The relationship between religion and anxiety: A study among anglican clergymen and clergywomen

The 20-item anxiety scale proposed by the Eysenck Personality Profiler (EPP) was completed by 1,148 Anglican male clergy and 523 Anglican female clergy during their first year in ordained ministry. The data demonstrate that male clergy recorded higher scores on the index of anxiety than men in general. Female clergy recorded lower levels on the index of anxiety than women in general. These findings are consistent with the findings from earlier studies that male clergy tend to project a characteristically feminine personality profile while female clergy tend to project a characteristically masculine personality profile.

The roles of depression and anxiety in the understanding and treatment of Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSAS) is a debilitating condition stemming from disruption to the respiratory system during sleep. At present, the nature of the relationship between OSAS and mood, specifically depression and anxiety, is still unclear. The purpose of this paper is to shed some light on this relationship. PsycINFO was used to locate relevant papers on this topic. This literature search formed the basis of our investigation. Results showed that the anxiety and depression methodology is weak. It is now clear that there is an urgent need to better understand the roles of anxiety and depression in OSAS. For example, the research literature suggests that depression and anxiety covary with OSAS. However, because of methodological issues, such as difficulties involved in diagnosis and the use of inappropriate instruments, this conclusion remains tenuous. Future directions are discussed. (C) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Factor structure of the Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire does not generalize to an anxious/depressed sample

Objective: The tripartite model of anxiety and depression has been proposed as a representation of the structure of anxiety and depression symptoms. The Mood and Anxiety Symptom Questionnaire (MASQ) has been put forwards as a valid measure of the tripartite model of anxiety and depression symptoms. This research set out to examine the factor structure of anxiety and depression symptoms in a clinical sample to assess the MASQ's validity for use in this population. MethodsThe present study uses confirmatory factor analytic methods to examine the psychometric properties of the MASQ in 470 outpatients with anxiety and mood disorder. Results: The results showed that none of the previously reported two-factor, three-factor or five-factor models adequately fit the data, irrespective of whether items or subscales were used as the unit of analysis. Conclusions: It was concluded that the factor structure of the MASQ in a mixed anxiety/depression clinical sample does not support a structure consistent with the tripartite model. This suggests that researchers using the MASQ with anxious/depressed individuals should be mindful of the instrument's psychometric limitations.

Labor force activity among Australians with musculoskeletal disorders comorbid with depression and anxiety disorders

Aim: Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are a leading cause of work-related disability. This investigation explored the impact of MSD comorbid with depression and anxiety disorders, on labor force activity. Methods: The Australian Bureau of Statistics provided confidentialized data files collected from a household sample of 37,580 people. MSD, affective, and anxiety disorders were identified and employment restrictions were assessed at four levels of severity. Results: Anxiety and depression of six months duration was present in 12.1% of people with MSD. Comorbidity magnified the negative impacts of single conditions on labor force activity. Most at risk were people with back problems and comorbid depression, people with arthritis or other MSD and comorbid anxiety, males with MSD and comorbid depression, and females with MSD and comorbid anxiety. Conclusions: The results suggest that the occupational rehabilitation needs of people with MSD comorbid with depression or anxiety may currently be underestimated.

Components of group processes: Have they conributed to the outcome of mood and anxiety diorder patients in a group cognitive-behaviour therapy program

The present study assessed the influence of group processes on clinical outcomes of patients with anxiety and depression following group Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT). Five group environment variables were measured: cohesion, leader support, expressiveness, independence, and self-discovery. One hundred and sixty two patients attended a group CBT program and were assessed at pre and post-treatment. Results provided evidence for the effectiveness of group therapy as patients reported significantly lower depression and anxiety at the conclusion of treatment. Expressiveness was the only predictor of post-treatment anxiety, whereas leader support, expressiveness, and independence were significant predictors of post-treatment depression. Overall, findings suggest that the patients benefited from high levels of expressiveness and independence within their therapy group. In contrast, they failed to benefit from high levels of leader support, whereas both group cohesion and self-discovery appeared to be unrelated to outcome

Attentional bias toward fear-related stimuli: An investigation with nonselected children and adults and children with anxiety disorders

Research investigating anxiety-related attentional bias for emotional information in anxious and nonanxious children has been equivocal with regard to whether a bias for fear-related stimuli is unique to anxious children or is common to children in general. Moreover, recent cognitive theories have proposed that an attentional bias for objectively threatening stimuli may be common to all individuals, with this effect enhanced in anxious individuals. The current study investigated whether an attentional bias toward fear-related pictures could be found in nonselected children (n = 105) and adults (n = 47) and whether a sample of clinically anxious children (n = 23) displayed an attentional bias for fear-related pictures over and above that expected for nonselected children. Participants completed a dot-probe task that employed fear-related, neutral, and pleasant pictures. As expected, both adults and children showed a stronger attentional bias toward fear-related pictures than toward pleasant pictures. Consistent with some findings in the childhood domain, the extent of the attentional bias toward fear-related pictures did not differ significantly between anxious children and nonselected children. However, compared with nonselected children, anxious children showed a stronger attentional bias overall toward affective picture stimuli. (C) 2004 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Attentional bias to pictures of fear-relevant animals in a dot probe task

Attentional bias to fear-relevant animals was assessed in 69 participants not preselected on self-reported anxiety with the use of a dot probe task showing pictures of snakes, spiders, mushrooms, and flowers. Probes that replaced the fear-relevant stimuli (snakes and spiders) were found faster than probes that replaced the non-fear-relevant stimuli, indicating an attentional bias in the entire sample. The bias was not correlated with self-reported state or trait anxiety or with general fearfulness. Participants reporting higher levels of spider fear showed an enhanced bias to spiders, but the bias remained significant in low scorers. The bias to snake pictures was not related to snake fear and was significant in high and low scorers. These results indicate preferential processing of fear-relevant stimuli in an unselected sample.

Adult attachment, anxiety, and pain self-efficacy as predictors of pain intensity and disability

Pain self-efficacy and anxiety have each been shown to contribute substantially to pain intensity and pain-related disability. Although adult attachment theory has been related separately to chronic pain, anxiety, and self-efficacy, it has not before been investigated with either pain self-efficacy or anxiety in the context of chronic pain. This study investigated the interrelations between these aspects of the chronic pain experience and their relative contributions towards pain intensity and disability. A clinical sample of 152 chronic pain patients participated in this study, completing self-report measures of attachment, self-efficacy, pain intensity, and disability, prior to attending a multidisciplinary pain clinic. Results revealed that fearful and preoccupied (anxious) attachment categories were associated with low pain self-efficacy, while high scores on the attachment dimension of comfort with closeness were linked with high pain self-efficacy, particularly for males. Insecure attachment (whether defined in terms of categories or dimensions) was related to higher levels of anxiety. Pain self-efficacy proved a stronger predictor of pain intensity than did anxiety and was a stronger predictor of disability than pain intensity or anxiety. In addition, comfort with closeness moderated the associations between pain self-efficacy and disability, pain self-efficacy and pain intensity, and anxiety and disability. Together, these findings support the value of adopting an attachment theoretical approach in the context of chronic pain. Treatment considerations and future research directions are considered. (c) 2006 International Association for the Study of Pain. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

From the sublime to the subliminal: Fear, awe and wonder in international politics

Key events in international politics, such as terrorist attacks, can be characterised as sublime: our minds clash with phenomena that supersede our cognitive abilities, triggering a range of powerful emotions, such as pain, fear and awe. Encounters with the sublime allow us an important glimpse into the contingent and often manipulative nature of representation. For centuries, philosophers have sought to learn from these experiences, but in political practice the ensuing insights are all too quickly suppressed and forgotten. The prevailing tendency is to react to the elements of fear and awe by reimposing control and order. We emphasise an alternative reaction to the sublime, one that explores new moral and political opportunities in the face of disorientation. But we also stress that we do not need to be dislocated by dramatic events to begin to wonder about the world. Moving from the sublime to the subliminal, we explore how it is possible to acquire the same type of insight into questions of representation and contingency by engaging more everyday practices of politics.