Climate Anxiety: Current Evidence and Future Directions.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Challenging cognitive, somatic, and behavioral responses to climate change are often conceptualized as climate anxiety (CA). Due to the increased recognition of the impacts of climate change on mental health, a growing body of scientific literature is developing. The purpose of this manuscript is to review the current evidence base for CA and propose future research needs for this emerging construct. RECENT FINDINGS: Early evidence supports underlying psychological mechanisms in the development and maintenance of CA, which are similar to other anxiety-related conditions. However, the study of CA poses unique challenges to researchers. The psychological impacts that occur in the context of climate change may be adaptive depending on the imminent threat of natural disasters, forced migration, or other climate-related challenges. Due to the potentially adaptive nature of CA and limited current evidence, a coordinated research program of climate-related distress is necessary. A review of the extant literature identified current gaps in understanding the epidemiology and individual differences that promote CA. Current evidence supports the prominent role of neuroticism, intolerance of uncertainty, and rumination. The development of evidence-based models of climate-related distress may provide a more valid and comprehensive depiction of the impacts of climate change on mental health. Transdiagnostic treatment methods are likely the most appropriate intervention for climate-related distress. As models, measures, and treatments of climate-related distress are developed, it is crucial to incorporate studies of populations most at risk for climate change-related mental health effects.

Exercise and PTSD.

Evidence indicating that exercise benefits mental health symptoms across a range of mental health diagnoses spans decades of scientific literature; however, fewer studies have examined the impact of exercise on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Exercise is an accessible, cost-effective, and scalable treatment option that has the potential to improve both physiological and psychological symptoms among individuals with PTSD. The purpose of this chapter is to review empirical literature on the role of exercise in the treatment of PTSD. Researchers have demonstrated that exercise improves PTSD symptoms as both a stand-alone treatment and as an adjunct to cognitive behavioral and trauma-focused therapies. Additional research is needed to clarify mechanisms that account for the impacts of exercise on PTSD and to identify which components of exercise (e.g., type of exercise, dose, intensity, frequency) are the most beneficial.

Intolerance of uncertainty as a predictor of anxiety severity and trajectory during the COVID-19 pandemic.

BACKGROUND: Efforts to identify risk and resilience factors for anxiety severity and course during the COVID-19 pandemic have focused primarily on demographic rather than psychological variables. Intolerance of uncertainty (IU), a transdiagnostic risk factor for anxiety, may be a particularly relevant vulnerability factor. METHOD: N = 641 adults with pre-pandemic anxiety data reported their anxiety, IU, and other pandemic and mental health-related variables at least once and up to four times during the COVID-19 pandemic, with assessments beginning in May 2020 through March 2021. RESULTS: In preregistered analyses using latent growth models, higher IU at the first pandemic timepoint predicted more severe anxiety, but also a sharper decline in anxiety, across timepoints. This finding was robust to the addition of pre-pandemic anxiety and demographic predictors as covariates (in the full sample) as well as pre-pandemic depression severity (in participants for whom pre-pandemic depression data were available). Younger age, lower self/parent education, and self-reported history of COVID-19 illness at the first pandemic timepoint predicted more severe anxiety across timepoints with strong model fit, but did not predict anxiety trajectory. CONCLUSIONS: IU prospectively predicted more severe anxiety but a sharper decrease in anxiety over time during the pandemic, including after adjustment for covariates. IU therefore appears to have unique and specific predictive utility with respect to anxiety in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sexual victimization among Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

OBJECTIVE: The present study was designed to provide the first in-depth, academically peer-reviewed assessment of sexual victimization among Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). METHOD: A representative sample of RCMP (n = 1,324; 76.5% men) completed the self-report survey. RESULTS: Participants reported a higher overall lifetime history of sexual assault than would be expected for the general population (p < .05). Women participants reported a higher prevalence of lifetime history of sexual assault (p < .05). Participants reported being sexually assaulted during the RCMP Cadet Training Program (CTP; n = 27), with comparable proportions of men and women. Participants reported being sexually assaulted while on duty (n = 168), with a greater proportion of women reporting being sexually assaulted than men (p < .05). Women more often reported being sexually assaulted while on duty by a superior, coworker or peer, or subordinate, whereas men more often reported being sexually assaulted by a civilian. Participants (n = 94) reported being sexually harassed during the CTP and while on duty (n = 282), with a greater proportion of women reporting being sexually harassed during the CTP and while on duty. CONCLUSIONS: RCMP cadets appear to be sexually assaulted and sexually harassed less frequently than Canadian university and military college students, whereas RCMP appear to be sexually assaulted more often while on duty than Canadian men and women in the general population while at work; however, direct comparisons are problematic because of differing frames for questions and time spans. The current results help quantify sexual victimization among RCMP, which can support ongoing and novel prevention and intervention strategies. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Prevalence of current chronic pain in Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets.

Background: Nearly half of active duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers report experiencing current chronic pain (43%; i.e. pain lasting longer than 3 months). Most RCMP officers who report chronic pain indicate that the pain started after working as RCMP officers (91%). Baseline data on chronic pain prevalence among RCMP cadets has not been available. Aims: The current study was designed to provide cross-sectional estimates of chronic pain prevalence among RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program and to assess for sociodemographic differences among participants. Methods: The RCMP Study uses a longitudinal prospective sequential experimental cohort design to create a clustered randomized trial that engages individual participants for 5.5 years. The current article provides cross-sectional associations between chronic pain prevalence and sociodemographic characteristics. Participants were RCMP cadets starting the Cadet Training Program (n = 770). Location, intensity (on a 0-10 scale and days per week experienced), and duration (number of months) of chronic pain were reported. Differences across sociodemographic characteristics were examined. Results: Few RCMP cadets reported experiencing chronic pain (10%); lower back pain was rated as the most severe in terms of intensity and duration and second most frequently reported in number of days experienced per week. Prevalence of chronic pain was lower among RCMP cadets than among RCMP officers. Conclusions: Chronic pain prevalence among active duty RCMP officers may result from or be moderated by operational duties, as well as routine aging. Future researchers could examine ways to mitigate chronic pain development during RCMP officer careers.

Contexte: Près de la moitié des agents de la Gendarmerie royale du Canada (GRC) en service actif déclarent souffrir de douleur chronique (43 %; c'est-à-dire une douleur qui dure plus de trois mois). La plupart des agents de la GRC qui déclarent souffrir de douleur chronique indiquent que la douleur a commencé après avoir travaillé comme agents de la GRC (91 %). Il n'existe pas de données de référence sur la prévalence de la douleur chronique chez les cadets de la GRC.Objectifs: La présente étude a été conçue pour fournir des estimations transversales de la prévalence de la douleur chronique chez les cadets de la GRC qui commencent le Programme de formation des cadets et évaluer les différences sociodémographiques entre les participants.Méthodes: L'étude sur la GRC utilise un devis de cohorte expérimental séquentiel prospectif longitudinal pour créer un essai randomisé en grappes impliquant des participants individuels pendant 5,5 ans. Le présent article présente des associations transversales entre la prévalence de la douleur chronique et les caractéristiques sociodémographiques. Les participants étaient des cadets de la GRC qui commençaient le Programme de formation des cadets (n = 770). Le lieu, l'intensité (sur une échelle de 0 à 10 et selon le nombre de jours par semaine où la douleur était ressentie), de même que la durée (nombre de mois) pendant laquelle la douleur chronique était ressentie, ont été déclarés.Résultats: Peu de cadets de la GRC ont déclaré souffrir de douleur chronique (10 %); la douleur lombaire a été évaluée comme la plus sévère en termes d'intensité et de durée, et la deuxième la plus fréquemment rapportée en nombre de jours par semaine. La prévalence de la douleur chronique était plus faible chez les cadets de la GRC que chez les agents de la GRC.Conclusions: La prévalence de la douleur chronique chez les agents de la GRC en service actif peut résulter des tâches opérationnelles ou être modérée par celles-ci, ainsi que par le vieillissement normal. Les futurs chercheurs pourraient examiner les moyens d'atténuer le développement de la douleur chronique au cours de la carrière des agents de la GRC.

Examination of COVID stress syndrome facets and relations to substance misuse using profile analysis via multidimensional scaling (PAMS).

The COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to significant societal challenges, including increased substance misuse. The COVID stress syndrome is a constellation of interrelated processes that occur in response to pandemics, including danger/contamination fears, fears concerning economic consequences, xenophobia, compulsive checking/reassurance-seeking, and pandemic-related traumatic stress symptoms. In the present study, using a sample of 812 adults collected during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2020, we examined the relations between identified profiles of the COVID Stress Scales (CSS) and behavioral and cognitive aspects of substance misuse. Using profile analysis via multidimensional scaling (PAMS), we identified two core profiles of the CSS, which explained 60 % of the variance in participant responding: 1) High compulsive checking & Low xenophobia and 2) High xenophobia & Low danger/contamination. The first profile is consistent with the COVID stress syndrome, while the second profile aligns with the COVID disregard syndrome, which is a constellation of interrelated processes distinguished by a denial or downplaying of the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of perceived vulnerability to disease. Both profiles demonstrated significant positive correlations with drug and alcohol misuse, respectively. However, only the High xenophobia & Low danger/contamination profile demonstrated relations with cognitive aspects of substance misuse via positive and negative correlations with positive and negative expectancies of alcohol use, respectively. These findings provide further support for the relationship between the COVID stress syndrome and substance misuse and offer insight into how unique profiles of this syndrome may impact pandemic-related mental and public health interventions.

The future of psychological treatments: The Marburg Declaration.

Although psychological treatments are broadly recognized as evidence-based interventions for various mental disorders, challenges remain. For example, a substantial proportion of patients receiving such treatments do not fully recover, and many obstacles hinder the dissemination, implementation, and training of psychological treatments. These problems require those in our field to rethink some of our basic models of mental disorders and their treatments, and question how research and practice in clinical psychology should progress. To answer these questions, a group of experts of clinical psychology convened at a Think-Tank in Marburg, Germany, in August 2022 to review the evidence and analyze barriers for current and future developments. After this event, an overview of the current state-of-the-art was drafted and suggestions for improvements and specific recommendations for research and practice were integrated. Recommendations arising from our meeting cover further improving psychological interventions through translational approaches, improving clinical research methodology, bridging the gap between more nomothetic (group-oriented) studies and idiographic (person-centered) decisions, using network approaches in addition to selecting single mechanisms to embrace the complexity of clinical reality, making use of scalable digital options for assessments and interventions, improving the training and education of future psychotherapists, and accepting the societal responsibilities that clinical psychology has in improving national and global health care. The objective of the Marburg Declaration is to stimulate a significant change regarding our understanding of mental disorders and their treatments, with the aim to trigger a new era of evidence-based psychological interventions.

Is there evidence for factorial invariance of the COVID Stress Scales? an analysis of North American and cross-cultural populations.

The COVID-19 pandemic impacted the mental health of more citizens globally than any previous modern viral outbreak. In response to the psychological challenges associated with COVID-19, the COVID Stress Scales (CSS) were developed to assess the presence and severity of COVID-related distress. The initial North American validation study of the CSS identified that the scale comprised five factors: danger and contamination fears, fear of socioeconomic consequences, xenophobia, checking and reassurance seeking, and traumatic stress symptoms. The CSS have since been validated across a multitude of international populations. However, findings support a five- and six-factor model. Methodological issues make interpreting most studies supporting a five-factor model challenging. The purpose of this study was to re-evaluate the factor structure of the CSS using data from North American samples, to assess for potential factorial invariance, and compare these results to cross-cultural findings. Multiple confirmatory factor analyses (mCFA) were conducted across 28 different groups (e.g., age, ethnicity/race, sex) from two large independent North American samples from 2020 (n = 6827) and 2021 (n = 5787), assessing the fit indices of the five-, six-, and alternative-factor model of the CSS. The current results provide evidence for factorial invariance of the six-factor model of the CSS across different North American demographics and highlight potential challenges in interpreting the results of studies that have supported a five-factor model of the CSS.

Factor structure and factorial invariance of the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 in public safety personnel: Results from a large and diverse sample.

OBJECTIVE: Public safety personnel (PSP; e.g., correctional workers, firefighters, paramedics, and police officers) are frequently exposed to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTEs) and report posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) difficulties more frequently than the general population. The PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) is a commonly used measure to screen PSP for PTSD. A single previous study assessed PCL-5 factorial invariance among PSP but used a small homogenous sample. The current study evaluated factorial invariance with a large (n = 5,855) and diverse PSP sample. METHOD: Multigroup confirmatory factor analyses (mCFAs; n = 98) were conducted using six competing factor models of the PCL-5 across seven PSP sectors, five age groups, and two gender groups. RESULTS: The seven-factor hybrid model of PTSD (i.e., reexperiencing, avoidance, negative alterations in cognitions and mood, hyperarousal, intrusion, emotional numbing, dysphoria, dysphoric arousal, anxious arousal, anhedonia, negative affect) produced consistently superior fit across all sectors assessed and produced marginally better absolute values than the six-factor anhedonia model, supporting PCL-5 factorial invariance among PSP. CONCLUSIONS: The current study is the first to use a large and diverse PSP sample to assess PCL-5 factorial invariance. The results support the PCL-5 as invariant across PSP sectors, age groups, and men and women. Consistent with other studies, the seven-factor hybrid model of PTSD produced the best fit, followed closely by the six-factor anhedonia model. Future research could use structured clinical interviews to further investigate the factorial structure and invariance of PTSD symptoms among PSPs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).

Cardioautonomic lability assessed by heart rate variability changes in Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets during the cadet training program.

Objective: The current study examined variations in cardioautonomic lability during the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Cadet Training Program (CTP) between cadets starting their training who did or did not screen positive for one or more mental health disorders (i.e., posttraumatic stress disorder [PTSD], major depressive disorder [MDD], social anxiety disorder [SAD], generalized anxiety disorder [GAD], panic disorder [PD], alcohol use disorder [AUD]). Methods: Electrocardiogram (ECG) signals integrated into Hexoskin garments were used to record ECG and heart rate Over the 26-week CTP. There were 31 heart rate variability (HRV) parameters calculated using Kubios Premium HRV analysis software. Mann-Whitney U-tests were used to perform groupwise comparisons of participant raw values and HRV during the CTP. Results: A total of 157 cadets (79% male) were screened for any mental disorder using self-report surveys and then grouped by positive and negative screening. Analyses indicated a statistically significant (p < 0.05) decrease in low frequency (LF): High Frequency (HF) variability during CTP, but only for cadets who endorsed clinically significant anxiety symptoms on the GAD-7 at the start of their training. There were no other statistically significant groupwise differences. Conclusion: The results indicate the participants have excellent cardiac health overall and suggest potentially important differences between groups, such that cadets who endorsed clinically significant anxiety symptoms on the GAD-7 showed less variability in the LF:HF ratio over the course of the CTP. The relatively lower variability suggests decreased parasympathetic tone in those without clinically significant anxiety symptoms. The results also have important implications for future investigations of cardioautonomic dysfunction and chronic hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis deviations in policing populations with anxiety disorders; specifically, cardioautonomic inflexibility related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In any case, the current results provide an important baseline for future cardiac research with cadets and serving officers.

Anxiety Symptoms, COVID-19-Related Stress Reactions in the Italian General Population, and Validation of the Italian COVID Stress Scales (CSS-I).

Background. The COVID Stress Scales (CSS) assess COVID-related stress experienced in the past week related to danger and contamination fears, socioeconomic consequences, xenophobia, compulsive checking, and reassurance seeking, and traumatic stress symptoms. Our objective was to provide a translation into Italian, replication, and psychometric validation of the CSS in the general population. Moreover, we aimed to test the convergent and discriminant validity of the Italian CSS (CSS-I) with respect to anxiety, stress, and depressive symptoms in the general Italian population. Method. Adult participants (n = 935) over the age of 18 years were recruited from the general population in Italy. Psychological status was assessed using multiple validated measures, including the CSS, Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21), and the Prejudice Against Immigrants Scale (PAIS). Results. Our confirmatory factor analysis supported a 6-factor model, including danger fears (DAN), socioeconomic consequences (SEC), xenophobia (XEN), compulsive checking and reassurance seeking (CHE), contamination fears (CON), and traumatic stress symptoms (TSS). Strong reliability of the CSS-I (Cronbach's α = 0.863-0.936) and convergent validity with the DASS-21 and PAI were established with positive correlations between total and scale scores across measures. Conclusions. The CSS-I is a valid and reliable instrument to measure COVID-19-related distress in the Italian population.

Daily survey participation and positive changes in mental health symptom scores among Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cadets.

Introduction: Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers self-report high levels of mental health disorder symptoms, such as alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Participation in regular mental health monitoring has been associated with improved mental health disorder symptom reporting and may provide an accessible tool to support RCMP mental health. The current study assessed relationships between self-reported mental health disorder symptoms and the completion of daily surveys (i.e., daily mental health disorder symptom monitoring) by RCMP cadets during the Cadet Training Program (CTP). Methods: Participants were RCMP cadets (n = 394; 76.1% men) in the Standard Training Program who completed the 26-week CTP and daily self-monitoring surveys, as well as full mental health assessments at pre-training (i.e., starting the CTP) and pre-deployment (i.e., ~2 weeks prior to deployment to the field). Symptoms of alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder were assessed. Changes in mental health disorder symptom reporting from pre-training to pre-deployment were calculated. Spearman's rank correlations were estimated for number of daily surveys completed and change in mental health disorder symptom scores between pre-training and pre-deployment. Results: There were statistically significant inverse relationships between number of daily surveys completed and number of mental health disorder symptoms reported; specifically, cadets who completed more daily surveys during CTP reported fewer symptoms of alcohol use disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. Conclusion: An inverse correlation between number of daily surveys completed and mental health disorder symptom scores indicated that participation in daily mental health monitoring was associated with improvements in self-reported mental health disorder symptoms between pre-training and pre-deployment. Regular self-monitoring of mental health disorder symptoms may help to mitigate mental health challenges among RCMP cadets and officers.

Prophylactic relationship between mental health disorder symptoms and physical activity of Royal Canadian Mounted Police Cadets during the cadet training program.

Objective: Royal Canadian Mounted Police report experiencing extremely frequent potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE). In a recent study, approximately half of participating RCMP screened positive for one or more mental disorders, which is approximately five times the diagnostic proportion for the general Canadian population. Increased reporting of mental health symptoms been linked to PPTE exposures. Programs promoting physical activity may be useful interventions to supplement or pair with mental health interventions, providing anxiolytic, antidepressant, and stress-buffering effects. The current study was designed to assess the relationship between physical activity behaviors and reported mental health disorder symptoms of cadets during the Royal Mounted Canadian Police (RCMP) Cadet Training Program (CTP). The current study also examined the relationship between exercise and mental health disorder symptoms of cadets during the CTP. Methods: The study included data from 394 cadets (76.1% male). An analysis of variance (ANOVA) and a series of t-tests were used to assess several differences across sociodemographic groups. Bivariate Spearman's Rank correlations were performed between the average number of active calories burned per day, as recorded by Apple Watches, and changes in self-reported mental health disorder symptoms (i.e., Generalized Anxiety Disorder [GAD], Major Depressive Disorder [MDD], Posttraumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD], Social Anxiety Disorder [SAD]. Alcohol Use Disorders [AUD], Panic Disorder [PD]) from pre-training (starting the CTP) to pre-deployment (completing the CTP) 26 weeks later. Results: There were statistically significant correlations between physical activity and self-reported mental health disorder symptom scores during CTP. Cadets who performed more physical activity from pre-training to pre-deployment had statistically significantly greater decreases in symptoms of GAD (ρ = -0.472, p < 0.001), MDD (ρ = -0.307, p < 0.001), PTSD (ρ = -0.343, p < 0.001), and AUD (ρ = -0.085, p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant relationship between physical activity and changes in PD symptoms (ρ = -0.037, p > 0.05). There were also no statistically significant relationships between pre-CTP mental health disorder symptom scores and the volume of physical activity performed during CTP. Conclusion: There was evidence of a significant relationship between reductions in mental health disorder symptom scores and physical activity during the 26-week CTP. The results highlight the role that exercise can play as an important tool for reducing mental health disorder symptoms, considering there was no relationship between pre-CTP baseline mental health scores and physical activity performed during CTP. Further research is needed to understand differences in physical activity behaviours among cadets and serving RCMP.

Paraprofessional delivery of online narrative exposure therapy for firefighters.

Firefighters are at increased risk for developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and face numerous barriers to accessing mental health care. Innovative ways to increase access to evidence-based interventions are needed. This study was a case series testing the acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary effectiveness of a paraprofessional-delivered, virtual narrative exposure therapy (eNET) intervention for PTSD. Participants were 21 firefighters who met the criteria for clinical or subclinical probable PTSD and completed 10-12 sessions of eNET via videoconference. Participants completed self-report measures pre- and postintervention and at 2- and 6-month follow-ups as well as a postintervention qualitative interview. Paired samples t tests evidenced statistically significant decreases in PTSD, anxiety, and depressive symptom severity and functional impairment from pre- to postintervention, ds = 1.08-1.33, and in PTSD and anxiety symptom severity and functional impairment from preintervention to 6-month follow-up, ds = 0.69-1.10. The average PTSD symptom severity score fell from above to below the clinical cutoff for probable PTSD at postintervention and follow-ups. Qualitative interviews indicated that paraprofessionals were considered central to participants' success and experience with the intervention. No adverse events or safety concerns were raised. This study is an important step in demonstrating that appropriately trained and supervised paraprofessionals can effectively deliver eNET to firefighters with PTSD.

Mental Health of Royal Canadian Mounted Police at the Start of the Cadet Training Program.

OBJECTIVE: Serving Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have screened positive for one or more mental disorders based on self-reported symptoms with substantial prevalence (i.e., 50.2%). Mental health challenges for military and paramilitary populations have historically been attributed to insufficient recruit screening; however, cadet mental health when starting the Cadet Training Program (CTP) was unknown. Our objective was to estimate RCMP Cadet mental health when starting the CTP and test for sociodemographic differences. METHOD: Cadets starting the CTP completed a survey assessing self-reported mental health symptoms (n = 772, 72.0% male) and a clinical interview (n = 736, 74.4% male) with a clinician or supervised trainee using the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview to assess current and past mental health. RESULTS: The percentage of participants screening positive for one or more current mental disorders based on self-reported symptoms (15.0%) was higher than the diagnostic prevalence for the general population (10.1%); however, based on clinical interviews, participants were less likely to screen positive for any current mental disorder (6.3%) than the general population. Participants were also less likely to screen positive for any past mental disorder based on self-report (3.9%) and clinical interviews (12.5%) than the general population (33.1%). Females were more likely to score higher than males (all ps<.01; Cohen's ds .23 to .32) on several self-report mental disorder symptom measures. CONCLUSIONS: The current results are the first to describe RCMP cadet mental health when starting the CTP. The data evidenced a lower prevalence of anxiety, depressive, and trauma-related mental disorders than the general population based on clinical interviews, contrasting notions that more rigorous mental health screening would reduce the high prevalence of mental disorders among serving RCMP. Instead, protecting RCMP mental health may require ongoing efforts to mitigate operational and organizational stressors.

Putative risk and resiliency factors among Royal Canadian Mounted Police cadets.

Objective: Mental health disorders are prevalent among active-duty Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) officers. The current study was designed to assess whether RCMP cadets commencing the Cadet Training Program are inherently at greater risk of developing mental health challenges by statistically comparing cadet putative risk and resiliency scores to scores from young adult populations. The study was also designed to assess for sociodemographic differences in putative risk and resiliency variables among RCMP cadets in order to facilitate future comparisons. Methods: Cadets (n = 772; 72.2% men) completed self-report measures of several putative risk variables (i.e., anxiety sensitivity, fear of negative evaluation, pain anxiety, illness and injury sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, and state anger) and resiliency. Scores were statistically compared to samples from Canadian, American, Australian, and European young adult populations. Results: Cadets had statistically significantly lower scores on all putative risk variables and statistically significantly higher resiliency scores compared to the young adult populations. In the cadet sample, there were statistically significant differences in putative risk and resiliency variables across gender and sex. Conclusion: Cadets' significantly lower scores on putative risk variables and higher scores on resiliency suggest that they may be psychologically strong; as such, it may be that the nature of police work, as opposed to inherent individual differences in risk and resiliency, accounts for active-duty RCMP officers' comparatively higher prevalence of mental health disorders over time.Clinical Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, Identifier NCT05527509.

Mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic: Stress and strain profiles in the German population.

Clinical observations indicate that people frequently display stress-related behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although numerous studies have been published concerning pandemic-related psychological distress, systematic data on the interrelationships between stress sensitivity, personality, and behavioral characteristics of people are still lacking. In the present cross-sectional online survey study, we applied a German version of the COVID Stress Scales (CSS) and standard psychological questionnaires to systematically identify the complex interplay between stress sensitivity, gender, and personality in the modulation of quality of life and mental health in the German population (N = 1774; age ≥ 16 years). A CSS-based cluster analysis revealed two clusters characterized by higher and lower stress levels. Study participants in each cluster differed significantly with respect to neuroticism, extraversion, agreeableness, quality of life, depression, and anxiety. Females were significantly overrepresented in the higher stress cluster, while there was an overrepresentation of males in the lower stress cluster. Neuroticism was identified as a risk factor and extraversion as a protective factor for enhanced pandemic-related stress responses. For the first time our data show a taxonomy of factors, which modulate pandemic-related stress sensitivity and warrant consideration as key indicators of quality of life and psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic. We suggest that our data may advise governmental regulation of pandemic-related public health measures, to optimize quality of life and psychological health in different groups of the population.

Cognitive behavioural techniques reduce exercise anxiety and improve adherence to a resistance training program for people with anxiety-related disorders: A randomized controlled trial.

Exercise is a cost-efficient alternative to other interventions for anxiety-related disorders (ARDs; e.g., psychotherapy, pharmaceutical) that is also associated with health benefits. Several exercise modalities, including resistance training (RT), have demonstrated efficacy at reducing symptoms of ARDs; however, there are challenges associated with effectively implementing such protocols, most notably, exercise avoidance or early discontinuation. Researchers have identified exercise anxiety as a contributor to exercise avoidance for people with ARDs. Exercise-based interventions for people with ARDs may need to include strategies for helping these individuals cope with exercise anxiety to facilitate long-term exercise engagement; however, research in this area is lacking. The primary purpose of this randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to examine the effects of combining cognitive behavioural techniques (CBT) with a RT program on changes in exercise anxiety, exercise frequency, disorder-specific anxiety symptoms, and physical activity for people with ARDs. A secondary purpose was to explore group differences in exercise motivation and exercise self-efficacy across time. A total of 59 physically inactive individuals with ARDs were randomized into either RT + CBT, RT, or waitlist (WL). Primary measures were assessed at baseline, weekly during the 4-week active phase, and at 1-week, 1-month, and 3-month follow-ups. Findings indicate both RT and RT + CBT can reduce exercise anxiety; however, the addition of CBT techniques may help facilitate improvements in exercise self-efficacy, reductions in disorder-specific anxiety, and increases in long-term exercise behaviour and vigorous physical activity. These techniques may be useful for researchers and clinicians alike in supporting individuals with ARDs interested in using exercise to cope with elevated anxiety.