Bailey, PE, Gonsalvez, CJ, Maiuolo, M, Leon, T & Benedek, G 2018, 'The age-related positivity effect in electronic gambling', Experimental Aging Research, vol. 44, no. 2, pp. 135-147.
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Bollmann, S, Puckett, AM, Cunnington, R & Barth, M 2018, 'Serial correlations in single-subject fMRI with sub-second TR', NeuroImage, vol. 166, pp. 152-166.
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Brady, B, Kneebone, II, Denson, N & Bailey, PE 2018, 'Systematic review and meta-analysis of age-related differences in instructed emotion regulation success', PeerJ, vol. 6, no. 12, pp. e6051-e6051.
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The process model of emotion regulation (ER) is based on stages in the emotion generative process at which regulation may occur. This meta-analysis examines age-related differences in the subjective, behavioral, and physiological outcomes of instructed ER strategies that may be initiated after an emotional event has occurred; attentional deployment, cognitive change, and response modulation. Within-process strategy, stimulus type, and valence were also tested as potential moderators of the effect of age on ER. A systematic search of the literature identified 156 relevant comparisons from 11 studies. Few age-related differences were found. In our analysis of the subjective outcome of response modulation strategies, young adults used expressive enhancement successfully (g = 0.48), but not expressive suppression (g = 0.04). Response modulation strategies had a small positive effect among older adults, and enhancement vs suppression did not moderate this success (g = 0.31 and g = 0.10, respectively). Young adults effectively used response modulation to regulate subjective emotion in response to pictures (g = 0.41) but not films (g = 0.01). Older adults were able to regulate in response to both pictures (g = 0.26) and films (g = 0.11). Interestingly, both age groups effectively used detached reappraisal, but not positive reappraisal to regulate emotional behavior. We conclude that, in line with well-established theories of socioemotional aging, there is a lack of evidence for age differences in the effects of instructed ER strategies, with some moderators suggesting more consistent effectiveness for older compared to younger adults.
Bulsara, SM, Wainberg, ML & Newton-John, TRO 2018, 'Predictors of Adult Retention in HIV Care: A Systematic Review', AIDS and Behavior, vol. 22, no. 3, pp. 752-764.
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© 2016, Springer Science+Business Media New York. A systematic literature review was conducted to identify predictors of poor adult retention in HIV medical care in developed and developing countries. An electronic search was conducted with MEDLINE (OVID), PubMED, EBSCO, SCOPUS, and Cochrane databases, as well as manual searches. Original, quantitative, adult studies in English, published between 1995 and 2015 were included. Only those with a focus on predictors of retention in care were reported on. Of the 345 articles identified, thirty were included following an independent assessment by two raters. In developed countries, the most frequently cited predictors of poor retention were active substance use and demographic factors. In developing countries, physical health factors were most frequently associated with poor retention in care. The results from this review suggests primary concerns for poor retention include substance use and physical health factors. Other psychosocial factors, such as psychiatric illness and social/welfare factors, were also found to be relevant.
Burton, AL & Abbott, MJ 2018, 'The revised short-form of the Eating Beliefs Questionnaire: Measuring positive, negative, and permissive beliefs about binge eating', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 6, no. 1, p. 37.
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BACKGROUND: The Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ) is a self-report assessment tool that measures positive and negative beliefs about food and eating that are believed to play a key role in maintaining binge eating behaviour that occurs in individuals with Bulimia Nervosa, Binge Eating Disorder and other atypical eating disorders. The present study aimed to further refine this measure with the addition of a third scale to assess permissive beliefs about eating, also thought to play a crucial role in the maintenance of binge eating. Permissive beliefs are defined as beliefs about eating that provide justification for the individual to engage in a binge eating episode. METHODS: After consultation with the literature and endorsement from 10 experts in eating disorders, 19 permissive belief items were generated. Eight hundred eighty-three participants were recruited to complete a test battery online that included the EBQ and the new permissive items. RESULTS: An exploratory factor analysis (n = 441) found a three-factor solution (positive, negative and permissive beliefs) explaining 63.4% of variance. A confirmatory factor analysis (n = 442) provided support for the three-factor model, with the data best supporting a shorter 18-item questionnaire. The revised scale demonstrated good internal consistency, as well as good convergent validity with measures of related eating disorder symptoms, emotional regulation, mood and anxiety. CONCLUSIONS: With the addition of a third scale to measure permissive beliefs, the revised short-form of the EBQ offers clinicians and researchers a brief comprehensive tool for the measurement of positive, negative and permissive beliefs about binge eating.
Burton, AL, Mitchison, D, Hay, P, Donnelly, B, Thornton, C, Russell, J, Swinbourne, J, Basten, C, Goldstein, M, Touyz, S & Abbott, MJ 2018, 'Beliefs about Binge Eating: Psychometric Properties of the Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ-18) in Eating Disorder, Obese, and Community Samples', Nutrients, vol. 10, no. 9, pp. 1306-1306.
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Binge eating is a core diagnostic feature of bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, anorexia nervosa binge/purge type, and is a common feature of “other specified” and “unspecified” feeding and eating disorders. It has been suggested that specific metacognitive beliefs about food, eating, and binge eating may play a key role in the maintenance of binge eating behaviour. The Eating Beliefs Questionnaire (EBQ-18) provides a brief self-report assessment tool measuring three types of metacognitive beliefs: negative, positive, and permissive beliefs about food and eating. This study aimed to build on past research by validating the factor structure and psychometric properties of the EBQ-18 using both a clinical and non-clinical sample. A sample of 688 participants (n = 498 non-clinical participants, n = 161 participants seeking treatment for an eating disorder, and n = 29 participants seeking treatment for obesity) completed a battery of questionnaires, including the EBQ-18 and other measures of eating disorder symptoms and relevant constructs. A subset of 100 non-clinical participants completed the test battery again after an interval of two-weeks, and 38 clinical participants completed the EBQ-18 before and after receiving psychological treatment for their eating disorder. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was conducted and psychometric properties of this measure were assessed. The results of this study provide support for the three-factor model of the EBQ-18. In addition, the EBQ-18 was found to be a valid and reliable measure, with excellent internal consistency, good test-retest reliability in the non-clinical sample, and also demonstrated evidence of sensitivity to treatment in clinical samples with binge eating pathology. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to identify optimal cut-off scores for the EBQ-18. This study provides valuable information about the utility of the EBQ-18 as a measure for use in both cli...
Cheyne, JE, del Pozo de Bolger, A & Wootton, BM 2018, 'Reliability and validity of the Trichotillomania Dimensional Scale (TTM-D)', Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, vol. 19, pp. 61-65.
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© 2018 Elsevier Inc. Trichotillomania (TTM) is characterized by repetitive hair pulling resulting in hair loss. The Trichotillomania Dimensional Scale (TTM-D) is a newly developed DSM-5 scale that aims to assess the symptoms of TTM dimensionally. The aim of this current study was to examine the psychometric properties of the TTM-D in a sample of 483 participants. Principal Component Analysis indicated a single factor structure of the TTM-D. Internal consistency and test retest reliability was high (α = 0.89 and r = 0.91 respectively). The TTM-D demonstrated excellent convergent validity with the Massachusetts General Hospital Hair Pulling Scale (MGH-HPS; rs = 0.90) and divergent validity with the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21; rs = 0.45). Further, the TTM-D demonstrated equivalence between online and pen-and-paper administrations (rs = 0.93). The findings suggest that the psychometric properties of TTM-D are sound and well supported within a community sample.
da Luz, FQ, Sainsbury, A, Mannan, H, Touyz, S, Mitchison, D, Girosi, F & Hay, P 2018, 'An investigation of relationships between disordered eating behaviors, weight/shape overvaluation and mood in the general population', Appetite, vol. 129, pp. 19-24.
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Dear, BF, Gandy, M, Karin, E, Fogliati, R, Fogliati, VJ, Staples, LG, Wootton, BM, Sharpe, L & Titov, N 2018, 'The Pain Course: 12- and 24-Month Outcomes From a Randomized Controlled Trial of an Internet-Delivered Pain Management Program Provided With Different Levels of Clinician Support', The Journal of Pain, vol. 19, no. 12, pp. 1491-1503.
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© 2018 the American Pain Society Little is known about the long-term outcomes of emerging Internet-delivered pain management programs. The current study reports the 12- and 24-month follow-up data from a randomized controlled trial (n = 490) of an Internet-delivered pain management program, the Pain Course. The initial results of the trial to the 3-month follow-up have been reported elsewhere. There were significant improvements in disability, depression, anxiety, and pain levels across 3 treatment groups receiving different levels of clinician support compared with a treatment as the usual control. No marked or significant differences were found between the treatment groups either after treatment or at the 3-month follow-up. The current study obtained long-term follow-up data from 78% and 79% of participants (n = 397) at the 12-month and 24-month follow-up marks, respectively. Clinically significant decreases (average percent reduction; Cohen's d effect sizes) were maintained at the 12- and 24-month follow-ups for disability (average reduction ≥27%; d ≥.67), depression (average reduction ≥36%; d ≥.80), anxiety (average reduction ≥38%; d ≥.66), and average pain levels (average reduction ≥21%; d ≥.67). No marked or consistent differences were found among the 3 treatment groups. These findings suggest that the outcomes of Internet-delivered programs may be maintained over the long term. Perspective: This article presents the long-term outcome data of an established Internet-delivered pain management program for adults with chronic pain. The clinical improvements observed during the program were found to be maintained at the 12- and 24-month follow-up marks. This finding indicates that these programs can have lasting clinical effects.
Dickes, A, Kemmis-Riggs, J & McAloon, J 2018, 'Methodological Challenges to the Evaluation of Interventions for Foster/Kinship Carers and Children: A Systematic Review', Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 109-145.
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© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Caregivers of children in alternative care face a complex range of challenges that can result in placement disruption and poor long-term outcomes. Interventions designed to help carers meet these challenges report positive outcomes. Nevertheless, several reviewers have reported these positive results may be mitigated by limitations in trial methodology. This review aims to systematically review these methodological challenges and limitations, to provide an analysis of the current state of the evidence base for these interventions. A systematic review was conducted into the methods used to evaluate the effectiveness of psychosocial interventions for foster and kinship carers. Limitations relating to internal validity, external validity and clinical heterogeneity were identified and synthesised. Seventeen studies met inclusion criteria. The quality of methods used in the included studies is mixed, with high and unknown levels of bias in the majority of trials. Heterogeneity in participant characteristics, intervention aims and outcome measures across interventions reflect the diversity of carer and child needs and make it difficult to generalise results or compare and synthesise the efficacy of different interventions. These factors limit the application of trial results to evidence-based clinical practice. The diverse and complex needs of this population present significant challenges to robustly evaluating interventions for foster/kinship families. Participant needs, theoretical approaches, intervention aims and outcome measures need to be better coordinated, both within trials and across the field. Exploratory research should be used to generate focussed and concrete hypotheses that can be robustly tested in high-quality randomised controlled trials. Protocol registration number: CRD 42017048415.
Donnelly, B, Touyz, S, Hay, P, Burton, A, Russell, J & Caterson, I 2018, 'Neuroimaging in bulimia nervosa and binge eating disorder: a systematic review', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 6, no. 1, p. 3.
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OBJECTIVE: In recent decades there has been growing interest in the use of neuroimaging techniques to explore the structural and functional brain changes that take place in those with eating disorders. However, to date, the majority of research has focused on patients with anorexia nervosa. This systematic review addresses a gap in the literature by providing an examination of the published literature on the neurobiology of individuals who binge eat; specifically, individuals with bulimia nervosa (BN) and binge eating disorder (BED). METHODS: A systematic review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, PsycInfo, Medline and Web of Science, and additional hand searches through reference lists. 1,003 papers were identified in the database search. Published studies were included if they were an original research paper written in English; studied humans only; used samples of participants with a diagnosed eating disorder characterised by recurrent binge eating; included a healthy control sample; and reported group comparisons between clinical groups and healthy control groups. RESULTS: Thirty-two papers were included in the systematic review. Significant heterogeneity in the methods used in the included papers coupled with small sample sizes impeded the interpretation of results. Twenty-one papers utilised functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI); seven papers utilized Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) with one of these using both MRI and Positron Emission Technology (PET); three studies used Single-Photon Emission Computed Tomography (SPECT) and one study used PET only. A small number of consistent findings emerged in individuals in the acute phase of illness with BN or BED including: volume reduction and increases across a range of areas; hypoactivity in the frontostriatal circuits; and aberrant responses in the insula, amygdala, middle frontal gyrus and occipital cortex to a range of different stimuli or tasks; a link between il...
Griffiths, S, Mitchison, D, Murray, SB & Mond, JM 2018, 'Pornography use in sexual minority males: Associations with body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, thoughts about using anabolic steroids and quality of life', Australian & New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 339-348.
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Objective: We examined two hypotheses regarding the potential association of pornography use with body image–related and eating disorder–related psychopathology among sexual minority males (i.e. non-heterosexual males). Our primary hypothesis was that pornography use would be associated with males’ body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, thoughts about using anabolic steroids and quality of life impairment; our secondary hypothesis was that the type of pornography, namely, professional versus amateur pornography, which contains idealised and non-idealised (i.e. regular) bodies, respectively, would moderate these associations. Methods: A sample of 2733 sexual minority males living in Australia and New Zealand completed an online survey that contained measures of pornography use, body dissatisfaction, eating disorder symptoms, thoughts about using anabolic steroids and quality of life. Results: Almost all (98.2%) participants reported pornography use with a median use of 5.33 hours per month. Multivariate analyses revealed that increased pornography use was associated with greater dissatisfaction with muscularity, body fat and height; greater eating disorder symptoms; more frequent thoughts about using anabolic steroids; and lower quality of life. Effect sizes for these associations were uniformly small. Neither relationship status nor genital dissatisfaction was associated with pornography use. The association between pornography use and thoughts about using anabolic steroids was stronger for viewers of professional pornography than viewers of amateur pornography. Conclusion: The findings suggest that the use of pornography is weakly associated with body dissatisfaction and related variables and that the type of pornog...
Griffiths, S, Mitchison, D, Murray, SB, Mond, JM & Bastian, BB 2018, 'How might eating disorders stigmatization worsen eating disorders symptom severity? Evaluation of a stigma internalization model', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 51, no. 8, pp. 1010-1014.
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AbstractObjectiveEating disorders stigmatization is common and is associated with greater eating disorders symptom severity. This study sought to elucidate stigma internalization as a potential mechanism underlying this association. Two central aspects of stigma internalization were focused on: alienation and social withdrawal.MethodA cross‐national sample of individuals with self‐reported eating disorders (N = 260) completed measures of eating disorders stigmatization, symptom severity, alienation, and social withdrawal.ResultsThe model evidenced excellent fit. Eating disorders stigmatization directly predicted both alienation and social withdrawal, which, in turn, directly predicted symptom severity. Indirect effect analyses indicated that greater eating disorders stigmatization ultimately predicted greater symptom severity via alienation and social withdrawal. Moreover, social withdrawal mediated the association of alienation with symptom severity. Fitting a direct pathway from eating disorder stigmatization to symptom severity did not improve model fit.DiscussionOur model provides a potentially useful account of the mechanisms by which eating disorders stigmatization might worsen eating disorder symptom severity. Specifically, the stigma internalization processes of alienation and social withdrawal may be important factors linking stigmatization with symptom severity. The findings have implications for clinicians attempting to help individuals with eating disorders to monitor and modify their responses to eating disorders stigmatization.
Griffiths, S, Rossell, SL, Mitchison, D, Murray, SB & Mond, JM 2018, 'Pathways into treatment for eating disorders: A quantitative examination of treatment barriers and treatment attitudes', Eating Disorders, vol. 26, no. 6, pp. 556-574.
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Hart, LM, Mitchison, D & Hay, PJ 2018, 'The case for a national survey of eating disorders in Australia', Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 6, no. 1.
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Hing, N, Russell, AMT & Hronis, A 2018, 'A definition and set of principles for responsible consumption of gambling', International Gambling Studies, vol. 18, no. 3, pp. 1-24.
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© 2018, © 2018 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Responsible consumption of gambling (RCG) is now a major paradigm driving industry, government and public health measures that aim to prevent or minimize gambling-related harm. This is reflected in the pervasive message to ‘gamble responsibly’. However, few attempts have been made to define the concept or identify its foundation principles, resulting in substantial ambiguity over what RCG means and its essential characteristics. This study addresses this void by synthesizing findings from a systematic literature review, website analysis and online survey of 107 experts–to develop a set of underlying principles and a definition of RCG. These tasks were facilitated by the reasonably consistent principles found to underpin RCG in the three data sources, despite wide variations in how the construct has previously been defined. Thus, the set of principles of RCG developed in this study (affordability, balance, informed choice, control, enjoyment, harm-free) should attract wide acceptance, as should the definition given that it combines and summarizes these principles. Adopting a consistent definition and set of RCG principles will provide a basis for developing consistent guidelines for consumers, offer direction for public health efforts for gambling harm minimization, and inform government policies and industry measures aiming to support safe gambling.
Hronis, A, Roberts, L & Kneebone, I 2018, 'Assessing the Confidence of Australian Mental Health Practitioners in Delivering Therapy to People With Intellectual Disability', Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities, vol. 56, no. 3, pp. 202-211.
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Abstract Research supports the use of psychological therapies among people with mild to moderate intellectual disability (ID). One barrier to people with ID accessing psychological treatments is the confidence of mental health practitioners. This article explores the confidence of Australian clinicians in providing therapy to people with ID. One hundred and fifty-two psychologists and counselors in Australia completed a survey exploring self-reported confidence when working with clients who have ID and mental health difficulties. Clinicians were most confident with generic counseling skills, but less confident with elements of assessments and interventions. The use of treatment protocols was endorsed as helpful particularly among those with low confidence. This highlights the need for dissemination of treatment guides and training to help increase clinician confidence.
Kemmis-Riggs, J, Dickes, A & McAloon, J 2018, 'Program Components of Psychosocial Interventions in Foster and Kinship Care: A Systematic Review', Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 13-40.
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© 2017, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Foster children frequently experience early trauma that significantly impacts their neurobiological, psychological and social development. This systematic review examines the comparative effectiveness of foster and kinship care interventions. It examines the components within each intervention, exploring their potential to benefit child and carer well-being, particularly focussing on child behaviour problems, and relational functioning. Systematic searches of electronic databases included PsycINFO, MEDLINE, Web of Science Core Collection, the Cochrane Collaborations Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and Scopus to identify randomised or quasi-randomised trials of psychosocial foster/kinship care interventions, published between 1990 and 2016. Seventeen studies describing 14 interventions were included. Eleven studies reported comparative benefit compared to control. Overall, effective interventions had clearly defined aims, targeted specific domains and developmental stages, provided coaching or role play, and were developed to ameliorate the effects of maltreatment and relationship disruption. Interventions effective in reducing behaviour problems included consistent discipline and positive reinforcement components, trauma psychoeducation, problem-solving and parent-related components. Interventions effective in improving parent–child relationships included components focussed on developing empathic, sensitive and attuned parental responses to children’s needs. Given the prevalence of both behaviour problems and relational difficulties in foster families, targeting these needs is essential. However, interventions have tended to measure outcomes in either behavioural or relational terms. A more coordinated and collaborative research approach would provide a better understanding of the association between parent–child relationships and child behaviour problems. This would allow u...
Langley, EL, Wootton, BM & Grieve, R 2018, 'The Utility of the Health Belief Model Variables in Predicting Help‐Seeking Intention for Anxiety Disorders', Australian Psychologist, vol. 53, no. 4, pp. 291-301.
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© 2017 The Australian Psychological Society Objective: Anxiety disorders are common, and effective treatments exist, however, many people with anxiety disorders do not access these treatments due to numerous barriers. The current study aimed to examine treatment barriers that are specific to anxiety disorders and to examine the utility of the Health Belief Model (HBM) variables in predicting intention to seek psychological help in relation to anxiety disorders. Method: The study employed a cross-sectional design and participants were a convenience sample comprising first year psychology students and other individuals who were interested in participating. A total of 278 individuals voluntarily participated in the current study by completing a battery of online self-report measures. Of these participants, there was an 89% completion rate and 243 met inclusion criteria (81% female; Mean age 25.58, SD = 10.69). Results: The most commonly reported barriers in this population included “I would not be able to afford treatment” (52%), followed by “I think I can/should work out my own problems rather than talking to a psychologist” (49%). Regression analyses indicated that 51% of the variance in intention to seek psychological help can be accounted for by the HBM variables. Perceived treatment benefits were the strongest predictor of help-seeking intention. Conclusions: The study highlights that individuals must interpret psychological treatment as potentially helpful in order to seek help for anxiety disorders. In order to improve help-seeking for anxiety disorders it is essential that professional bodies use targeted marketing strategies to increase the perceived helpfulness of seeing a mental health professional.
Lucas, C, Williams, KA, McAloon, J & Walpola, R 2018, 'From expectations to experience: Pharmacy students' perceptions on experiential placements', Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy, vol. 14, no. 8, pp. e45-e45.
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Maguire, PN, Clark, GI & Wootton, BM 2018, 'The efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy for the treatment of perinatal anxiety symptoms: A preliminary meta-analysis', Journal of Anxiety Disorders, vol. 60, pp. 26-34.
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Mitchison, D, Rieger, E, Harrison, C, Murray, SB, Griffiths, S & Mond, J 2018, 'Indicators of clinical significance among women in the community with binge‐eating disorder symptoms: Delineating the roles of binge frequency, body mass index, and overvaluation', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 51, no. 2, pp. 165-169.
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AbstractObjectiveThis study aimed to investigate the relative contributions of binge eating, body image disturbance, and body mass index (BMI) to distress and disability in binge‐eating disorder (BED).MethodA community sample of 174 women with BED‐type symptomatology provided demographic, weight, and height information, and completed measures of overvaluation of weight/shape and binge eating, general psychological distress and impairment in role functioning. Correlation and regression analyses examined the associations between predictors (binge eating, overvaluation, BMI), and outcomes (distress, functional impairment).ResultsBinge eating and overvaluation were moderately to strongly correlated with distress and functional impairment, whereas BMI was not correlated with distress and only weakly correlated with functional impairment. Regression analysis indicated that both overvaluation and binge eating were strong and unique predictors of both distress and impairment, the contribution of overvaluation to variance in functional impairment being particularly strong, whereas BMI did not uniquely predict functional impairment or distress.DiscussionThe findings support the inclusion of overvaluation as a diagnostic criterion or specifier in BED and the need to focus on body image disturbance in treatment and public health efforts in order to reduce the individual and community health burden of this condition.
Murray, SB, Pila, E, Mond, JM, Mitchison, D, Blashill, AJ, Sabiston, CM & Griffiths, S 2018, 'Cheat meals: A benign or ominous variant of binge eating behavior?', Appetite, vol. 130, pp. 274-278.
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Murray, SB, Pila, E, Mond, JM, Mitchison, D, Nauman, E & Griffiths, S 2018, 'Global trends in high impact psychiatry research', World Psychiatry, vol. 17, no. 3, pp. 368-370.
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Nangle, MR, Bailey, PE, Henry, JD, Khlentzos, GS, Varcin, KJ & Whitton, AE 2018, 'Age invariance in rapid facial affective reactions to emotionally valenced stimuli', Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, vol. 71, no. 8, pp. 1687-1697.
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It has been suggested that an age-related positivity effect may only occur in the context of explicit information processing, but it is unclear whether this bias extends to the processing of rapid facial reactions. In addition, most studies that have looked for evidence of age-related implicit positivity have used attentional (as opposed to sensory) unawareness paradigms, or used broad-based indicators of attentional awareness that do not speak to the nature of the affective response. In the present study, younger and older adults were therefore asked to view non-facial images presented supraliminally (i.e., consciously) as well as outside of sensory awareness (i.e., subliminally) while their facial reactions were indexed using electromyography. The results indicated that both younger and older adults exhibited rapid facial reactions congruent with the emotional valence of non-facial images in both supraliminal and subliminal conditions. Relative to young, older adults did not respond with greater zygomaticus (cheek) activity to positive stimuli or reduced corrugator (brow) activity to negative stimuli in either condition. These data show that rapid facial reactions to emotional stimuli are intact in late adulthood, even in response to stimuli that activate more automatic and implicit forms of emotion processing. However, there is no evidence for any age-related positivity bias in these behavioral responses.
Nguyen, S-A & McAloon, J 2018, 'A Cross-Cultural Comparison of Parental Perceptions of Childhood Separation Anxiety Disorder Symptoms and Likelihood to Seek Help', Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology, vol. 49, no. 3, pp. 453-469.
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This study examined cross-cultural differences in parental interpretations of childhood separation anxiety disorder (SAD) symptoms and their subsequent likelihood to seek help or advice. It also assessed level of acculturation to Western society as a potential predictor of Asian parents’ judgments of perceived pathology and likelihood to seek help. A total of 108 Caucasian and Asian parents were presented with a vignette of a child displaying behaviors indicative of SAD and asked to rate their level of perceived pathology and likelihood to seek help. Results showed that Caucasian and Asian parents gave similar ratings of perceived pathology. However, Caucasian parents reported a greater likelihood to seek help or advice for SAD symptoms than Asian parents. Level of acculturation to Western society was not a statistically significant predictor of Asian parents’ perceptions and likelihood to seek help, above and beyond the variance explained by demographic factors and level of shame associated with help seeking. Although conclusions are discussed in light of methodological limitations, these preliminary findings highlight the importance of considering cultural factors when investigating children’s access to mental health services, especially when the presenting issue is SAD.
Osborn, R, Girgis, M, Morse, S, Sladakovic, J, Kneebone, I, Shires, A, Durvasula, S & Roberts, L 2018, 'Mindfulness-Integrated CBT (MiCBT) for Reducing Distress in Parents of Children with Intellectual Disability (ID): a Case Series', Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, vol. 30, no. 4, pp. 559-568.
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© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Caring for a child with an intellectual disability (ID) is associated with significant psychological distress. Interventions include cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction (MBSR). Mindfulness-integrated CBT (MiCBT) may offer a balance between CBT’s change focus and MBSR’s acceptance focus for these parents. Five participants were recruited and provided one to one MiCBT tailored to parental carers of children with ID. Four participants completed the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales 21 (DASS-21) pre-treatment and post-treatment. Reliable change analysis was used to identify clinically reliable change. One participant dropped out after four sessions, four completed eight of the available eight sessions. Two participants reported reductions in depressive and stress symptoms, and one of these, additionally reported a reduction in anxiety symptoms. All four participants who completed treatment rated the treatment as acceptable. MiCBT shows promise as an intervention to assist parental carers of children with ID.
Palmer, C, Seymour, K, Otsuka, Y & Clifford, C 2018, 'Neural processing of others' gaze independent of specific facial features', Journal of Vision, vol. 18, no. 10, pp. 196-196.
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Palmer, CJ, Caruana, N, Clifford, CWG & Seymour, KJ 2018, 'Adaptive sensory coding of gaze direction in schizophrenia', Royal Society Open Science, vol. 5, no. 12, pp. 180886-180886.
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Schizophrenia has been associated with differences in how the visual system processes sensory input. A fundamental mechanism that regulates sensory processing in the brain is gain control, whereby the responses of sensory neurons to a given stimulus are modulated in accordance with the spatial and temporal context. Some studies indicate an impairment of certain cortical gain control mechanisms in schizophrenia in low-level vision, reflected, for instance, in how the visual appearance of a stimulus is affected by the presence of other stimuli around it. In the present study, we investigated higher-level, social vision in schizophrenia, namely the perception of other people's direction of gaze (i.e. a type of face processing). Recent computational modelling work indicates that perceptual aftereffects—changes in perception that occur following repeated exposure to faces that display a specific direction of gaze—are indicative of two distinct forms of gain control involved in the coding of gaze direction across sensory neurons. We find that individuals with schizophrenia display strong perceptual aftereffects following repeated exposure to faces with averted gaze, and a modelling analysis indicates similarly robust gain control in the form of (i) short-term adjustment of channel sensitivities in response to the recent sensory history and (ii) divisive normalization of the encoded gaze direction. Together, this speaks to the typical coding of other people's direction of gaze in the visual system in schizophrenia, including flexible gain control, despite the social–cognitive impairments that can occur in this condition.
Palmer, CJ, Caruana, N, Clifford, CWG & Seymour, KJ 2018, 'Perceptual integration of head and eye cues to gaze direction in schizophrenia', Royal Society Open Science, vol. 5, no. 12, pp. 180885-180885.
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The perceptual mechanisms that underlie social experience in schizophrenia are increasingly becoming a target of empirical research. In the context of low-level vision, there is evidence for a reduction in the integration of sensory features in schizophrenia (e.g. increased thresholds for contour detection and motion coherence). In the context of higher-level vision, comparable differences in the integration of sensory features of the face could in theory impair the recognition of important social cues. Here we examine how the sense of where other people are looking relies upon the integration of eye-region cues and head-region cues. Adults with schizophrenia viewed face images designed to elicit the ‘Wollaston illusion’, a perceptual phenomenon in which the perceived gaze direction associated with a given pair of eyes is modulated by the surrounding sensory context. We performed computational modelling of these psychophysical data to quantify individual differences in the use of facial cues to gaze direction. We find that adults with schizophrenia exhibit a robust perceptual effect whereby their sense of other people's direction of gaze is strongly biased by sensory cues relating to head orientation in addition to eye region information. These results indicate that the visual integration of facial cues to gaze direction in schizophrenia is intact, helping to constrain theories of reduced integrative processing in higher-level and lower-level vision. In addition, robust gaze processing was evident in the tested participants despite reduced performance on a theory of mind task designed to assess higher-level social cognition.
Piper, SE, Bailey, PE, Lam, LT & Kneebone, II 2018, 'Predictors of mental health literacy in older people', Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, vol. 79, pp. 52-56.
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© 2018 Elsevier B.V. Objectives: Older adults exhibit poorer mental health literacy than younger adults, including less accuracy at identifying symptoms of mental disorders, and endorsing fewer sources of treatment for a mental disorder. The current study's intention was to determine if the executive component of cognition is associated with mental health literacy in older adults, when controlling for other established predictors (sex, age, education, and proximity to someone with a mental disorder). Method: The sample included 85 cognitively healthy adults aged 60 and over. Participants completed the Mini-Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III, the Trail Making Test, a Phonemic Verbal Fluency Test, and the Mental Health Literacy Scale. Results: A multiple regression indicated that age and mental health proximity significantly and uniquely predicted total mental health literacy (Age: β = -0.22, t = −2.04, p < 0.05; Proximity: β = 0.31, t = 2.78, p < 0.01). Older age predicted poorer PTSD mental health literacy (β = −0.31, t = −2.90, p < 0.01). Conclusion: In neurologically healthy older adults, level of executive function did not contribute to mental health literacy. Older adults in closer proximity to someone with a mental disorder were more likely to have better mental health literacy, a finding that has the potential to inform mental health education and promotion strategies in this population.
Pride, NA, Barton, B, Hutchins, P, Coghill, DR, Korgaonkar, MS, Hearps, SJC, Rouel, M, Malarbi, S, North, KN & Payne, JM 2018, 'Effects of methylphenidate on cognition and behaviour in children with neurofibromatosis type 1: a study protocol for a randomised placebo-controlled crossover trial', BMJ Open, vol. 8, no. 8, pp. e021800-e021800.
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IntroductionDopamine dysregulation has been identified as a key modulator of behavioural impairment in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) and a potential therapeutic target. Preclinical research demonstrates reduced dopamine in the brains of genetically engineered NF1 mouse strains is associated with reduced spatial-learning and attentional dysfunction. Methylphenidate, a stimulant medication that increases dopaminergic and noradrenergic neurotransmission, rescued the behavioural and dopamine abnormalities. Although preliminary clinical trials have demonstrated that methylphenidate is effective in treating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptoms in children with NF1, its therapeutic effect on cognitive performance is unclear. The primary aim of this clinical trial is to assess the efficacy of methylphenidate for reducing attention deficits, spatial working memory impairments and ADHD symptoms in children with NF1.Methods and analysisA randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of methylphenidate with a two period crossover design. Thirty-six participants with NF1 aged 7–16 years will be randomised to one of two treatment sequences: 6 weeks of methylphenidate followed by 6 weeks of placebo or; 6 weeks of placebo followed by 6 weeks of methylphenidate. Neurocognitive and behavioural outcomes as well as neuroimaging measures will be completed at baseline and repeated at the end of each treatment condition (week 6, week 12). Primary outcome measures are omission errors on the Conners Continuous Performance Test-II (attention), between-search errors on the Spatial Working Memory task from the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (spatial working memory) and the Inattentive and Hyperactivity/Impulsivity Symptom Scales on the Conners 3-Parent. Secondary outcomes will examine the effect of methylphenidate on executive fun...
Puckett, AM, Bollmann, S, Poser, BA, Palmer, J, Barth, M & Cunnington, R 2018, 'Using multi-echo simultaneous multi-slice (SMS) EPI to improve functional MRI of the subcortical nuclei of the basal ganglia at ultra-high field (7T)', NeuroImage, vol. 172, pp. 886-895.
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Purton, T, Officer, C, Bullivant, B, Mitchison, D, Griffiths, S, Murray, SB & Mond, J 2018, 'Body dissatisfaction, narcissism and self-esteem in young men and women: A moderated mediation analysis', Personality and Individual Differences, vol. 131, pp. 99-104.
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Rouel, M & Smith, E 2018, 'Attentional Bias and Its Modification in Contamination OCD Symptomatology', Cognitive Therapy and Research, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 686-698.
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Rouel, M, Stevenson, RJ & Smith, E 2018, 'Examination of Responses Involved in Contamination Aversion Based on Threat Type', Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, vol. 37, no. 2, pp. 83-106.
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There is evidence that different types of contaminants produce different responses and have different motivations for avoidance. Contaminants directly associated with disease (direct contaminants) are motivated by disgust avoidance, whereas contaminants indirectly associated with disease (indirect contaminants) and contaminants associated with harmful substances (harm contaminants) are motivated by harm avoidance and threat estimations. This study aims to confirm this distinction between contaminant types and examine the role of cognitive load, awareness and time on processing these threats. One hundred and four participants completed three chain of contagion tasks with direct, indirect, and harm contaminants. Cognitive load, awareness of contamination and time were manipulated during the tasks. Consistent with previous findings, direct contaminants produced stronger disgust responses, while harm and indirect contaminants produced stronger threat estimations. Increasing cognitive load did not impact processing of any type of contaminant. There was evidence that a time delay reduced the spread of contagion for all contaminants. This highlights the importance of time in altering the perception of contamination threat. Implications and future research directions are discussed.
Rouel, M, Stevenson, RJ & Smith, E 2018, 'Predicting Contamination Aversion Using Implicit and Explicit Measures of Disgust and Threat Overestimation', Behaviour Change, vol. 35, no. 1, pp. 22-38.
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Explicit measures of disgust and threat overestimation have consistently been found to be involved in contamination aversion. However, evidence of the involvement of these factors at the implicit level is mixed, and the role of both responses has not been looked at concurrently. This study aimed to compare the ability of implicit and explicit measures of disgust and threat overestimation to predict contamination aversion and whether this depends on the type of contaminant. Sixty-five participants completed explicit and implicit measures of disgust and threat overestimation, as well as several measures of contamination aversion, including obsessive-compulsive tendencies, and contamination fear and avoidance of contaminants directly associated with disease (direct contaminants) and harmful substances (harm contaminants). It was found that both explicit disgust and explicit threat overestimation predicted contamination-fear obsessive-compulsive tendencies. Explicit disgust predicted contamination fear and avoidance of direct contaminants, whereas explicit threat overestimation predicted contamination fear and avoidance of harm contaminants. The involvement of implicit processes was weak, with some suggestion of difficulty disengaging predicting avoidance of contaminants. Implications for understanding dysfunctional contamination aversion are discussed.
Rouel, M, Stevenson, RJ, Milne-Home, J & Smith, E 2018, 'Differences in emotions and cognitions experienced in contamination aversion', Journal of Experimental Psychopathology, vol. 9, no. 3, pp. 204380871879482-204380871879482.
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A current model of contamination aversion suggests that it has distinct affective and cognitive components that interact to respond to threats. The affective component involves disgust and responds preferentially to direct contaminants (e.g., feces). The cognitive component involves obsessive beliefs and responds preferentially to indirect contaminants (e.g., money). This study examined characteristics of the two components by comparing emotional and cognitive responses to different contaminants. In total, 47 participants completed behavioral avoidance tasks with direct, indirect, and harmful contaminants. Participants rated their disgust, fear of contamination, and threat estimation while in contact with each contaminant. The contaminants produced different emotional and cognitive responses, suggesting the differential involvement of affective and cognitive factors depending on the type of threat. Additionally, it was found that disgust did not habituate over time in contact with contaminants, whereas fear of contamination and threat estimation appeared to decline. Clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.
Seymour, KJ, Stein, T, Clifford, CWG & Sterzer, P 2018, 'Cortical suppression in human primary visual cortex predicts individual differences in illusory tilt perception', Journal of Vision, vol. 18, no. 11, pp. 3-3.
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Sharpe, H, Griffiths, S, Choo, T, Eisenberg, ME, Mitchison, D, Wall, M & Neumark‐Sztainer, D 2018, 'The relative importance of dissatisfaction, overvaluation and preoccupation with weight and shape for predicting onset of disordered eating behaviors and depressive symptoms over 15 years', International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 51, no. 10, pp. 1168-1175.
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AbstractObjectiveThe aim of this study was to examine the relative importance of dissatisfaction, overvaluation, and preoccupation with body weight and shape in predicting increases in disordered eating behaviors and depressive symptoms from adolescence through to early adulthood.MethodThe study involved 1,830 participants (60% female) who completed the Project EAT survey during adolescence (mean age = 14.90 years, SD = 1.65 years) and again, 15 years later, in early adulthood. Participants provided assessments of dissatisfaction, overvaluation and preoccupation with weight and shape, as well as disordered eating and depressive symptoms at both time points.ResultsThe three aspects of body image had distinct patterns of association with the outcomes both concurrently and longitudinally. Dissatisfaction predicted depressive symptoms as well as a wide range of disordered eating outcomes, including dieting, unhealthy weight control behaviors (UWCBs), and binge eating, particularly in female participants. Preoccupation was associated with all of these disordered eating behaviors (but not with depressive symptoms) and was notably the strongest predictor of dieting and UWCBs in female participants. Overvaluation was associated with both disordered eating and depressive symptoms, although typically was a less potent predictor of difficulties than the other aspects of body image.DiscussionDissatisfaction, overvaluation, and preoccupation are related but make distinct contributions to clinically significant outcomes. Models of eating disorders should move beyond focusing exclusively on dissatisfaction or overvaluation toward a broader conceptualisation of body image. Findings from thi...
Thapliyal, P, Mitchison, D, Miller, C, Bowden, J, Alejandro González-Chica, D, Stocks, N, Touyz, S & Hay, P 2018, 'Comparison of mental health treatment status and use of antidepressants in men and women with eating disorders', Eating Disorders, vol. 26, no. 3, pp. 248-262.
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Tolin, DF, Gilliam, C, Wootton, BM, Bowe, W, Bragdon, LB, Davis, E, Hannan, SE, Steinman, SA, Worden, B & Hallion, LS 2018, 'Psychometric Properties of a Structured Diagnostic Interview for DSM-5 Anxiety, Mood, and Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders', Assessment, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 3-13.
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Three hundred sixty-two adult patients were administered the Diagnostic Interview for Anxiety, Mood, and OCD and Related Neuropsychiatric Disorders (DIAMOND). Of these, 121 provided interrater reliability data, and 115 provided test–retest reliability data. Participants also completed a battery of self-report measures that assess symptoms of anxiety, mood, and obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. Interrater reliability of DIAMOND anxiety, mood, and obsessive-compulsive and related diagnoses ranged from very good to excellent. Test–retest reliability of DIAMOND diagnoses ranged from good to excellent. Convergent validity was established by significant between-group comparisons on applicable self-report measures for nearly all diagnoses. The results of the present study indicate that the DIAMOND is a promising semistructured diagnostic interview for DSM-5 disorders.
Tolin, DF, Hallion, LS, Wootton, BM, Levy, HC, Billingsley, AL, Das, A, Katz, BW & Stevens, MC 2018, 'Subjective cognitive function in hoarding disorder', Psychiatry Research, vol. 265, pp. 215-220.
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© 2018 The aim of the present study was to examine subjective cognitive impairment among adult patients with hoarding disorder (HD). Eighty-three patients with HD and 46 age- and gender-matched healthy control (HC) participants received a diagnostic interview and completed measures of subjective cognitive functioning and motivations for saving behavior, as well as measures of hoarding severity, depression, anxiety, stress, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptoms. The HD group reported more impairment than did the HC group in domains of memory, distractibility, blunders, memory for names, and inattention. These differences generally remained significant when controlling for comorbid symptoms. In the HD group, the degree of cognitive impairment was significantly correlated with severity of saving and acquiring behaviors, although results were attenuated when controlling for comorbid symptoms (overall HD severity, but not saving behavior specifically, remained significantly correlated with cognitive impairment). Subjective cognitive impairment was further associated with a desire to save possessions in order to avoid forgetting, and these results remained significant when controlling for comorbid symptoms. These results comport with current behavioral models of HD that emphasize decision-making deficits, as well as clinician observations suggestive of impaired cognitive function, and complement a growing body of neuropsychological testing studies.
Tolin, DF, Levy, HC, Wootton, BM, Hallion, LS & Stevens, MC 2018, 'Hoarding disorder and difficulties in emotion regulation', Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders, vol. 16, no. January, pp. 98-103.
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The present study aimed to examine self-reported deficits in emotion regulation (ER) among individuals with hoarding disorder (HD). Seventy-seven adult outpatients with HD and 45 age- and gender-matched healthy control (HC) participants received a diagnostic assessment and completed self-report measures of hoarding severity, depression, and anxiety. In addition, participants completed the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), which measures lack of emotional clarity (Clarity), difficulty regulating behavior when distressed (Impulse), difficulty engaging in goal-directed cognition and behavior when distressed (Goals), unwillingness to accept emotional responses (Accept), and lack of access to strategies for feeling better when distressed (Strategies). The HD group scored higher on all DERS subscales than did the HC group; self-reported ER deficits remained evident when controlling for baseline depression, anxiety, and stress. The DERS correlated significantly with hoarding severity in the HD group: acquiring was significantly correlated with DERS Impulse, Strategies, and Accept; saving was significantly correlated with DERS Accept. Correlations remained significant when controlling for depression, anxiety, and stress. Results suggest that HD is characterized by self-reported deficits in ER, and that this relationship is not solely attributable to high levels of depression and anxiety.
Trompeter, N, Bussey, K, Hay, P, Mond, J, Murray, SB, Lonergan, A, Griffiths, S, Pike, K & Mitchison, D 2018, 'Fear of Negative Evaluation and Weight/Shape Concerns among Adolescents: The Moderating Effects of Gender and Weight Status', Journal of Youth and Adolescence, vol. 47, no. 7, pp. 1398-1408.
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Veldre, A & Andrews, S 2018, 'Beyond cloze probability: Parafoveal processing of semantic and syntactic information during reading', Journal of Memory and Language, vol. 100, pp. 1-17.
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Veldre, A & Andrews, S 2018, 'How does foveal processing difficulty affect parafoveal processing during reading?', Journal of Memory and Language, vol. 103, pp. 74-90.
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Veldre, A & Andrews, S 2018, 'Parafoveal preview effects depend on both preview plausibility and target predictability', Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, vol. 71, no. 1, pp. 64-74.
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Recent studies using the boundary paradigm have shown that readers benefit from a parafoveal preview of a plausible continuation of the sentence. This plausibility preview effect occurs irrespective of the semantic or orthographic relatedness of the preview and target word, suggesting that it depends on the degree to which a preview word fits the preceding context. The present study tested this hypothesis by examining the impact of contextual constraint on processing a plausible word in the parafovea. Participants’ eye movements were recorded as they read sentences in which a target word was either highly predictable or unpredictable. The boundary paradigm was used to compare predictable, unpredictable, and implausible previews. The results showed that target predictability significantly modulated the effects of identical and plausible previews. Identical previews yielded significantly more benefit than plausible previews for highly predictable targets, but for unpredictable targets a plausible preview was as beneficial as an identical preview. The results shed light on the role of contextual predictability in early lexical processing. Furthermore, these data support the view that readers activate a set of appropriate words from the preceding sentence context, prior to the presentation of the target word.
Verhoeven, AAC, Watson, P & de Wit, S 2018, 'Failing to pay heed to health warnings in a food-associated environment', Appetite, vol. 120, pp. 616-626.
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Watson, P & de Wit, S 2018, 'Current limits of experimental research into habits and future directions', Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, vol. 20, pp. 33-39.
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Watson, P, van Wingen, G & de Wit, S 2018, 'Conflicted between Goal-Directed and Habitual Control, an fMRI Investigation', eneuro, vol. 5, no. 4, pp. ENEURO.0240-18.2018.
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Abstract“Slips of action” occur in everyday life when we momentarily lose sight of a goal (for example, when in a rush or distracted). Associative models propose that these habitual responses can be activated via a direct stimulus-response (S-R) mechanism, regardless of the current hedonic value of the outcome. The slips-of-action task (SOAT) has been extensively used in both healthy and pathological populations to measure habit tendencies, the likelihood of making erroneous responses for devalued outcomes. Inspection of behavioral performance does not reveal, however, whether the impairments were due to impaired goal-directed control or aberrantly strong habit formation. In the current study, we used functional MRI while human participants performed both the instrumental training and SOAT test phases, to elucidate the relative contributions of these mechanisms to performance on the SOAT. On trials in which conflict arises between competing goal-directed and habitual responses, we observed increased activation across areas including the anterior cingulate cortex, paracingulate gyrus, lateral orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), insula, and inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). Responding for devalued outcomes was related to increased activation in the premotor cortex and cerebellum, implicating these regions in habitual responding. Increased activation in the caudate, dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC), and frontal pole during training was associated with better performance during the test phase, indicative of goal-directed action control. These results endorse interpretation of the SOAT in terms of competing goal-directed and habitual mechanisms and highlight that cognitive control processes present an additional bottleneck for successful performance on this task.
Watson, P, Wiers, RW, Hommel, B & de Wit, S 2018, 'Motivational sensitivity of outcome-response priming: Experimental research and theoretical models', Psychonomic Bulletin & Review, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 2069-2082.
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Wootton, BM & Macgregor, A 2018, 'Accelerated outpatient individual cognitive‐behaviour therapy for panic disorder: A case study', Clinical Psychologist, vol. 22, no. 1, pp. 92-98.
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Wootton, BM, Hunn, A, Moody, A, Lusk, BR, Ranson, VA & Felmingham, KL 2018, 'Accelerated Outpatient Individual Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Social Anxiety Disorder: A Preliminary Pilot Study', Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, vol. 46, no. 6, pp. 690-705.
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Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a common and chronic mental health condition. Given the significant prevalence and impairment caused by SAD, it is important to investigate novel ways to improve the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for SAD. One approach may be to provide CBT in an accelerated fashion, which involves multiple sessions per week. Such accelerated treatments have been shown to be effective in other anxiety disorders, but in SAD this accelerated treatment has only been studied in a group treatment format. Aims: The aim of this study was to provide a preliminary investigation of the efficacy of individual accelerated CBT (aCBT) in the treatment of SAD. Method: The studied utilized an open trial design. Seventeen participants commenced the treatment, which consisted of 12 sessions delivered over 4 weeks. Results: The results indicated that participants obtained moderate to large effect sizes on measures of SAD at post-treatment (range d = 0.76–0.92) and 3-month follow-up (range d = 1.31–1.79). In addition, at post-treatment, 59% of participants no longer met criteria for SAD, and this number increased to 71% at 3-month follow-up. Conclusions: The results provide preliminary evidence to suggest that individual aCBT may be an important treatment option for individuals with SAD.
Wootton, BM, Steinman, SA, Czerniawski, A, Norris, K, Baptie, C, Diefenbach, G & Tolin, DF 2018, 'An Evaluation of the Effectiveness of a Transdiagnostic Bibliotherapy Program for Anxiety and Related Disorders: Results From Two Studies Using a Benchmarking Approach', Cognitive Therapy and Research, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 565-580.
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© 2018, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Anxiety and related disorders are common and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has been demonstrated to be an effective treatment for these disorders. However, patients face many barriers to accessing this treatment. Remote delivery of treatment using bibliotherapy-administered CBT (BCBT) has the potential to increase accessibility to evidence-based treatment for patients with anxiety and related disorders. This study investigated the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic BCBT intervention in two open trials. While the BCBT intervention in both studies were identical, the first study was unguided (i.e., no clinician support provided), and the second study was guided (i.e., patients were provided with brief clinician support via telephone). Twenty-three participants with mixed anxiety disorders completed the first Study (unguided treatment) and results exhibited significant reductions on the primary outcome measure with within-group effect sizes of d = 1.29 (95% CI 0.64–1.91) at post-treatment and d = 1.52 (95% CI 0.84–2.15) at 3-month follow up. Forty-one participants with various anxiety and related disorders completed Study 2 (guided intervention) and results were similar to Study 1 with large within-group effect sizes seen at post-treatment (d = 0.95; 95% CI 0.49–1.40) and 3-month follow up (d = 0.87; 95% CI 0.41–1.31). In both studies participants found the intervention to be highly acceptable, and benchmarking analyses indicated that the outcomes were largely consistent with those of controlled trials. These are the first studies to investigate the effectiveness of a transdiagnostic BCBT program for the treatment of anxiety and related disorders and the results demonstrate preliminary support for this treatment methodology.
