Children’s Internal Attributions of Anxiety-Related Physical Symptoms: Age-Related Patterns and the Role of Cognitive Development and Anxiety Sensitivity

The present study examined age-related patterns in children’s anxiety-related interpretations and internal attributions of physical symptoms. A large sample of 388 children aged between 4 and 13 years completed a vignette paradigm during which they had to explain the emotional response of the main character who experienced anxiety-related physical symptoms in a variety of daily situations. In addition, children completed measures of cognitive development and anxiety sensitivity. Results demonstrated that age, cognitive development, and anxiety sensitivity were all positively related to children’s ability to perceive physical symptoms as a signal of anxiety and making internal attributions. Further, while a substantial proportion of the younger children (i.e., <7 years) were able to make a valid anxiety-related interpretation of a physical symptom, very few were capable of making an internal attribution, which means that children of this age lack the developmental prerequisites for applying physical symptoms-based theories of childhood anxiety

Virtual reality for psycho-education on self-stigma in depression: Design of a randomised controlled trial

Background: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent and disabling mental health condition. Patients with MDD often deal with self-stigma, which can lead to more depressive symptoms. Psychoeducation about depression has proven to be effective in reducing depressive symptomatology and self-stigma. Involving a significant other in psychoeducation for depression, might increase mutual understanding. Virtual reality (VR) offers the opportunity to experience the perspective of having or living with someone with a mental condition. For this study an immersive VR environment is developed. The main objective of this study is to test whether our VR psychoeducation intervention is more successful in reducing self-stigma than standard psychoeducation for MDD. Methods: In this randomised controlled trial (RCT), 80 couples of patients and their significant other will be included and randomly assigned to one of two conditions: the VR psychoeducation intervention and standard psychoeducation. Patients will be aged 18 to 65, diagnosed with MDD. The main study parameter is self-stigma, as measured by the Internalized Stigma of Mental Illness scale. Secondary parameters include depressive symptoms, loneliness and perceived social support for the patient and burden of care and quality of life for the significant other. Limitations: No control for nonspecific factors, limited individual adjustment, patients are not able to participate without a significant other. Conclusions: VR might open up the opportunity to reduce self-stigma and thereby improve the efficacy of psychoeducation in MDD