoms. Contradiction ratings did not change posttreatment. Implications for the conceptualization of OCD are discussed.

The impact of particular safety behaviours on perceived likeability and authenticity during interpersonal interactions in social anxiety disorder.

BACKGROUND: Safety behaviours are hypothesized to play a vital role in maintaining social anxiety disorder (SAD), in part by orienting socially anxious individuals to adopt an avoidance-based mindset focused on self-protection and self-concealment. Evidence suggests an association between safety behaviour use and negative social outcomes for individuals with SAD. However, research has largely focused on the broad group of safety behaviours, whereas specific subtypes have received less attention. AIM: The present study aimed to further our understanding of the negative interpersonal consequences of specific types of safety behaviours for individuals with SAD by examining whether active, inhibiting/restricting, or physical symptom management safety behaviour use affects perceived likeability and authenticity during a conversation with a stranger. METHOD: Individuals with SAD (n = 29; mean age 35.5 years) and healthy control (non-SAD) participants (n = 40; mean age 18.6 years) engaged in a semi-structured social interaction with trained confederates. RESULTS: Participants with SAD were perceived as significantly less likeable and authentic by the confederates, and rated themselves as significantly less authentic compared with those without SAD. The association between group status and likeability was mediated by the use of inhibiting/restricting safety behaviours and the association between group status and participant-rated authenticity was mediated by the use of both inhibiting/restricting and active safety behaviours, but not physical symptom management strategies. CONCLUSIONS: These results contribute to a growing literature suggesting that some, but not all, safety behaviours may play an important role in creating the negative social outcomes that individuals with SAD experience.

Poly(methyl methacrylate) with Oleic Acid as an Efficient Candida albicans Biofilm Repellent.

Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), widely used in dentistry, is unfortunately a suitable substrate for Candida (C.) albicans colonization and biofilm formation. The key step for biofilm formation is C. albicans ability to transit from yeast to hypha (filamentation). Since oleic acid (OA), a natural compound, prevents filamentation, we modified PMMA with OA aiming the antifungal PMMA_OA materials. Physico-chemical properties of the novel PMMA_OA composites obtained by incorporation of 3%, 6%, 9%, and 12% OA into PMMA were characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and water contact angle measurement. To test antifungal activity, PMMA_OA composites were incubated with C. albicans and the metabolic activity of both biofilm and planktonic cells was measured with a XTT test, 0 and 6 days after composites preparation. The effect of OA on C. albicans morphology was observed after 24 h and 48 h incubation in agar loaded with 0.0125% and 0.4% OA. The results show that increase of OA significantly decreased water contact angle. Metabolic activity of both biofilm and planktonic cells were significantly decreased in the both time points. Therefore, modification of PMMA with OA is a promising strategy to reduce C. albicans biofilm formation on denture.

The Diagnostic Assessment Research Tool in action: A preliminary evaluation of a semistructured diagnostic interview for DSM-5 disorders.

This article describes the initial validation of the Diagnostic Assessment Research Tool (DART), a modular semistructured interview to facilitate diagnosis of various disorders among adults corresponding with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5). In this study, the construct, convergent, and discriminant validity of DART modules for anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and substance-related and addictive disorders was assessed among a sample of 610 participants in a clinical outpatient setting. The data indicated excellent construct validity among DART modules assessed. Individuals with and without DSM-5 diagnoses identified via the DART had significant between-group differences on self-report measures corresponding to these diagnoses. Follow-up logistic regressions supported convergent validity for all diagnostic categories assessed. Discriminant validity was established for the majority of diagnostic categories assessed. High rates of interrater agreement in a small subsample (n = 15) were observed for the various diagnostic categories of the DART (88% average agreement). The results of the present study provide initial support for the DART as a useful tool to aid in the assessment of several major diagnostic categories corresponding with DSM-5 disorders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Face-to-face versus Video Teleconference Group Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Anxiety and Related Disorders: A Preliminary Comparison.

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.

Hexosomes with Undecylenic Acid Efficient against Candida albicans.

Due to the growing issues with fungal infections, especially with Candida, there is still a need to develop novel anti-Candida materials. One of the known antifungal agents is undecylenic acid (UA), which still cannot be efficiently used due to its oily nature, and thus limited solubility. By taking advantage of the properties of UA, we developed an emulsion with hexagonal phase, i.e., hexosomes, whose structure and morphology was studied by small-angle X-ray scattering and cryo-electron microscopy, respectively. The presence of UA in the hexosome was confirmed by spectroscopy. Moreover, we studied the anti-Candida effect of hexosomes and their cytotoxicity toward human cells. The minimal inhibitory concentration for the 50% and 90% Candida-growth reduction was found at 0.01 and 0.16 wt % hexosomes, respectively (i.e., 2 and 32 pghex/C.a.cell, respectively). The percentage of metabolically active Candida was reduced by 72-96% at hexosome concentrations of 1.0-8.2 pghex/C.a.cell as compared to untreated Candida. Furthermore, at the same concentration range the embedded filamentation test after 24 and 48 h showed the inhibition of both the filamentation and growth of Candida, while the preliminary toxicity test showed that hexosomes were nontoxic for human cells. All these render the here-developed hexosomes with UA efficient and promising anti-Candida agents.

Synergistic Effect of Fluorinated and N Doped TiO2 Nanoparticles Leading to Different Microstructure and Enhanced Photocatalytic Bacterial Inactivation.

This work focuses on the development of a facile and scalable wet milling method followed by heat treatment to prepare fluorinated and/or N-doped TiO2 nanopowders with improved photocatalytic properties under visible light. The structural and electronic properties of doped particles were investigated by various techniques. The successful doping of TiO2 was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and the atoms appeared to be mainly located in interstitial positions for N whereas the fluorination is located at the TiO2 surface. The formation of intragap states was found to be responsible for the band gap narrowing leading to the faster bacterial inactivation dynamics observed for the fluorinated and N doped TiO2 particles compared to N-doped TiO2. This was attributed to a synergistic effect. The results presented in this study confirmed the suitability of the preparation approach for the large-scale production of cost-efficient doped TiO2 for effective bacterial inactivation.

Synthesis of metastable hard-magnetic ε-Fe2O3 nanoparticles from silica-coated akaganeite nanorods.

We present a simple preparation route to obtain a nanoscale metastable hard-magnetic ε-Fe2O3 phase, using silica coated ß-FeOOH nanorods as a precursor and an annealing process. The synthesized ε-Fe2O3 nanoparticles exhibit large coercivity (HC ∼ 20 kOe at 300 K and HC ∼ 1.6 kOe at 400 K), confirming their high potential for practical applications.

Interface tuning and stabilization of monoglyceride mesophase dispersions: Food emulsifiers and mixtures efficiency.

Several food surfactants were examined as possible efficient emulsifiers for liquid crystalline monolinolein-based particles and as alternative choices to the non-food-grade emulsifier conventionally used Pluronic® F127. We described a food emulsifiers' toolbox, investigating their ability to emulsify mesophases (stabilization capacity, particle size, zeta potential) and their impact on internal nanostructures (from swelling to drastic modifications). Among the selected surfactants, sucrose stearate (S1670) was found to be the best candidate for replacing in a long term F127 as an efficient stabilizer of lipid particles. The emulsification performed by mixing F127 with S1670 or sodium caseinate (NaCas), and S1670/NaCas helped to discriminate their respective role in the particles and so their efficiency for the stabilization. In case of S1670 as co-emulsifier no strong structural modification was observed, while using F127 (25wt% NaCas) an unexpected hexagonal mesophase was highlighted in self-assemblies. The evolution of zeta potentials by varying the mesophase and the emulsifier also informed about the distribution of co-surfactants in the particles. We thus reported submicronic nanostructured systems (from 100 to 350nm) that were fully food-grade and possibly contained limonene, with a surface charge from -70 to -5mV.

Social Anxiety and the Accuracy of Memory for Childhood Teasing Frequency.

Adults' recollections of how often they were teased as children are positively associated with their social anxiety symptoms. It has therefore been suggested that childhood teasing may play a role in the development of social anxiety disorder (SAD). However, existing studies have not determined whether adults with SAD were actually teased more as children or whether their current symptoms have distorted their memories of childhood events. This study examined reports of childhood teasing in adults with SAD before and after cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). If recollections of childhood teasing are colored by SAD symptoms, then reported frequency of teasing might be more likely to decrease as symptoms improve after CBT. However, if individuals' memories of teasing are unbiased, they should not substantially change with the reduction of symptoms after CBT. Ninety-one participants with SAD completed the Teasing Questionnaire-Revised (TQ-R) before and after 12 sessions of group CBT. CBT was effective in reducing SAD symptoms, whereas recollections of the frequency of childhood teasing did not change significantly after treatment. These results are consistent with the possibility that recollections of childhood teasing are not substantially biased by symptoms of SAD, and they lend support to previous studies which suggest that adults with SAD endured higher frequencies of teasing as children compared to controls.

Effects of coating spherical iron oxide nanoparticles.

We investigate the effect of several coatings applied in biomedical applications to iron oxide nanoparticles on the size, structure and composition of the particles. The four structural techniques employed - TEM, DLS, VSM, SAXS and EXAFS - show no significant effects of the coatings on the spherical shape of the bare nanoparticles, the average sizes or the local order around the Fe atoms. The NPs coated with hydroxylmethylene bisphosphonate or catechol have a lower proportion of magnetite than the bare and citrated ones, raising the question whether the former are responsible for increasing the valence state of the oxide on the NP surfaces and lowering the overall proportion of magnetite in the particles. VSM measurements show that these two coatings lead to a slightly higher saturation magnetization than the citrate. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled "Science for Life" Guest Editor: Dr. Austen Angell, Dr. Salvatore Magazù and Dr. Federica Migliardo.

Evaluation of an integrated group cognitive-behavioral treatment for comorbid mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders: A pilot study.

This paper presents the development and preliminary evaluation of an integrated group cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for comorbid mood, anxiety, and substance use disorders. The 12-session, manualized treatment was developed collaboratively by a mental health program in a teaching hospital and a community-based addictions service and administered in both settings. Results from an uncontrolled effectiveness trial of 29 treatment completers suggest that integrated group CBT may reduce stress and alcohol use symptoms and improve substance refusal self-efficacy. Changes in symptoms of anxiety, depression, and drug use were not significant, although the effect size for anxiety reduction was in the medium range. Nonetheless, the clinical significance of treatment effects on mood, anxiety, and substance use symptoms was modest. Changes in coping skills and quality of life were not significant, although medium-to-large effects were observed for changes in several coping skills. Participants reported being highly satisfied with treatment, found the treatment strategies to be useful, and noted an improvement in their functioning, particularly socially. Methodological and sample size limitations warrant more rigorous follow-up investigations of this treatment. Results are considered in the context of the current literature on integrated psychological treatments for these common comorbidities.

Investigation of aromatic hydrocarbon inclusion into cyclodextrins by Raman spectroscopy and thermal analysis.

Among various cavitand molecules, cyclodextrins are extensively studied due to their ability to form host-guest complexes with small hydrophobic molecules. Aiming to explore cyclodextrin implementation on the scopes related to the environmental pollution monitoring or remediation, extensive studies for understanding the cyclodextrin-based host-guest complex formation with selected targeted substances are conducted. In this context, two polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, naphthalene and fluoranthene as well as toluene as a member of volatile organic compounds, were studied regarding their ability to encapsulate into cyclodextrin cavities. Synthesised complexes were examined by thermogravimetric analysis combined with Raman spectroscopy. The obtained results demonstrated that the size between targeted molecules and the cyclodextrin cavities strongly correlates with its ability to engage in complexation. Thus, this latter parameter plays an important role in the inclusion complex formation as well as in the strength of the interaction between the molecules.

The Treatment Acceptability/Adherence Scale: Moving Beyond the Assessment of Treatment Effectiveness.

It is becoming more broadly recognized that beyond effectiveness, the acceptability of interventions for anxiety disorders is an important consideration for evidence-based practice. Although advances in treatments for anxious psychopathologies have demonstrated that cognitive-behavioural interventions are more desirable than other types of psychotherapy or pharmacotherapy, there continue to be problems with adherence and dropout. It has been suggested that low treatment acceptability may be partially responsible for high dropout rates. Although a number of preliminary investigations in this domain have been conducted, further progress is hampered by the absence of a single self-report measure that assesses both acceptability and anticipated adherence. Therefore, the current paper aimed to test the psychometric properties of the newly developed Treatment Acceptability/Adherence Scale (TAAS). In two studies of brief cognitive-behavioural interventions, the TAAS was administered immediately following the therapy session. In Study 1 (N = 120 non-clinical undergraduates), the therapy included two variants of an exposure-based intervention for contamination fear. In Study 2 (N = 27 individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder), the therapy was a cognitively based intervention evaluating a novel treatment technique for checking compulsions. Measures of convergent and divergent validity were included. Results demonstrated that the TAAS exhibited sound psychometric properties across the two samples. It is hoped that this measure will help clinicians to predict and intervene when a treatment is not acceptable and/or when the client anticipates poor adherence to it. Furthermore, the TAAS may aid researchers in continuing to improve upon effective interventions for anxiety and related disorders.

A comparative study of obsessive beliefs in obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorder patients and a normal group.

Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) posit that specific kinds of dysfunctional beliefs underlie the development of this disorder. The aim of present study was to determine whether these beliefs are endorsed more strongly by OCD patients than by those with other anxiety disorders and by community samples. A battery of questionnaires, including the OBQ-44, MOCI, BDI-II, BAI, STAI, used to assess obsessive-compulsive symptoms, depression and anxiety in 39 OCD patients (OC), 46 anxious patients (AC) and 41 community controls (CC). Compared to CCs and ACs, OC patients more strongly endorsed beliefs related to importance and control of thoughts. Both OC and AC patients scored higher than CC participants did on belief domains about responsibility/threat estimation and perfectionism/certainty. Therefore, the domain that seems to be specific to OCD is a set of beliefs that revolves around the contention that it is possible and necessary to control one's thoughts. Results regarding group differences on particular items of the OBQ-44 indicated that 21 items discriminated between the OC and CC groups and 7 items discriminated between the OC and AC groups, suggesting that these items are more specific to the OC group. Additional research warranted because it is plausible that these cognitive factors relate differently to OCD phenomena across different cultures.

Viologen-templated arrays of cucurbit[7]uril-modified iron-oxide nanoparticles.

Magnetic and fluorescent assemblies of iron-oxide nanoparticles (NPs) were constructed by threading a viologen-based ditopic ligand, DPV(2+), into the cavity of cucurbituril (CB[7]) macrocycles adsorbed on the surface of the NPs. Evidence for the formation of 1:2 inclusion complexes that involve DPV(2+) and two CB[7] macrocycles was first obtained in solution by (1)H NMR and emission spectroscopy. DPV(2+) was found to induce self-assembly of nanoparticle arrays (DPV(2+)⊂CB[7]NPs) by bridging CB[7] molecules on different NPs. The resulting viologen-crosslinked iron-oxide nanoparticles exhibited increased saturation magnetization and emission properties. This facile supramolecular approach to NP self-assembly provides a platform for the synthesis of smart and innovative materials that can achieve a high degree of functionality and complexity and that are needed for a wide range of applications.

Treatment fears in anxiety disorders: development and validation of the treatment ambivalence questionnaire.

OBJECTIVES: There are a number of effective psychological interventions for anxiety disorders. Anecdotal and empirical evidence indicates that clients are often highly apprehensive about commencing therapy. However, to date, there have been no empirical studies of the content of individuals' fears about beginning a psychological treatment for anxiety problems. Here we describe the development and initial validation of the Treatment Ambivalence Questionnaire (TAQ), a 30-item self-report measure of concerns about commencing psychological treatment for anxiety. METHODS: Participants were a large group of individuals with a principal diagnosis of an anxiety disorder who were referred to a specialty anxiety disorders clinic. Participants completed the TAQ as well as several general self-report instruments before commencing treatment. RESULTS: The TAQ exhibited good internal consistency and, based on exploratory factor analyses, the items yielded three subscales: (a) fears of the personal consequences of engaging in treatment (e.g., personality change), (b) fears of negative or adverse reactions to treatment (e.g., not getting better), and (c) concerns about the inconvenience of engaging in treatment (e.g., treatment will be time-consuming). Confirmatory factor analysis supported this factor structure. Scores on the TAQ did not simply represent general symptom severity or distress. Preliminary data on the relation of TAQ scores to treatment outcome suggested either no relationship or a small relationship. CONCLUSION: The TAQ may be a useful means of normalizing treatment fears, identifying and addressing specific fears, and identifying people who may benefit from treatment readiness interventions.

Iron oxide nanoparticles with sizes, shapes and compositions resulting in different magnetization signatures as potential labels for multiparametric detection.

Magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles differing in their size, shape (spherical, hexagonal, rods, cubes) and composition have been synthesized and modified using caffeic acid for transfer to aqueous media and stabilization of the particle suspensions at physiological pH. A super quantum interference device and the recently patented magnetic sensor MIAplex®, which registered a signal proportional to the second derivative of the magnetization curve, were used to study the magnetization behavior of the nanoparticles. The differences in the magnetic signatures of the nanoparticles (spheres and rods) make them promising candidates for the simultaneous detection of different types of biological molecules.

Incorporating the Judicious Use of Safety Behavior Into Exposure-Based Treatments for Anxiety Disorders: A Study of Treatment Acceptability.

This analog study investigated treatment acceptability and preference as a function of safety behavior use (judicious vs. discouraged) and treatment rationale (cognitive vs. extinction). Thirty-two clinically anxious participants and 437 undergraduate students provided ratings of acceptability and adherence, as well as preference ranks for four written vignettes describing a course of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for fear or anxiety. Treatment descriptions promoting judicious safety behavior use received significantly higher acceptability and adherence ratings compared to those discouraging its use. Descriptions that presented a cognitively based rationale, compared to an extinction-based rationale, were also rated as both significantly more acceptable and easier to adhere to. The highest preference rank was for treatment that included judicious safety behavior use, conveyed via a cognitive rationale. A similar pattern of results was observed in both participant groups. These findings suggest that the judicious incorporation of safety behavior into CBT has the potential to reduce treatment refusal and dropout. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for cognitive-behavioral and exposure-based treatments.