Health anxiety and associated constructs in school-age children and adolescents with congenital heart disease and their parents: A children's healthy-heart activity monitoring program in Saskatchewan cohort study.

Youth with congenital heart disease (CHD) have been found to experience higher levels of health anxiety and associated constructs than typically developing peers. The association between youth and parent health anxiety has been explored in typically developing youth but this association remains unknown in youth with CHD. This association was explored using a prospective, cross-sectional study that included 36 school-age children and adolescents with CHD (median age =10.5 years, IQR = 4) and 35 parents (median age = 44 years, IQR = 10.5). Participants completed a demographic form and measures of health anxiety, anxiety sensitivity, intolerance of uncertainty, and anxiety disorder symptom categories (youth) or general anxiety (parent). Associations were observed between child and adolescent panic/agoraphobia symptoms and parent state anxiety (r = .41), child and adolescent intolerance of uncertainty and parent state and trait anxiety (r = .37; r = .46, respectively), and child and adolescent anxiety sensitivity and parent state anxiety (r = .40). No association was observed between health anxiety in children and adolescents and parents nor between child and adolescent health anxiety and parent associated constructs. For parents, associations between health anxiety and all measures of associated constructs of interest were observed. Study findings will facilitate improved understanding of the psychological needs of school-age children and adolescents with CHD.

Patient perspectives from the multi-disciplinary chronic pain clinic: a qualitative study.

Aim: The chronic pain clinic (CPC) is a multi-disciplinary program that incorporates pharmacological and non-pharmacological methods, including First Nations healing strategies, to manage pain, improve functioning and reduce opioid misuse among patients with chronic pain in Regina, Canada. Materials & methods: The care experiences of ten current clients were explored using a narrative interview approach. Results: The CPC provides high-quality and safe care for effective chronic pain management. Clients noted pain reduction and improvements in sleep, mobility, functionality, and mood. First Nation clients emphasized the importance of traditional healing strategies. Conclusion: This unique comprehensive multi-modal approach which incorporates First Nations healing strategies is effective in supporting the unique needs of local clients.

Health anxiety and associated constructs in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease: A CHAMPS cohort study.

This study explored health anxiety and associated constructs in children and adolescents with congenital heart disease and typically developing children and adolescents. A total of 84 participants (7-16 years) completed measures of health anxiety, intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity, and DSM-IV anxiety disorder symptom categories. Results demonstrated that children and adolescents with congenital heart disease experienced significantly higher levels of health anxiety and associated constructs compared to typically developing children and adolescents. Our findings highlight a specific chronic physical health population who may be at risk of clinical levels of health anxiety and related psychopathology and require appropriate intervention.

Examination of the Effectiveness of a Brief, Adapted Dialectical Behavior Therapy-Skills Training Group for Bariatric Surgical Candidates.

BACKGROUND: Bariatric surgery is the most effective treatment for morbid obesity, yet 20 to 30% of such patients regain weight approximately 2 years post-surgery. A psychological intervention adjunctive to bariatric surgery that addresses eating pathology often observed in bariatric populations may improve outcomes. In the present study, a brief, adapted DBT-ST group for bariatric surgical candidates was evaluated as an adjunctive intervention to bariatric surgery in the pre-surgical period to reduce eating pathology and clinical impairment. METHODS: Participants included 95 bariatric surgery candidates, with 50 candidates in the DBT-ST plus treatment as usual (TAU) group and 45 candidates in the TAU (i.e., comparison) group. Participants completed measures of eating pathology at three time points (i.e., T1 = pre-DBT-ST program; T2 = post-DBT-ST program; T3 = 4 months post-DBT-ST; comparable time points employed for TAU group). Average wait time for surgery following the pre-surgical program was approximately 2 to 4 months. RESULTS: A series of 2 (group: DBT-ST + TAU versus TAU) × 3 (assessment time: T1, T2, and T3) mixed-model ANOVAs were completed. Participants in the DBT-ST plus TAU group showed significant reductions in binge eating, emotional eating, global eating pathology, and clinical impairment related to eating difficulties over time in comparison to TAU. CONCLUSIONS: Findings demonstrated that a brief DBT-ST group integrated as an adjunctive intervention to TAU in a bariatric pre-surgical program could aid in addressing eating pathology. Bariatric participants in a DBT-ST plus TAU group may be on a better weight loss trajectory than those who only receive TAU.