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Psychology

Western University

Series

Anxiety Disorders

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The Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism Moderates The Continuity Of Behavioral Inhibition In Early Childhood., Victoria C Johnson, Katie R Kryski, Haroon I Sheikh, Heather J Smith, Shiva M Singh, Elizabeth P Hayden Nov 2016

The Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism Moderates The Continuity Of Behavioral Inhibition In Early Childhood., Victoria C Johnson, Katie R Kryski, Haroon I Sheikh, Heather J Smith, Shiva M Singh, Elizabeth P Hayden

Brain and Mind Institute Researchers' Publications

Persistently elevated behavioral inhibition (BI) in children is a marker of vulnerability to psychopathology. However, little research has considered the joint influences of caregiver and child factors that may moderate the continuity of BI in early childhood, particularly genetic variants that may serve as markers of biological plasticity, such as the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR). We explored this issue in 371 preschoolers and their caregivers, examining whether parent characteristics (i.e., overinvolvement or anxiety disorder) and child 5-HTTLPR influenced the continuity of BI between ages 3 and 5. Measures were observational ratings of child BI, observational and questionnaire measures …


Adding A Motivational Interviewing Pretreatment To Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial., Henny A Westra, Hal Arkowitz, David J A Dozois Dec 2009

Adding A Motivational Interviewing Pretreatment To Cognitive Behavioral Therapy For Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial., Henny A Westra, Hal Arkowitz, David J A Dozois

Psychology Publications

Seventy-six individuals with a principal diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) were randomly assigned to receive either an MI pretreatment or no pretreatment (NPT), prior to receiving CBT. Significant group differences favoring the MI-CBT group were observed on the hallmark GAD symptom of worry and on therapist-rated homework compliance, which mediated the impact of treatment group on worry reduction. Adding MI pretreatment to CBT was specifically and substantively beneficial for individuals with high worry severity at baseline. There was evidence of relapse at 6-month follow-up for high severity individuals who received MI-CBT, but significant moderator effects favoring the high severity …


Cognitive Vulnerability To Anxiety: A Review And An Integrative Model., Allison J Ouimet, Bertram Gawronski, David J A Dozois Aug 2009

Cognitive Vulnerability To Anxiety: A Review And An Integrative Model., Allison J Ouimet, Bertram Gawronski, David J A Dozois

Psychology Publications

Consistent research evidence supports the existence of threat-relevant cognitive bias in anxiety, but there remains controversy about which stages of information processing are most important in the conferral of cognitive vulnerability to anxiety. To account for both theoretical and empirical discrepancies in the literature, an integrative multi-process model is proposed wherein core assumptions of dual-systems theories from social and cognitive psychology are adapted to explain attentional and interpretive biases in the anxiety disorders. According to the model, individual differences in associative and rule-based processing jointly influence orientation, engagement, disengagement, and avoidance of threat-relevant stimuli, as well as negatively-biased interpretation of …


Neuroimaging Studies Of Psychological Interventions For Mood And Anxiety Disorders: Empirical And Methodological Review., Paul A Frewen, David J A Dozois, Ruth A Lanius Feb 2008

Neuroimaging Studies Of Psychological Interventions For Mood And Anxiety Disorders: Empirical And Methodological Review., Paul A Frewen, David J A Dozois, Ruth A Lanius

Psychology Publications

This article reviews the methods and results of published neuroimaging studies of the effects of structured psychological interventions for mood and anxiety disorders. The results are consistent with neural models of improved affective- and self-regulation, as evidenced by psychotherapeutic modulation of brain metabolic activity within the dorsolateral, ventrolateral, and medial prefrontal cortices, the anterior cingulate, the posterior cingulate/precuneus, and the insular cortices. Specific recommendations for future studies are outlined, and the clinical and theoretical significance of this research is discussed.


A Meta-Analysis Of Cbt For Pathological Worry Among Clients With Gad., Roger Covin, Allison J Ouimet, Pamela M Seeds, David J A Dozois Jan 2008

A Meta-Analysis Of Cbt For Pathological Worry Among Clients With Gad., Roger Covin, Allison J Ouimet, Pamela M Seeds, David J A Dozois

Psychology Publications

Previous meta-analyses assessing the effectiveness of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) used general measures of anxiety to assess symptom severity and improvement (e.g., Hamilton Anxiety Ratings Scale or a composite measure of anxiety). While informative, these studies do not provide sufficient evidence as to whether CBT significantly reduces the cardinal symptom of GAD: pathological worry. The current meta-analysis employed stringent inclusion criteria to evaluate relevant outcome studies, including the use of the Penn State Worry Questionnaire as the main outcome variable. Results showed a large overall effect size (ES) that was moderated by age and modality …


Development Of The Anxiety Change Expectancy Scale (Aces) And Validation In College, Community, And Clinical Samples., David J A Dozois, Henny A Westra Dec 2005

Development Of The Anxiety Change Expectancy Scale (Aces) And Validation In College, Community, And Clinical Samples., David J A Dozois, Henny A Westra

Psychology Publications

This study investigated the psychometric properties of a newly developed 20-item instrument that assesses one's anticipation of being able to change anxiety: the Anxiety Change Expectancy Scale (ACES). Study 1 evaluated the ACES in undergraduate university students, self-identified as experiencing difficulties with anxiety. Study 2 examined the ACES in a community sample of persons with anxiety difficulties. Study 3 tested the utility of the ACES in predicting treatment change in a group of individuals with generalized anxiety disorder participating in group cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety. Across these samples, the ACES demonstrated excellent internal reliability (coefficient alphas=.89-.92) as well as …


Gaps In Accessing Treatment For Anxiety And Depression: Challenges For The Delivery Of Care., Kerry A Collins, Henny A Westra, David J A Dozois, David D Burns Sep 2004

Gaps In Accessing Treatment For Anxiety And Depression: Challenges For The Delivery Of Care., Kerry A Collins, Henny A Westra, David J A Dozois, David D Burns

Psychology Publications

Epidemiological studies have identified high prevalence rates of anxiety and depression in North America [e.g., J. of Nerv. Ment. Dis. 182 (1994) 290]. However, only a small percentage of these individuals access effective treatment. The undertreatment of anxiety and depression is a major public health issue and is associated with significant personal, social, and economic burden. This article describes the existing discrepancy between prevalence of anxiety and depression and access to effective treatment for adults and children, the contributors to this discrepancy, and suggests various means through which access to effective treatment may be enhanced. We begin with a brief …