Impact of Social Media on Social Anxiety: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Online social networking sites are being used all around the world. However, only recently researchers have started to investigate their relationship with mental health. Evidence coming from literature suggests that they have both advantages and disadvantages for individuals. The aim of this study is to critically review the existent research conducted on the relationship between online social networking and social anxiety

Parental Involvement in Remotely Delivered CBT Interventions for Anxiety Problems in Children and Adolescents: A Systematic Review

Introduction: Remotely delivered interventions for childhood anxiety disorders (e.g., delivered via telephone, Internet, computer, serious games, or apps) are efficient in mental health problems, surpassing concerns in the dissemination of evidence-based treatment. The present study aims to conduct a systematic review of parental involvement in remote cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions for child anxiety disorders. The main objectives are (1) to present the state of the art of existent knowledge on parental involvement in remotely delivered CBT interventions for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents and (2) to propose a conceptual model which could be considered in designing effective remotely delivered interventions for anxious youth

The Generalizability of Older Adult Self-Report (OASR) Syndromes of Psychopathology Across 20 Societies

OBJECTIVES: As the world population ages, psychiatrists will increasingly need instruments for measuring constructs of psychopathology that are generalizable to diverse elders. The study tested whether syndromes of co-occurring problems derived from self-ratings of psychopathology by US elders would fit self-ratings by elders in 19 other societies. METHODS/DESIGN: The Older Adult Self-Report (OASR) was completed by 12,826 60- to 102-year-olds in 19 societies from North and South America, Asia, and Eastern, Northern, Southern, and Western Europe, plus the US. Individual and multi-group confirmatory factor analyses (CFAs) tested the fit of the 7-syndrome OASR model, consisting of the Anxious/Depressed, Worries, Somatic Complaints, Functional Impairment, Memory/Cognition Problems, Thought Problems, and Irritable/Disinhibited syndromes. RESULTS: In individual CFAs, the primary model fit index showed good fit for all societies, while the secondary model fit indices showed acceptable to good fit. The items loaded strongly on their respective factors, with a median item loading of .63 across the 20 societies; and 98.7% of the loadings were statistically significant. In multi-group CFAs, 98% of items demonstrated approximate or full metric invariance. Fifteen percent of items demonstrated approximate or full scalar invariance and another 59% demonstrated scalar invariance across more than half of societies. CONCLUSIONS: The findings supported the generalizability of OASR syndromes across societies. The seven syndromes offer empirically-based clinical constructs that are relevant for elders of different backgrounds. They can be used to assess diverse elders, and as a taxonomic framework to facilitate communication, services, research and training in geriatric psychiatry. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved

Syndromes of self-reported psychopathology for ages 18-59 in 29 societies

This study tested the multi-society generalizability of an eight-syndrome assessment model derived from factor analyses of American adults' self-ratings of 120 behavioral, emotional, and social problems. The Adult Self-Report (ASR; Achenbach and Rescorla 2003) was completed by 17,152 18-59-year-olds in 29 societies. Confirmatory factor analyses tested the fit of self-ratings in each sample to the eight-syndrome model. The primary model fit index (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation) showed good model fit for all samples, while secondary indices showed acceptable to good fit. Only 5 (0.06%) of the 8,598 estimated parameters were outside the admissible parameter space. Confidence intervals indicated that sampling fluctuations could account for the deviant parameters. Results thus supported the tested model in societies differing widely in social, political, and economic systems, languages, ethnicities, religions, and geographical regions. Although other items, societies, and analytic methods might yield different results, the findings indicate that adults in very diverse societies were willing and able to rate themselves on the same standardized set of 120 problem items. Moreover, their self-ratings fit an eight-syndrome model previously derived from self-ratings by American adults. The support for the statistically derived syndrome model is consistent with previous findings for parent, teacher, and self-ratings of 11/2-18-year-olds in many societies. The ASR and its parallel collateral-report instrument, the Adult Behavior Checklist (ABCL), may offer mental health professionals practical tools for the multi-informant assessment of clinical constructs of adult psychopathology that appear to be meaningful across diverse societies

International comparisons of behavioral and emotional problems in preschool children: parents’ reports from 24 societies

International comparisons were conducted of preschool children’s behavioral and emotional problems as reported on the Child Behavior Checklist for Ages 1½–5 by parents in 24 societies (N¼19,850). Item ratings were aggregated into scores on syndromes; Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–oriented scales; a Stress Problems scale; and Internalizing, Externalizing, and Total Problems scales. Effect sizes for scale score differences among the 24 societies ranged from small to medium (3–12%). Although societies differed greatly in language, culture, and other characteristics, Total Problems scores for 18 of the 24 societies were within 7.1 points of the omnicultural mean of 33.3 (on a scale of 0–198). Gender and age differences, as well as gender and age interactions with society, were all very small (effect sizes<1%). Across all pairs of societies, correlations between mean item ratings averaged .78, and correlations between internal consistency alphas for the scales averaged .92, indicating that the rank orders of mean item ratings and internal consistencies of scales were very similar across diverse societies

A video-based transdiagnostic REBT universal prevention program for internalizing problems in adolescents: study protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial

Abstract Background Internalizing problems are the most prevalent mental health problems in adolescents. Transdiagnostic programs are promising manners to treat multiple problems within the same protocol, however, there is limited research regarding the efficacy of such programs delivered as universal prevention programs in school settings. Therefore, the present study aims to investigate the efficacy of a video-based transdiagnostic rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) universal prevention program, for internalizing problems. The second objective of the present paper will be to investigate the subsequent mechanisms of change, namely maladaptive cognitions. Methods A two-arm parallel randomized controlled trial will be conducted, with two groups: a video-based transdiagnostic REBT universal prevention program and a wait list control. Power analysis indicated that the study will involve 338 participants. Adolescents with ages between 12 and 17 years old, from several middle schools and high schools, will be invited to participate. Assessments will be conducted at four time points: baseline (T1), post-intervention (T2), 3 months follow-up (T3) and 12 months follow-up (T4). Intent-to-treat analysis will be used in order to investigate significant differences between the two groups in both primary and secondary outcomes. Discussion This is the first randomized controlled trial that aims to investigate the efficacy and mechanisms of change of a video-based transdiagnostic REBT universal prevention program, delivered in a school context. The present study has important implications for developing efficient prevention programs, interactive, that will aim to target within the same protocol both anxiety and depressive symptoms. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02756507. Registered on 25 April 2016

The Development and Usability of a Mobile App for Parents of Children with ADHD

Background: Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most prevalent mental health problems in children. Behavioral parent training (BPT) is the first-line treatment recommended by clinical guidelines; however, parental dropout is high. Mobile apps could be used as an adjunct to BPT in order to increase treatment adherence, homework compliance, and parental engagement. In this paper, we describe the development process of a mobile app for parents of children with ADHD. Methods: We conducted a study to investigate parents’ perceived usability of the ADHD Coping Card. Results: The mobile app developed has a high usability. Future improvements in the app were suggested by parents. Conclusions: Given the increasing importance of digital mental health interventions in psychotherapy, it is important that future research is conducted with a higher number of participants to investigate the key factors implicated in choosing such an intervention in the future, both by parents and by mental health specialists. A mobile app can be used as an add-on in psychotherapy with parents of children with ADHD. Digital health interventions could help surpass gaps in treatment access for child mental health problems

Cognitive Coping Strategies and Emotional Distress in Mothers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder

Mothers’ emotional distress,when having a child with diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), isdifferent depending on depending on the thinking pattern (rational orirrational) and cognitive coping strategies used. The aim of this study was to assess irrational beliefs, negativeautomatic thoughts, emotional distress, cognitive coping strategies and therelation between them, in mothers of children with ASD. Datawere collected from 65 mothers having a child with diagnosis of ASD. Several psychologicalinstruments were used to assess the irrational beliefs (ABSs), automatic negativethoughts (ATQ), emotional distress (PAD) and cognitive coping strategies(CERQ). Mothers reported high levels of emotional distress, automatic negative thoughtsand irrational beliefs. The cognitive coping strategies that correlated positivelyand statistically significant with emotional distress were self-blame,catastrophizing and rumination. Self-blame and catastrophizing strategies correlatedpositively and statistically significant with the irrational beliefs. Theresults also suggest that the use of maladaptive coping strategies correlateswith a higher levels of irrational beliefs and emotional distress

[In Press] The adolescent peer relations instrument - bully/target : measurement invariance across gender, age, and clinical status

Adolescent Peer Relations Instrument–Bully/Target (APRI-BT) is a multidimensional scale designed to assess bullying involvement both as target and perpetrator. Although existing research has shown that the APRI-BT satisfies the assumption of measurement invariance across age and gender, these findings come from western individualistic countries (e.g., Australia). This study aimed to investigate the factorial structure and measurement invariance across age, gender, and clinical status in a sample of Romanian youths. Participants were 1,024 adolescents, 10 to 18 years, recruited from both community and clinical setting. Our results confirmed a six first-order factor structure and two second-order factors (Bully including Bullying Physical, Bullying Verbal, Bullying Social and Victimization including Physical Victimization, Verbal Victimization, Social Victimization). In addition, measurement invariance across age, gender, and clinical status was demonstrated. This study identifies APRI-BT as an instrument with solid psychometric proprieties for measuring bullying and victimization among preadolescents and adolescents

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and task-related heart rate variability: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Background: Research suggests that Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is associated with autonomic nervous system dysregulation, but the findings were mixed. Method: We conducted a literature review and meta-analysis to quantify the effect of ADHD on vagally-mediated heart rate variability (HRV). PsycINFO, PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus, were searched for case-control or cohort studies reporting measures of vagally-mediated HRV, after a task demand, among individuals with ADHD relative to healthy subjects. Results: Thirteen articles comprising a total of 869 patients with ADHD and 909 healthy participants were included. As compared to controls, ADHD patients had reduced vagally-mediated HRV, corresponding to a small effect size (Hedge's g = 0.20; CI 95% 0.01 to 0.40). Heterogeneity was high (Q (18) = 76.59, p < 0.001; I² = 77%). There was some evidence of small study effects. Task type, respiration rate assessment and associated comorbid disorders were statistically significant moderators. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence for the associations between ADHD and autonomic dysregulation. Future studies addressing HRV reactivity are needed