Prevalence, factors associated and management of needle phobia among the general population in Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the prevalence of needle phobia among Saudi and Egyptian adult populations. In addition, underlying causes and strategies that can be utilized to address needle fear were investigated. METHODS: A cross-sectional online survey study was conducted in Saudi Arabia and Egypt between 1 May and 30 June 2023. Participants aged 18 years and above and living in Saudi Arabia and Egypt were eligible to complete the survey. Participants were invited to participate in this study through social media platforms (Facebook, X, Snapchat, and Instagram). A convenience sampling technique was used to recruit the study participants. A 21-item questionnaire consisting of four sections including a Likert scale score was used to answer the research objectives. Numeric data were presented as mean ± SD. For categorical variables, percentages were used. Comparison between groups were made by Student's t-test or Mann Whitney test according to data distribution. Chi squared tests for categorical values were conducted. A binary logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate factors associated with needle phobia. RESULTS: A total of 4065 participants were involved in this study (Saudi Arabia: 2628 and Egypt: 1437). Around one-third of the study participants (36.5%) confirmed that they have needle phobia. Most of the study participants (81.1%) reported that they have had needle phobia since they were under 18 years of age. Pain, general anxiety, and fear of making a mistake during the procedure were the most commonly reported contributors for fear of needles during or before a medical procedure. Around 15.8% of the study participants reported that they have tried to get rid of phobia from needles. Non-surgical alternatives (such as oral medications and patches) and using smaller/thinner needles were the most commonly reported interventions that reduced fear of needles. Binary logistic regression analysis identified that females, those who are aged (41-50 years), widowed, those with bachelor's degrees and higher education, and those unemployed were more likely to have needle phobia compared to others. CONCLUSION: Our study highlighted the high prevalence of needle fear within an adult population in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. Females, those who are aged (41-50 years), those widowed, those with higher education degrees, those unemployed, those working in the health sector and people with low income were more likely to have needle phobia compared to others.

Temporal dynamics of costly avoidance in naturalistic fears: Evidence for sequential-sampling of fear and reward information.

Excessive avoidance is characteristic for anxiety disorders, even when approach would lead to positive outcomes. The process of how such approach-avoidance conflicts are resolved is not sufficiently understood. We examined the temporal dynamics of approach-avoidance in intense fear of spiders. Highly fearful and non-fearful participants chose repeatedly between a fixed no spider/low reward and a spider/high reward option with varying fear (probability of spider presentation) and reward information (reward magnitude). By sequentially presenting fear and reward information, we distinguished whether decisions are dynamically driven by both information (sequential-sampling) or whether the impact of fear information is inhibited (cognitive control). Mouse movements were recorded to assess temporal decision dynamics (i.e., how strongly which information impacts decision preference at which timepoint). Highly fearful participants showed stronger avoidance despite lower gains (i.e., costly avoidance). Time-continuous multiple regression of their mouse movements yielded a stronger impact of fear compared to reward information. Importantly, presenting either information first (fear or reward) enhanced its impact during the early decision process. These findings support sequential sampling of fear and reward information, but not inhibitory control. Hence, pathological avoidance may be characterized by biased evidence accumulation rather than altered cognitive control.

High-Anxious People Generalize Costly Pain-Related Avoidance Behavior More to Novel Safe Contexts Compared to Low-Anxious People.

Pain-related avoidance is adaptive when there is a bodily threat, but when it generalizes to safe movements/situations, it may become disabling. Both subclinical anxiety-a vulnerability marker for chronic pain-and chronic pain are associated with excessive fear generalization to safe stimuli/situations. Previous research focused mainly on passive fear correlates (psychophysiological arousal and self-reports) leaving avoidance behavior poorly understood. Therefore, we tested whether high-anxious individuals generalize their pain-related avoidance behavior more to novel, safe contexts than low-anxious people. In a robotic-arm-reaching task, both groups (low vs high trait anxiety) performed 1 of 3 movements to reach a target. In the threat context (black background), a painful stimulus could be partly/completely prevented by performing more effortful trajectories (longer and more force needed); in the safe context (white background), no pain occurred. Generalization of avoidance was tested in 2 novel contexts (light/dark gray backgrounds). We assessed pain expectancy, pain-related fear, startle eyeblink responses for all trajectories, and avoidance behavior (ie, maximal deviation from shortest trajectory). Results indicated that differential fear and expectancy selectively generalized to the novel context resembling the original threat context in both groups. Interestingly and in contrast with the verbal reports, high-anxious participants avoided more in the novel context resembling the original safe context, but not in the 1 resembling the threat context. No generalization emerged in the startle data. Because excessive pain-related avoidance specifically may cause withdrawal from daily life activities, these findings suggest that high-anxious individuals may be vulnerable to developing chronic pain disability. PERSPECTIVE: This paper shows that high-anxious people do not overgeneralize pain-related fear and pain expectancy learned in a threat context more to novel, safe contexts than low-anxious individuals, but that they do avoid more in those contexts. These findings suggest that high-anxious individuals may be vulnerable to developing chronic pain disability.

Attentional heterogeneity in social anxiety disorder: Evidence from Hidden Markov Models.

There is some evidence for heterogeneity in attentional processes among individuals with social anxiety. However, there is limited work considering how attentional processes may differ as a mechanism in a naturalistic task-based context (e.g., public speaking). In this secondary analysis we tested attentional heterogeneity among individuals diagnosed with social anxiety disorder (N = 21) in the context of a virtual reality exposure treatment study. Participants completed a public speaking challenge in an immersive 360°-video virtual reality environment with eye tracking at pre-treatment, post-treatment, and at 1-week follow-up. Using a Hidden Markov Model (HMM) approach with clustering we tested whether there were distinct profiles of attention pre-treatment and whether there were changes following the intervention. As a secondary aim we tested whether the distinct attentional profiles at pre-treatment predicted differential treatment outcomes. We found two distinct attentional profiles pre-treatment that we characterized as audience-focused and audience-avoidant. However, by the 1-week follow-up the two profiles were no longer meaningfully different. We found a meaningful difference between HMM groups for fear of public speaking at post-treatment b = -8.54, 95% Highest Density Interval (HDI) [-16.00, -0.90], Bayes Factor (BF) = 8.31 but not at one-week follow-up b = -5.83, 95% HDI [-13.25, 1.81], BF = 2.28. These findings provide support for heterogeneity in attentional processes among socially anxious individuals, but our findings indicate that this may change following treatment. Moreover, our results offer preliminary mechanistic evidence that patterns of avoidance may be specifically related to poorer treatment outcomes for virtual reality exposure therapy.

Ansiedade e Depressão: rastreio entre profissionais da estratégia de saúde da família na Amazônia / Anxiety and Depression: screening among family health strategy professionals in the Amazon / Ansiedad y Depresión: tamizaje entre profesionales de estrategias de salud familiar en la Amazonía

Objetivo: realizar rastreamento de depressão e transtorno de ansiedade generalizada entre profissionais da Estratégia de Saúde da Família em um município no interior da Amazônia. Método:estudo transversal desenvolvido com 63 profissionais atuantes em 12 equipes de ESF na cidade de Santarém, Pará, Brasil. Foram utilizadas ferramentas validadas e adaptadas transculturalmente: o Patient ́s Health Questionaire ­9 e o Generalizes Anxiety Disorder ­7. Os dados foram analisados a partir de ferramentas da estatística descritiva (frequências absolutas e relativas) a partir do software Microsoft Excel 2018. Resultados:Houve predomínio de indivíduos do sexo feminino, na idade de 40 a 44 anos e raça/cor pardo. O estado civil predominante foi casado, a categoria profissional mais representada na amostra foram os agentes comunitários de saúde e o a maioria dos participantes possuía nível superior completo. 57.1% tiveram rastreamento positivo para depressão e 42.1% para ansiedade. Conclusão:Observou-se elevada frequência de ansiedade e depressão entre os profissionais incluídos na amostra. Nossos dados reforçam a necessidade de ações preventivas na área de saúde mental visando reduzir os impactos dos fatores de risco. Além disso, é fundamental a realização de grandes estudos voltados à investigação dos fatores associados à saúde mental dos trabalhadores da saúde no Brasil

Objective: To screen for depression and generalized anxiety disorder among Family Health Strategy professionals in a municipality in the interior of the Amazon. Method:A cross-sectional study was carried out with 63 professionals working in 12 FHS teams in the city of Santarém, Pará, Brazil. Cross-culturally adapted and validated tools were used: the Patient's Health Questionnaire -9 and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder -7. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics tools (absolute and relative frequencies)using Microsoft Excel 2018 software. Results:There was a predominance of females, aged between 40 and 44 and of brown race/color. The predominant marital status was married, the most represented professional category in the sample were community health agents and the majority of participants had completed higher education. 57.1% were screened positive for depression and 42.1% for anxiety. Conclusion:There was a high frequency of anxiety and depression among the professionals included in the sample. Our data reinforces the need for preventive action in the area of mental health in order to reduce the impact of risk factors. In addition, it is essential to carry out large-scale studies investigating the factors associated with the mental health of health workers in Brazil.

Objetivo: Detectar depresión y ansiedad generalizada en profesionales de la Estrategia Salud de la Familia de un municipio del interior de la Amazonia. Método:Se realizó un estudio transversal con 63 profesionales que trabajan en 12 equipos de la ESF en la ciudad de Santarém, Pará, Brasil. Se utilizaron instrumentos validados y adaptados transculturalmente: el Cuestionario de Salud del Paciente -9 y el Trastorno de Ansiedad Generalizada -7. Los datos se analizaron mediante herramientas de estadística descriptiva (frecuencias absolutas y relativas) utilizando el software Microsoft Excel 2018. Resultados:Hubo un predominio de mujeres, con edades comprendidas entre 40 y 44 años y de raza/color moreno. El estado civil predominante fue casado, la categoría profesional más representada en la muestra fue la de agentes de salud comunitarios y la mayoría de los participantes habían completado estudios superiores. El 57,1% dieron positivo en depresión y el 42,1% en ansiedad. Conclusión:Hubo una elevada frecuencia de ansiedad y depresión entre los profesionales incluidos en la muestra. Nuestros datos refuerzan la necesidad de acciones preventivas en el área de la salud mental para reducir el impacto de los factores de riesgo. Además, es fundamental la realización de grandes estudios dirigidos a investigar los factores asociados a la salud mental de los trabajadores de la salud en Brasil

The impact of patients with generalized anxiety disorder in the Brazilian Private Healthcare System: a claim database study with expert's perspective / O impacto de pacientes com transtorno de ansiedade generalizada no Sistema Único de Saúde: um estudo de base de sinistros com a perspectiva de especialistas

This study describes the healthcare resource use and costs associated with anxiety assessing claim database outcomes and expert opinion from the perspective of the Brazilian Private Healthcare System. A retrospective analysis of the Orizon database was conducted, containing claims data of anxiety patients reported in Private Healthcare Systems (2015-2017) according to the ICD-10 code (F40 or F41 and their subtypes). Further, a 3-hour online meeting brought together five anxiety and Health Insurance Companies experts to discuss their perspectives. The total cost of the 18,069 patients identified in the database was BRL 490 million: related to medical appointments (2%), exams (16%), emergency room (5%), and others (77%). The mean number of appointments was 5.1 in a 4-year period, performed by 61% of the patients. Approximately 2,595 visits were made to psychiatrists by 923 patients, and 95% underwent at least one examination (100.6 examinations per patient, on average). The identification of anxiety patients and their corresponding burden is challenging to estimate. The higher impact is related to the frequency of healthcare use before the diagnosis than the treatment itself. These outcomes may help plan and implement adequate healthcare programs for patients with anxiety.

Este estudo descreve o uso de recursos de saúde e os custos relacionados à ansiedade associando resultados de uma base de dados administrativa e opinião de especialistas na perspectiva do Sistema Privado de Saúde Brasileiro. Foi realizada uma análise retrospectiva da base de dados da Orizon de pacientes com ansiedade em atendimento hospitalizar ou ambulatorial no Sistema Privado de Saúde (2015 - 2017) com o código CID-10 (F40 ou F41 e os seus subtipos), adicionalmente promovemos uma reunião online de 3 horas com cinco especialistas em ansiedade e em seguros de saúde para discutir as suas perspectivas. O custo total dos 18.069 pacientes identificados no banco de dados foi de R$ 490 milhões, relacionados a consultas médicas (2%), exames (16%), pronto-socorro (5%) e outros (77%). A média de consultas foi de 5,1 em um período de 4 anos, realizadas por 61% dos pacientes. Aproximadamente 2.595 visitas foram feitas a psiquiatras por 923 pacientes, e 95% realizaram pelo menos um exame (média de 100,6 exames por paciente. É desafiador identificar e estimar o impacto da doença no Sistema Privado de Saúde Brasileiro. O impacto maior está relacionado à frequência de uso de serviços de saúde antes do diagnóstico, em comparação com o próprio tratamento. Esses resultados podem ajudar a planejar e implementar programas de saúde adequados para pacientes com ansiedade.

One session treatment (OST) is equivalent to multi-session cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in children with specific phobias (ASPECT): results from a national non-inferiority randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: 5%-10% children and young people (CYP) experience specific phobias that impact daily functioning. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) is recommended but has limitations. One Session Treatment (OST), a briefer alternative incorporating CBT principles, has demonstrated efficacy. The Alleviating Specific Phobias Experienced by Children Trial (ASPECT) investigated the non-inferiority of OST compared to multi-session CBT for treating specific phobias in CYP. METHODS: ASPECT was a pragmatic, multi-center, non-inferiority randomized controlled trial in 26 CAMHS sites, three voluntary agency services, and one university-based CYP well-being service. CYP aged 7-16 years with specific phobia were randomized to receive OST or CBT. Clinical non-inferiority and a nested cost-effectiveness evaluation was assessed 6-months post-randomization using the Behavioural Avoidance Task (BAT). Secondary outcome measures included the Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule, Child Anxiety Impact Scale, Revised Children's Anxiety Depression Scale, goal-based outcome measure, and EQ-5DY and CHU-9D, collected blind at baseline and six-months. RESULTS: 268 CYPs were randomized to OST (n = 134) or CBT (n = 134). Mean BAT scores at 6 months were similar across groups in both intention-to-treat (ITT) and per-protocol (PP) populations (CBT: 7.1 (ITT, n = 76), 7.4 (PP, n = 57), OST: 7.4 (ITT, n = 73), 7.6 (PP, n = 56), on the standardized scale-adjusted mean difference for CBT compared to OST -0.123, 95% CI -0.449 to 0.202 (ITT), mean difference -0.204, 95% CI -0.579 to 0.171 (PP)). These findings were wholly below the standardized non-inferiority limit of 0.4, suggesting that OST is non-inferior to CBT. No between-group differences were found on secondary outcomes. OST marginally decreased mean service use costs and maintained similar mean Quality Adjusted Life Years compared to CBT. CONCLUSIONS: One Session Treatment has similar clinical effectiveness to CBT for specific phobias in CYP and may be a cost-saving alternative.

Presença de risco de transtorno do estresse pós-traumático em policiais militares feridos por arma de fogo / Presence of risk of posttraumatic stress disorder in military police officers wounded by firearms / Presencia de riesgo de trastorno de estrés postraumático en policías militares heridos por armamiento de fuego

Este estudo teve como objetivo identificar o risco de desenvolvimento de transtorno de estresse pós-traumático (TEPT), bem como sua associação com pensamentos ou tentativas suicidas e a saúde mental de policiais militares feridos por arma de fogo, na Região Metropolitana de Belém (RMB), nos anos de 2017 a 2019. A pesquisa contou com a participação de 30 entrevistados, que responderam o Inventário Demográfico e a Lista de verificação de TEPT para o DSM-5 (PCL-5). Para análise dos dados, utilizou-se a técnica estatística Análise Exploratória de Dados e a técnica multivariada Análise de Correspondência. Os resultados revelaram a existência de risco de desenvolvimento do transtorno de forma parcial ou total em uma expressiva parcela da população entrevistada, tendo homens como maioria dos sintomáticos, com média de 38 anos, exercendo atividades operacionais e vitimados em via pública quando estavam de folga do serviço. O ferimento deixou a maioria com sequelas, com destaque para dores crônicas, limitações de locomoção e/ou mobilidade e perda parcial de um membro. E, ainda, policiais sintomáticos apresentaram comportamentos suicidas, relatando já terem pensado ou tentado tirar a própria vida. Desta forma, conclui-se que policiais militares são expostos constantemente a traumas inerentes a sua profissão. Quando há ameaça de vida, como nos casos de ferimentos por arma de fogo, são suscetíveis a sequelas físicas decorrente do ferimento, somadas a sequelas mentais tardias, como o surgimento de sintomatologias de TEPT e ideação suicida.(AU)

This study aimed to identify the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and its associations around suicidal thoughts or attempts and mental health in military police officers injured by firearms, in the Metropolitan Region of Belem (RMB), from 2017 to 2019. The research had the participation of 30 respondents who answered the Demographic Inventory and the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5). For data analysis, we used the statistical technique Exploratory Data Analysis and the multivariate technique Correspondence Analysis. The results revealed the existence of risk of developing partial or total disorder in a significant portion of the interviewed population, with men as most of the symptomatic individuals, with mean age of 38 years, developing operational activities and victimized on public roads when they were off duty. The injuries left most of them with sequelae, especially chronic pain, limited locomotion and/or mobility, and partial loss of a limb. In addition, symptomatic officers showed suicidal behavior, such as reporting they had thought about or tried to take their own lives. Thus, we conclude that military policemen are constantly exposed to traumas inherent to their profession. When their lives are threatened, as in the case of firearm wounds, they are susceptible to physical sequelae resulting from the injury, in addition to late mental sequelae, such as the appearance of PTSD symptoms and suicidal ideation.(AU)

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo identificar el riesgo de desarrollo de trastorno de estrés postraumático (TEPT) y sus asociaciones con pensamientos o tentativas suicidas y la salud mental en policías militares heridos por armamiento de fuego, en la Región Metropolitana de Belém (Brasil), en el período entre 2017 y 2019. En el estudio participaron 30 entrevistados que respondieron el Inventario Demográfico y la Lista de verificación de TEPT para el DSM-5 (PCL-5). Para el análisis de datos se utilizaron la técnica estadística Análisis Exploratoria de Datos y la técnica multivariada Análisis de Correspondencia. Los resultados revelaron que existen riesgos de desarrollo de trastorno de estrés postraumático de forma parcial o total en una expresiva parcela de la población de policías entrevistados, cuya mayoría de sintomáticos eran hombres, de 38 años en media, que ejercen actividades operacionales y fueron victimados en vía pública cuándo estaban de día libre del servicio. La lesión dejó la mayoría con secuelas, especialmente con dolores crónicos, limitaciones de locomoción y/o movilidad y la pierda parcial de un miembro. Aún los policías sintomáticos presentaran comportamiento suicida, tales como relataran qué ya pensaron o tentaron quitar la propia vida. Se concluye que los policías militaran se exponen constantemente a los traumas inherentes a su profesión. Cuando existe amenaza de vida, como en los casos de heridas por armamiento de fuego, son expuestos a secuelas físicas transcurridas de la herida, sumado a secuelas mentales tardías, como el surgimiento de sintomatologías de TEPT y la ideación suicida.(AU)

Avaliação da relação entre eventos traumáticos infantis e comportamentos autolesivos em adolescentes / Evaluation of the relationship between childhood traumatic events and self-injurious behavior in adolescents / Evaluación de la relación entre eventos traumáticos infantiles y comportamiento autolesivo en adolescentes

Esta pesquisa teve como objetivo verificar a relação entre eventos traumáticos (ET) na infância e a ocorrência de comportamentos autolesivos em adolescentes. Os instrumentos utilizados foram o Questionário sobre Traumas na Infância (QUESI) e o Inventário de Autolesão Deliberada - reduzido (IAD-r). Participaram 494 estudantes do ensino médio de ambos os sexos e idade entre 15 e 18 anos (M = 16,4). Destes, 58,5% afirmaram ter sofrido abuso emocional de forma recorrente e 19,0% e 59,5% assumiram já ter sofrido abuso sexual e físico, respectivamente. Quanto à prática de autolesão, 65,0% revelaram já ter se engajado em comportamentos autolesivos. De acordo com a análise de Regressão Logística Binomial, todos os tipos de ET exibiram associação significativa com a prática de comportamentos autolesivos. A análise de moderação a respeito da interação entre a ocorrência de ET infantis e a prática de autolesão revelou ausência de moderação pelo sexo e pela idade. Porém, quanto ao abuso físico, o efeito de moderação da idade apresentou significância estatística limítrofe e indicou que os adolescentes mais novos, de 15 e 16 anos, que sofreram este tipo de abuso na infância, foram mais susceptíveis à prática autolesiva. Portanto, as altas taxas de ET e de autolesão encontradas nesta pesquisa revelam a gravidade do problema. Espera-se que esta investigação possa contribuir para a elaboração de intervenções para prevenção e controle dos fatores de risco que acometem a população infanto-juvenil.(AU)

This research aimed to verify the relationship between traumatic events (TE) in childhood and the occurrence of self-injurious behavior in adolescents. The instruments used were the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (QUESI) and the Deliberate Self-Injury Inventory - reduced (IAD-r). The sample was composed of 494 high school students of both genders and aged between 15 and 18 years old (M = 16.4). Of those, 58.5% declared to have suffered recurring emotional abuse and 19.0% declared to have suffered sexual abuse and 59.5% physical abuse. Regarding the practice of self-harm, 65.0% reported having already engaged in self-injurious behaviors. According to the Binomial Logistic Regression analysis, all types of TE were associated with the practice of self-injurious behaviors. The moderation analysis between the occurrence of childhood TE and self-injury showed no moderation by sex or age. However, regarding physical abuse, the moderating effect of age showed borderline statistical significance and indicated that younger adolescents, 15 and 16 years old, who suffered this type of abuse in childhood, were more susceptible to self-injurious behavior. Therefore, the high rates of TE and self-injury found in this research reveal the seriousness of the problem. It is hoped for this investigation to contribute to the development of interventions to prevent and control risk factors that affect children and adolescents.(AU)

Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo verificar la relación entre eventos traumáticos (ET) en la infancia y la ocurrencia de conductas autolesivas en adolescentes. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron el Cuestionario de Trauma Infantil (QUESI) y el Inventario de Autolesiones Deliberadas -reducido (IAD-r). Participaron 494 estudiantes de la secundaria, de ambos sexos y con edades entre 15 y 18 años (M = 16,4). De estos, el 58,5% afirmaron haber sufrido maltrato emocional de forma recurrente, el 19,0% dijeron haber sufrido maltrato sexual y el 59,5%, maltrato físico. En cuanto a la práctica de la autolesión, el 65,0% informaron haber realizado conductas autolesivas. El análisis de Regresión Logística Binomial mostró que todos los tipos de ET tuvieron una asociación significativa con la práctica de conductas autolesivas. El análisis de la moderación respecto a la interacción entre la ocurrencia de ET infantil y la práctica de la autolesión reveló una ausencia de moderación por sexo o edad. En cuanto al maltrato físico, el efecto moderador de la edad mostró una significación estadística marginal e indicó que los adolescentes más jóvenes, de 15 y 16 años, que sufrieron este tipo de maltrato en la infancia, son más susceptibles a la práctica de autolesiones. Por lo tanto, las altas tasas de ET y autolesiones encontradas en esta investigación revelan la gravedad del problema. Se espera que esta investigación contribuya con el desarrollo de intervenciones para la prevención y control de los factores de riesgo que afectan a niños y adolescentes.(AU)

One-session treatment compared with multisession CBT in children aged 7-16 years with specific phobias: the ASPECT non-inferiority RCT.

BACKGROUND: Up to 10% of children and young people have a specific phobia that can significantly affect their mental health, development and daily functioning. Cognitive-behavioural therapy-based interventions remain the dominant treatment, but limitations to their provision warrant investigation into low-intensity alternatives. One-session treatment is one such alternative that shares cognitive-behavioural therapy principles but has a shorter treatment period. OBJECTIVE: This research investigated the non-inferiority of one-session treatment to cognitive-behavioural therapy for treating specific phobias in children and young people. The acceptability and cost-effectiveness of one-session treatment were examined. DESIGN: A pragmatic, multicentre, non-inferiority randomised controlled trial, with embedded economic and qualitative evaluations. SETTINGS: There were 26 sites, including 12 NHS trusts. PARTICIPANTS: Participants were aged 7-16 years and had a specific phobia defined in accordance with established international clinical criteria. INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomised 1 : 1 to receive one-session treatment or usual-care cognitive-behavioural therapy, and were stratified according to age and phobia severity. Outcome assessors remained blind to treatment allocation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary outcome measure was the Behavioural Avoidance Task at 6 months' follow-up. Secondary outcomes included the Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule, Child Anxiety Impact Scale, Revised Children's Anxiety and Depression Scale, a goal-based outcome measure, Child Health Utility 9D, EuroQol-5 Dimensions Youth version and resource usage. Treatment fidelity was assessed using the Cognitive Behaviour Therapy Scale for Children and Young People and the One-Session Treatment Rating Scale. RESULTS: A total of 274 participants were recruited, with 268 participants randomised to one-session treatment (n = 134) or cognitive-behavioural therapy (n = 134). A total of 197 participants contributed some data, with 149 participants in the intention-to-treat analysis and 113 in the per-protocol analysis. Mean Behavioural Avoidance Task scores at 6 months were similar across treatment groups when both intention-to-treat and per-protocol analyses were applied [cognitive-behavioural therapy: 7.1 (intention to treat), 7.4 (per protocol); one-session treatment: 7.4 (intention to treat), 7.6 (per protocol); on the standardised scale adjusted mean difference for cognitive-behavioural therapy compared with one-session treatment -0.123, 95% confidence interval -0.449 to 0.202 (intention to treat), mean difference -0.204, 95% confidence interval -0.579 to 0.171 (per protocol)]. These findings were wholly below the standardised non-inferiority limit of 0.4, which suggests that one-session treatment is non-inferior to cognitive-behavioural therapy. No between-group differences in secondary outcome measures were found. The health economics evaluation suggested that, compared with cognitive-behavioural therapy, one-session treatment marginally decreased the mean service use costs and maintained similar mean quality-adjusted life-year improvement. Nested qualitative evaluation found one-session treatment to be considered acceptable by those who received it, their parents/guardians and clinicians. No adverse events occurred as a result of phobia treatment. LIMITATIONS: The COVID-19 pandemic meant that 48 children and young people could not complete the primary outcome measure. Service waiting times resulted in some participants not starting therapy before follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: One-session treatment for specific phobia in UK-based child mental health treatment centres is as clinically effective as multisession cognitive-behavioural therapy and highly likely to be cost-saving. Future work could involve improving the implementation of one-session treatment through training and commissioning of improved care pathways. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This trial is registered as ISRCTN19883421. FUNDING: This project was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 26, No. 42. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

A phobia is an intense, ongoing fear of an everyday object or situation. The phobia causes distress and the person with the phobia avoids that object or situation. Many children and young people have phobias that affect their daily lives. Cognitive­behavioural therapy helps by changing what people do or think when they have a phobia and is the most common treatment approach. However, cognitive­behavioural therapy is expensive, takes time and is not always easy to get. Different treatments are needed to help children and young people with specific phobias. One such therapy is one-session treatment, which works in similar ways to cognitive­behavioural therapy but takes place over one main 3-hour session. Our study, called ASPECT (Alleviating Specific Phobias Experienced by Children Trial), compared these two treatments to examine whether or not one-session treatment is as effective as cognitive­behavioural therapy. Overall, 274 children and young people aged 7­16 years from 26 sites nationally helped with our research, of whom 268 received either cognitive­behavioural therapy or one-session treatment. The results at 6 months found that one-session treatment and cognitive­behavioural therapy worked as well as each other for treating phobias in children and young people. We also found evidence that one-session treatment is cheaper than cognitive­behavioural therapy. We spoke with children and young people, their parents/guardians and the therapists of the single-session treatment, and we found one-session treatment to be acceptable for their needs. Future research could explore how to make one-session treatment more easily available for children and young people with specific phobias because it can save time and money, and works just as well as cognitive­behavioural therapy.

Prevalence, causes, impacts, and management of needle phobia: An international survey of a general adult population.

Needle phobia is an overlooked condition that affects virtually all medical procedures. Our study aimed to identify how commonly needle phobia is experienced, its underlying reasons, impacts, and potential mitigation strategies. A global survey was conducted in a general adult population using a questionnaire based on a targeted literature review that identified under-researched areas. The 21-item questionnaire was completed on a secure, web-based survey platform. Statistical analyses and models were utilized to identify relationships between participant characteristics and needle phobia. Of the 2,098 participants enrolled in the study, 63.2% (n = 1,325) reported experiencing needle phobia, and rated the intensity of their fear as 5.7 (±2.6) on average on a scale from 0 (no fear) to 10 (very strong/unreasonable fear or avoidance). According to the logistic regression model, other medical fears (odds coefficient = 2.14) and family history (1.67) were the most important factors associated with needle phobia. General anxiety (96.1%) and pain (95.5%) were the most common reasons for needle fear. Of the participants experiencing needle phobia, 52.2% stated avoiding blood draws, followed by 49.0% for blood donations, and 33.1% for vaccinations. While 24.3% of participants have seen a therapist, most have never sought help. The majority have shared their fear with nurses (61.1%) or physicians (44.4%); however, the provider helpfulness was rated as 4.9 (±3.1) on average on a scale from 0 (unhelpful) to 10 (extremely helpful). Utilizing non-invasive alternatives (94.1%) and smaller needles (91.1%) were most commonly identified as potential device-related solutions to alleviate fear; distractions (92.1%) and relaxation techniques (91.7%) were the top non-device-related approaches. Our findings highlight the prevalent nature of needle phobia and provide insights into its etiology and effects on patient care. Clinician responses were not perceived as helpful, emphasizing the need to address needle phobia, and improve patient experience.

Excavating the social representations and perceived barriers of organ donation in China over the past decade: A hybrid text analysis approach.

Background: Organ donation has been claimed as a prosocial behavior to prolong the recipient's life and deliver great love. However, the supply-demand ratio of organs in China is highly unbalanced. Being entangled with multiple factors derived from individual and supra-individual levels, organ donation in China is important but sensitive. Previous scholars usually depended on obtrusive approaches to explore the facilitators and hindrances of organ donation, which is hard to discover genuine perceptions toward organ donation. Besides, relatively limited scholarly attention has been paid to what hampers organ donation in China. Objective: We intended to excavate the diversified social representations and perceived barriers to organ donation in China over the past decade. Method: Two kinds of text analysis methods-semantic network analysis and conventional content analysis, were applied to 120,172 posts from ordinary users on the Sina Weibo platform to address the research questions. Results: Regarding social representations, the "hope, understanding, and acceptance" of organ donation was the most pronounced one (34% of the whole semantic network), followed by "family story" (26%), "the procedure of organ donation in NGOs" (15%), "the practical value of organ donation" (14%), and "organ donation in the medical context" (11%). Regarding perceived barriers, a four-layer framework was constructed, including (1) the individual level, mainly about the fear of death and postmortem autopsy; (2) the familial level, which refers to the opposition from family members; (3) the societal level, which alludes to distrust toward medical institutions and the general society; (4) the cultural level, which covers religious-cultural concerns about fatalism. Conclusion: In concordance with prior works on social representations regarding organ donation, the current study also uncovered the coexistence of antithetical representations about organ donation-the longing for survival and the fear of death. This representation pair serves as the foundation of Chinese people's ambivalence. Besides, family-related narratives were dispersed over various representations, demonstrating the critical position of family support in organ donation. Moreover, the four-layer framework concerning donation barriers affords a reference for future empirical studies. The practical implications of this work are further discussed.

Effect of evaluation timing and duration of anxiety-like behaviors induced by conditioned fear in rats: Assessment using the triple test.

The fear conditioning-based models of anxiety disorders have been widely used for assessing anxiolytic action. The triple test is an evaluation method for anxiety-like behaviors that integrates the open field, elevated plus maze, and light/dark box, which can comprehensively reflect the anxiety-like behaviors state of animals. However, there are many factors that can affect the evaluation results of anxiety-like behaviors, especially the time of day (morning or afternoon), which are often ignored by most experimental studies. Accordingly, in the present study, we first measured the anxiety-like behavior in the fear conditioning-based model rats by using the triple test in the morning and afternoon, respectively (experiment 1). In experiment 2, the anxiety-like behaviors were evaluated on the 1st, 7th, 10th and 14th day after experiencing foot shock for 4 consecutive days, respectively. The fear-conditioned rats exhibited increased anxiety-like behaviors only in the afternoon and prolonged freezing times either in the morning and afternoon. Furthermore, model rats exhibit increased anxiety-like behaviors in open field, elevated plus maze, and light/dark box on the 1st day; in open field and light/dark box on the 7th day; in elevated plus maze on the 10th day; and in light/dark box on the 14th day after the final foot shock. The results suggested that the time of day had a significant effect on anxiety-like behaviors caused by conditioned fear, and increased in the afternoon vs morning. Moreover, the lasting increased in anxiety-like behavior for 14 days was appropriated to explore the effects of long-term administration of anxiolytics.

Cost and effectiveness of one session treatment (OST) for children and young people with specific phobias compared to multi-session cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): results from a randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: In the UK, around 93,000 (0.8%) children and young people (CYP) are experiencing specific phobias that have a substantial impact on daily life. The current gold-standard treatment-multi-session cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) - is effective at reducing specific phobia severity; however, CBT is time consuming, requires specialist CBT therapists, and is often at great cost and limited availability. A briefer variant of CBT called one session treatment (OST) has been found to offer similar clinical effectiveness for specific phobia as multi-session CBT. The aim of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of OST compared to multi-session CBT for CYP with specific phobias through the Alleviating Specific Phobias Experienced by Children Trial (ASPECT), a two-arm, pragmatic, multi-centre, non-inferiority randomised controlled trial. METHODS: CYP aged seven to 16 years with specific phobias were recruited nationally via Health and Social Care pathways, remotely randomised to the intervention group (OST) or the control group (CBT-based therapies) and analysed (n = 267). Resource use based on NHS and personal social services perspective and quality adjusted life years (QALYs) measured by EQ-5D-Y were collected at baseline and at six-month follow-up. Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated, and non-parametric bootstrapping was conducted to capture the uncertainty around the ICER estimates. The results were presented on a cost-effectiveness acceptability curve (CEAC). A set of sensitivity analyses (including taking a societal perspective) were conducted to assess the robustness of the primary findings. RESULTS: After adjustment and bootstrapping, on average CYP in the OST group incurred less costs (incremental cost was -£302.96 (95% CI -£598.86 to -£28.61)) and maintained similar improvement in QALYs (QALYs gained 0.002 (95% CI - 0.004 to 0.008)). The CEAC shows that the probability of OST being cost-effective was over 95% across all the WTP thresholds. Results of a set of sensitivity analyses were consistent with the primary outcomes. CONCLUSION: Compared to CBT, OST produced a reduction in costs and maintained similar improvement in QALYs. Results from both primary and sensitivity analyses suggested that OST was highly likely to be cost saving. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN19883421 (30/11/2016).

Microtemporal Relationships in the Fear Avoidance Model: An Ecological Momentary Assessment Study.

OBJECTIVES: Current literature in pediatric pain evaluates the Fear Avoidance model (FAM) pathways at the trait (or macrotemporal) level, but it is unknown if these pathways also occur at the state (or microtemporal) level. Identifying microtemporal processes can improve our understanding of how the relationships within the Fear Avoidance constructs vary when specific Fear Avoidance variables wax and wane. We hypothesized that changes in FAM constructs would be associated with changes in the next variable in the sequence on a microtemporal level, including: (1) higher pain when there is more pain-related fear, (2) higher pain-related fear when there is more avoidance, and (3) higher avoidance when there is more reported disability. METHODS: 71 pediatric patients with chronic abdominal pain ( M =13.34 y, SD=2.67 y) reported pain severity, pain-related fear, and avoidance via ecological momentary assessments over 14 days. RESULTS: Our results indicated significant microtemporal relationships between Fear Avoidance constructs for pain predicting pain-related fear, pain-related fear predicting avoidance, and avoidance predicting disability. DISCUSSION: The current study suggests that the ways in which the FAM is related to various aspects of pain functioning differs on a state-level, which adds new clinical and research opportunities.

Assessment of Pain-Related Fear in Indigenous Australian Populations Using the Fear of Pain Questionnaire-9 (FPQ-9).

In this study, we examined the psychometric properties of the Fear of Pain Questionnaire (FPQ-9) in Indigenous Australian people. FPQ-9, a shorter version of the original Fear of Pain Questionnaire-III, was developed to support the demand for more concise scales with faster administration time in the clinical and research setting. The psychometric properties of FPQ-9 in Indigenous Australian participants (n = 735) were evaluated with network psychometrics, such as dimensionality, model fit, internal consistency and reliability, measurement invariance, and criterion validity. Our findings indicated that the original FPQ-9 three-factor structure had a poor fit and did not adequately capture pain-related fear in Indigenous Australian people. On removal of two cross-loading items, an adapted version Indigenous Australian Fear of Pain Questionnaire-7 (IA-FPQ-7) displayed good fit and construct validity and reliability for assessing fear of pain in a sample of Indigenous Australian people. The IA-FPQ-7 scale could be used to better understand the role and impact of fear of pain in Indigenous Australian people living with chronic pain. This could allow for more tailored and timely interventions for managing pain in Indigenous Australian communities.

Assessment of the knowledge beliefs and associated factors among Saudi adults towards blood donation in Saudi Arabia.

BACKGROUND: Blood transfusion is essential in the treatment of a wide range of illnesses. There are two sorts of donors in the blood donation system voluntary and replacement donors. OBJECTIVES: In this study, we examined Saudi adults' knowledge, beliefs, and associated factors towards blood donation in Saudi Arabia. METHODS: A cross-sectional web-based survey was conducted over three months between November 2019 & January 2020 among the general public, using structured self-administered 18-items online questionnaires. A descriptive analysis was performed, a chi-square test was conducted to determine the relationships between the variables. A p-value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 364 respondents (93.1%) believed that blood donation is an important responsibility of every individual. When asked about the reason for previous donations 261(66.8%) said voluntary while approximately 130 (33.2%) donated for their families and friends. Fear of needles 91 (23.3%), fear of infection 53 (13.6%) a lack of time 88 (22.5%) were common barriers, and 270 (69.1%) agreed that token gifts should be given to donors. In this study, 71.1% (n = 278) were found to have good knowledge, and 96.7% (n = 378) found positive beliefs towards blood donation. The knowledge is significantly associated with being a male gender (p < 0.049), and the educational level of the participants (p < 0.003). positive beliefs were significantly associated with young donors (p < 0.045). CONCLUSION: These outcomes indicate that the Saudi public has positive beliefs and acceptable knowledge about blood donation and its importance in the society and health care system. Furthermore, educational programs should be done to increase the level of awareness about blood donation and its significance.

Phobia of Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic in Turkish Society.

BACKGROUND: The American Psychiatric Association describes phobia as a state of constant, extreme, and high level of fear against an object or situation. This study determines the level of phobia related to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in Turkish society. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Data were collected through an online survey between May 26 and June 5, 2020, using an introductory information form, a COVID-19 specification questionnaire, and a COVID-19 Phobia Scale (CP19-S). The data were then analysed through a descriptive statistical analysis, the Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U tests in independent groups. RESULTS: Participants' phobia of COVID-19 was close to the moderate level (46.43±14.88). It was found that the scores for the COVID-19 Phobia Scale were higher in female participants, individuals who had to change duties during the pandemic, have a chronic illness, individuals who did not have social security, participants who had a relative/friend die due to COVID-19, those having no idea about preventive studies in Turkey, those stating that preventive studies in the globally are insufficient, those expressing that it is partially possible to be protected by taking personal measures, those expressing that it is partially possible to treat with medicine, those who have no idea about finding the vaccine and preventing its spread. The difference was found to be statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the findings of this study are important for the development of intervention programs and support strategies to protect mental health and increase psychological resilience during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Assessment of topical steroid phobia in dermatology patients, a cross-sectional study from an urban area of Pakistan.

BACKGROUND: Topical corticosteroid (TCS) phobia is a fear of steroids, most prevalent among the general steroid users, the origin of anxiety and fear about steroids is still unclear. Although multiple studies have been using the validated TOPICOP© scale to assess the scores of steroid phobia in various skin disorders. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to analyze the steroid phobia among users of topical corticosteroids and also to assess the association between demographical characteristics and TCS phobia. METHODS: A cross-sectional survey was conducted to evaluate the belief and perspectives of TCS in a large range of patients of both genders of all ages. Patients presenting in dermatology clinic with any dermatological complaint, who were being treated or currently on topical steroids were included. TOPICOP© scale was used to assess the topical steroid phobia. RESULTS: A total of 221 topical steroid users were selected for this study, among them 56 (26.7%) were male and 162 (73.3%) were female. The median of global TOPICOP score was 18% and CI 22-12%, S.D: 6.23. The median score of knowledge and beliefs was 7%, (IQR: 9-4%), S.D: 3.33, while fear showed median 5% (IQR: 7-3%), S.D: 2.24, and 6% (IQR: 8-4%), S.D:2.4 for behavior 96 (43.4%). Patients who were not well aware of steroids but still afraid of using steroids. 112 (50.7%) acknowledged the non-adherence to treatment. CONCLUSION: Steroid phobia is more prevalent among uneducated users of topical steroids than among those who are knowledgeable and literate. Healthcare practitioners should counsel their patients about steroids use and related concerns, rather than addressing the issue that is causing fear in patients.

The CASH assessment tool: A window into existential suffering.

Spiritual beliefs and practices have long served as a critical component of treating or managing serious illness. There is evidence to suggest that patients would like healthcare professionals to address their existential and spiritual needs. The CASH Assessment Tool focuses on four key areas of spiritual concern: Care, Assistance/Help, Stress, and Hopes/Fears. In this QI Project, a palliative care team within an urban, safety net, tertiary-care, and academic healthcare setting sought to elicit themes from the CASH assessment used by chaplains caring for patients with serious illnesses. Thirty patients were included in the pilot. Themes identified included knowing the patient as a person, concern about loved ones, concern about pain, and fear of death. We found that the CASH Assessment Tool was able to demonstrate the existential concerns of patients and serve as a framework for discussion about concerns and hopes of patients with serious illness.