Biomedical subjects

Brett J Deacon

Publications and source records attributed to Brett J Deacon.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Parents' perceptions of pharmacological and cognitive-behavioral treatments for childhood anxiety disorders.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy are the most well-established treatments for childhood anxiety disorders. This study examined how parents (N=71) seeking treatment for their child's anxiety disorder perceive the acceptability, believability, and effectiveness of these treatments. While both treatments were perceived favorably, CBT was rated as more acceptable, believable, and effective in the short- and long-term. Children's treatment history influenced parents' perceptions of pharmacotherapy, with parents of children with no treatment history perceiving medication treatment as less acceptable and believable than parents of children with a history of medication alone or in combination with behavior therapy. No effect of treatment history was found for perceptions of CBT. Significant positive correlations emerged between parents' perceived acceptance and believability for pharmacotherapy and child age and level of dysfunction due to their child's anxiety, respectively. The level of the child's anxiety was not significantly correlated with parents' perceptions of either CBT or pharmacotherapy. Our results suggest that parents of anxious children prefer CBT to medication for the treatment of their child's anxiety disorder. Directions for future research are discussed.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Psychometric properties and construct validity of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory--Revised: Replication and extension with a clinical sample.

The present study examined the psychometric properties and construct validity of the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory--Revised (OCI-R) with the aim of replicating and extending previous findings, and addressing limitations of previous investigations. Individuals with OCD (n = 167) and other anxiety disorders (n = 155) completed the OCI-R, measures of OCD and related symptom severity, and measures of cognitive variables associated with OCD symptoms. Results indicate that the OCI-R is a psychometrically sound and valid measure of OCD and its various symptom presentations. Confirmatory factor analysis confirmed a six-factor solution. The instrument also evidenced good convergent validity, and performed well in discriminating OCD from other anxiety disorders. Theoretically consistent patterns of associations between OCI-R symptom-based subscales and OCD-related cognitive variables were found, and five of the six OCI-R subscales corresponded closely to identified OCD symptom dimensions. The OCI-R is recommended as an empirically validated instrument that can be used in a range of clinical and research settings for research on OCD.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Scrupulosity in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder: relationship to clinical and cognitive phenomena.

Scrupulosity is often encountered among individuals with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), yet relatively few studies have examined this particular symptom presentation. Using a large sample of OCD patients, the present investigation examined (a) the relationship between religiosity and scrupulosity, (b) the association between scrupulosity and the severity of OCD, anxiety, and depressive symptoms, and (c) the connection between scrupulosity and cognitive domains related to OCD. Scrupulosity was correlated with obsessional symptoms and several cognitive domains of OCD, including beliefs about the importance of, and need to control intrusive thoughts, an inflated sense of responsibility, and moral thought-action fusion. These results are examined in terms of cognitive behavioral conceptualizations of OCD and the treatment implications of these findings are discussed.

Adult↗

PubMed2006

A magnetic resonance spectroscopy investigation of obsessive-compulsive disorder and anxiety.

The aim of the current study was to use proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) to investigate potential irregularities in neurochemical compounds in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and the extent to which these irregularities are related to state anxiety. Single voxel MRS was used to image the head of the caudate nucleus (HOC) and orbitofrontal white matter (OFWM) bilaterally in adult patients with OCD and a control group. The results indicated that patients with OCD had increased levels of a combined measure of glutamate and glutamine (Glx/Cr) and N-acetyl-l-aspartic acid (NAA/Cr) relative to creatine in the right OFWM and reduced levels of myo-inositol relative to creatine (mI/Cr) in the HOC bilaterally. Correlational analyses indicated that Glx/Cr in the OFWM was related to OCD symptoms, while mI/Cr in the HOC was related to trait and/or state anxiety. Reanalysis of the significant group differences controlling for state anxiety symptoms erased three of the four group differences. These results are discussed in context of the methodological difficulties facing this area of research.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

The role of cognitive factors in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive symptoms: a prospective study.

Cognitive models of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) posit that specific kinds of dysfunctional beliefs (e.g., pertaining to responsibility and the significance of intrusive thoughts) underlie the development of this disorder. The present study was designed to prospectively evaluate whether dysfunctional beliefs thought to underlie OCD act as a specific vulnerability factor in the pathogenesis of obsessive-compulsive symptomatology. Eighty-five individuals were prospectively followed over a period of time thought to be associated with an increased onset of OCD symptoms -- childbirth and the postpartum. The majority of these new mothers and fathers experienced intrusive infant-related thoughts and performed neutralizing behaviors similar to, but less severe than, those observed in OCD. Scores on a measure of dysfunctional beliefs thought to underlie OCD predicted the development of obsessive-compulsive symptoms after controlling for pre-existing OCD symptoms, anxiety, and depression. Dysfunctional beliefs also predicted the severity of checking, washing, and obsessional OCD symptom dimensions, but not neutralizing, ordering, or hoarding symptom dimensions. These data provide evidence for specific dysfunctional beliefs as risk factors in the development of some types of OCD symptoms.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2005

Dimensionality of somatic complaints: factor structure and psychometric properties of the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale.

Somatic complaints are often key features of anxiety pathology. Although most measures of anxiety symptoms capture somatic complaints to some degree, the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) was developed primarily as a measure of somatic symptoms associated with anxiety responding. We evaluated the psychometric properties and factor structure of the SAS in two large undergraduate samples who completed the SAS and measures of anxiety and depression. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four lower-order SAS factors in both samples: (1) anxiety and panic; (2) vestibular sensations; (3) somatic control; and, (4) gastrointestinal/muscular sensations. The SAS demonstrated good reliability in both samples, and the correlations between the SAS factors and other anxiety variables provide supportive evidence for convergent validity, though evidence for discriminant validity was limited. The strengths and limitations of the SAS are offered as well as the implications of our findings for the nature and assessment of somatic complaints in anxiety disorders.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale: factor analysis, construct validity, and suggestions for refinement.

The Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) is widely acknowledged as the gold standard measure of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) symptom severity. Despite its popularity, a number of questions remain regarding the Y-BOCS' psychometric properties including: (a) whether obsessional and compulsive symptoms contribute independently to global OCD severity and (b) whether the Y-BOCS subscales are valid with respect to other measures of OCD. We examined these issues in a sample of 100 patients with a diagnosis of OCD. While our confirmatory factor analyses failed to reproduce any previously reported models of the Y-BOCS factor structure, exploratory factor analysis indicated a two-factor solution that assessed symptom severity (i.e., time, distress, and interference from obsessions and compulsions) as separate from resistance and control of obsessions and compulsions. In contrast to the Resistance/Control Subscale, the Severity Subscale demonstrated good psychometric properties and construct validity. Based on our findings we recommend revisions to scoring the Y-BOCS.

Adult↗

PubMed2005

The Anxiety Sensitivity Profile revisited: factor structure and psychometric properties in two nonclinical samples.

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) refers to the fear of anxiety-related symptoms based upon the belief that the sensations have harmful consequences. Although the most popular existing measure is the Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI), the Anxiety Sensitivity Profile (ASP) was developed as an alternative and theoretically improved assessment of the multifaceted nature of the AS construct. Nevertheless, there has been a paucity of research on this measure. We evaluated the psychometric properties and factor structure of the ASP in two large, geographically diverse undergraduate samples who completed the ASP and measures of anxiety and depression. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four lower order ASP factors in both samples: (1) fear of arousal-related symptoms, (2) fear of cognitive dyscontrol and dissociation, (3) fear of gastrointestinal symptoms, and (4) fear of cardiac symptoms. The fear of cardiac symptoms factor was relatively unstable in both studies. Correlations between the ASP factors and related variables were consistent with AS theory. The strengths and limitations of the ASP are offered as well as the implications of our findings for the nature and assessment of AS.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Association between Protestant religiosity and obsessive-compulsive symptoms and cognitions.

There is evidence that religion and other cultural influences are associated with the presentation of obsessive-compulsive symptoms, as well as beliefs and assumptions presumed to underlie the development and maintenance of these symptoms. We sought to further examine the relationship between Protestant religiosity and (1) various symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) (e.g., checking, washing) and (2) OCD-related cognitions. Using self-report questionnaires, we compared differences in these OCD-related phenomena between highly religious Protestants, moderately religious Protestants, and atheist/agnostic participants drawn from an undergraduate sample. Highly religious versus moderately religious Protestants reported greater obsessional symptoms, compulsive washing, and beliefs about the importance of thoughts. Additionally, the highly religious evinced more obsessional symptoms, compulsive washing, intolerance for uncertainty, need to control thoughts, beliefs about the importance of thoughts, and inflated responsibility, compared to atheists/agnostics. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between religion and OCD symptoms in the context of the cognitive-behavioral conceptualization of OCD.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2004

Cognitive and behavioral treatments for anxiety disorders: a review of meta-analytic findings.

Behavioral and cognitive psychotherapies are the most widely studied psychological interventions for anxiety disorders. In the present article, the results of ten years of meta-analytic studies on psychotherapies for the various anxiety disorders are reviewed and the relative effectiveness of cognitive and behavioral therapeutic methods is examined. Meta-analytic results support the effectiveness of combined cognitive and behavioral approaches for anxiety disorders. Pure behavioral therapies also are effective and appear to work as well as combined treatment for some disorders. Due to the small number of outcome studies involving pure cognitive treatments, reliable conclusions about the effectiveness of this approach cannot be offered. Additional theoretical and practical considerations are discussed.

Anxiety Disorders↗

PubMed2004

Severe health anxiety: why it persists and how to treat it.

Hypochondriasis (HA) involves the fear of serious illness despite appropriate reassurances. Because HA is associated with patients' personal suffering and clinical management problems, it is important for clinicians to be knowledgeable about current conceptual and treatment approaches to this problem.

Anxiety↗

PubMed2004

Panic attacks, depression and anxiety symptoms, and substance use behaviors during late adolescence.

This study examines panic attacks and substance use in a sample of incoming college freshman (n = 399 ) using questionnaires. Panickers (n = 47 ) were significantly more likely than nonpanickers (n = 290) to report having ever used sedatives, stimulants, opiods, and other drugs, but not tobacco, alcohol, cocaine, or hallucinogens. Gender and race did not substantially moderate the associations between substance use and panic attacks. Sedative, stimulant, opiod, and other drug use was not associated with panic attack frequency or the occurrence of unexpected attacks. The relationships of anxiety and depression with substance use were larger for panickers than nonpanickers. These results are consistent with the idea that self-medication and symptom exacerbation play a role in the development of co-occurring substance use disorders and mood and anxiety disorders.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2003

The Anxiety Sensitivity Index - Revised: psychometric properties and factor structure in two nonclinical samples.

Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is the fear of anxiety-related sensations based on beliefs about their harmful consequences. Despite its status as the most popular measure of AS, the anxiety sensitivity index is too abbreviated to adequately measure the somatic, cognitive, and social facets of the construct. The Anxiety Sensitivity Index - Revised (ASI-R) is a revised and expanded version of the ASI that was developed to improve the assessment of AS and its dimensions. The present study was conducted to examine the psychometric properties and factor structure of the ASI-R. Two large undergraduate samples completed a psychometric assessment package that included the ASI-R and measures of anxiety, depression, and related constructs. Exploratory factor analysis revealed four lower-order ASI-R factors: (1) beliefs about the harmful consequences of somatic sensations; (2) fear of publicly observable anxiety reactions; (3) fear of cognitive dyscontrol; and (4) fear of somatic sensations without explicit consequences. These factors loaded on a single, higher-order factor. Correlations between the ASI-R factors and related variables were consistent with AS theory. Results across both samples in the present study were highly similar. The strengths and limitations of the ASI-R are discussed, and the implications of our findings for the nature and measurement of AS are considered.

Adolescent↗