Clinical Psychology

BACKGROUND: Some Chinese scholars have initially explored the efficacy of electroacupuncture at Baliao acupoint in patients with functional anorectal pain (FAP). However, their studies are performed in a single center, or the sample size is small. Therefore, we aim to further explore the efficacy of electroacupuncture at Baliao acupoint on the treatment of FAP. METHODS: In this multicenter randomized controlled trial, 136 eligible FAP patients will be randomly allocated into an electroacupuncture group or sham electroacupuncture group at a 1:1 ratio...

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVE: To investigate the occurrence of behavioral problems 7 years after severe pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI), and their evolution from 3 months to 7 years postinjury. METHOD/DESIGN: Thirty-four participants, 38% girls, M ( SD ) age at injury 7.6 (4.7) years, age at assessment 15 (4.6) years, underwent comprehensive assessments 7 years after severe TBI from March 2014 to March 2016 and were matched to a control group by age, gender, and parental education...

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to examine diabetes distress as a potential mediator of the relationship between depression symptoms and diabetes outcomes, including hemoglobin A1c (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c]) and diabetes management behaviors in a clinical sample of adolescents and young adults. METHODS: In a pediatric diabetes clinic, 716 youth (ages 12-21 years) completed measures of diabetes distress (Problem Areas in Diabetes-Teen [PAID-T]), a single-item of diabetes distress, and depression (Patient Health Questionnaire [PHQ-9]) as part of standard care...

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to assess anxiety, depression and quality of life (QoL) in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing laryngectomy using comprehensive self-reported questionnaires for a period of up to 5 years. METHODS: This prospective observational study enrolled 150 consecutive patients with locally advanced head and neck cancer who underwent laryngectomy at Nagoya University Hospital between 2007 and 2020. Anxiety, depression and QoL were assessed at baseline (preoperative) and at 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 48 and 60 months after surgery using two brief self-reported questionnaires, such as the eight-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-8) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)...

OBJECTIVE: Previous studies have highlighted the relevance of perfectionism, self-esteem, and anxio-depressive symptoms in anorexia nervosa (AN). However, the relationships between these factors and cardinal eating disorders (ED) symptoms remain unclear, particularly in AN subtypes. This study aimed to examine their interconnections using network analysis. METHOD: The sample included n = 338 inpatients with AN who completed the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire, Frost Multidimensional Perfectionism Scale, Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale, and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale...

INTRODUCTION: Alopecia areata (AA) is an autoimmune disease induced by viral infection or vaccination. With the increased incidence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the incidence of AA has also increased. Recently the incidence was found to be 7.8% from a previously reported rate of 2.1%. The physical and psychological damage caused by AA could seriously affect patients' lives, while AA is a challenging dermatological disease owing to its complex pathogenesis...

OBJECTIVE: To examine long-term complications in women with stress urinary incontinence (SUI) and pelvic organ prolapse (POP), with and without surgical mesh implants. DESIGN: Longitudinal open cohort study from 1 April 2006 (or 1 April 2012) to 30 November 2018. SETTING: The Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD) Gold database, which is linked to Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) inpatient data, the HES Diagnostic Imaging Dataset (DID), Office for National Statistics mortality data and Index of Multiple Deprivation socio-economic status data...

Background and objectives SIVI is a standardized extract prepared using the aerial parts of Passiflora incarnata developed to enhance the quality of sleep. ​​​​​​The objective of the present study was to the evaluate efficacy and safety of SIVI ( Passiflora incarnata extract) in the management of stress and sleep problems in Indian participants in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, clinical study. Materials and methods A total of 65 participants with stress and insomnia were randomized to two groups with 32 in the SIVI ( Passiflora incarnata extract) group and 33 in the placebo group...

BACKGROUND: In Chinese medicine, the mental focus and emotional stability of acupuncturists are key to optimal clinical outcomes. Many renowned acupuncturists utilize Traditional Chinese Qigong practices to enhance their concentration and emotional regulation abilities. Nevertheless, the existing literature lacks comprehensive evidence addressing this matter. METHODS: This study will enroll 99 acupuncturists and randomly allocate them to one of three groups: Baduanjin, aerobic exercise, or a waiting-list control...

INTRODUCTION: Climate change is the single biggest health threat facing humanity, with direct and indirect impacts on mental health, yet health impacts of climate change remain notably absent from most medical school curricula. We describe a timely interactive educational session on climate change and mental health that was implemented and studied on a medical student clinical psychiatry rotation. METHODS: We developed a 1-hour introductory session on the mental health impacts of climate change and potential solutions...

OBJECTIVE: Replicated evidence shows a weak or non-significant correlation between different methods of evaluating executive functions (EF). The current study investigates the association between rating scales and cognitive tests of EF in a sample of children with ADHD and executive dysfunction. METHOD: The sample included 139 children (aged 6-13) diagnosed with ADHD and executive dysfunctions. The children completed subtests of the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB)...

BACKGROUND: Parents of children with neurodevelopmental conditions (NDC) are at risk of experiencing elevated levels of parental stress. Access to robust instruments to assess parental stress is important in both clinical and research contexts. Objective: We aimed to evaluate the psychometric properties of a Swedish version of the Parental Stress Scale (PSS), completed by parents of 3- to 17-year-old children, with and without NDCs. METHOD: Main analyses were conducted on data from three independent samples: a community sample ( n =1018), a treatment-seeking sample of parents of children with various disabilities ( n =653), and a sample of parents of children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) who themselves reported varying ADHD symptom severities ( n =562)...

Research using psychophysiological methods holds great promise for refining clinical assessment, identifying risk factors, and informing treatment. Unfortunately, unique methodological features of existing approaches limit inclusive research participation and, consequently, generalizability. This brief overview and commentary provides a snapshot of the current state of representation in clinical psychophysiology, with a focus on the forms and consequences of ongoing exclusion of Black participants. We illustrate issues of inequity and exclusion that are unique to clinical psychophysiology, considering intersections among social constructions of Blackness and biased design of current technology used to measure electroencephalography, skin conductance, and other signals...

BACKGROUND: The presence of mental health conditions is pervasive in patients who experienced acute myocardial infarction (AMI), significantly disrupting their recovery. Providing timely and easily accessible psychological interventions using virtual reality-based cognitive-behavioural therapy (VR-CBT) could potentially improve both acute and long-term symptoms affecting their mental health. AIMS: We aim to examine the effectiveness of VR-CBT on anxiety symptoms in patients with AMI who were admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) during the acute stage of their illness...

UNLABELLED: Composition of the vaginal microbiome in pregnancy is associated with adverse maternal, obstetric, and child health outcomes. Identifying the sources of individual differences in the vaginal microbiome is therefore of considerable clinical and public health interest. The current study tested the hypothesis that vaginal microbiome composition during pregnancy is associated with an individual's experience of affective symptoms and stress exposure. Data were based on a prospective longitudinal study of a diverse and medically healthy community sample of 275 mother-infant pairs...

PURPOSE: Among men, violence is pervasive and associated with poor mental health, but little is known about which men are most vulnerable. Our purpose is to address this gap by exploring mental health and social determinants of health (SDOH) including gender role conflict (GRC) in heterogenous groups of men with distinct patterns of cumulative lifetime violence (CLV) as target and perpetrator. METHODS: Latent class analysis was conducted using means of 64 indicators of CLV severity collected from a community sample of 685 eastern Canadian men, ages 19 to 65 years...

BACKGROUND: Hospital patients with behavioural and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) are vulnerable to a range of adverse outcomes. Hospital-based Special Care Units (SCUs) are secure dementia-enabling environments providing specialised gerontological care. Due to a scarcity of research, their value remains unconfirmed. OBJECTIVE: To compare hospital based SCU management of BPSD with standard care. DESIGN: Single-case multiple baseline design...

INTRODUCTION: We consider the UK Independent Scientific Pandemic Insights Group on Behaviours' (SPI-B) support for fear messaging during the global COVID-19 pandemic, evaluate the consequences and make recommendations for the future. ANALYSIS: Using evidence from published documents, we show that SPI-B supported the use of fear messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is inconsistent with the extant psychological literature and contrary to the disaster planning literature...

Heavy substance use (SU) and substance use disorders (SUD) have complex etiologies and often severe consequences. Certain personality traits have been associated with an increased risk for SU(D), but far less is known about personality changes related to SU(D). This review aims to synthesize the existing literature on this research question. A systematic literature search was conducted from November 2022 to February 2023 in PubMed, EbscoHost, and Web of Science. Peer-reviewed original papers on SU(D)-related personality changes were included...

Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable cancer and is the leading indication for autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). To be eligible for HSCT, a patient must have a caregiver, as caregivers play a central role in HSCT preparation and recovery. MM patients remain on treatment indefinitely, and thus patients and their caregivers face long-term challenges including the intensity of HSCT and perpetual therapy after transplant. Importantly, both patients and their caregivers show heightened depressive and anxiety symptoms, with dyadic correspondence evidenced and caregivers' distress often exceeding that of patients...