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1.
PCN Rep ; 2(3): e141, 2023 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-38867827

ABSTRACT

Aim: The spread of the novel coronavirus infection (coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19]) has caused behavioral changes and mental illness in patients and their attendants during its early phase. The present study aimed to examine the association between precautionary behaviors against COVID-19 and psychosocial factors in outpatients with pre-existing disease and their attendants. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional paper-based questionnaire survey in Chiba University Hospital on 1019 patients and 513 attendants, and a web-based questionnaire survey in Japan on 3981 individuals from the general population. We evaluated the participants' anxiety about COVID-19, depression, health anxiety, and precautionary behaviors. Results: Regarding knowledge and anxiety about COVID-19, the protective factors for the high precautionary behaviors group were knowledge of COVID-19 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.178, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.099-1.263), anxiety about the spread of COVID-19 (OR = 1.348, 95% CI: 1.243-1.461), and anxiety about infecting someone with COVID-19 (OR = 1.135, 95% CI: 1.039-0.239). Regarding psychosocial factors, the protective factors for the high precautionary behaviors group were patients (OR = 1.759, 95% CI: 1.056-2.929), their attendants (OR = 3.892, 95% CI: 1.416-10.700), health anxiety (OR = 2.005, 95% CI: 1.451-2.772), and nondepression states (OR = 1.368, 95% CI: 1.004-1.864). Conclusion: Our findings suggest that patients and their attendants may perform high precautionary behaviors. Health anxiety and nondepression states may be associated with high precautionary behaviors.

2.
JMIR Form Res ; 5(9): e21348, 2021 Sep 07.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34491206

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Online support groups vary widely in both goals and structures owing to the rapid development of social networking services. Several studies have shown the potential effectiveness of online support groups, such as reducing psychological distress (eg, depression) among individuals with mental health problems. However, online support groups often do not aim at effectiveness regarding distress relief-related outcomes. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to examine whether the use frequency of online support group platform functions (U2plus) is associated with lower stigma and higher consumer activation. METHODS: A total of 350 U2plus users participated in a web-based survey. They were asked what therapy they had received in the past and how often they logged on to it, used each of its functions, and completed the following questionnaires: the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, the Devaluation-Discrimination Scale, and the General Help-Seeking Questionnaire. RESULTS: Regarding the therapy received, 88% (308/350) of participants had taken medication for mental health problems, and 66.6% (233/350) had received psychotherapy or mental health counseling. Regarding use frequency, 21.7% (74/341) of the participants signed in to U2plus and used its functions more than once a week. The use frequency of U2plus functions was not correlated with perceived stigma, but the use frequency of some functions was weakly correlated with help-seeking intentions from formal sources (eg, doctors and psychologists). However, multiple regression analyses revealed that the use frequency of those functions did not uniquely predict help-seeking intentions. CONCLUSIONS: It was suggested that online support groups may serve as an alternative treatment option for those who are already undergoing pharmacological treatment and are willing to seek help from whatever source they deem helpful.

3.
BMC Res Notes ; 14(1): 142, 2021 Apr 16.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33863382

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to validate the Sick, Control, One stone, Fat, and Food (SCOFF) questionnaire in relation to the Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and to examine the appropriateness of a question concerning weight loss among Japanese university students. The psychometric properties of the two Japanese versions were determined among 649 Japanese college students. The original version (SCOFF-O) employed the original item 3, whereas the revised version (SCOFF-2.5) modified the item to "Have you recently lost more than 2.5 kg within three months?" Validity was tested relative to EDE-Q. RESULTS: The test-retest reliabilities of SCOFF-O and SCOFF-2.5 were 0.52 and 0.57, while the correlations of SCOFF-O and SCOFF-2.5 with EDE-Q were r = 0.53 and r = 0.56. The sensitivity and specificity of SCOFF-O were 65.2 and 89.7, and those of SCOFF-2.5 were 69.5 and 86.5, respectively. There were significant correlations between the question concerning losing 2.5 kg and the EDE-Q subscales. The Japanese version of SCOFF-2.5 is an appropriate tool for the early screening of eating disorders among Japanese university students.


Subject(s)
Feeding and Eating Disorders/diagnosis , Students/psychology , Surveys and Questionnaires/standards , Adolescent , Adult , Feeding and Eating Disorders/psychology , Female , Humans , Japan , Male , Psychometrics/methods , Reproducibility of Results , Sensitivity and Specificity , Universities , Weight Loss
4.
Ann Gen Psychiatry ; 20(1): 13, 2021 Feb 18.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33602250

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: To control the spread of the new SARS-CoV-2 infection's disease (COVID-19), appropriate precautionary behaviors by the public should be promoted. There are international differences in public cognitive and behavioral pattern, attitudes toward information sources, and anxiety about COVID-19. Information about these differences could increase understanding of the patterns of epidemic-related anxiety and behavior, and would help optimize future policies for preventing the next wave of the epidemic. METHODS: To examine between-country differences in perception, attitude, and precautionary behaviors toward COVID-19, we conducted a cross-sectional study using an online questionnaire survey. Participants were adults who had been registered in Cross Marketing Group Inc. and living in the UK, Spain, or Japan. A total of 8,000 people stratified by age were recruited on a first-come, first-serve basis. Knowledge of and anxiety about COVID-19, the frequency of access and perceived credibility of several information sources, and the frequency of each precautionary behavior were examined on March 27-28, 2020, in Japan and April 17-21, 2020, in the UK and Spain. RESULTS: Knowledge, anxiety, and the frequency of precautionary behaviors were higher in the UK and Spain than in Japan. Participants with infected acquaintances were more concerned about COVID-19. However, participants in the UK rarely wore a medical mask. Participants in the UK and Spain were more eager to obtain information about COVID-19 than those in Japan. Participants in Spain tended not to trust official information and to believe specialists' comments instead. CONCLUSION: The rapidity of the spread of COVID-19, cultural background, and recent political situations seemed to contribute to the international differences here.

5.
Brain Behav Immun Health ; 6: 100101, 2020 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-32835297

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The novel corona virus infection (COVID-19) quickly became a pandemic state. Identifying characteristics of "possible super spreaders", suggested as a dominant cause of rapid spreading transmission, will help us to design proper prevention strategies. METHODS: We conducted a nation-wide online survey to investigate the relationship of perception and anxiety levels about COVID-19 to the possible risk behaviors for spread of the virus in Japan. We recruited a total of 4,000 citizens, who responded to the questionnaire including several questions regarding the level of fear and anxiety about COVID-19, infection preventive behaviors and access to media with trust level about the virus as well as some demographic and socioeconomic data during March 27th and 28th, 2020. FINDINGS: Thirteen-point-three percent of the participants rated "1" on a nine-point Likert with respect to the knowledge about COVID-19. Ten-point-one percent and 11.7% presented no anxiety of being infected and transmission to others. Ten-point-eight percent showed no worry about symptomatic aggravation. Eight-point-one percent had no serious concern about expanding infection. The distribution of these items was highly correlated with each other. Participants with the low level of knowledge about COVID-19 were likely to less frequently access any information sources and neither trust them. They were less anxious about their health status, and less likely to put precautionary behaviors such as washing hands and avoiding crowded spaces, suggested by statistical analyses. INTERPRETATION: The present study suggests that it is greatly important to enlighten those have no concerns about this crisis of COVID-19 and modify their risk behavior via various ways, in order to prevent and control this viral pandemic. FUNDING: This study was funded by the management grand provided to Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science KAKENHI grants.

6.
Behav Cogn Psychother ; 48(3): 364-369, 2020 May.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31631835

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: It has been proposed that both positive and negative metacognitive beliefs sustain engagement in post-event processing (PEP). However, it is unknown: (1) whether individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) actually derive the benefits from PEP that they expect; (2) if this is not the case, how their positive beliefs are maintained; and (3) if they are aware of the counterproductive effects of PEP, why they still perform PEP. AIMS: To explore the phenomenology of the processes involved in PEP from the perspective of SADs, in order to address the research questions above. METHOD: Twenty-one participants suffering from SAD received individual semi-structured interviews. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. RESULTS: Analysis revealed three main themes: (1) 'Only, safe and useful way to improve myself': SADs feel the need to improve their social performance, and they believe that PEP is the only, safe, and private way to do so, which is an underlying motive for them to do PEP; (2) 'It hurts more than helps me': however, through PEP, they do not seem to obtain the benefit that they expect, or only find a variety of counterproductive outcomes; (3) 'Better safe than sorry': they sometimes find makeshift solutions to improve their social performance during PEP, which may maintain their PEP as a form of intermittent reinforcement. They weigh up such costs and benefits, and choose to perform PEP while feeling conflicted about PEP. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that: (1) SADs rarely obtain the benefits from PEP that they expect; (2) their positive metacognitive beliefs are maintained by solutions they sometimes find during PEP; and (3) SADs choose to perform PEP while feeling conflicted; while PEP ironically maintains and exacerbates negative self-beliefs/images, it is the only safe and useful way to improve their social performance. These findings support and expand on the theories of PEP.


Subject(s)
Metacognition , Phobia, Social , Anxiety , Emotions , Humans , Phobia, Social/therapy , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Self Concept
7.
Behav Cogn Psychother ; 48(2): 243-247, 2020 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-31576790

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Homework assignments are generally viewed as an important factor of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). AIM: This study examined whether perfectionists procrastinate homework assignments. METHOD: Thirty-eight university students attended two sessions, 7 days apart from each other. After completing perfectionism scales at the first session, they were asked to complete homework tasks from a self-help wellbeing booklet and return the booklet at session 2. RESULTS: Only maladaptive facets of perfectionism correlated with most of the behavioural measures of procrastination. Moreover, those high in maladaptive perfectionism set and completed fewer planned activities to improve their mood. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that perfectionism may affect how clients set their homework, and perfectionism may interfere with the homework assignments of CBT.


Subject(s)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/methods , Mood Disorders/therapy , Perfectionism , Procrastination , Treatment Adherence and Compliance/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Mood Disorders/psychology , Pilot Projects , Students/psychology , Young Adult
8.
Psychother Psychosom ; 85(4): 208-17, 2016.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27230862

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Although antidepressants are still a commonly used treatment for social anxiety disorder (SAD), a significant proportion of patients fail to remit following antidepressants. However, no standard approach has been established for managing such patients. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) as an adjunct to usual care (UC) compared with UC alone in SAD patients who remain symptomatic following antidepressant treatment. METHODS: This was a prospective randomized open-blinded end-point study with two parallel groups (CBT + UC, and UC alone, both for 16 weeks) conducted from June 2012 to March 2014. SAD patients who remain symptomatic following antidepressant treatment were recruited, and a total sample size of 42 was set based on pilot results. RESULTS: Patients were randomly allocated to CBT + UC (n = 21) or UC alone (n = 21). After 16 weeks, adjusted mean reduction in the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale from baseline for CBT + UC and UC alone was -40.87 and 0.68, respectively; the between-group difference was -41.55 (-53.68 to -29.42, p < 0.0001). Response rates were 85.7 and 10.0% for CBT + UC and UC alone, respectively (p < 0.0001). The corresponding remission rates were 47.6 and 0.0%, respectively (p = 0.0005). Significant differences were also found in favor of CBT + UC for social anxiety symptoms, depressive symptoms, and functional impairment. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that in SAD patients who have been ineffectively treated with antidepressants, CBT is an effective treatment adjunct to UC over 16 weeks in reducing social anxiety and related symptoms.


Subject(s)
Antidepressive Agents/therapeutic use , Cognitive Behavioral Therapy/methods , Phobia, Social/therapy , Adult , Female , Humans , Japan , Male , Prospective Studies , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Severity of Illness Index , Treatment Outcome , Young Adult
9.
J Behav Ther Exp Psychiatry ; 49(Pt B): 203-208, 2015 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26433701

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The perception of threat and associated feelings of anxiety typically prompt people to seek safety; reassurance seeking is an interpersonal strategy almost universally used to reduce the immediate perception of risk. Excessive Reassurance Seeking (ERS) is considered to be particularly prominent and unequivocally counter-productive in people suffering from anxiety disorders in general and OCD in particular, producing short term relief but a longer term return and worsening of the original anxiety. We evaluated the extent and specificity of the effects of ERS in OCD and mechanisms involved in both anxiety relief and the hypothesized later return of anxiety.. METHOD: Self rated effects of reassurance seeking were investigated in 153 individuals with OCD, 50 with panic disorder, and 52 healthy controls, evaluating reactions to the provision and non-provision of reassurance. RESULTS: Reassurance is associated with short term relief then longer term return of both discomfort and the urge to seek further reassurance in both anxious groups; healthy controls do not experience significant resurgence. Greater return of anxiety and urge to seek more reassurance were associated with higher levels of overall reassurance seeking.. LIMITATIONS: The findings were based on retrospective self-report of naturally occurring episodes of ERS; prospective studies and induced behaviours are now needed. CONCLUSIONS: Not only is reassurance a quick fix for people experiencing OCD, but in the absence of treatment the only fix! The findings explain why reassurance seeking continues despite advice that it will worsen anxiety problems. Such advice is potentially harmful to patients and their loved ones..


Subject(s)
Attitude , Emotions/physiology , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/psychology , Self Report , Social Responsibility , Adult , Analysis of Variance , Antisocial Personality Disorder/diagnosis , Antisocial Personality Disorder/psychology , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Morale , Psychiatric Status Rating Scales , Surveys and Questionnaires , Young Adult
10.
Behav Cogn Psychother ; 43(1): 74-88, 2015 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23920087

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Mental contamination is a psychological sense of contamination that involves an internal, emotional feeling of dirtiness that may be evoked by unwanted thoughts and images, such as sexual assaults. AIMS: This study aimed to investigate which types of unwanted sexual experiences evoke the strongest mental contamination, and to test the hypothesis that cognitive appraisals of an unwanted sexual experience predict indices of mental contamination (i.e. feeling of dirtiness, urge to wash, internal negative emotions, and external negative emotions). METHOD: 148 female participants were asked to recall their most distressing unwanted sexual experiences. Indices of mental contamination and cognitive appraisals of the experience were then assessed. RESULTS: Our findings indicated that individuals recalling experiences related to rape felt more intense feelings of dirtiness than individuals recalling other types of unwanted sexual experience, such as verbal sexual assault, visual sexual assault, and forcible touching/frottage. In addition, hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that a cognitive appraisal of perceived violation predicted all of the indices of mental contamination after controlling anxiety, depression, and fear of contact contamination. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that an individual is at greatest risk of mental contamination if she has experienced rape/attempted rape, and if she makes a cognitive appraisal of violation regarding the incident.


Subject(s)
Asian People/psychology , Self Concept , Sex Offenses/psychology , Adolescent , Adult , Cognition , Emotions , Female , Humans , Mental Recall , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/etiology , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/psychology , Rape/psychology , Young Adult
11.
Behav Cogn Psychother ; 43(5): 623-34, 2015 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24892981

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: One of the most common interpersonal reactions to threat and anxiety is to seek reassurance from a trusted person. The Reassurance Seeking Questionnaire (ReSQ) measures several key aspects of reassurance seeking behaviour, including frequency, trust of sources, intensity, carefulness, and the emotional consequences of reassurance seeking. AIMS: The current study compares patterns and consequences of reassurance seeking in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and depression. METHOD: ReSQ scores were compared for three groups: 32 individuals with OCD, 17 individuals with depression, and 24 healthy comparison participants. RESULTS: We found that individuals with OCD tended to seek reassurance more intensely and employ self-reassurance more frequently than individuals with depression or healthy participants, and that if reassurance was not provided, they tended to feel a greater urge to seek additional reassurance. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to quantitatively elucidate differences in reassurance seeking between OCD and depression.


Subject(s)
Depressive Disorder/psychology , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/psychology , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Emotions , Female , Humans , Japan , Male , Psychometrics , Self Concept , Social Support , Surveys and Questionnaires
12.
Assessment ; 21(6): 666-8, 2014 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25225230

ABSTRACT

We reply to Flett and Hewitt's commentary on our findings focusing on the multidimensionality of the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (PCI) and the question of whether the Multidimensional Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (MPCI) represents an alternative to the PCI. In addition, we reiterate the importance of considering suppression effects when examining different dimensions of perfectionism and, in concluding, invite researchers to join forces to further advance the assessment of multidimensional perfectionism cognitions.


Subject(s)
Personality Assessment , Personality , Female , Humans , Male
13.
BMC Res Notes ; 7: 306, 2014 May 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24884936

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (OCI) was designed to evaluate the severity of obsessive-compulsive symptoms in both clinical and non-clinical samples. The aim of the study was to develop a Japanese version of this scale (OCI-J) and validate it in both non-clinical and clinical Japanese samples. FINDINGS: In Study 1, the OCI-J, the Maudsley Obsessional Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), and measures of anxiety and depression were administered to 150 undergraduate students (non-clinical sample) in order to investigate the internal consistency and convergent validity of the OCI-J. Furthermore, 118 non-clinical participants completed the OCI-J after a 2-week interval to determine the test-retest reliability. In Study 2, OCD participants (n = 35), anxiety control participants with panic disorder (n = 22), and healthy control participants (n = 37) completed the OCI-J in order to test its clinical discrimination ability.Correlational analysis indicated moderate to high correlations between the subscales and total scores of the OCI-J and MOCI. In addition, the OCI-J and its subscales demonstrated satisfactory test-retest reliabilities. Finally, the OCI-J showed good clinical discrimination for patients with OCD from healthy and anxiety controls. CONCLUSIONS: The OCI-J is a valid and reliable instrument for measuring OCD symptoms in both clinical and non-clinical samples of Japanese.


Subject(s)
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/diagnosis , Surveys and Questionnaires , Adolescent , Adult , Case-Control Studies , Female , Humans , Japan , Male , Middle Aged , Reproducibility of Results , Young Adult
14.
Assessment ; 21(6): 647-60, 2014 Dec.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24830512

ABSTRACT

Perfectionism cognitions capture automatic perfectionistic thoughts and have explained variance in psychological adjustment and maladjustment beyond trait perfectionism. The aim of the present research was to investigate whether a multidimensional assessment of perfectionism cognitions has advantages over a unidimensional assessment. To this aim, we examined in a sample of 324 university students how the Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (PCI) and the Multidimensional Perfectionism Cognitions Inventory (MPCI) explained variance in positive affect, negative affect, and depressive symptoms when factor or subscale scores were used as predictors compared to total scores. Results showed that a multidimensional assessment (PCI factor scores, MPCI subscale scores) explained more variance than a unidimensional assessment (PCI and MPCI total scores) because, when the different dimensions were entered simultaneously as predictors, perfectionistic strivings cognitions and perfectionistic concerns cognitions acted as mutual suppressors thereby increasing each others' predictive validity. With this, the present findings provide evidence that--regardless of whether the PCI or the MPCI is used--a multidimensional assessment of perfectionism cognitions has advantages over a unidimensional assessment in explaining variance in psychological adjustment and maladjustment.


Subject(s)
Personality Assessment , Personality , Adaptation, Psychological , Adult , Cognition , Depression , Female , Humans , Male , Personality Inventory , Regression Analysis
15.
Health Psychol Behav Med ; 2(1): 833-840, 2014 Jan 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-25750822

ABSTRACT

Aim: Health anxiety, also known as hypochondriasis, is classifiable as an anxiety disorder. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between health anxiety and healthcare costs. Method: Participants - 100 Japanese individuals from the general population with chronic health problems and 100 without chronic health problems - were recruited via the Internet. They completed self-report scales measuring health anxiety, state anxiety, depression, obsessionality, and a scale specifically developed for this study that measured the use of healthcare services and the personal costs of respondents' healthcare. Results: Health anxiety was associated with more incidents of inpatient care and greater healthcare expenditure. These associations remained significant even after controlling for state anxiety, depression, obsessionality, and the presence of chronic health problems. Conclusion: We conclude that health anxiety is related to personal as well as social costs in Japan.

16.
BMC Res Notes ; 6: 74, 2013 Feb 28.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23448435

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is regarded as an effective treatment for social anxiety disorder (SAD) in Europe and North America. Individual CBT might be acceptable and effective for patients with SAD even in non-Western cultures; therefore, we conducted a feasibility study of individual CBT for SAD in Japanese clinical settings. We also examined the baseline predictors of outcomes associated with receiving CBT. METHODS: This single-arm trial employed a 14-week individual CBT intervention. The primary outcome was the self-rated Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, with secondary measurements of other social anxiety and depressive severity. Assessments were conducted at baseline, after a waiting period before CBT, during CBT, and after CBT. RESULTS: Of the 19 subjects screened, 15 were eligible for the study and completed the outcome measures at all assessment points. Receiving CBT led to significant improvements in primary and secondary SAD severity (ps < .001). The mean total score on the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale improved from 91.8 to 51.7 (before CBT to after CBT), and the within-group effect size at the end-point assessment was large (Cohen's d = 1.71). After CBT, 73% of participants were judged to be treatment responders, and 40% met the criteria for remission. We found no significant baseline predictors of those outcomes. CONCLUSION: Despite several limitations, our treatment-which comprises a 14-week, individual CBT program-seems feasible and may achieve favorable treatment outcomes for SAD in Japanese clinical settings. Further controlled trials are required in order to address the limitations of this study. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UMIN-CTR UMIN000005897.


Subject(s)
Anxiety Disorders/therapy , Cognitive Behavioral Therapy , Adult , Feasibility Studies , Female , Humans , Japan , Male , Treatment Outcome , Young Adult
17.
BMJ Open ; 3(2)2013.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23408078

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Pharmacotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) are consistently effective as first-line treatments for social anxiety disorders (SADs). Nevertheless, pharmacotherapy is often the first choice in clinical practice. In many countries, the first line of pharmacotherapy involves the administration of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI). Although a significant proportion of patients with SAD fail to respond to the initial SSRI administration, there is no standard approach to the management of SSRI-resistant SAD. This paper describes the study protocol for a randomised controlled trial to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of CBT as a next-step strategy, concomitant with conventional treatment, for patients with SSRI-resistant SAD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This Prospective Randomized Open Blinded End-point study is designed with two parallel groups, with dynamic allocation at the individual level. The interventions for the two groups are conventional treatment, alone, and CBT combined with conventional treatment, for 16 weeks. The primary end-point of SAD severity will be assessed by an independent assessor using the Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale, and secondary end-points include severity of other social anxieties, depressive severity and functional impairment. All measures will be assessed at weeks 0 (baseline), 8 (halfway point) and 16 (postintervention) and the outcomes will be analysed based on the intent-to-treat. Statistical analyses are planned for the study design stage so that field materials can be appropriately designed. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: This study will be conducted at the academic outpatient clinic of Chiba University Hospital. Ethics approval was granted by the Institutional Review Board of Chiba University Hospital. All participants will be required to provide written informed consent. The trial will be implemented and reported in accordance with the recommendations of CONSORT. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: UMIN000007552.

18.
Behav Cogn Psychother ; 41(1): 1-23, 2013 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22948342

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Reassurance seeking is particularly prominent in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and may be important in OCD maintenance. AIMS: This study used a new self-report questionnaire to measure the range of manifestations of reassurance-seeking behaviours, describing their sources from which they seek, frequency, process (how they seek), and consequences (as opposed to triggers and motivations). This study also attempts to identify the degree to which reassurance is specific to OCD as opposed to panic disorder. METHOD: Reassurance Seeking Questionnaire (ReSQ) was administered to 153 individuals with OCD, 50 individuals with panic disorder with/without agoraphobia, and 52 healthy controls. The reliability and validity of the measure was evaluated and found to be satisfactory. RESULTS: Reassurance seeking was found to be more frequent in both anxiety disorders relative to healthy controls. Individuals diagnosed with OCD were found to seek reassurance more intensely and carefully, and were more likely to employ "self-reassurance" than the other two groups. CONCLUSIONS: Further investigation of reassurance will enable better understanding of its role in the maintenance of anxiety disorders in general and OCD in particular.


Subject(s)
Agoraphobia/psychology , Dependency, Psychological , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/psychology , Panic Disorder/psychology , Social Support , Stereotyped Behavior , Adult , Agoraphobia/diagnosis , Cross-Sectional Studies , Female , Humans , Interview, Psychological , Male , Middle Aged , Motivation , Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder/diagnosis , Panic Disorder/diagnosis , Surveys and Questionnaires
19.
Nihon Arukoru Yakubutsu Igakkai Zasshi ; 47(6): 287-97, 2012 Dec.
Article in Japanese | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23461217

ABSTRACT

The prevention and treatment of substance use for youth are important issues in Japan. Substance use have significant risks of adverse psychological, social and physical health consequences. Personality factors in order to understand individual differences for substance use and misuse particularly were the much promise, and several personality factors have been demonstrated to be associated with risk for substance use. Conrod and Woicik (2002) developed Substance Use Risk Profile Scale (SURPS) that measures four substance use risk personalities: anxiety sensitivity, hopelessness, sensation-seeking, impulsivity being closely relevant to substance use/misuse and abuse. There are only a few studies focusing the relationship between personality factors and substance use among Japanese adolescents. Thus, this paper aimed to review the previous studies on these issues, and introduce studies regarding SURPS including our studies.


Subject(s)
Adolescent , Personality Disorders/psychology , Personality/drug effects , Substance-Related Disorders/prevention & control , Substance-Related Disorders/psychology , Humans , Individuality , Japan , Research , Risk
20.
J Anxiety Disord ; 25(5): 674-9, 2011 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-21477982

ABSTRACT

Research has shown that 2 major facets of perfectionism can be differentiated: perfectionistic strivings and perfectionistic concerns. In order to investigate how these different facets of perfectionism are related to coping, effort, achievement, and performance anxiety in musicians, we asked 275 professional and amateur Japanese musicians to complete measures of perfectionism traits, perfectionism cognitions, coping style, effort, achievement, and performance anxiety. While both facets of perfectionism showed a similar pattern of correlation with coping measures, they were differently associated with effort, achievement, and performance anxiety. In addition, results of hierarchical regression analysis showed the incremental validity of perfectionism cognitions in explaining variance in performance anxiety above the variance explained by other variables, such as trait perfectionism. These findings demonstrate that perfectionism in musicians has both positive and negative elements.


Subject(s)
Achievement , Adaptation, Psychological , Anxiety/psychology , Music , Personality , Adult , Asian People , Female , Humans , Male , Personality Assessment , Self Report
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