Motivations for Prescription Drug Misuse Related to Mental Health Problems in Adults.

BACKGROUND: Prescription drug misuse (PDM) is a significant public health problem associated with mental health symptoms. OBJECTIVES: This project investigates the connections between PDM motivations and mental health to inform intervention efforts. METHODS: Using nationally representative adult data from the 2016-2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (N = 128,205; 53% female) this project investigated which motivations for misuse are related to past-year mental health problems including any mental illness, serious mental illness, major depressive episode, and suicidal thoughts. Complex samples logistic regression models of the main motivation of PDM for each mental health problem were conducted separately for each prescription drug class (i.e., opioids, tranquilizers, sedatives, and stimulants) while controlling for demographic characteristics. RESULTS: Adults that reported PDM were more likely than those with no PDM to endorse past year mental health problems. Compared to those that reported PDM of other medications, those misusing prescription opioids and tranquilizers to help with emotions and misusing sedatives to "relax or relieve tension" were more likely to have all categories of mental health problems. Those that misused prescription stimulants to "help study" had lower odds of all mental health problems. CONCLUSIONS: While there were differences based on prescription drug class, a range of motivations increased adults' likelihood to have mental health problems and common themes were found across drug classes. While causality is still undetermined, prevention and intervention efforts that are multifaceted and individualized, while broadly providing adults with other ways to cope with negative emotions are likely to help reduce PDM.

The Prevalence of Intimate Partner Violence and Association With Depression in University Students: Results of a Cross-Sectional Study.

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the prevalence of intimate partner violence (IPV) among university students, investigate the potential predictors of IPV in this population, and study the link between IPV and depression. The survey included sociodemographic, relationship quality, and depression-related questions. From 498 respondents, the prevalence of IPV was 4.8%, depression was 30.9%, and suicidal ideation was 20.3%. After adjusting for covariates and confounders, relationship satisfaction (odds ratio [OR], 0.201; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.101-0.401; p < 0.001) and jealousy (OR, 0.270; 95% CI, 0.094-0.776; p = 0.015) were significant predictors of IPV. Relationship satisfaction predicted depressive disorders (OR, 0.504; 95% CI, 0.365-0.698; p < 0.001). IPV trended toward predicting the presence of a depressive disorder (OR, 0.436; 95% CI, 0.170-1.113; p = 0.083). Relationship satisfaction and jealousy predicted IPV. Although IPV did not predict depression, poor relationship satisfaction increased the odds of depression, implicating the influence of relationship satisfaction on both IPV and depression.

Depression Severity and Depression Stigma Among Students: A Survey of Universities in Five Countries.

In the university setting, mental disorders have come under greater scrutiny and more attention has been given toward addressing the social stigmas associated with mental illness in an effort to promote mental well-being and improve mental health care delivery on-campus. Depression has been previously linked to a reduction in quality of life, suicidal ideation, and poor academic performance. However, few studies have directly compared the burden of depression or stigmatized views between multiple universities. As a result, this cross-sectional study of university students from five countries was performed to determine the burden of depressive disorders, the stigmatizations of beliefs related to depression, and international variation. A questionnaire consisting of a sociodemographic survey, Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Depression Stigma Scale (DSS) was distributed via multiple routes to undergraduate and graduate students at institutions in the United States, Taiwan, United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Czech Republic. The point prevalence of depression was determined by using the algorithm scoring method of the PHQ-9. Depression severity was determined according to the summed-item scoring method of the PHQ-9. The degree of stigmatization of beliefs was determined by continuous scores on the DSS subscales for personal and perceived stigma. Differences in depression severity, personal stigma, and perceived stigma were determined according to analysis of variance and further studied using post hoc Tukey's tests. Responses were collected from students in the United States (n = 593), United Arab Emirates (n = 134), Taiwan (n = 217), Egypt (n = 105), and Czech Republic (n = 238). Of 1287 responses, 30.7% (n = 396) screened positive for a depressive disorder: 18.0% (n = 232) for major depressive disorder and 12.7% (n = 164) for another depressive disorder. Depression severity differed internationally (p < 0.001). Emirati students significantly exhibited most depression followed by Czech, American, and Taiwanese students (all ps < 0.001). There was also a difference between students of different countries in terms of personal stigma (p < 0.001), with Emirati students holding more stigmatized personal views than Czech, American, Egyptian, and Taiwanese students (all ps < 0.001). Students similarly demonstrated differences in terms of personal stigma (p < 0.001). Egyptian students exhibited the most perceived stigma followed by Emirati, Taiwanese, American, and Czech students (all ps < 0.001). These findings suggest a high point prevalence of depression among university students and differences in the severity of depression, which has implications for the delivery of mental health care in this population. There were significant differences in terms of personal and perceived stigma between university students, indicating resource allocation for university-based campaigns to reduce depression stigma may need to be tailored to the population. After implementation of stigma reduction programs, future follow-up surveys can be done to compare degrees of stigma before and after the intervention.

The effects of safety behavior availability versus utilization on inhibitory learning during exposure.

This study re-analyzes data from Sy and colleagues (2011; Behaviour Research and Therapy, 49, 305-314) comparing safety behavior availability (SBA) to safety behavior utilization (SBU) during exposure therapy for claustrophobic concerns. The present investigation assessed differential rates of inhibitory learning (i.e. change in danger expectancy and coping self-efficacy) between SBA and SBU before, during, and after a single-session treatment. Thirty-nine participants with marked claustrophobic fear completed six consecutive 5-minute exposure trials in a claustrophobia chamber. Participants in the SBA condition exhibited more interference with inhibitory learning relative to the SBU condition. Danger expectancy was significantly higher in the SBA group and decreased at a markedly slower rate across exposure trials relative to SBU. Coping self-efficacy was also significantly lower among participants in the SBA condition, although groups demonstrated similar rates of change across trials. Limitations, clinical implications, and future directions are discussed.

Do emotion regulation, attentional control, and attachment style predict response to cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety disorders? - an investigation in clinical settings.

Objective: Approximately, 50% of all individuals with anxiety disorders do not benefit from the "gold standard" treatment, namely cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Reliable predictors of treatment effect are lacking. The primary aim of this study was to investigate the predictive value of emotion regulation, attentional control, and attachment style for group-based CBT outcomes in routine clinical settings. Method: A total of 76 patients with anxiety disorders received manual-based group CBT at psychiatric outpatient clinics. Emotion regulation, attachment style, and attentional control were assessed with self-report measures and with an experimental computer-based attentional control task at baseline. The severity of anxiety was assessed at intake, post-treatment, and at a 6-month follow-up. Results: Attentional control, emotion regulation, and attachment avoidance did not predict treatment outcomes. Higher attachment anxiety at baseline was significantly related to poorer outcome. Conclusion: In routine clinical settings, high attachment anxiety may predict poorer outcomes for group-based CBT.

A randomized clinical trial of behavioral activation and exposure-based therapy for adults with generalized anxiety disorder.

Objective: Exposure-based therapy (EXP) and behavioral activation (BA) are empirically-supported behavioral intervention techniques that target avoidance and approach behavior to alleviate symptoms. Although EXP is an established treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), the effectiveness of BA for GAD has not been directly tested or compared with that of EXP. This study examined the efficacy of EXP and BA for adults with GAD. Method: In a randomized clinical trial (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT02807480) with partial blinding in Tulsa, OK, 102 adults with GAD were allocated to manualized, 10-session EXP or BA between April 2016-April 2021. Primary analyses were intention-to-treat and included the 94 (46 EXP, 48 BA) participants who started treatment. The GAD-7 self-report scale was the primary outcome measure. Results: Similar GAD-7 declines were observed at post-treatment for EXP (d=-0.97 [95% CI -1.40 to -0.53]) and BA (d=-1.14 [95% CI -1.57 to -0.70]), and were maintained through 6-month follow-up (EXP: d=-2.13, BA: d=-1.98). Compared to EXP, BA yielded more rapid declines in anxiety and depression scores during therapy (d=0.75-0.77), as well as lower anxiety and depression scores (d=0.13-0.14) and greater participant-rated improvement (d=0.64) at post-treatment. Bayesian analyses indicated 74-99% probability of greater change in BA than EXP at post-treatment. Conclusions: BA and EXP are both effective in treating GAD, and BA may confer greater benefit during treatment. Future research is warranted to inform personalized treatment approaches.

Diagnostic overlap of generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder in a primary care sample.

BACKGROUND: Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and major depressive disorder (MDD) are highly comorbid. A possible explanation is that they share four symptoms according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition-Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR). The present study addressed the symptom overlap of people meeting DSM-IV-TR diagnostic criteria for GAD, MDD, or both to investigate whether comorbidity might be explained by overlapping diagnostic criteria. METHODS: Participants (N = 1,218) were enrolled in the Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management study (a randomized effectiveness clinical trial in primary care). Hypotheses were (1) the comorbid GAD/MDD group endorses the overlapping symptoms more than the nonoverlapping symptoms, and (2) the comorbid GAD/MDD group endorses the overlapping symptoms more than GAD only or MDD only groups, whereas differences would not occur for nonoverlapping symptoms. RESULTS: The overlapping GAD/MDD symptoms were endorsed more by the comorbid group than the MDD group but not the GAD group when covarying for total symptom endorsement. Similarly, the comorbid group endorsed the overlapping symptoms more than the nonoverlapping symptoms and did not endorse the nonoverlapping symptoms more than the GAD or MDD groups when covarying for total symptom endorsement. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that comorbidity of GAD and MDD is strongly influenced by diagnostic overlap. Results are discussed in terms of errors of diagnostic criteria, as well as models of shared psychopathology that account for diagnostic criteria overlap.

Fear-potentiated startle predicts longitudinal change in transdiagnostic symptom dimensions of anxiety and depression.

BACKGROUND: Elevated defensive responding, through startle reflex (SR) and skin conductance response (SCR), may contribute to onset and maintenance of depression and anxiety. Most work examining SR and SCR has predicted psychiatric diagnoses. There is a paucity of research examining links between SR or SCR and dimensional measures of psychopathology. METHODS: We used latent growth curve modeling to predict longitudinal change in three symptom factors (i.e., General Distress, Fears, Anhedonia-Apprehension) from SR and SCR measured during a fear-potentiated startle paradigm among adolescents oversampled for neuroticism (N = 129). RESULTS: Elevated SCR in danger phases before and after an unpleasant muscle contraction predicted increasing Fears over time. Elevated SR in safe phases post-contraction also predicted increasing Fears over time. Attenuated SR in safe phases post-contraction predicted elevated General Distress longitudinally. Attenuated SCR pre-contraction in danger phases predicted elevated Anhedonia-Apprehension over time. LIMITATIONS: Our non-clinical sample may limit generalizability of results. Additionally, we did not assess change in SR and SCR over time. CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrates that SR and SCR during a fear-potentiated startle paradigm predict longitudinal change in dimensional anxiety and depression symptom factors and relatedly, that SR and SCR may represent risk factors for the exacerbation of symptomatology.

Anxiety disorders in older adults: a comprehensive review.

This review aims to address issues unique to older adults with anxiety disorders in order to inform potential changes in the DSM-V. Prevalence and symptom expression of anxiety disorders in late life, as well as risk factors, comorbidity, cognitive decline, age of onset, and treatment efficacy for older adults are reviewed. Overall, the current literature suggests: (a) anxiety disorders are common among older age individuals, but less common than in younger adults; (b) overlap exists between anxiety symptoms of younger and older adults, although there are some differences as well as limitations to the assessment of symptoms among older adults; (c) anxiety disorders are highly comorbid with depression in older adults; (d) anxiety disorders are highly comorbid with a number of medical illnesses; (e) associations between cognitive decline and anxiety have been observed; (f) late age of onset is infrequent; and (g) both pharmacotherapy and CBT have demonstrated efficacy for older adults with anxiety. The implications of these findings are discussed and recommendations for the DSM-V are provided, including extending the text section on age-specific features of anxiety disorders in late life and providing information about the complexities of diagnosing anxiety disorders in older adults.

Has adolescent suicidality decreased in the United States? Data from two national samples of adolescents interviewed in 1995 and 2005.

We compared the prevalence and correlates of adolescent suicidal ideation and attempts in two nationally representative probability samples of adolescents interviewed in 1995 (National Survey of Adolescents; N = 4,023) and 2005 (National Survey of Adolescents-Replication; N = 3,614). Participants in both samples completed a telephone survey that assessed major depressive episode (MDE), post-traumatic stress disorder, suicidal ideation and attempts, violence exposure, and substance use. Results demonstrated that the lifetime prevalence of suicidal ideation among adolescents was lower in 2005 than 1995, whereas the prevalence of suicide attempts remained stable. MDE was the strongest predictor of suicidality in both samples. In addition, several demographic, substance use, and violence exposure variables were significantly associated with increased risk of suicidal ideation and attempts in both samples, with female gender, nonexperimental drug use, and direct violence exposure being consistent risk factors in both samples.

Neuroticism and interpretive bias as risk factors for anxiety and depression.

Neuroticism has been associated with depression and anxiety both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. Interpretive bias has been associated with depression and anxiety, primarily in cross-sectional and bias induction studies. The purpose of the current study was to examine the role of interpretive bias as a prospective risk factor and a mediator of the relation between neuroticism and depressive and anxious symptoms in young adults assessed longitudinally. Neuroticism significantly predicted a broad general distress dimension, but not intermediate fears and anhedonia-apprehension dimensions, nor a narrow social fears dimension. Neuroticism also significantly predicted negative interpretive bias for social scenarios. Negative interpretive bias for social scenarios did not significantly predict dimension scores, nor did it mediate the relation between neuroticism and general distress or social fears. These results suggest that although neuroticism relates to negative interpretive bias, its risk for symptoms of depression and anxiety is at most weakly conferred through negative interpretive bias.

Differential habituation of fear and disgust during repeated exposure to threat-relevant stimuli in contamination-based OCD: an analogue study.

In the present study, participants (N=20) displaying marked contamination concerns were provided 30 min of repeated in vivo exposure to threat-relevant stimuli (cleaning a 'dirty' bed pan), during which time their fear and disgust levels were repeatedly assessed. Results indicated that repeated exposure led to a significant decline in fear but not disgust. The observed decline in fear remained significant after accounting for changes in disgust and vice versa. Although initial disgust was higher than initial fear ratings, differences between the two slopes were not statistically significant. Baseline trait anxiety and global disgust sensitivity levels prior to exposure did not moderate the level of fear or disgust activation during exposure. However, sensitivity specifically related to core and contamination disgust was marginally associated with fear and disgust parameters during outcome. There was also evidence that less fear decline during repeated exposure was associated with higher disgust ratings after the exposure was completed. Theoretical and clinical implications of the present findings for the treatment of contamination concerns in obsessive-compulsive disorder are discussed.

An exploration of the relationship between mental pollution and OCD symptoms.

Rachman [(1994). Pollution of the mind. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 32, 311-314] theorized that a subtype of compulsive washing exists which has its compulsions triggered by feelings of internal dirtiness, or 'mental pollution'. Since this construct was proposed, few empirical studies have examined it in relation to obsessive-compulsive contamination fear. This study represents a validation of the Mental Pollution Questionnaire (MPQ), which was developed for the measurement of mental pollution. Psychometric data were obtained from two studies using non-clinical samples. The final version of the MPQ consisted of eight items and two subscales related to washing and ideation. Higher mental pollution scores were associated with greater obsessions, contamination, and washing symptoms. In addition, MPQ scores were positively associated with inflated responsibility beliefs and thought-action fusion. Lastly, a third study found that both MPQ subscales predicted OC symptoms after controlling for general distress, trait guilt, and disgust sensitivity. Potential uses of the MPQ as a clinical and research instrument are discussed.

Mechanisms of change in ERP treatment of compulsive hand washing: does primary threat make a difference?

The present study sought to examine patterns of habituation in exposure and response prevention (ERP) treatment of compulsive hand washing. Sub-clinical compulsive washers (n=27) with illness or non-illness primary threats were compared in order to detect potential differences in response to a single session of ERP. Changes in anxiety, disgust, and urge to wash were analyzed, and significant reductions in both anxiety and disgust were noted. Urge to wash significantly declined among washers primarily concerned with illness; among those concerned with non-illness threats, urge to wash did not significantly decline. Moreover, anxiety was found to decline when controlling for disgust and vice versa. Lastly, when both anxiety and disgust were entered into a model predicting changes in urge to wash, anxiety but not disgust predicted urge to wash for those with illness-related threats; for washers with non-illness threats, the findings were the reverse. Several clinical and theoretical implications are discussed.

Adult attachment style and anxiety - The mediating role of emotion regulation.

BACKGROUND: Although there is substantial evidence for the role of emotion regulation in the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders, knowledge about what contributes to emotion dysregulation is sparse. Attachment style is related to emotion regulation and anxiety symptoms, but these variables have rarely been examined together. Examining emotion dysregulation within the context of anxiety disorders through an attachment theory framework will lead to a better understanding of the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders. In the present study we combined theoretically and empirically derived knowledge to examine the mediating role of emotion regulation between attachment dimensions (avoidance and anxiety) and anxiety symptoms. METHODS: A total of 147 individuals were assessed with Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Experiences in Close Relationships-Revised (ECR-R) and Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS), and statistical mediation analyses were conducted. RESULTS: Our results indicate that the significant association between anxiety and attachment anxiety was mediated by emotion dysregulation, whereas attachment avoidance was not significantly related to anxiety when covarying for attachment anxiety. The primary limitation of our study is that data is cross-sectional and so causation cannot be inferred. Secondly, all measures used in this study were derived from self-reported questionnaires, which may be more susceptible to bias. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that it is not insecure attachment in general that is important in anxiety disorders, but that attachment anxiety is specifically relevant. Thus, clinical interventions for anxiety disorders may improve by targeting attachment related difficulties.

Applying a novel statistical method to advance the personalized treatment of anxiety disorders: A composite moderator of comparative drop-out from CBT and ACT.

BACKGROUND: No prior studies have examined moderators of dropout between distinct treatments for anxiety disorders. This study applied a novel statistical approach for examining moderators of dropout from traditional cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT). METHOD: We combined data from two randomized controlled trials (N = 208) comparing CBT and ACT for patients with DSM-IV anxiety disorders. Adapting Kraemer's method for constructing and evaluating composite moderators (2013), 26 variables were examined for individual effect sizes. Forward-stepwise regression combined with k-fold cross validation was used to identify a model to predict treatment dropout. RESULTS: Four baseline variables comprised the final composite moderator: self-reported degree of control over internal anxiety, current psychiatric medication use, religiosity, and endurance in a voluntary hyperventilation stressor. This composite moderator predicted differential dropout from ACT vs. CBT with a medium effect size (r = 0.28), and had a significantly larger effect size than any individual moderator. CONCLUSIONS: Findings reveal that specific patient profiles predict differential dropout from ACT vs. CBT for anxiety disorders. In the first investigation of a composite moderator with a dichotomous outcome, findings also support the superiority of composite over individual moderators.

An investigation of general predictors for cognitive-behavioural therapy outcome for anxiety disorders in a routine clinical setting.

INTRODUCTION: Cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective for treating anxiety disorders and is offered in most mental health services around the world. However, a relatively large number of patients with anxiety disorders do not benefit from CBT, experience relapses or drop out. Reliable predictors of treatment effects are lacking. The aim of this study is to investigate the predictive value of emotion regulation and attentional control for CBT outcome in a routine setting. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: In this prospective and practice-based study, 112 patients with anxiety disorders referred for manual-based group CBT at two psychiatric outpatient clinics will be recruited. Emotion regulation, severity of anxiety and attentional control will be assessed with self-report measures and with an experimental computer-based attentional control task at baseline, post-treatment and at a 6-month follow-up. Emotion regulation will be measured with Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Questionnaire, severity of anxiety will be assessed with Beck Anxiety Inventory and attentional control will be measured with the self-report questionnaire, Attention Control Scale, and with an experimental computer-based attentional control task based on theory of visual attention. Data will be analysed using multilevel mixed-effects modelling. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The study is approved by the Danish National Ethical Board, the Department of Psychology Ethical Board, University of Copenhagen and by the Danish Data Protection Agency. Study findings will be disseminated through peer-reviewed journal publications and conference presentations. The Danish Committee System on Health Research Ethics has been notified about the project. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT02638363.

The state of personalized treatment for anxiety disorders: A systematic review of treatment moderators.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this review was to synthesize findings for moderators of treatment outcome across adult anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. METHODS: Twenty-four papers that compared two or more active treatments (at least one of which was a form of cognitive behavioral therapy [CBT]) were identified and organized into five treatment comparison categories (distinct psychotherapy combinations, CBT full package vs. single components, CBT vs. augmented CBT, CBT delivery methods, and CBT vs. pharmacotherapy). Sixty-three distinct baseline moderators were tested across seven categories (symptom severity, comorbid emotional disorders or emotional reactivity, cognitive maintenance factors, behavioral maintenance factors, personality traits and disorders, sociodemographic factors, and biological factors). RESULTS: Few consistent treatment moderators were identified. All studies testing quadratic effects found at least one significant non-linear moderator or predictor effect. In addition, the majority of studies had methodological problems and limitations, demonstrating the need for future methodological improvements. CONCLUSION: Limited conclusions can be drawn about how to match anxiety disorder patients to treatment. A strong need to improve the methodological consistency and rigor of treatment moderator studies was identified. A series of recommendations for moderation analyses are proposed in order to strengthen future studies and facilitate replication efforts.

Randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy and acceptance and commitment therapy for social phobia: outcomes and moderators.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported treatment for social phobia. However, not all individuals respond to treatment and many who show improvement do not maintain their gains over the long-term. Thus, alternative treatments are needed. METHOD: The current study (N = 87) was a 3-arm randomized clinical trial comparing CBT, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), and a wait-list control group (WL) in participants with a diagnosis of social phobia based on criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). Participants completed 12 sessions of CBT or ACT or a 12-week waiting period. All participants completed assessments at baseline and posttreatment, and participants assigned to CBT and ACT also completed assessments 6 and 12 months following baseline. Assessments consisted of self-report measures, a public-speaking task, and clinician ratings. RESULTS: Multilevel modeling was used to examine between-group differences on outcomes measures. Both treatment groups outperformed WL, with no differences observed between CBT and ACT on self-report, independent clinician, or public-speaking outcomes. Lower self-reported psychological flexibility at baseline was associated with greater improvement by the 12-month follow-up in CBT compared with ACT. Self-reported fear of negative evaluation significantly moderated outcomes as well, with trends for both extremes to be associated with superior outcomes from CBT and inferior outcomes from ACT. Across treatment groups, higher perceived control and extraversion were associated with greater improvement, whereas comorbid depression was associated with poorer outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed.

Coping skills and exposure therapy in panic disorder and agoraphobia: latest advances and future directions.

Although cognitive-behavioral treatments for panic disorder have demonstrated efficacy, a considerable number of patients terminate treatment prematurely or remain symtpomatic. Cognitive and biobehavioral coping skills are taught to improve exposure therapy outcomes but evidence for an additive effect is largely lacking. Current methodologies used to study the augmenting effects of coping skills test the degree to which the delivery of coping skills enhances outcomes. However, they do not assess the degree to which acquisition of coping skills and their application during exposure therapy augment outcomes. We examine the extant evidence on the role of traditional coping skills in augmenting exposure for panic disorder, discuss the limitations of existing research, and offer recommendations for methodological advances.