The impact of test anxiety on oral microbiota among medical students-A pilot study.

Test anxiety (TA) is a common emotion among students during examinations. Test-induced stress can remarkably impact students' emotions and limit their performance. Mental stress is a crucial factor that could significantly alter gut microbial composition, but rare reports focus on the correlation between TA and oral microbial composition. This study aims to investigate the impact of TA on students' oral microbiota composition. This study targeted medical students who usually face heavier workloads than average undergraduates. 28 females and 19 males aged 18-30 were enrolled in this study. Questionnaires and saliva samples were collected from the participants before, during, and after the end-term examination. The level of anxiety was classified as normal, mild, moderate, and severe based on the questionnaire scores. In addition, 16S amplicon sequencing was used to analyse the composition of oral microbes. More than half of the students faced different levels of TA before and after the examination. Over three-quarters of students showed anxiety during the examination, and a quarter suffered severe TA. The 16S sequencing data showed that TA significantly altered the oral microbial composition between students with and without TA in all three survey periods. Moreover, during the examination, the genera Rothia and Streptococcus, the oral-beneficial bacteria, markedly decreased in students with TA. On the other hand, the potential pathogenic genera, such as Prevotella, Fusobacterium, and Haemophilus, significantly increased in the students with TA. And the TA effect on oral microbes displayed a gender difference among students. A high ratio of TA existed in the students during their examination period, and TA could significantly alter the oral microbial composition, decrease beneficial microbes, and promote potential pathogenic oral microbes.

Effectiveness of acute aerobic exercise in regulating emotions in individuals with test anxiety.

High levels of test anxiety can cause negative emotional interference and have adverse effects in multiple aspects. It is currently unclear whether acute aerobic exercise can effectively reduce a series of negative emotions triggered by test anxiety. This study investigates the impact of 30 min of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise on the subjective emotional responses and frontal alpha asymmetry (FAA) in individuals with high test anxiety. Forty-four college students with high test anxiety were randomly assigned to an aerobic exercise group and a control group. Each group underwent two tests, involving subjective scale measurements and resting-state EEG recordings, with a seven-day interval between tests. Results showed that after 30 min of moderate-intensity acute aerobic exercise, the intervention group had significantly reduced scores in subjective negative emotional experiences, and FAA indicators significantly increased. The study suggests that acute aerobic exercise can enhance the emotional regulation ability of college students with high test anxiety and reduce their negative emotions.

Learning styles and test anxiety in nursing students.

BACKGROUND: Test anxiety has always been a common problem among students, which may be influenced by various factors such as learning styles. Considering the high prevalence of test anxiety in nursing students, the present study investigated the relationship between their learning styles and test anxiety. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The present research was a correlational descriptive study conducted in January of 2023, in which 235 students from the first to sixth semesters in two nursing schools affiliated with Zanjan University of Medical Sciences were selected by stratified random method. The data collection tools included demographic questionnaires, Kolb's learning styles, and Sarason's test anxiety, completed by the self-report method. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics by SPSS (v. 26). RESULTS: The mean test anxiety score in students was 28.30 ± 3.56, which showed a high level of test anxiety, and most of them had a divergent learning style (32.2%). The highest mean of test anxiety was among students with divergent learning styles. Also, the relationship between learning styles and test anxiety is statistically significant. The LSD test for more detailed information showed that the level of test anxiety with divergent learning styles is significantly higher than those with convergent learning styles (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings showed that students with divergent learning styles suffer the highest test anxiety level. Considering that most nursing students participating in this research had divergent learning styles, it can be one reason for their high test anxiety. Because students with divergent learning styles mainly learn through seeing and experiencing, one of the solutions to reduce test anxiety in these students is to use observational learning methods as much as possible during teaching. Holding anxiety control and management workshops before the exam by psychological experts can be considered by educational managers.

When talking goes awry: association between co-rumination and trait anxiety, test anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity in early and late adolescents.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Friends are major sources of social support for adolescents. This support may sometimes lead to co-rumination when the problem is discussed exhaustively with a focus on negative feelings. Co-rumination has been associated with some forms of anxiety, including clinical symptoms. Further studies are needed to investigate whether this association extends to additional and non-clinical forms of anxiety in youth. This study aimed to explore the relationship between co-rumination and trait anxiety, test anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity using secondary data. DESIGN AND METHODS: In this 2019 cross-sectional study, 1204 (59% girls) Canadian 6th-grade early adolescents (ages 11-12) and 11th-grade late adolescents (ages 16-17) completed self-report questionnaires measuring co-rumination, trait anxiety, test anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity. RESULTS: Co-rumination was associated with anxiety sensitivity in early adolescents and with trait anxiety, test anxiety, and anxiety sensitivity in late adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: Developmental factors may play a role in the association between co-rumination and different forms of anxiety. Anxiety sensitivity may appear alongside co-rumination in early adolescence and may broaden to trait and test anxiety in late adolescence. These results extend our understanding of the relationship between co-rumination and anxiety, as well as generate hypotheses for future longitudinal studies.

Current status and influencing factors of test anxiety of senior one students in Yanji, China: a cross-sectional study.

Objective: Examining the current situation of test anxiety among first year senior high school students in Yanji City and investigating the factors that contribute to exam anxiety. Methods: Using cluster sampling, a survey was conducted on 1,550 first-year high school students from three high schools in Yanji City in April-May 2023. The survey utilized general information questionnaires, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI), and the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Logistic regression analysis was used to determine the influencing factors of test anxiety. Results: A total of 1,550 first-year high school students were included in the analysis, with a test anxiety occurrence rate of 79.8%. Test anxiety exhibited statistical differences among different genders, ethnicities, family economic levels, frequency of communication with parents, and relationships with parents (with results of 53.44, 10.42, 17.31, 20.42, 31.95, all p < 0.05). Scores of hypochondriasis (Hs), depression (D), psychasthenia (Pt), paranoia (Pa), psychopathic deviate (Pd), schizophrenia (Sc), and hypomania (Ma) in the 10 clinical personality scales were significantly positively correlated. Logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, ethnicity, frequency of communication with parents, and scores of hypochondriasis (Hs), depression (D), psychasthenia (Pt), paranoia (Pa), and hypomania (Ma) in the 10 clinical personality scales were the main influencing factors for test anxiety in first-year high school students (all p < 0.05). Conclusion: The test anxiety level of high school students in Yanji City is relatively high, with variations in test anxiety levels among students of different genders, ethnicities, parental communication styles, and deviant personality traits. It is recommended that schools and teachers should give more consideration to test anxiety among high school students, particularly targeting those with potential risk factors. Parents should also be more attentive to their children's development and advancement, and improve their family education principles.

Perceived Peer Integration, Parental Control, and Autonomy Support: Differential Effects on Test Anxiety during the Transition to Secondary School for Girls and Boys.

Although previous research has investigated the impact of parents and peers on test anxiety in secondary or tertiary education, little is known about younger students, especially during the transition to secondary school. Additionally, it is unclear whether these social factors affect girls' and boys' test anxiety differently. Therefore, the current study examined the role of perceived peer integration into the new class context, perceived parental control, and autonomy support on girls' and boys' test anxiety (worry and emotionality) during the transition to secondary school. Data from 1770 students (Mage = 10.47, SD = 0.56; 51% females) were analyzed before (4th grade) and after the transition (5th grade) using a multigroup (girls vs. boys) structural equation model. Both facets of test anxiety decreased from 4th to 5th grade. Perceived peer integration into the new class was only relevant for girls' test anxiety, while parental control predicted post-transition test anxiety for boys. The results suggest that the perceived social environment is an important factor in helping students cope with the demands of the transition to secondary school.

Habitual rapid eye movement sleep predicts changes in test-anxiety levels weeks in advance.

Previous research has linked rapid eye movement sleep to emotional processing, particularly stress. Lab studies indicate that rapid eye movement sleep deprivation and fragmentation heighten emotional reactivity and stress response. This relationship extends to natural settings, where poor-quality sleep among college students correlates with increased academic stress and lower academic performance. However, there is a lack of research into how specific sleep stages, like rapid eye movement, affect real-life stress development. This study investigated whether habitual rapid eye movement sleep in college students can predict the future development of real-life stress symptoms associated with final exams. Fifty-two participants (mean age = 19 years, 62% females) monitored their sleep for a week during the academic semester using a mobile electroencephalogram device, and then completed self-evaluations measuring test anxiety and other relevant factors. They completed the same evaluations again just prior to final exams. We found that rapid eye movement sleep was the most dominant factor predicting changes in participants' test anxiety. However, contrasting with our predictions, habitual rapid eye movement sleep was associated with an increase rather than decrease in anxiety. We discuss these results in terms of the rapid eye movement recalibration hypothesis, which suggests rapid eye movement sleep modulates activity in stress-encoding areas in the brain, leading to both decreased sensitivity and increased selectivity of stress responses.

Effects of mindfulness on test anxiety: a meta-analysis.

Objective: This meta-analysis evaluated the effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) on test anxiety across diverse age groups and intervention modalities. Methods: Rigorous inclusion criteria were applied to select studies focusing on MBIs as the independent variable, with test anxiety as the outcome. A comprehensive search across multiple databases yielded 18 primary studies, contributing 20 comparisons. Data were extracted on study characteristics, sample sizes, and intervention details, and were analyzed using a random-effects model. Results: The analyses incorporated 1,275 participants, with MBIs demonstrating a moderate to large negative effect on test anxiety (effect size = -0.716; 95% CI: -1.383 to -0.049). Moderation analysis indicated that mean age, number of sessions, and intervention delivery mode did not significantly influence effect sizes. Publication bias assessment suggested the presence of bias via Egger's regression (p = 0.025), though Begg and Mazumdar's test and Duval and Tweedie's trim and fill method indicated no missing studies. Conclusion: MBIs are effective in reducing test anxiety, though results should be interpreted with caution due to potential publication bias and unexplained heterogeneity. The impact of MBIs did not vary significantly with participant age, number of sessions, or delivery mode.

Being able to think when caught in the maelstrom - how adolescents used mindfulness when facing exams.

PURPOSE: Research indicates that exam anxiety may decline with mindfulness-based interventions but there is a lack of research on adolescents' accounts of the processes involved. We explored high-school students' descriptions of how they perceived and applied mindfulness in managing anxiety-inducing thoughts related to academic performance following an 8-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) course. METHOD: Post-course individual semi-structured interviews with 22 high school students (2 males, mean age 17.8 years) were transcribed verbatim and analysed using reflexive thematic analysis. RESULTS: The analyses identified six themes: (1) Noticing and attending to the attention-binding "maelstrom" of anxious thoughts and feelings (2) Attending to the breath to cope with the maelstrom, (3) "removing" and "getting rid of" anxious thoughts (4) Being able to "think" (5) awareness of more helpful thoughts, and (6) Agency and control. The findings are discussed in light of the Buddhist notion of "unwholesome thoughts" and the distinction between thought suppression and the use of breathing as a benign distraction. We propose that mindfulness encompasses both a receptive, nonjudgmental awareness and an active, intentional redirection of attention. CONCLUSION: Mindfulness training aided participants by enhancing their capacity to disengage from fear-engaging thoughts, thereby maintaining them within their window of tolerance and facilitating cognitive processing.

The effect of Chinese vocational college students' perception of feedback on online learning engagement: academic self-efficacy and test anxiety as mediating variables.

Enhancing learning engagement is a critical challenge in online education. While previous research underscores the importance of feedback, recent studies have shifted focus to students' perceptions of feedback, which significantly impact learning performance. However, empirical evidence on how these perceptions affect online learning outcomes is limited. Drawing on Self-Determination Theory, this study addresses this gap by employing SEM to analyze the relationships among feedback perception, academic self-efficacy, test anxiety, and online learning engagement. A total of 402 Chinese vocational college students (ages 18-19) completed questionnaires, with statistical analysis conducted using SPSS and Mplus. The study found that perception of feedback directly influences online learning engagement and indirectly affects it through academic self-efficacy and test anxiety, with a total effect value of 0.416. The findings offer valuable insights for educators and suggest directions for future research on feedback perception and online learning engagement.

Artificial Intelligence and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations: Using ChatGPT to Revolutionize Clinical Skills Assessment in Medical Education.

This article examines the integration of OpenAI's Chat Generative Pre-trained Transformer (ChatGPT) into Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) for medical education. OSCEs, essential in evaluating medical trainees, are time and resource-intensive for educators and medical colleges. ChatGPT emerges as a solution, aiding educators in efficient OSCE preparation, including case development, standardized patient training, assessment methods, and grading rubrics. We explore ChatGPT's role in reducing trainee stress through simulated interactions of realistic practice scenarios and real-time trainee feedback. We also discuss the importance of validating ChatGPT outputs for medical accuracy and address compliance concerns. While highlighting ChatGPT's potential in reducing time and cost burdens for educators, we underscore the need for careful and informed application of Artificial Intelligence in medical education. Through examples, we outline ChatGPT's promising future in augmenting medical training and assessment, balancing technological innovation with educational integrity.

Evaluating Perceptions of Test Anxiety Among Student Pharmacists and Faculty Members: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to determine student perceptions versus actual level of test anxiety, as measured by the Cognitive Test Anxiety Scale-2 (CTAS-2), and student and faculty perceptions of test anxiety with regard to prevalence, impact, ease of treatment, and importance in pharmacy education. METHODS: Two independent Qualtrics questionnaires were distributed via email to all students and faculty in the professional pharmacy program (years 1-4) at the University of Mississippi. The first questionnaire evaluated pharmacy students' perceptions of test anxiety and self-awareness of personal test anxiety. The second questionnaire evaluated faculty members' perceptions of student test anxiety. The questionnaires had 50 and 21 questions, respectively, and were developed from validated, reliable questionnaires used in Cognitive Test Anxiety (CTA) research. RESULTS: Questionnaires were completed by 123 students and 19 faculty. Overall, 46 % of students had a self-perception of "high test anxiety", with 28 % having a CTAS-2 score that correlated to severe test anxiety. A majority of faculty respondents (84 %) believed severe test anxiety affects 30 % or less of pharmacy students and may be associated with poor academic performance. CONCLUSION: Student pharmacists' self-perception of test anxiety and perception of difficulty mitigating test anxiety may be overestimated. Overall, faculty accurately estimated the degree of test anxiety, felt confident in being able to help students, and believed it should receive attention from both faculty and the university.

The Mediating and Moderating Role of Social-Emotional Skills in the Relationship between Sports Participation and Test Anxiety.

PURPOSE: Test anxiety is a prevalent issue among adolescents, prompting a need for effective coping mechanisms. Participation in sports, which is gaining recognition for its crucial role in alleviating test anxiety, may be effective due to its association with social-emotional skills. Moreover, students with diverse levels of social-emotional skills not only experience enjoyment in sports differently but also perceive test anxiety uniquely, leading to varying interpretations of the relationships between them. Due to the lack of direct evidence, therefore, this study aimed to explore the intricate relationships among sports participation, test anxiety, and social-emotional skills. METHODS: Utilizing OECD data from 61,010 participants across 10 locations, all variable measurements were collected through the Survey on Social and Emotional Skills (SSES). RESULTS: The results indicated that social-emotional skills mediated and moderated the relationship between sports participation and test anxiety. However, only lower- and medium-level social-emotional skills significantly weakened the negative correlation between sports participation and test anxiety. CONCLUSION: Social-emotional skills serve a dual function in the relationship between sports participation and test anxiety. Not only do they elucidate why sports participation can alleviate test anxiety, but they also act as regulators, moderating the extent of this alleviation. These findings provide valuable insights for educational interventions, underscoring the importance of sports participation and the cultivation of social-emotional skills in mitigating test anxiety.

The High Five Model as a predictor of academic performance over conventional psychological predictors in university students.

Introduction: The High Five Model (HFM) categorizes five positive human characteristics-erudition, peace, joviality, honesty, and tenacity-utilizing an inductive psycholexic approach. This study examines the predictive power of HFM on academic performance among university students, hypothesizing that it surpasses conventional predictors such as academic motivation, exam anxiety, and academic procrastination. Methods: A non-experimental cross-sectional correlational design was implemented using a non-probabilistic convenience sample of 1,007 Ecuadorian university students (403 females). Self-reported measures of the "high factors," academic motivation, exam anxiety, and academic procrastination were collected. Linear regression analysis was utilized to evaluate the predictive capacity of the HFM on academic performance. Results: The analysis revealed that the high factors of the HFM significantly predict academic performance, demonstrating a stronger predictive ability than traditional psychological predictors. Discussion: The findings suggest that incorporating the HFM into academic settings could enhance understanding and prediction of student performance. This could potentially inform targeted interventions that leverage these high factors, thereby fostering better academic outcomes. Further research could explore the integration of the HFM with other educational strategies and its applicability across diverse educational contexts.

"I must make the grade!": the role of cognitive appraisals, irrational beliefs, exam anxiety, and affect, in the academic self-concept of undergraduate students.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Examination anxiety is a common occurrence, and is potentially detrimental to student attainment. In recent theorizing, it has been suggested that cognitive appraisals, as put forth in cognitive appraisal theory, and irrational beliefs, as put forth in rational emotive behavior therapy, may interact to predict affectivity. The current research examines the antecedents and associates of examination affect and academic self-concept in undergraduate students. DESIGN: A preliminary study applied confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to test the factor structure of an irrational beliefs inventory. Study 1 utilized a cross-sectional and correlational approach to testing core theoretical assumptions. Study 2 took a two-wave longitudinal and path analytical approach to examine temporal effects between target variables. METHOD: All self-report data collection took place in the United Kingdom with university students. We recruited n = 1150, n = 362, n = 662 for preliminary, study 1, and study 2, respectively. RESULTS: Across studies, data indicated that a pattern of adaptive cognitive appraisal was associated with more advantageous affectivity, and better academic self-concept. CONCLUSIONS: Reciprocal temporal relationships were revealed between many variables, supporting an interactive and bidirectional view of how cognition and affect are related pertaining to examination anxiety.

Short-term equine interaction for reducing test anxiety and facilitating coping skill development in college students during examination periods: A preliminary study.

Mental health concerns are common among college students and more prevalent during examination periods when stress and anxiety are heightened. While the benefits of equine interaction have been reported, the impact of short-term equine interaction on coping skills valuable for managing test anxiety have yet to be studied. Therefore, the purpose of this preliminary study was to evaluate the impact of short-term equine interaction during the college examination period on development of coping skills and anxiety levels associated with testing, both self-reported and those reflected in physiological measures. Full-time college students engaged in a one-hour equine interaction session held on campus at the onset of final exam week. Participants completed a survey targeting perception of anxiety levels and coping skills. Heart rate and salivary cortisol measurements were collected pre- and post-session. Paired t-tests were performed between pre- and post- session measures and correlations between survey answers and physiological measures determined. Significant reductions were found in all areas of anxiety (Overall Academics P = 0.0003, Final Exam Preparation P = 0.0003, Taking Final Exam P = 0.0003). The reduction in exam-related anxiety was positively correlated to cortisol concentrations (r = 0.69, P = 0.03) with lower concentrations (P = 0.05) and increased heart rate (P = 0.003) post-session. Regarding coping skills, improvements were observed post-session in assertiveness (P = 0.008). Skill development coupled with reduced anxiety supports the potential benefits short-term equine interaction can offer students during the high stress periods, but these findings should be confirmed with more in-depth study.

The effect of emotional freedom techniques on test anxiety in Iranian Paramedical students: a randomized controlled trial study.

Background: Based on evidences, there has been no study conducted on the effects of emotional freedom techniques on Iranian medical students. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the impact of emotional freedom techniques on examination anxiety in Iranian nursing and allied students. Methods: This randomized controlled clinical trial study was conducted in 2021. The sample included students from the School of Nursing and Midwifery and the School of Paramedical Sciences enroled from the second to eighth semesters. Based on inclusion criteria, 30 students were assigned to each group. The test anxiety questionnaire was utilized to assess the test anxiety of students. The educational sessions in the intervention group were structured according to the Church's educational package and were delivered in six non-face-to-face (online) sessions, each lasting 45 min, once a week. In the control group, no intervention was implemented. All statistical analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics software version 24 (IBM SPSS Statistics). Results: The mean age of students in the intervention and control groups were 25.22±1.85 and 22.80±1.80 years, respectively. After the intervention, the mean examination anxiety in the experimental group (50.88) significantly decreased to within the moderate range (25-75), compared to the mean examination anxiety in the control group (65.36) within the same range (P<0.001). Furthermore, the ANCOVA analysis indicated that the group and examination anxiety before the intervention were statistically significant. Conclusion: This positive impact on test anxiety is particularly promising for medical sciences students, who often endure heightened stress levels due to the rigorous nature of their studies and the demands of their profession.

Comparison of the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemic-9 and SAVE-6 scales among healthcare workers in Peru.

Introduction: Peru is a country that has a high incidence of viral outbreaks and epidemics, which is why it is necessary to validate a scale that measures anxiety and stress in professionals who are on the front lines of these events. Therefore, our objective was to validate the Peruvian-Spanish version of the Stress and Anxiety to Viral Epidemics-9 items (SAVE-9) scale and to concurrently compare its validity and internal consistency with the SAVE-6 scale among healthcare workers (HCWs). Materials and methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study based on data collected from a self-reported survey in paper-and-pencil format between April and July 2023. A total of 203 HCWs participated in the research. We developed a confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and item response theory (IRT). We calculated Cronbach's α coefficient and McDonald's ω to assess the internal consistency of the scales. Results: The results show that SAVE-9 (a two-factor model) and SAVE-6 (a one-factor model) provided an excellent fit in the confirmatory factor analysis. Both scales demonstrated strong internal consistency (Cronbach's α 0.85 and 0.86, respectively). Significant correlations were found between the SAVE-9 and SAVE-6 scales and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 items scale (r = 0.44 and r = 0.38, respectively, p < 0.001) as well as the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 items (r = 0.39 and r = 0.35, respectively, p < 0.001). The optimal cutoff points for SAVE-9 and SAVE-6 were identified for assessing anxiety, aligned with a GAD-7 score ≥5 points. Conclusion: The Peruvian-Spanish SAVE-9 and SAVE-6 scales are reliable and valid rating scales to assess the anxiety response of HCWs in response to viral epidemics. Though COVID-19 is diminished, these scales will be useful for other viral epidemics in the future.

An exploratory study of test anxiety management workshop based on the Unified Protocol / Estudio exploratorio de un taller basado en el Protocolo Unificado para el manejo de ansiedad ante exámenes.

Introduction: Test anxiety is a multidimensional construct, defined as a set of phenomenological, physiological and behavioral responses associated with cognitive processes linked to excessive concern about possible negative consequences in an evaluative situation. In university students, it presents occurrence rates between 10 % and 40 %. Therefore, the main objective of the present study is to evaluate the usefulness of a group and online workshop for managing this problem based on the Unified Protocol. Methods: A total of 31 Argentinian students aged 18 to 35 years (M=25; SD=5.24) participated in the study, from which 93.5 % were women. They were evaluated with pre, post and follow-up measures in symptomatology associated with test anxiety (GTAI-AR), emotional regulation strategies (ERQ) and mindfulness (MAAS). The Wilcoxon test corroborated intragroup differences, and Hedge's g was calculated to measure effect size (ES). Results: Regarding the primary variable, the differences were significant with moderate & large ES, which were maintained between the three measures applied. Respecting the secondary variables, in the pre-post measures, only cognitive reappraisal reflected significant ES (small).; in the post-follow-up, expressive suppression was the only dimension that showed meaningful ES (moderate), and in the pre-follow-up, it was found that only mindfulness showed considerable ES (small). Discussion: The results are consistent with the Unified Protocol framework and current research on its application. Conclusions: These results are expected to be helpful for the design of similar interventions. Although the results were encouraging, more rigorous research is needed to study their efficacy.

Introducción: La ansiedad ante exámenes es un constructo multidimensional, caracterizado por respuestas fenomenológicas, fisiológicas, conductuales y cognitivas asociadas a una preocupación excesiva sobre posibles consecuencias negativas ante una situación evaluativa. En estudiantes universitarios, presenta tasas de  ocurrencia entre 10 % y 40 %. El objetivo es evaluar la utilidad de un taller grupal y online para el manejo de esta problemática, basado en el Protocolo Unificado. Método: Participaron 31 estudiantes argentinos con edades de 18 a 35 años (M=25; DE= 5,24), siendo el 93.5 % mujeres. Se evaluó medidas pre, post y seguimiento en sintomatología asociada a la ansiedad ante exámenes (GTAI-AR) como variable primaria, y estrategias de regulación emocional (ERQ) y conciencia plena (MAAS) como variables secundarias. Para corroborar diferencias intra grupo se calculó la prueba de Wilcoxon, y como medida de tamaño del efecto (TE), la g de Hedges. Resultados: En cuanto a la variable primaria entre las tres medidas aplicadas, las diferencias fueron significativas con TE moderados y grandes. En las variables secundarias, solo la  reevaluación cognitiva reflejó TE considerables (pequeños) en el pre-post; en el post-seguimiento la supresión expresiva fue la única dimensión que reflejó TE significativos (moderados); y en el pre-seguimiento, únicamente la conciencia plena arrojó TE relevantes (pequeños). Discusión: Los resultados son coherentes con el marco del Protocolo Unificado y las investigaciones actuales sobre su aplicación. Conclusiones: Se espera que estos resultados sean útiles para el diseño de intervenciones similares. Si bien éstos fueron alentadores, se requieren investigaciones de mayor rigurosidad que permitan estudiar su eficacia.

Dyadic Adjustment of Couples and State Anxiety in Patients Tested for Sexually Transmitted Infections.

Background: While existing literature addresses the psychological impact of HIV, there is a notable gap in data regarding other sexually transmitted infections (STIs). This study aims to fill this gap by evaluating the association between STIs, the psychological profile of patients as measured by anxiety levels, and the impact on couple adaptability. Methods: A prospective investigation was conducted in Romania, from November 2021, including individuals with high suspicion of STI and healthy controls. Data collection comprised a questionnaire, the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS), and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI Y-1). Statistical methods, including multivariate logistic and linear regressions, were used to carry out the analyses. Results: The participant cohort consisted of 441 individuals. STI participants exhibited consistently lower DAS scores, notably in dyadic adaptability (DA) (p = 0.031), dyadic satisfaction (DS) (p = 0.006), and affectional expression (AE) (p = 0.016). Multivariate logistic regression with adjustment for confounders confirmed a significant association between STIs and atypical DAS responses (2.56-fold increase). STAI T scores were significantly higher in the STI suspected group (p < 0.01), remaining robust after adjusting for confounders in a multiple linear regression model. Conclusions: Our prospectively designed study highlights the mental health repercussions associated with STIs. This is evident through the diminished DAS scores and heightened STAI Y-1 scores observed in individuals with suspected STIs.