Is acceptance and commitment therapy helpful in reducing anxiety symptomatology in people aged 65 or over? A systematic review.

Anxiety-related mental health problems constitute a health challenge, especially in the elderly population. At present, there are few psychological treatments to reduce anxiety adapted to this group. The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review of the literature to determine the therapeutic effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) on anxiety in older adults, using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) protocol. Two blinded reviewers participated in the search, selection and methodological quality assessment processes; reaching satisfactory levels of agreement between reviewers (κ > 0.70). The search was performed in PubMed, Proquest Central, Scopus and Web of Science; making use of standardized terms for the construction of the algorithm. In the general search 348 studies were found. After applying the eligibility criteria and excluding duplicates, seven articles were extracted for qualitative analysis. The total number of subjects was 633, with an average age of 68.89 years (68.94% women). The analysis of methodological rigor showed moderate indices on average. The publications focused primarily on samples with a diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, proposing a variety of assessment tests for related dependent variables, especially depressive symptoms and psychological flexibility. Critical analysis of the findings provides evidence for the efficacy of ACT in reducing anxious and depressive symptoms in older adults. This study proposes the use of this procedure as a non-pharmacological alternative for a group usually underrepresented in the scientific literature on this topic.

E-Health Psychological Intervention for COVID-19 Healthcare Workers: Protocol for its Implementation and Evaluation.

(1) Background: Healthcare workers have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Digital interventions have been carried out that have been effective with this population; however, few have been reported in Latin America. Our aim is to describe the components and methods to evaluate the feasibility and utility of an online multi-component psychological intervention for healthcare workers in Mexico during COVID-19. (2) Methods: This study is a randomized clinical trial with two arms: (1) self-applied intervention and (2) intervention delivered online by therapists. The participants are randomly assigned to one arm, receiving the same treatment contents in both groups. The "Personal COVID" intervention consists of an internet platform containing 9 nuclear and 3 complementary modules. The objectives of the intervention are: (1) to reduce anxiety, depressive symptoms, burnout, and compassion fatigue, and (2) to increase the quality of life, sleep quality, self-care, and their skills to give bad news. The protocol has been registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (identifier: NCT04890665). (3) Discussion: This protocol is designed according to the highest scientific standards following the SPIRIT guidelines. The "Personal COVID" intervention is expected to be of high efficacy in treating the emotional distress of healthcare workers and promoting their health during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Influence of Alcohol Consumption, Personality and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on Traffic Offenders.

BACKGROUND: Despite the authorities' efforts to promote responsible driving, traffic accidents are a notable cause of death in many countries. Scientific research shows that variables such as alcohol abuse and personality dimensions can contribute to explaining this social phenomenon and the rising number of traffic offences. The present study aims to explore how alcohol abuse, personality disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are associated with risky driving behaviour. METHOD: The sample included 300 subjects: the study group (199 convicted of traffic offences) and the control group (101 subjects from the general driving population). The tools used were the International Personality Disorder Scale, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS). RESULTS: A higher incidence of signs of paranoid, antisocial, impulsive, borderline and anxious personality traits was detected for the study group, as well as a higher prevalence of alcohol abuse. CONCLUSIONS: This research offers indications for the design of effective preventive and reinsertion interventions. It also highlights the importance of considering psychological dimensions to ensure road safety.

Are Coping Strategies, Emotional Abilities, and Resilience Predictors of Well-Being? Comparison of Linear and Non-Linear Methodologies.

Emotional intelligence (EI), problem-oriented coping, and resilience have been deeply studied as psychological predictors of wellbeing in stressful daily situations. The aim was to find out whether coping, EI, and resilience are predictors of well-being, using two statistical methodologies (hierarchical regression models and comparative qualitative models). With this objective in mind, we built an online evaluation protocol and administered it to 427 Spanish people, exploring these variables through a selection of validated tests. The extracted data were studied using linear predictive tests (hierarchical regression models), as well as fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis. We found that EI variables had important associations with coping, positive affect, negative affect, and life satisfaction, and also acted as relevant predictors for all of them, together with resilience and problem-oriented coping. The fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis showed a series of logical combinations of conditional causes and results of each potential configuration for these variables. The interaction between the presence of EI, resilience, and coping resulted in high levels of well-being. On the other hand, the presence of high emotional attention in interaction with low resilience and low coping abilities resulted in low well-being. These results increase knowledge about protective factors and allow for the creation of intervention programmes to enhance them.

Prevalence of Anxiety Symptoms and Associated Clinical and Sociodemographic Factors in Mexican Adults Seeking Psychological Support for Grief During the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The COVID-19 pandemic is one of the greatest challenges in modern history, with more than four million confirmed deaths worldwide. To date, evidence regarding the psychological impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on grievers is scarce for developing countries such as Mexico. This study aimed to assess the levels of anxiety and associated concerns in a sample of Mexican adults bereaved during the COVID-19 outbreak. A cross-sectional study was conducted through the Duelo COVID (COVID Grief) platform, which is a self-guided online treatment. A total of 5,224 participants reported their anxiety, depression, sleep quality, avoidance, and arousal, prolonged grief symptoms, and medication consumption. Independent sample Mann-Whitney U-tests, chi-square tests, and Kruskal-Wallis tests, as well as multinomial logistic regression, were conducted. Results indicated that 90.4% of the participants reported clinical levels of anxiety, depression, and sleep affectations. The people who lost someone during the last 5 months scored higher in normal grief symptoms compared to the people whose loss was 6 months ago or more, and 9.8% of individuals reported the use of prescription medication, with anxiolytics and antidepressants being the most common. Females, younger respondents, unemployed people with a lower educational level, and participants who disclosed a recent suicide attempt were among those who reported medication consumption. Sleep problems were more frequent in older participants.

Influence of Alcohol Consumption, Personality and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder on Traffic Offenders / Influencia del Consumo de Alcohol, la Personalidad y el Trastorno de Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad en Delincuentes viales

Background: Despite the authorities’ efforts to promote responsible driving, traffic accidents are a notable cause of death in many countries. Scientific research shows that variables such as alcohol abuse and personality dimensions can contribute to explaining this social phenomenon and the rising number of traffic offences. The present study aims to explore how alcohol abuse, personality disorders and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are associated with risky driving behaviour. Method: the sample included 300 subjects: the study group (199 convicted of traffic offences) and the control group (101 subjects from the general driving population). The tools used were the International Personality Disorder Scale, the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale (ASRS). Results: a higher incidence of signs of paranoid, antisocial, impulsive, borderline and anxious personality traits was detected for the study group, as well as a higher prevalence of alcohol abuse. Conclusions: this research offers indications for the design of effective preventive and reinsertion interventions. It also highlights the importance of considering psychological dimensions to ensure road safety.(AU)

Antecedentes: Los accidentes de tráfico son una causa de muerte en muchos países, pese a los esfuerzos por promover una conducción responsable. La investigación sobre el problema muestra que variables como el abuso de alcohol y dimensiones de personalidad, contribuyen a explicar este fenómeno social y el aumento de la delincuencia vial. El propósito de este estudio es explorar cómo el abuso de alcohol, los trastornos de la personalidad y el Trastorno por Déficit de Atención e Hiperactividad (TDHA) se asocian a conductas de riesgo al volante. Método: Participaron 300 sujetos: un grupo de estudio (199 personas condenadas por delitos viales) y otro control (101 sujetos extraídos de la población general de conductores). Los instrumentos utilizados fueron el examen internacional de trastornos de la personalidad (IPDE), el cuestionario de identificación de trastornos por consumo de alcohol (AUDIT) y el cuestionario autoinformado de cribado del TDAH. Resultados: el grupo estudio presentó mayor incidencia de indicios de trastornos de personalidad paranoide, disocial, impulsivo, límite y ansioso; así como mayor prevalencia de abuso de alcohol. Conclusiones: El estudio ofrece claves para construir intervenciones preventivas y de reinserción eficaces, enfatizando la relevancia de dimensiones psicológicas para garantizar la seguridad en las vías públicas.(AU)

Calidad de vida relacionada con la salud y percepción de amenaza de la enfermedad en pacientes con enfermedad renal crónica avanzada

Introducción: la enfermedad renal crónica avanzada (ERCA) puede impactar notablemente la calidad de vida relacionada con la salud (CVRS) de las personas que la padecen. Además, la percepción sobre lo amenazante que es esta enfermedad para su vida puede impactar notablemente la salud física y emocional de los pacientes. Objetivos: valorar la CVRS y la percepción de amenaza de la enfermedad en pacientes con ERCA y evaluar las asociaciones entre las variables de estudio. Materiales y métodos: estudio transversal realizado en 70 pacientes (80 % varones) de entre 38 y 88 años (M=68,88; DT=9,98) mediante dos instrumentos: el cuestionario de calidad de vida en enfermedad renal versión abreviada (KDOQL-SF36) y el cuestionario de percepción de amenaza de enfermedad (BIPQ). Se realizó un análisis descriptivo de los datos mediante el programa estadístico SPSS 26.0 y usando los estadísticos pruebas t, d de Cohen y correlaciones de Pearson. Resultados: los participantes mostraron una gran afectación de su CVRS y una percepción negativa de la enfermedad, siendo los peores indicadores los encontrados en mujeres. Una peor percepción de la enfermedad se asoció con mayor afectación de la CVRS. Conclusiones: la percepción de los pacientes sobre su salud puede afectar la adherencia terapéutica, por lo que es necesario implementar programas de intervención que incidan en ella y favorezcan la salud física y mental de los pacientes.

Theoretical framework: advanced chronic kidney disease (AKD) can have a significant impact on patients' health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, a patient's perception of how life-threatening the disease is can have a significant impact on his or her physical and emotional health. Aim: to assess HRQoL and perceived threat of disease in patients with ACKD and to evaluate the associations between the variables under study. Methods: 70 patients (80 % male), between 38-88 years old (M=68.88; DT= 9.98) were evaluated by means of: the Quality of Life in Kidney Disease Shortened Version Questionnaire (KDOQL-SF36) and the Perception of Threatening Disease Questionnaire (BIPQ). Descriptive analyses, Cohen's t, d tests and Pearson's correlations were performed. Results: patients showed a great affectation of their HRQOL and a negative perception of the disease. Women had worse HRQoL and disease perception indicators. A worse perception of the disease was associated with a greater impairment of HRQOL. Conclusions: patients' perception of their health may affect their therapeutic adherence, so intervention programs are needed to influence it and favour the patient's physical and mental health.

Enfermedad renal crónica avanzada. Asociación entre ansiedad, depresión y resiliencia / Advanced chronic kidney disease. Association between anxiety, depression and resilience

Resumen Introducción: el padecimiento de la enfermedad renal crónica avanzada (ERCA) se asocia con una mayor probabilidad de padecer sintomatología depresiva y ansiosa. No obstante, la resiliencia puede amortiguar estos efectos. El objetivo general fue valorar la sintomatología ansiosa, depresiva y la resiliencia de los pacientes con ERCA. Métodos: 70 pacientes (80 % varones), con edades entre 38-88 años (M=68,88; DT= 9,98) fueron evaluados mediante la Escala Hospitalaria de Ansiedad y Depresión y la de Resiliencia de Connor Davidson. Se realizaron análisis descriptivos, pruebas t, d de Cohen y correlaciones de Pearson. Resultados: un 41,79 % presentó sintomatología ansiosa y un 25,38 % depresiva, se observaron puntuaciones moderadas de resiliencia. La sintomatología emocional fue mayor en las mujeres y se asoció con una menor resiliencia. Conclusiones: es necesario conocer los factores de riesgo y protección para llevar a cabo programas de intervención que incidan en ellos y favorezcan la salud física y mental del paciente.

Abstract Introduction: Advanced chronic kidney disease (ARKD) is associated with a greater likelihood of suffering from depressive and anxious symptomatology. However, resilience may cushion these effects. The overall objective was to assess the anxious and depressive symptomatology and resilience of patients with CKD. Methods: 70 patients (80% male) aged 38-88 years (M=68.88; TD=9.98) were evaluated using the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and the Connor Davidson Resilience Scale. Descriptive analyses, t-tests, Cohen d-tests and Pearson correlations were performed. Results: 41.79% showed anxious symptomatology and 25.38% depressive, with moderate resilience scores. Emotional symptomatology was higher in women and was associated with lower resilience. Conclusions: it is necessary to know the risk and protection factors in order to carry out intervention programs that affect them and favor the physical and mental health of the patient.