
Perioperative Anxiety Risk Factors in Parents of Children Undergoing Thoracic Surgery
Anxiety StateAnxiety Postoperative4 moreRisk factors associated with perioperative anxiety in parents of pediatric patients undergoing thoracic surgery are unknown. It is therefore necessary to identify them in order to better understand, above all, modifiable factors. This will allow the implementation of psychological interventions tailored to the individual needs of parents to strengthen their coping mechanisms before surgery, and thus facilitate the recovery process of their children after surgery. The purpose of the study is: assessment of the level of anxiety experienced by parents before and after thoracic surgery, assessment of risk factors for parents' perioperative anxiety, assessment of the relationship between parents' perioperative anxiety and satisfaction with postoperative analgesia

Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy (ISTDP) for Anxiety Diagnoses in a Primary Care Setting...
PsychotherapyAnxiety Disorders1 moreLiving with anxiety often means great suffering for the person affected. The trend points to a continued increase in anxiety problems in the population, especially in the 18-44 age group. Inadequate treatment of this condition can lead to long-term sick leave, isolation, exclusion and, in the worst case, to death. The treatment methods that are available in primary care today help some but far from all. Therefore, the investigators want to scientifically evaluate a shorter version of a proven emotion-focused psychotherapy in order to increase the treatment range for this patient group. The aim of this project is to, in a primary care setting, test and evaluate an intensive, emotion-focused short-term therapy, ISTDP (Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Psychotherapy) for patients with an anxiety diagnosis. The method is well-proven on patients with more severe mental conditions (personality disorders) with good results, but the treatment has only been tested to a limited extent on patients with anxiety symptoms. The investigators want to investigate the effectiveness of treating various anxiety states for primary care patients. The treatment is expected to provide an addition to today's methods, which overall will provide better treatment results for this, increasing in number, group of patients who often seek primary care.

Expressive Writing on Minority Stressors Among Sexual Minority Veterans
Depressive SymptomsAnxietySexual minority stressors (e.g., sexual minority identity-based discrimination) contribute to greater risk for and severity of depression, anxiety, substance use disorders and suicide among sexual minority Veterans. However, no brief, scalable, one-on-one interventions targeting sexual minority stressor-related distress are available in Veterans Affairs (VA) for sexual minority Veterans. The proposed research will examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a brief, 3-session expressive writing intervention to target distress related to sexual minority stressor exposure among sexual minority Veterans. The results of this work will advance knowledge about a promising brief and easy to implement intervention focused on reducing depressive and anxiety symptoms among sexual minority Veterans. This proposal aligns with VA's and CSR&D's commitment to providing equitable services to sexual minority Veterans and the aim of reducing health disparities among underserved Veteran groups.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness of Stress Ball Practice During Cataract Surgery
CataractAnxiety1 moreCataract surgery is one of the most commonly performed and reliable surgeries among eye diseases. While cataract surgeries were performed under general or local anesthesia in previous years, they are now performed topically. Despite providing conscious sedation with agents such as benzodiazepines and opioids before and during surgery, patients experience pain, anxiety, and discomfort during the surgical procedure. One of the non-pharmacological methods used to relieve acute pain during surgical intervention is stress ball. It is also used to reduce pain and anxiety and increase patient comfort. The stress ball suppresses most of the nerves and muscles directly connected to the brain around the wrist and hand, stimulating nerve and muscle activity. This mechanism reduces the release of stress hormones, regulates blood pressure by providing relaxation and relief, and helps reduce anxiety and acute stress. When literature is examined, it is seen that stress ball application is effective on patients' pain, anxiety, and vital signs; however, no randomized controlled study has been found in which stress ball application was performed during cataract surgery. This study was planned to investigate the effect of stress ball application during cataract surgery on patients' anxiety, pain, and vital signs.

Microbiome, Anxiety and Cognitive Orientation Study
AnxietyMicrobiome3 moreMounting evidence shows that the gut microbiome plays an important role in communication within the gut-brain axis. However, the relationship between gut microbiota and their influence on anxiety is still not fully understood. Recent studies on mice found a specific microbe-produced molecule, 4-ethylphenyl sulfate (4EPS), can induce anxious behavior. 4EPS is produced by gut microbes in mice and humans. Research suggests higher 4EPS levels may strongly be associated with anxiety levels. However, anxiety is far more complicated than changes in a single molecule. There are many more factors to consider when it comes to anxiety, including various aspects of one's lifestyle and how humans perceive their environment (cognitive orientation). The primary research goal is to better understand the effects 4EPS has on human anxiety behavior and the role cognitive orientation has in connection to anxiety.

The Effect of Iso-Principal Based Music Playlists on Anxiety
Anxiety StateChronic anxiety is a growing psychological challenge worldwide and at pre-clinical levels, can be disabling. Some research suggests music may reduce anxiety symptoms as effectively as anti-anxiety drugs without the adverse side effects. The iso principle suggests that the effectiveness of music interventions for mood management can be maximized by commencing a session with music that matches an individual's current emotional state and then gradually moving toward their desired emotional state. Our previous work demonstrated that a playlist generated by a music recommendation system that uses the iso-principal, along with music informatics, auditory beat stimulation, and reinforcement learning can reduce somatic and cognitive anxiety. However, it is unknown whether music playlists based on the iso-principal alone can reduce anxiety. In this study, the investigators wish to examine whether music playlists (~30 min long) based on the iso-principal (neutral to calm) will reduce anxiety after anxiety induction compared to a calm music playlist. The investigators hypothesize that the iso-principal playlist will have greater state anxiety reduction compared to the calm playlist.

Task Sharing for Anxiety
Anxiety DisordersAnxietyThis single-arm pilot clinical trial will evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and engagement of target mechanism, and preliminary impact of a low-intensity behavioral intervention for mild-to-moderate anxiety disorders. Treatment will delivered by trained lay counselors (n = 5) to patient participants (n = 15).

An Exploratory Study Examining Biopsychosocial Markers of Anxiety and Depression
DepressionAnxiety Disorders1 moreThis research study is studying how thoughts, feelings, surroundings, and individual biology may contribute to why and how people experience anxiety or depression. We are trying to find out the wide variety of reasons that people may experience anxiety or depression, and why different people are helped by different forms of treatment. We are trying to determine why people stay in treatment, and what factors contribute to a positive or negative response to treatment. These reasons may be due to thoughts, feelings, beliefs, personality, biology, social support network, life events, and barriers to treatment. A wide range of information about factors that impact anxiety and depression will be included. These include, among others, measures of inflammation, hormone levels, behavior, spoken language, personality, medical history, social determinants of health, and attitudes toward mental health and its treatment. The study involves psychological and psychiatric treatments in the form of psychotherapy and medication management. The participant will be asked to set specific goals for study treatment, and to provide videos between sessions about relevant medication, emotional, and sleep factors in their life. In summary, this study will collect biological, psychological, and social factors that may play a role in anxiety and depression. This will inform both individual's diagnosis and treatment and will be used in a later set of analyses that can inform diagnosis and treatment for other individuals who share similar characteristics.

Aging and Reward System Response to Inflammation and Anxiety Study
AnhedoniaInflammation3 moreThe purpose of this study is to use an experimental inflammatory challenge to examine whether older adults with symptoms of anxiety experience loss of pleasure or loss of motivation when they are exposed to inflammation. Loss of pleasure or loss of motivation will be evaluated using self-report questionnaires, computer tasks, and during a brain scan.

Transitioning Emotionally and Academically to Middle School Successfully (TEAMSS)
Anxiety DisordersExcessive anxiety is a common problem that severely impairs short and long term academic functioning. The transition to middle school (MS) results in increases in anxiety and decreases in academic functioning. Students with anxiety in particular, due to their vulnerability to school-based stressors, are at risk for social, emotional and academic failure during the transition to MS. Unfortunately, the majority of these students do not get identified. Reducing student anxiety has been associated with improvement in academic functioning. Because the transition to MS is inevitable, targeting students with excessive anxiety will help their adjustment to their new school setting, reducing the need for special education and mental health counseling. No interventions exist to help these students with this transition. This study aims to: (1) develop and assess the feasibility of a brief, multi-component intervention, referred to as TEAMSS, Transitioning Emotionally and Academically to Middle School Successfully, to reduce anxiety and improve academic functioning through the transition to MS using an iterative development process (i.e., expert review, two open trials, and small randomized controlled trial (RCT)); (2) conduct a pilot RCT comparing the preliminary impact of TEAMSS, relative to enhanced usual care (EUC), in improving students' social, behavioral, and academic functioning through the transition to MS; and (3) examine theory-based mediators, predictors, and moderators of TEAMSS and assess intervention costs.