Anxiety Disorders

The Personality Diagnostic Questionnaire-4+ (PDQ-4+) is composed of a self-report and an interview, the Clinical Significance Scale, but no studies have reported joint findings. This study is the first to examine the diagnostic agreement between the Spanish version of the PDQ-4+ self-report and its corresponding interview. The sample comprised 235 psychiatric outpatients who were assessed with both instruments. The interview reduced to one half the number of diagnoses provided by self-report (83.4% to 38.3%; mean number of diagnoses 3.29 to .62). Diagnostic agreement was between fair and moderate (mean kappa .45 for PDQ-4+ total score). Findings suggest the utility of jointly administering the PDQ-4+ and its Clinical Significance Scale to screen for the presence or absence of personality disorders (PDs). Modifications in the diagnostic cut-offs for individual PDs and the PDQ-4+ total score may improve the efficacy of the instrument.

Objectives: To examine how stress interacts with psychological processes and key phenotypic symptom characteristics in females with fibromyalgia. Methods: Ninety-eight women with fibromyalgia, diagnosed according to ACR 1990 criteria, and 35 female healthy controls without pain were studied. Applied questionnaires included the following: Perceived Stress scale [PSS], Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire [FIQ], Perceived Control of Internal States (PCOIS), Mastery scale and the Profile of Mood States scale (POMS). Results: Perceived stress correlated significantly with the characteristic features of fibromyalgia including pain (p<0.05) and sleep change, fatigue and cognitive dysfunction (all p<0.001). Perceived stress correlated inversely with measures of control and positively with mood and neuroticism (all p<0.001). When controlling for stress, most of these variables were no longer significant, suggesting that stress impacts on the majority of variables associated with FM. Conclusions: Stress in females with fibromyalgia associates with both key symptoms and a range of relevant psychological variables. Stress appears to have a major role in modulating several key 'up-stream' processes in fibromyalgia.

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) has been linked to both pathological anxiety and substance use problems. We evaluated relations between AS and substance use situations among individuals with substance use disorders (SUDs) and concurrent DSM-IV anxiety disorders. We predicted that AS would be most strongly associated with substance use in situations involving negative emotions and interpersonal conflict in substance abusers with anxiety disorders. This group was compared to substance abusers with concurrent mood disorders and substance abusers without other disorders (N = 88). AS was positively related to negative emotion situations substance use for substance abusers with anxiety disorders and for substance abusers without other disorders. Contrary to predictions, significant differences between these groups were not found. The relationship between AS and negative emotion situations substance use remained after controlling trait anxiety in a combined group (anxiety disorders and substance abuse only groups). AS did not predict substance use for participants with concurrent mood disorders. Identification of factors that place anxious patients at risk for substance use problems will have implications for treatment and for the prevention of this form of maladaptive coping.

A combined emotional Stroop, implicit memory (tachistoscopic identi®cation) and explicit memory (free recall) task with three types of words (trauma-related, positive, and neutral) and two exposure conditions (subliminal and supraliminal) was administered to 39 crime victims with acute posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and 39 age-and sexmatched controls. PTSD subjects showed supraliminal Stroop interference for traumarelated words and a similar effect on positive words. A speci®c explicit memory bias was found for trauma-related words among the PTSD subjects, but no preattentive bias on the subliminally presented words, nor any implicit memory bias. Findings suggest that acute PTSD subjects have an attentional and memory bias for threat-related material. Methodological limitations of the study are reviewed, and it is proposed that further studies are needed in order to elucidate whether acute PTSD Ss display a preattentive and implicit memory bias for trauma-related material.

Background: The use of information technology improves the competency of nurses at the bedside. This study was conducted to determine the relationship between informatics competency and clinical competency in nurses working in intensive care units.
Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 135 nurses employed in intensive care units affiliated with Golestan University of Medical Sciences, Iran, were included. The inclusion criteria were having at least a bachelor's degree in nursing, a minimum of six months of work experience in the ICU, and current employment in the ICU. The participants were enrolled in 2023 using a stratified sampling method with proportional allocation. Data were collected using demographic information forms, clinical competency questionnaires, and informatics competency questionnaires. Statistical inferential tests included Mann-Whitney, Kruskal-Wallis, multiple linear regression, and generalized multiple linear regression models. The significance level for all statistical tests was set at 0.05.
Results: The mean scores of the nurses' clinical competency and informatics competency were 58.41±8.80 and 45.67±18.88, respectively. There was no statistically significant correlation between these two variables (r = -0.07, p-value = 0.42). When examining the simultaneous effect of explanatory variables, only work experience in the ICU had a significant association with clinical competency (β = 0.3, P = 0.02). Moreover, informatics competency was significantly associated with gender (β = -12.93, P = 0.001) and the duration of using health information systems (β = -6.22, P = 0.008).
Conclusion: There is no significant relationship between informatics competency and clinical competency among ICU nurses. It is suggested that health system policymakers introduce the components of nurses' informatics competence and emphasize their importance in the clinical setting to improve the quality of care. In addition, nurses should be encouraged to enhance their professional skills and acquire competency in new approaches by gaining updated knowledge.

La adolescencia es el periodo del desarrollo humano comprendido entre la niñez y la edad adulta durante el cual se presentan los cambios más significativos en la vida de las personas, en los órdenes biológico, psicológico y social. Los adolescentes experimentan ansiedad y depresión en sus vidas al igual que los adultos. Objetivos: Determinar la prevalencia de ansiedad, depresión y comorbilidad en alumnos del primer año del Polimodal. Analizar variables demográficas como edad, sexo, trabajo y pareja. Material y Método: Se analizaron variables demográficas. Se aplico el Inventario de Ansiedad Estado Rasgo y Inventario de Depresión de Beck. Las variables se analizaron con la prueba de Chi cuadrado. Se considero valores de significación (P<0,05). Resultados: La edad media fue 16,26+0,73 años (15-18). Las prevalencias de ansiedad y depresión obtenidas fueron del 11,11% y del 25% respectivamente y la comorbilidad para ambas patologías fue del 27,78%. Discusión: La frecuencia de síntomatología depresiva fue coincidente con resultados obtenidos en nueve países del Caribe, mientras que la de ansiedad resultó elevada comparada con una encuesta en la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Las diferencias entre sexo, no resultaron significativas. Todos los adolescentes que trabajan presentaron algunas de las patologías, diferencia significativa. Conclusión: La población estudiada presenta un elevado porcentaje de ansiedad, depresión y comorbilidad. De no ser tratados, estos trastornos dejan secuelas indelebles, tanto en el propio individuo como en la sociedad. Palabras clave: Adolescencia -depresión -ansiedad -comorbilidad. The adolescence is the period of the human development understood between the childhood and the mature age during which the most significant changes are presented in the life of people, in the biological, psychological and social orders. The adolescents experience anxiety and depression in their lives the same as adults. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of anxiety, depression and comorbidity in students of the first year of the college teenagers. To analyze demographic variables as age, gender, work and couple. Material and Method: Demographic variables were analyzed. You applies the Inventory of Anxiety State Trait and Beck Depression Inventory. The variables were analyzed with the Chi Square test. Significance values were analyzed (P <0,05). Results: The mean age was 16,26+0,73 years (15-18). The anxiety and depression prevalences obtained were of 11,11% and of 25% respectively and the comorbility for both pathologies was of 27,78%. Discussion: The depression frequency was coincident with results obtained in nine countries of the Caribbean, while that of anxiety was high compared with a survey in the County of Buenos Aires. Differences between gender were not significant. All the adolescents that work present some of the pathologies, a significant difference. Conclution: The studied population presents a high percentage of anxiety, depression and comorbility. Not treated, these dysfunctions leave indelible sequels, so much in the own individual as in the society.

Although studies on sub-threshold depression in childhood and adolescence have demonstrated an at risk profile that merits further attention, only few investigators examined the impact of therapy with these children. In this study, twenty elementary schoolchildren (aged 10-12) with moderate depressive symptoms

In this paper a man has been analyzed in his ontological unity based on the scientific literature. A man is a unity of his whole body, mental and spiritual structures that are mutually intertwined, and it is imperative that all of these structures are in harmony with each other. For normal functioning a synergy is required at all levels of human activity. A man can be completely accomplished and developed through sports and his communicative, social and anthropological category. The ability of positive intrapersonal communication opens up an access to the self and to the center of one's being through prayer, reflection, religion, religiosity and positive attitude. In the empirical part of the paper factors that affect the stress in professional athletes have been observed. An orientation study has been conducted in order to show how athletes through everyday life situations experience the issue of stress. Studies have shown the presence of pragmatic mentality and a small amount of stress which indicates the impact of quality intrapersonal communication in special situations.

Background: Mental health issues, particularly anxiety and depression, among women of reproductive age, remain a significant public health concern, yet comprehensive studies addressing these issues are limited in Nepal. Objective: This study aimed to assess the prevalence, associated factors and wealth-related inequality of anxiety and depression symptoms among women aged 15-49 years in Nepal. Methods: Data from the Nepal Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) 2022 included 7410 women. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify factors associated with anxiety, depression and combined symptoms. We also employed the concentration curve to assess wealth-related disparities with mental health outcomes. Findings: The prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms was 5.4% (95% CI: 4.8% to 6.2%) and 7.5% (95% CI: 6.7% to 8.4%), respectively. Furthermore, 9.1% (95% CI: 8.2% to 10.1%) of the women experienced either condition, while 3.8% (95% CI: 3.3% to 4.4%) experienced both. Women with lower educational attainment, a higher number of children, unemployed partners, residents in rural areas and those living in Karnali province exhibited a higher prevalence of anxiety and depression symptoms. Women with limited mass media exposure were associated with a higher risk of anxiety and depression symptoms. Additionally, women with tobacco habits demonstrated a significantly higher risk of depression. Finally, wealth-related inequality was evident; women with lower socioeconomic status were more vulnerable to anxiety and depression symptoms. Conclusions: The study highlights the need for targeted interventions addressing socioeconomic determinants and lifestyle factors, including tobacco use, to mitigate the burden of anxiety and depression symptoms among women in Nepal.

Most research on anxiety sensitivity (AS) and its relation to psychopathology has examined the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) in various clinical samples. The present study was the first to investigate psychopathological correlates of AS using self-report measures, the anxiety, somatoform, and substance use disorders sections of the Structured Clinical Interview for the DSM-IV (SCID), and open-ended interview questions about the subjective meaning and origins of AS. A college student sample (N = 317) was used for the correlational analysis, and subsamples of high-AS (n = 44) and low-AS (n = 41) participants completed the interviews. Despite having an ASI score (Mean = 35.0) that was equivalent to that observed in panic disorder samples, the screening questions in the clinical interview indicated that only 55% of high-AS participants had panic attacks and the diagnostic assessment indicated that only 30% met criteria for an anxiety disorder. Several findings suggested that AS, at least as measured by the ASI, was strongly related to anxiety disorder symptoms and diagnoses, although there was substantial variation

This research addresses the gap in how digital storytelling (DS) can be leveraged for developing second language (L2) critical reading (CR) skills and peacebuilding in higher education. The qualitative study consisted of 50 undergraduate teacher education program students from Türkiye, Iran, Pakistan, and Germany. These participants were enrolled in a 14-week reading course, which included, as one of the projects, how to design digital stories using Ohler's (2013) framework. The findings revealed a positive impact of the CR and DS project on students' self-reflection experiences, intercultural awareness, empathy, and peacebuilding.

The book is divided into three parts presented in separate chapters:
I. Meditation in an intercultural perspective (Chapters 1-3);
II. Mindfulness: understanding and practical application (Chapters 4-11);
III. The compatibility of the mindfulness model with Christianity (Chapters 12 and 13).

The first chapter will cover the specificity and conditions of various types of meditation (description and characterization from an intercultural perspective). The author intends not to give a complete description of the different meditation traditions but to show those aspects of meditation reflected in neurological and psychological research results.

The second chapter will present different types of meditation (typology), showing the specificities (diversity of mechanisms used in meditation practices) and similarities (similar mechanisms occurring in processes accompanying meditation) of different meditation techniques.

The third chapter deals with the dynamics of processes occurring at different stages of advanced meditation training (physiological, mental, and emotional mechanisms). It will also present possible developmental complications that may arise during their practice.

Chapter four will present research findings concerns physiological health in ambulatory and outpatient settings (positive clinical outcomes, fewer symptoms, better health behavior, and lower healthcare utilization). These will include the following areas: cardiovascular system, metabolic system, pain, and life-threatening diseases. From chapter four onwards, meditation will no longer be understood as one type of meditation but, according to Jon Kabat-Zinn's classic definition, a specific state of attention. Therefore, from this chapter on, the term mindfulness will be used interchangeably with the term meditation.

Chapter Five presents beneficial effects of mindfulness on one's mental health in clinical settings (fear, anxiety, depression, Borderline Personality Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, eating disorders, addiction, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, psychosis). Possible clinical implications of mindfulness interventions and their application in treating psychological disorders will be discussed ((Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and others).

The positive efficacy of mindfulness-based interventions demonstrated in Chapter Five gives rise to the thesis (Chapter Six) that mindfulness has transtherapeutic (positive efficacy for a wide range of disorders) and transdiagnostic (positive efficacy for a wide range of psychological symptoms) properties. Therefore, chapter six will present the critical psychological mechanisms that determine the following properties of mindfulness-based interventions: attention bias, recurrent negative thinking, cognitive reformulation, suppression, experience avoidance, negative affectivity, and emotional reactivity.

Chapter Seven will address non-clinical areas of application for mindfulness-based interventions. Specifically, those areas with the most empirical support will be presented: general education, special education, advertising and marketing, organizational and human resource management, professions involving threats to life or health (military, police, fire, ambulance, intensive care, etc.), and professions based on interpersonal relationships (teacher, psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist, doctor, nurse, employee, etc.). These include occupations involving threats to life or health (military, police, fire, emergency services, intensive care, etc.) and professions based on interpersonal relationships (teacher, psychiatrist, psychologist, psychotherapist, doctor, nurse, social worker, etc.).

The eighth chapter will attempt to systematize research findings relating to the neuro-psycho-mathematical mechanisms of mindfulness in the chronological context (from assessing changes in the neurological activity of individual brain areas to analyzing the network properties of the entire brain system). The chapter will identify five areas whose specificity determines the positive effectiveness of mindfulness-based interventions: neural activity, brain topography, consciousness, neuroplasticity, and network characteristics. Detecting these specific areas will make it possible to propose a neuro-psycho-mathematical model of mindfulness (chapter nine). This model will distinguish those psychological mechanisms in which the specificity of the practically applied attentional model is revealed: intention and motivation, attentional processes, emotion regulation, memory, prosocial behavior, non-attachment, and decentration.

In chapter ten, the author will try to show the specificity of the clinical model of mindfulness concerning the Buddhist psychological model. This chapter will aim to deliver that the concept of mindfulness, although derived from the Buddhist conceptualization, is a very original development of it (mindfulness is a specific state of attention, not assuming any doctrinal elements).

Chapter eleven will show implicit meta-theoretical assumptions presented in the proposed clinical models (solid ontological assumptions). An attempt will be made to assess the merit of the studies conducted on the effectiveness of using mindfulness-based interventions (systematic review of meta-analyses). This chapter will aim to demonstrate that the topic of mindfulness is characterized by theoretical and methodological maturity.

Chapter twelve will begin with situating the mindfulness model in the context of Christianity (compatibility with doctrinal and theological assumptions found in Christianity). An essential goal of chapter ten will be to answer the questions:

1) Can Christian Catholics use mindfulness techniques?

2) Do Christian meditations differ significantly from mindfulness in terms of the subject of meditation (monism, dualism, personalism) and the object (definitely different or somewhat similar)?

3) Is the doctrinal content an essential aspect of meditation, determining the evaluation of the entire meditation process? (Is the mental content of the object of meditation an intrinsic part of meditation, or merely a motivational element or an anchor point for unstable attentional processes?)

Chapter thirteen will show areas of application of the elements of mindfulness to Christian meditation practice. In this chapter, the author will show areas of consistency and inconsistency between the mindfulness model and doctrinal and theological assumptions found in Christianity.

The last chapter attempts to draw synthetic conclusions from the presented research and theoretical studies. The author will try to show that mindfulness is valuable not only because of its proven positive effectiveness but above all because of the theoretical consistency with current trends emerging in psychology (the "third wave" of cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, positive psychology, expert paradigm instead of deficit paradigm) and psychiatry (the Research Domain Criteria project announced in 2009 by the US National Institute of Mental Health). Moreover, an essential aspect of this chapter will be to show that the clinical mindfulness model is entirely compatible with Christian theology (receptive passivity of contemplation, cultivation of purity of heart through renunciation, detachment, and kenosis, deepened self-insight, and religious maturity).

This study was conducted to predict loneliness feeling based on attachment style and alexithymia with the mediation of self-compassion. The research method was Structural Equation Modeling. The population included all students aged 18 to 26 years of Islamic Azad University, using the convenience method, 384 people were selected as a sample and responded to the Student Loneliness Feeling Scale, Adult Attachment Scale, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, & Self-Compassion Scale. The data were analyzed with Hayes regression. The findings showed that secure attachment style negatively and insecure attachment styles and alexithymia positively predicted loneliness feeling. Self-compassion negatively predicted loneliness feeling. The secure attachment style positively, and insecure attachment styles and alexithymia negatively predicted self-compassion. Hence, attachment styles and alexithymia predicted loneliness feeling directly and indirectly through self-compassion. The results can be used in designing preventive interventions and providing solutions to reduce loneliness feeling in students.

Background: Postpartum period is associated with higher rates for depression, blues and psychosis. Anxiety is also significant. These disorders may have serious implications in the cognitive development of the infant. There is relative lack of data in this area. So we tried to estimate postpartum anxiety and depression in a group of women and tried to compare its impact on the infants' development. Method: 100 women were assessed for depression and anxiety using Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, ICD-10 criteria. Of the three categories of these postpartum women 10 each mother infant pairs were selected and were given Communication and Symbolic Behaviour Scales Developmental Profile Infant Toddler Checklist at 6 months. Results: 18% and 15% depression and anxiety were found respectively. Higher maternal age, parity, any post operative history correlated with it significantly. In case of infants, infants born to ill mothers were found to gain weight less as compared with that of infants born to healthy mothers. Moreover they were found to have less scores in the social, speech and symbolic composites. Conclusion: Depression and anxiety are separate clinical conditions having significant prevalence in postpartum period. These clinical conditions have impact on the development of the infant and its early recognition may be beneficial for the newborn and the family. In the WHO primary care study, prevalence of depression and anxiety was 10.4% and 10.5% respectively as found by Sartorius et al. 1996. In patients with lifetime depression, prevalence of a lifetime anxiety disorder is high (47% in Epidemiological Catchment Area Study 1 ; 58% in National Co-morbidity Study 2 ; and 57% in an earlier meta analysis 3 ). Although pure anxiety without depression is more common than pure depression without anxiety, the prevalence of depression in anxiety is still high. The Depressive Guideline Panel (1993a) enumerated ten primary risk factors for depression, namely-history of prior episode of depression, family history of depressive disorder, history of suicide attempt, female gender, onset of illness before 40 years, POST PARTUM PERIOD, co morbid medical illness, lack of social support, negative stressful life events, active alcohol or substance abuse.

The study explores relationships between preschoolers' separation anxiety and adjustment to kindergarten and their mothers' separation anxiety and levels of differentiation. It also examines the universality of several theoretical and clinical notions in Bowen's [Bowen, M. (1978). Family therapy in clinical practice. Aronson: New York] Family Systems Theory, by testing them in the Eastern-collectivist Israeli-Druze society. The main findings were positive correlations between mothers' and children's separation anxiety, as well as negative correlations between children's separation anxiety and maternal differentiation (for total DSI score and for emotional cutoff), so that lower differentiation and higher cutoff were associated with higher levels of anxiety. Another interesting finding was that teachers perceived the children of Druze working mothers as having more problematic behaviors than non-working mothers, pointing to poorer adjustment to kindergarten. Results suggest that a crucial balance of separation and closeness provides an optimal context for meeting the needs and promoting the healthy development of both mother and child. The present study is the first to indicate relations between mothers' differentiation and preschoolers' separation anxiety among Druze participants, partially supporting the universality of Bowen's theory ''in all families and Anxiety Disorders 20 (2006) 973-995

The association between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms and suicide ideation was examined in a sample of 2,298 child survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake. Results indicated that intrusion, avoidance, hyperarousal symptom clusters, and PTSD total score were significantly associated with suicide ideation. Except for intrusion, other measures of PTSD remained as statistically significant correlates of suicide ideation even after controlling for age, gender, direct exposure, indirect exposure, and depression. Furthermore, results showed that PTSD symptoms had an indirect influence on suicide ideation that was mediated by depression. The findings suggest that avoidance and hyperarousal symptom clusters of PTSD may be two important indicators of suicide ideation among child survivors of the Wenchuan earthquake. Implications of the results for intervention and prevention of suicide behavior are discussed. The Wenchuan earthquake, with a magnitude of 8.0 on the Richter scale, occurred in central China in 2008. The earthquake led to 69,277 deaths and 374,643 people injured. In addition, 17,923 persons were listed as missing, and about 4.8 million were made homeless. For the survivors of the earthquake, loss of loved ones, exposure to reminders of the earthquake, change of social networks, and the disadvantageous living conditions subsequent to the earthquake could be expected to bring about adverse psychological consequences. Suicide is an extreme example of such a consequence. found that victims were 1.46 times more likely than

Background: The risk of ischaemic heart disease (IHD) is largely influenced by lifestyle. Interestingly, cohort studies show that anxiety in general is associated with increased risk of IHD, independent of established risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Health anxiety is a specific type of anxiety characterised by preoccupation of having, acquiring or possibly avoiding illness, yet little is known about lifestyle and risk of disease development in this group. Aim: Investigate whether health anxiety is prospectively associated with IHD, and whether a potential association can be explained by the presence or absence of established risk factors for cardiovascular diseases. Methods: Incident IHD was studied among 7052 participants in the community-based Hordaland Health Study (HUSK) during 12 years follow-up by linkage to the Cardiovascular Diseases in Norway (CVDNOR) project. Scores above 90th centile of the Whiteley Index defined health anxiety cases. Associations were examined with the Cox proportional regression models. Results: During follow-up, 6.1% of health anxiety cases developed IHD compared with 3.0% of noncases, yielding a gender-adjusted HR of 2.12 (95% CI 1.52 to 2.95). After adjustments for established cardiovascular risk factors, about 70% increased risk of IHD was found among cases with health anxiety (HR: 1.73 (95% CI 1.21 to 2.48)). The association followed a dose-response pattern. Conclusions: This finding corroborates and extends the understanding of anxiety in various forms as a risk factor for IHD. New evidence of negative consequences over time underlines the importance of proper diagnosis and treatment for health anxiety.

Objectives-In contrast to the extensive literature on the frequent occurrence of depressive symptoms in manic patients, there is little information about manic symptoms in bipolar depressions. Impulsivity is a prominent component of the manic syndrome, so manic features during depressive syndromes may be associated with impulsivity and its consequences, including increased risk of substance abuse and suicidal behavior. Therefore, we investigated the prevalence of manic symptoms and their relationships to impulsivity and clinical characteristics in patients with bipolar depressive episodes. Methods-In 56 bipolar I or II depressed subjects, we investigated the presence of manic symptoms, using Mania Rating Scale (MRS) scores from the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS), and examined its association with other psychiatric symptoms (depression, anxiety, and psychosis), age of onset, history of alcohol and/or other substance abuse and of suicidal behavior, and measures of impulsivity. Results-MRS ranged from 0 to 29 (25th-75th percentile, range 4-13), and correlated significantly with anxiety and psychosis, but not with depression, suggesting the superimposition of a separate psychopathological mechanism. Impulsivity and history of substance abuse, head trauma, or suicide attempt increased with increasing MRS. Receiver-operating curve analysis showed that MRS could divide patients into two groups based on history of alcohol abuse and suicide attempt, with an inflection point corresponding to an MRS score of 6. Discussion-Even modest manic symptoms during bipolar depressive episodes were associated with greater impulsivity, and with histories of alcohol abuse and suicide attempts. Manic symptoms during depressive episodes suggest the presence of a potentially dangerous combination of depression and impulsivity.

BackgroundExposure to prenatal stress is associated with later adverse health and adjustment outcomes. This is generally presumed to arise through early environmentally mediated programming effects on the foetus. However, associations could arise through factors that influence mothers&#39; characteristics and behaviour during pregnancy which are inherited by offspring.MethodA ‘prenatal cross-fostering’ design where pregnant mothers are related or unrelated to their child as a result of in vitro fertilization (IVF) was used to disentangle maternally inherited and environmental influences. If links between prenatal stress and offspring outcome are environmental, association should be observed in unrelated as well as related mother–child pairs. Offspring birth weight and gestational age as well as mental health were the outcomes assessed.ResultsAssociations between prenatal stress and offspring birth weight, gestational age and antisocial behaviour were seen in both related and unrelat...

Fear of eye gaze is common in social anxiety disorder (SAD) and may represent an evolutionarilyconserved submissive behavior. SAD subjects and healthy volunteers showed significant differences in neural activity in amygdala, fusiform, insula, anterior cingulate and prefrontal cortex in response to direct versus averted gaze. Neural response to direct gaze may identify brain regions important in the pathophysiology of SAD.

Anxiety disorders are common and a substantial proportion of patients do not respond to conventional treatments such as SSRIs or CBT. Capsulotomy is a neurosurgical treatment for treatment refractory patients with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and other anxiety disorders. The aim of this thesis was to assess the long-term efficacy and safety of capsulotomy. In Study I, 26 consecutive patients who underwent capsulotomy from 1975-1991 were followed after a mean of 13 years. Main diagnoses were Generalized Anxiety Disorder (n=13), Panic Disorder (n=8) and Social Phobia (n=5). Mean Brief Scale of Anxiety score dropped significantly from preoperative 22 to 10 at long-term. Seven patients had postoperative problems in the domains of executive functioning, apathy or disinhibition. Mean weight gain in the first postoperative year was almost 10 kg. Study II and III were substudies of Study I. In Study II the capsulotomy lesion size and localization in the anterior-posterior plane was analyzed. We could not replicate previous findings of a common anatomical denominator in the right-sided capsule in patients responding to the treatment. In Study III, we used a self-rated personality inventory, the Karolinska Scales of Personality, to describe changes pre-to postoperatively in self-rated personality. Patients were significantly less anxiety prone at follow-up. Study IV was a long-term follow-up of 25 consecutive OCD capsulotomies performed 1988 -2000. Mean Y-BOCS was 34 preoperatively and dropped to 18 at long-term follow-up (p<0.0001). Only 2 patients achieved remission from OCD without substantial side effects. Several neurosurgical complications related to radiosurgery were reported.Two patients were severely disinhibited postoperatively. Ten patients were considered to suffer from significant problems in the area of executive functioning, apathy or disinhibition. Global functioning did not return to normal after surgery. Lesion size did not correlate significantly with efficacy or adverse effects. Capsulotomy is effective in reducing symptoms in both OCD and other anxiety disorders. About every third patient experienced apathy, executive problems or disinhibition at long-term follow up, therefore we conclude that capsulotomy is not a safe procedure. We could not identify lesion characteristics that could explain the differences in outcome. We could not confirm the hypothesis of a certain right-sided lesion as a prerequisite for response to capsulotomy.

Background: Anxiety and depression are the most common psychiatric disorders and are the cause of a large and increasing amount of sick-leave in most developed countries. They are also implicated as an increasing mortality risk in community surveys. In this study we addressed, whether sick leave due to anxiety, depression or comorbid anxiety and depression was associated with increased risk of retirement due to permanent disability and increased mortality in a cohort of German workers. Methods: 128,001 German workers with statutory health insurance were followed for a mean of 6.4 years. We examined the associations between 1) depression/anxiety-related sick leave managed on an outpatient basis and 2) anxiety/depression-related psychiatric inpatient treatment, and later permanent disability/mortality using Cox proportional hazard regression models (stratified by sex and disorder) adjusted for age, education and job code classification. Results: Outpatient-managed depression/anxiety-related sick leave was significantly associated with higher permanent disability (hazard ratio (95% confidence interval)) 1.48 (1.30, 1.69) for depression, 1.25 (1.07, 1.45) for anxiety, 1.91 (1.56, 2.35) for both). Among outpatients, comorbidly ill men (2.59 (1.97,3.41)) were more likely to retire early than women (1.42 (1.04,1.93)). Retirement rates were higher for depressive and comorbidly ill patients who needed inpatient treatment (depression 3.13 (2,51, 3,92), both 3.54 (2.80, 4.48)). Inpatient-treated depression was also associated with elevated mortality (2.50 (1.80, 3.48)). Anxiety (0.53 (0.38, 0.73)) and female outpatients with depression (0.61 (0.38, 0.97)) had reduced mortality compared to controls. Conclusions: Depression/anxiety diagnoses increase the risk of early retirement; comorbidity and severity further increase that risk, depression more strikingly than anxiety. Sickness-absence diagnoses of anxiety/depression identified a population at high risk of retiring early due to ill health, suggesting a target group for the development of interventions.

Epidemiological studies in Iran indicate variability in the prevalence of psychiatric dysfunction, ranging from 11.9% to 30.2%. 3 Uncontrolled internet use can negatively impact individuals' living standards and relationships, potentially leading to instability in their ABSTRACT Background: In 2023, there were almost 4.8 billion active internet users worldwide, equivalent to 62% of the global population. The majority of Indian youth comprising 85% of non-adult users, have access to smartphones. Most of them were online five hours a day and 80% admitted to using social media. Objective: To assess internet addiction prevalence among adolescents in UHTC and RHTC areas, evaluate varying usage levels, analyze their correlation and identify demographic factors (age, sex, socioeconomic status) influencing its impact on psychological well-being. Methods: A community based cross-sectional study of 200 adolescents from urban and rural areas was conducted via by simple random sampling from January to July 2023 at Sawai Man Singh Medical College, Jaipur to determine their internet usage patterns and psychological implications. We acquired the data from the subjects via the IAT-Internet Addiction Test and the GHQ-12 General Health Questionnaire-12. We took oral interviews of the subjects' sociodemographic information and internet usage patterns. Results: A statistically significant difference in internet usage patterns was detected, as measured by the average internet Addiction Test (IAT) score. A difference was also observed in psychological health, as measured by the average General Health Questionnaire (GHQ) score. Additionally, there was a significant positive association between overall severity of internet use and poorer psychological health (GHQ-12 score). Conclusions: Our study highlights rural-urban disparities in internet usage and psychological health. It emphasizes the need for educational initiatives to promote responsible internet use and enhance mental well-being among youth.

Objective: Dimensional models of psychopathology demonstrate that two correlated factors of fear and distress account for the covariation among depressive and anxiety disorders. Nevertheless, these models tend to exclude variables relevant to psychopathology, such as temperament traits. This study examined the joint structure of DSM-IV-based major depression and anxiety disorders along with trait negative affect in a representative sample of adult individuals residing in the cities of Sa ˜o Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Methods: The sample consisted of 3,728 individuals who were administered sections D (phobic, anxiety and panic disorders) and E (depressive disorders) of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI) 2.1 and a validated version of the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Data were analyzed using correlational and structural equation modeling. Results: Lifetime prevalence ranged from 2.4% for panic disorder to 23.2% for major depression. Most target variables were moderately correlated. A two-factor model specifying correlated fear and distress factors was retained and confirmed for models including only diagnostic variables and diagnostic variables along with trait negative affect. Conclusions: This study provides support for characterization of internalizing psychopathology and trait negative affect in terms of correlated dimensions of distress and fear. These results have potential implications for psychiatric taxonomy and for understanding the relationship between temperament and psychopathology.

Although it is commonly assumed that social support positively predicts health, the empirical evidence has been inconsistent. We argue that three moderating factors must be considered: (1) support-approving norms (cultural context); (2) support-requiring situations (stressful events); and (3) support-accepting personal style (low neuroticism). Our large-scale cross-cultural survey of Japanese and US adults found significant associations between perceived support and health. The association was more strongly evident among Japanese (from a support-approving cultural context) who reported high life stress (in a support-requiring situation). Moreover, the link between support and health was especially pronounced if these Japanese were low in neuroticism.

Purpose-This study investigated mediating effects of selected psychological resources (sense of control, self-esteem, optimism, and neuroticism) on the association of social class(education and subjective social status [SSS]) with current health status (self-rated health and the number of chronic conditions). Method-This sample consisted of 1805 Americans (818 males and 987 females) from the Midlife in the United States (MIDUS) survey, 2004-2006 and 1027 Japanese (505 males and 522 females) from the Midlife in Japan (MIDJA) survey in Tokyo, Japan, 2008-2010. Information on social class, psychological resources, and health status was obtained using telephone interviews or written questionnaires. Results-A mediation analysis was conducted separately for males and females in Japan and the U.S. Neuroticism significantly mediated the association of education and SSS with self-rated health and chronic conditions among males and females in both countries, with one exception (not for chronic conditions among Japanese females). Sense of control significantly mediated the association of education and SSS with self-rated health among males and females in both countries. As hypothesized, self-esteem significantly mediated almost all of the associations of education and SSS with self-rated health and chronic conditions among men and women in the NIH Public Access

OBJECTIVE-To examine the longitudinal effects of comorbid anxiety disorders in youth with bipolar spectrum disorder (BP). METHOD-As part of the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth study, 413 youth, ages 7 to 17 years who met criteria for DSM-IV BP-I (n=244), BP-II (n=28), and operationally defined bipolar disorder not otherwise specified (BP-NOS) (n=141) were included. Subjects were followed on average 5 years using the Longitudinal Interval Follow-up Evaluation. Effects of anxiety on the time to mood recovery and recurrence and percentage of time with syndromal and subsyndromal mood symptomatology during the follow-up period were analyzed. RESULTS-At intake and during the follow-up, 62% of youth with BP met criteria for at least one anxiety disorder. About 50% of the BP youth with anxiety had ≥ 2 anxiety disorders. Compared to BP youth without anxiety, those with anxiety had significantly more depressive recurrences and significantly longer median time to recovery. The effects of anxiety on recovery disappeared when the severity of depression at intake was taken into account. After adjusting for confounding factors, BP youth with anxiety, particularly those with ≥ 2 anxiety disorders, spent significantly less follow-up time asymptomatic and more time with syndromal mixed/cycling and subsyndromal depressive symptomatology compared to those without anxiety. CONCLUSIONS-Anxiety disorders are common and adversely affect the course of BP in youth, as characterized by more mood recurrences, longer time to recovery, less time euthymic, more time in mixed/cycling and depressive episodes. Prompt recognition and the development of treatments for BP youth with anxiety are warranted.

Objectives-To study the relationship between negative life events and demographic and clinical variables in youth with bipolar I disorder, bipolar II disorder, and bipolar disorder not otherwise specified (NOS), as well as to compare the rates of life events in youth with bipolar disorder, depressive and/or anxiety disorders (DEP-ANX), and healthy controls. Methods-Subjects included 446 youth, aged 7 to 17 years, meeting DSM-IV criteria for bipolar I, bipolar II, or an operationalized definition of bipolar disorder NOS, and were enrolled in the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Illness in Youth study. Subjects completed the Life Events Checklist. Sixty-five DEP-ANX and 65 healthy youth were obtained from previous studies using similar methodology. The study was conducted from October 2000 to July 2006. Results-Older age, lower socioeconomic status, living with nonintact family, non-Caucasian race, anxiety, and disruptive disorders were associated with greater number of total negative life events. Specifically, increased independent, dependent, and uncertain negative life events were

Objective-Anxiety disorders are among the most common comorbid conditions in youth with bipolar disorder, but, to our knowledge, no studies examined the course of anxiety disorders in youth and adults with bipolar disorder. Method-As part of the Course and Outcome of Bipolar Youth study, 413 youth, ages 7 to 17 years who met criteria for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV) bipolar I disorder (n = 244), bipolar II disorder (n = 28), and operationally defined bipolar disorder not otherwise specified (n = 141) were recruited primarily from outpatient clinics. Subjects were followed on average for 5 years using the Longitudinal Interval Follow-Up Evaluation. We examined factors associated with the persistence (> 50% of the follow-up time) and onset of new anxiety disorders in youth with bipolar disorder. Results-Of the 170 youth who had anxiety at intake, 80.6% had an anxiety disorder at any time during the follow-up. Most of the anxiety disorders during the follow-up were of the same type as

Children and adolescents who present with manic symptoms frequently do not meet the full DSM-IV criteria for bipolar I disorder (BP-I). Objective: To assess the clinical presentation and family history of children and adolescents with BP-I, bipolar II disorder (BP-II), and bipolar disorder not otherwise specified (BP-NOS). Design: Subjects and their primary caretaker were assessed by semistructured interview, and family psychiatric history was obtained from interview of the primary caretaker. Setting: Outpatient and inpatient units at 3 university centers. Participants: A total of 438 children and adolescents (mean±SD age, 12.7±3.2 years) with BP-I (n=255), BP-II (n=30), or BP-NOS (n = 153). Main Outcome Measures: Lifetime psychiatric history and family history of psychiatric disorders. Results: Youth with BP-NOS were not diagnosed as

Functional abdominal pain (FAP) is a common pediatric disorder associated with impairment in functioning that may persist for the long term. Anxiety is common in youth with FAP, and may be an important factor in predicting youth who are at greatest risk for increased impairment because of pain symptoms. In this article, we examine the relation between anxiety and impairment in youth with FAP. Furthermore, we explore various biopsychosocial factors (eg, neurobiological substrates, coping strategies, social factors) that may be implicated in the relation among FAP, anxiety, and increased impairment. Finally, we propose physician guidelines for screening and treatment of youth with FAP and co-occurring anxiety. Youth with FAP and co-occurring anxiety may benefit from cognitive-behavioral therapy in the context of multidisciplinary care.

Esteemed colleagues, we are pleased to invite you to contribute a chapter to a groundbreaking new publication envisaged to be published by Springer Nature Switzerland in the beginning of 2026. Futurists predict that a third of jobs that exist today could be replaced by smart technology, artificial intelligence, robotics, and algorithms (STARA). Robots will handle 52% of current work tasks by 2025, almost twice as many as in 2019. Rapid changes in machines and algorithms or computer processes could create 133 million new roles in place of 75 million that will be displaced between 2019 and 2022 (World Economic Forum, 2018). By 2030, Europe could require up to 12 million occupational transitions, double the pre-pandemic pace. In the United States, required transitions could reach almost 12 million, in line with the pre-pandemic norm. Both regions navigated even higher levels of labour market shifts at the height of the COVID-19 period, suggesting that they can handle this scale of future job transitions (McKinsey, 2024).

Trichotillomania (TTM) was first described in 1889 (Hallopeau), yet remains frequently misunderstood and often ineffectively treated disorder. Characterized by the recurrent avulsion of hair resulting in noticeable hair loss, TTM is presently classified by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2000) as an Impulse Control Disorder Not Elsewhere Classified. Significant impairment in social and occupational functioning has been consistently associated with TTM (Diefenbach, Tolin,

Background/Methods: This paper analyses the psychopathology and differential diagnosis of anxiety disorders and their worldwide prevalence. It focuses particularly on migrant-specific aetiopathogenetic factors and approaches prevalence and important cultural aspects of anxiety disorders in migrants as a narrative empirical review. Results: Transcultural research demonstrates the universal existence of anxiety disorders. However, the cross-cultural comparison of the epidemiological data is complicated and often leads to systematic bias. The described psychopathology varies significantly across cultures, indicating different ways of expressing and experiencing the basic emotion of anxiety. As a result, anxiety disorders manifest themselves differently across cultures, which may affect the diagnostic and therapeutic procedure. Migration is an additional extraordinary stressor playing a substantial role in the development of anxiety disorders. However, despite the high prevalence of anx...

The relation between religiosity/spirituality (R/S), personal beliefs, and mental health has been extensively studied. However, concerning anxiety disorders (ADs), empirical evidence is scarce. This study investigated the differences in R/S and magical/paranormal ideation among obsessive-compulsive disorder patients (OCD; n = 49), patients with other ADs (n = 36), and healthy controls (HCs; n = 35). Our results suggest negative religious coping as being the only parameter showing significantly higher scores in OCD and AD participants in comparison with HCs. Negative religious coping reflects negative functional expressions of R/S in stressful situations. Logistic regression also suggested negative religious coping as the strongest predictor of group affiliation to the nonhealthy group. Further results show no significant differences between other R/S, magical, and paranormal ideation traits among groups. This study underlines an important role of negative religious coping in ADs yet does not clearly indicate a specific causality. Religious-sensitive treatment targeting cognitive aspects of negative religious coping are discussed.

Consomic strains have recently attracted attention as an advantageous method to screen for genes related to developmental, physiological, and behavioral phenotypes. Recently, a new set of consomic strains was established from the Japanese wild‐derived mouse strain MSM/Ms and C57BL/6JJcl. By analyzing the entire consomic panel, we were able to identify a number of chromosomes associated with anxiety‐like behaviors in the open‐field (OF) test, a light–dark box and an elevated plus maze. Detailed observation of the OF behavior allowed us to identify chromosomes associated with those ethological traits, such as stretch attend, rearing, and jumping. Repeated OF test trials have different meanings for animals, and we found that some chromosomes responded to only the first or second trial, while others were consistent across both trials. By examining both male and female mice, sex‐dependent effects were found in several measurements. Principal component analysis of anxiety‐like behaviors e...

Anxiety and depressive disorders are among the most common mental disorders during childhood and adolescence. As the 30-item shortened version of the Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale (RCADS-30) exhibits excellent psychometric properties, it is one of the most commonly used scales for the initial detection and assessment of these symptoms in children and adolescents. This is because of the advantage of its brevity when compared to the 47-item version. The aim of this study was to analyse factorial invariance according to sex, age, and format used to administer the test, and to identify the RCADS-30 subscales. A sample of 3,708 Spanish children and adolescents aged between 7 and 18 years old (M = 12.0 years, SD = 2.8) participated in the study. The factorial structure of the RCADS-30 is invariant according to sex, age, and format used to administer the scale. The RCADS-30 exhibited excellent factorial invariance for the variables analysed, confirming its usability for differ...

Although intimate partner violence (IPV) is a significant social problem associated with severe psychiatric problems, most notably PTSD, only a handful of studies has examined PTSD and associated physiological factors in battered women. Further, no research to date has investigated impact of abuse chronicity on HPA functioning. The present study examined the impact of PTSD severity and abuse chronicity on the cortisol awakening response in a sample of 52 sheltered battered women. Results suggest that IPV-related PTSD and abuse chronicity have opposite effects on waking salivary cortisol curves in battered women. PTSD severity was associated with significantly greater cortisol output the first hour after awakening, while more chronic abuse was associated with lower total cortisol output in the first hour after awakening. Implications of findings and suggestions for future research are discussed.

Expressive writing, a therapeutic technique shown to alleviate emotional distress, has not been widely adopted in Islamic education despite its proven benefits. This study aims to integrate expressive writing with Islamic principles to support anxiety relief among adolescents in educational settings. Specifically, it compares the outcomes of this intervention in state schools versus Islamic schools, examines gender differences, and assesses the impact of participants' personalities and social support on the effectiveness of the intervention. The study employed a pretest-posttest control experimental design involving 124 adolescents aged 13 to 15 years from a state school and an Islamic junior high school. Participants were selected based on self-reported anxiety symptoms measured by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) questionnaire, which has demonstrated strong psychometric properties, with a Cronbach's alpha of 0.89, indicating high reliability and construct validity supported by correlations with other established anxiety measures. The intervention included expressive writing exercises integrated with Islamic teachings, and anxiety levels were measured pre and post-intervention. The results show that in the state school, the intervention significantly reduced anxiety levels, with an average decrease of 2 points in anxiety scores (p = 0.04). In the Islamic school, the intervention resulted in an average increase of 2.4 points in scores. Integrating expressive writing with Islamic principles can effectively address anxiety among students, creating a more supportive and holistic educational environment. The culturally and spiritually relevant framework enhances the therapeutic impact, indicating significant potential for this approach in both state and Islamic schools.

This study compared the effectiveness of two group treatments, behavioral activation (BA) and cognitive therapy (CT), in reducing subsyndromal anxiety and depressive symptoms in a sample of Iranian university students. Twenty-seven Iranian university students who scored 18 or higher on the depression subscale and 16 or higher on the anxiety subscale of the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale (DASS-42) were randomly assigned into treatment groups. One group received 8 sessions of BA (n = 14), and the other received 8 sessions of group CT (n = 13). Analysis of covariance revealed that the BA group had a significantly greater reduction in depressive symptoms than the CT group. However, there were no significant differences between the two groups in the levels of anxiety, stress symptoms or functional impairment after treatment. This study found evidence for the effectiveness of BA in reducing anxiety, depressive and stress symptoms and functional impairment compared to CT. BA was mor...

There is no comprehensive study on the mental health of Sri Lankan undergraduate in higher education, as most existing studies have been done for medical students only. It is unknown how academic and environmental factors contribute for the prevalence of psychiatric illnesses. Further, there is no sufficient information on the student/university based remedies to reduce the psychological distress of students. This research is carried out to find the overall psychological distress, well-being, prevalence percentages of psychiatric illnesses, associated risk factors, and student/ university remedies to overcome them. We use standard questionnaires to screen for psychiatric illnesses, and we analyze the responses for our own questionnaire using Binary logistic regression analysis to identify demographic factors, academic factors, and environmental factors causing each mental disorder. We use Pearson correlation coefficient to identify correlation between prevalence of each psychiatric illnesses. All 13 psychiatric illnesses were found with a moderate correlation among diseases having a mean prevalence percentage of 28 and a standard deviation of 14.36, despite the prevalence of well-being factors among students and only 8% are clinically diagnosed. 89% of the students were suffering from at least one psychiatric illness and 68% were found to be psychologically distressed. Sets of overall and individual demographic, academic, and environmental risk factors contributing for the prevalence of a psychiatric illness in general and in particular were identified respectively after a binary logistic regression analysis. 61% of the students don't receive psychiatric help from the university and are using their own remedies. The universities must consider the environmental and academic risk factors associated with psychiatric illnesses and design curriculum, expand resources, and provide counseling services to reduce the impact of risk factors.

Icelandic manuscripts from the thirteenth to the fifteenth centuries show several linguistic, orthographic, and palaeographic features that are thought to be characteristic of Norwegian dialects. These features, commonly referred to as ‘Norwegianisms’, have traditionally been attributed to Norwegian influence at that time. While it is often noted that the rate of Norwegian characteristics decreased in the late fourteenth century, this has never been systematically studied. It has also not been understood what social circumstances may have caused or contributed to the disappearance of the Norwegian features in Icelandic manuscripts, nor what influence they may have had on the Icelandic language and script. As the first comprehensive and longitudinal analysis of selected Norwegianisms in Icelandic manuscripts and charters from the early fourteenth century until the Reformation, this study combines advanced statistical methods with approaches from historical sociolinguistics not previously applied to the study of language change in Iceland.
The project is based on case studies of the occurrence of nine of the most prominent Norwegianisms in Icelandic literary language from 1300 to 1530, with a particular focus on their presumed decline after 1400. It also explores possible motivations behind the adoption of specific linguistic features in the broader social, political, economic, and cultural contexts of the period. Additionally, the study investigates how the use of Norwegianisms may have varied across social milieus and authors and assesses whether any orthographic shifts in the manuscripts indicate underlying linguistic changes, as well as the extent to which these changes may have influenced spoken Icelandic.
The examination draws on a dataset of approximately 165,000 tokens collected from 75 scribal hands in manuscripts from around 1300 to around 1530 in addition to 187 hands in Icelandic original charters. The data were filtered, compared, visualised, and analysed with regard to feature and token frequencies, changes in spelling variants over time, statistical significance, and correlations. Key linguistic aspects such as lexical differences, phonological contexts, and inflectional patterns were also examined.
Emphasis was also placed on shifts within medieval Icelandic society and intercultural relations. Specifically, differences were examined regarding the use of Norwegianisms in different genres and text types, as well as variation within and between co-occurring hands and their scribal milieus.
The analysis yielded two key findings: First, the orthographic representation of the examined Norwegianisms primarily depends on linguistic or graphemic restrictions, variation in different genres, and the socio-regional context. Norwegianisms are most prevalent in the context of law, Church, and secular administration. Regionally, they are often linked to scribal milieus in west and north Iceland, which may hint at the possibility of diverging socio-regional orthographic conventions or the emergence of certain formal styles or registers. Second, Norwegianisms in Icelandic manuscripts seem to have developed in two distinct waves (cf. Kjartan G. Ottósson 1990–1991, 115; 1992, 164), challenging previous assumptions of a permanent ousting of these features. They were regularly used until around 1400 and declined significantly shortly after, but several features resurged intermittently in the late fifteenth century. Their eventual disappearance appears to have been mainly caused not by decreasing contact, but rather by the shift in locations and agents of literacy, evolving literary tastes, and the growing influence of new and competing transnational trade in the fifteenth century.
As such, this study provides reliable data with broad applications in historical linguistics, manuscript studies, and sociolinguistics. It underscores the impact of cultural and educational institutions on linguistic development and scribal practice. By applying statistical methods from Digital Humanities, this study moves beyond traditional qualitative analyses of individual hands or manuscripts.

Chronic stress is the primary environmental risk factor for the development and exacerbation of affective disorders, thus understanding the neuroadaptations that occur in response to stress is a critical step in the development of novel therapeutics for depressive and anxiety disorders. Brain endocannabinoid (eCB) signaling is known to modulate emotional behavior and stress responses, and levels of the eCB 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG) are elevated in response to chronic homotypic stress exposure. However, the role of 2-AG in the synaptic and behavioral adaptations to chronic stress is poorly understood. Here, we show that stress-induced development of anxiety-like behavior is paralleled by a transient appearance of low-frequency stimulation-induced, 2-AG-mediated long-term depression at GABAergic synapses in the basolateral amygdala, a key region involved in motivation, affective regulation, and emotional learning. This enhancement of 2-AG signaling is mediated, in part, via downregulation of the primary 2-AG-degrading enzyme monoacylglycerol lipase (MAGL). Acute in vivo inhibition of MAGL had little effect on anxiety-related behaviors. However, chronic stress-induced anxiety-like behavior and emergence of long-term depression of GABAergic transmission was prevented by chronic MAGL inhibition, likely via an occlusive mechanism. These data indicate that chronic stress reversibly gates eCB synaptic plasticity at inhibitory synapses in the amygdala, and in vivo augmentation of 2-AG levels prevents both behavioral and synaptic adaptations to chronic stress.

Ahdistuneisuushäiriöt kuuluvat opiskelijoiden tavallisimpiin mielenterveyden häiriöihin. Ne ilmenevät usein samanaikaisesti muiden psyykkisien ongelmien, somaattisten sairauksien tai päihdehäiriöiden kanssa. Ahdistuneisuushäiriöt voivat aiheuttaa merkittävää psykososiaalisen toimintakyvyn heikkenemistä ja vaikeuttaa arkielämää, joskin suurella osalla häiriöt ovat hoidettavissa perusterveydenhuollossa, esimerkiksi opiskeluterveydenhuollossa. Ahdistuneisuus voi esiintyä monimuotoisena yleistyneenä ahdis-tuneisuushäiriönä, kohteettomina paniikkikohtauksina tai rajattuun kohteeseen kohdistuvina pelkoina. Turvattomuus- ja traumakokemukset ja mielentämis- eli mentalisaatiokyvyn ongelmat ovat tavallisia ahdistuneisuuden taustatekijöitä.

The association between Sensory Features (SF) and seven anxiety disorders was investigated using self-reports and parental reports about 140 young males with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Although there were significant correlations between SF and self- and parent-ratings of some of the seven anxiety disorders, overall, SF was found to have an inconsistent association across the seven anxiety disorders and this was also found for the 8 symptoms of Generalised Anxiety Disorder. These data challenge the practice of assessing SF and anxiety via global measures and argue for individualized disorder-specific assessments to develop more effective diagnoses and treatments for the effects of SF.