Search results for "Anxiety."

Do patients with pathological health anxiety fear COVID-19? A time-course analysis of 12 single cases during the “first wave” of the COVID-19 pandemi…

2021

Objective Pre-existing health anxiety is associated with an intensified affective response to the novel COVID-19 pandemic in the general population. Still, results on the reaction of people with a diagnosis of pathological health anxiety (i.e., hypochondriasis) are scarce. Methods In the present study, we investigated the course of (health) anxiety related to SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 in comparison to (health) anxiety related to other severe diseases (e.g., cancer) in a sample of 12 patients with the diagnosis of pathological health anxiety during the “first wave” of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany. Both SARS-CoV-2 related anxiety and anxiety related to other severe diseases were assessed weekly…

Loneliness and its relation to mental health in the general population: Validation and norm values of a brief measure

2021

Abstract Background Loneliness has been increasingly recognized as an important determinant of mental health. The purposes of this study were to (1) determine the degree of loneliness of women and men across different age groups, (2) explore its association with distress, (3) psychometrically evaluate the Three-Item Loneliness Scale, (4) provide norm values. Methods The Three-Item Loneliness Scale was applied in a representative survey of the German population (N=2527; 14–95 years). Standardized scales were used measuring distress (depression and anxiety symptoms, perceived stress, hopelessness, suicidal ideation, fatigue, life satisfaction). Factor structure and measurement invariance acro…

Valores personales y autoestima en población general y clínica

2008

The aim of this study is to investigate the association between personal values and self-esteem in general population and clinical population. The sample was composed of a group of patients with a diagnosis of anxiety disorders and/or depression (n = 60) and a comparison group, paired by sex and age, of general population (n = 60). The Portrait Values Questionnaire of Schwartz (PVQ) and the Autoe Self-esteem Scale were used. T-tests were performed to compare the scores of both instruments between the two groups. The clinical sample scored significantly lower in Self-esteem, Self- direction, Hedonism, and Openness to Change. For this reason, Pearson correlations were calculated in differenti…

Sex influences rat personality more than geographical origin

2011

Abstract The Norway rat is an indispensable model organism. Behavioral studies on rats usually concentrate on a single trait without considering how different behaviors are linked to each other and whether there are differences in this respect between rat strains or sexes. This study aims to describe the personality structure of the Norway rat, and investigate if the structure of personality varies between sexes or populations, using owner assessments of pet rats. Rat owners from three countries filled out a questionnaire which was analyzed using structural equation modeling. The data were divided between the sexes and populations, resulting in six groups. Preliminary exploratory factor ana…

Positive mood induction procedures for virtual environments designed for elderly people

2012

Positive emotions have a significant influence on mental and physical health. Their role in the elderly’s wellbeing has been established in numerous studies. It is therefore worthwhile to explore ways in which elderly people can increase the number of positive experiences in their daily lives. This paper describes two Virtual Environments (VEs) that were used as mood induction procedures (MIPs) for this population. In addition, the VEs’ efficacy at increasing joy and relaxation in elderly users is analyzed. The VEs contain exercises for generating positive-autobiographic memories, mindfulness and slow breathing rhythms. The total sample comprised 18 participants over 55 years old who used t…

2021

The Depressive and Anxious Avoidance in Prolonged Grief Questionnaire (DAAPGQ) was developed to measure depressive and anxious avoidance behaviors, which, according to cognitive-behavioral models, are supposed to play an important role in the development and maintenance of prolonged grief. The present study aimed to develop a German version of the DAAPGQ and evaluate its psychometric properties and validity within a representative sample of the German general population (N = 2531). The German-language DAAPGQ was developed using a forward-backward translation procedure. Then, a subsample of individuals who reported having lost a significant other (N = 1371) of a representative sample was ass…

Autism spectrum disorders and anxiety: measurement and treatment

2021

Abstract Autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are a group of neurodevelopmental disorders that have, in common, deficits in communication and social interaction and present repetitive behaviors and restricted interests. There is a great variability of symptoms associated with ASD. Among them, anxiety disorders are perhaps one of the most frequent and most developmentally disruptive in children, youths, and adults, which generate alterations in family life also. The treatments based on cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) have the highest scientific evidence. In a population with ASD, both program adaptations and specific programs have been developed. Due to its characteristics, the most studied p…

Ansiedad social subclínica en adultos jóvenes sanos: cortisol y ansiedad subjetiva en respuesta a estrés agudo

2021

No existe consenso sobre el patrón de liberación de cortisol y su relación con la ansiedad subjetiva en situaciones de estrés en población con ansiedad social. Nuestro objetivo fue determinar la respuesta de cortisol y ansiedad subjetiva en individuos con ansiedad social sometidos a un estresor psicosocial agudo. 26 universitarios (58.6% hombres), edad media = 21.62 ± 0.43, fueron expuestos a la versión estrés o control del Maastricht Acute Stress Test. El cortisol salival y la ansiedad subjetiva fueron medidos antes, durante y post-estrés. Los participantes mostraron un incremento en los niveles de cortisol durante las fases de estrés y post-estrés, con una respuesta significativamente may…

Signos y síntomas de adicción al cibersexo en adultos mayores

2019

El uso de Internet con objetivos sexuales resulta una práctica cada vez más generalizada en cualquier etapa vital. Si bien en la mayoría de casos el consumo se realiza de forma recreativa, en ocasiones éste puede sobrevenir compulsivo, incontrolado y asociado a un deterioro funcional en diversos ámbitos (adicción al cibersexo). Conocer los síntomas que caracterizan este cuadro clínico constituye una prioridad; sin embargo, disponemos de un pobre conocimiento acerca de su expresión en adultos mayores. Así, este trabajo se planteó con un doble objetivo: 1) analizar la prevalencia de adultos mayores en riesgo de desarrollar o que muestran un perfil patológico de uso del cibersexo y 2) elaborar…

Symptoms of depersonalization/derealization are independent risk factors for the development or persistence of psychological distress in the general …

2016

Abstract Background Symptoms of depersonalization (DP) and derealization (DR) have a high prevalence in patient and community samples. Previous studies suggested that DP/DR symptoms might represent a marker of disease severity and poor prognosis. However, population-based studies investigating the impact of DP/DR symptoms on the course of depression and anxiety are sparse. Therefore, we aimed to analyze whether symptoms of DP/DR are longitudinally associated with the persistence or incidence of elevated symptoms of depression/anxiety. Methods We analyzed observational data from a sample of 13.182 participants of the Gutenberg Health Study. The outcomes were elevated symptoms of depression/a…