Children and terrorism-related news: Training parents in coping and media literacy.

This study examined associations between televised news regarding risk for future terrorism and youth outcomes and investigated the effects of training mothers in an empirically based approach to addressing such news with children. This approach--Coping and Media Literacy (CML)--emphasized modeling, media literacy, and contingent reinforcement and was compared via randomized design to Discussion as Usual (DAU). Ninety community youth (aged 7-13 years) and their mothers viewed a televised news clip about the risk of future terrorism, and threat perceptions and state anxiety were assessed preclip, postclip, and postdiscussion. Children responded to the clip with elevated threat perceptions and anxiety. Children of CML-trained mothers exhibited lower threat perceptions than DAU youth at postclip and at postdiscussion. Additionally, CML-trained mothers exhibited lower threat perceptions and state anxiety at postclip and postdiscussion than did DAU mothers. Moreover, older youth responded to the clip with greater societal threat perception than did younger youth. Findings document associations between terrorism-related news, threat perceptions, and anxiety and support the utility of providing parents with strategies for addressing news with children. Implications and research suggestions are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Efficacy of clinical interventions for indirect exposure to terrorism.

Two clinical interventions to moderate negative responses to media exposure to terrorism were tested. Participants were 300 young Israeli adults randomly allocated to a terrorism or nonterrorism televised news clip and assigned to 1 of 3 preexposure intervention conditions--cognitive, emotional, or control. Emotional responses of anxiety and anger and attitudinal responses of stereotypes and enemy perception were measured prior and subsequent to manipulation. Results indicated higher posttest levels of anxiety, anger, stereotypes, and negative enemy perception in the terrorism versus nonterrorism media exposure. In the terrorism group, clinical interventions moderated anxiety and increased willingness for conflict resolution. Findings indicate contributions of preparatory interventions for the public in certain contexts of terrorism and its media coverage. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Children's state anxiety in reaction to disaster media cues: A preliminary test of a multivariate model.

This study examined a multivariate conceptual model regarding the relations among life events, depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, social support, and negative coping, and how these relations influence children's state anxiety in reaction to disaster media cues. Participants were 248 Hispanic/Latino elementary school students (Grades 2–5) from a hurricane prone region. To first examine whether children would show elevated state anxiety in response to disaster media cues, 185 (75%) of the 248 children were shown disaster media cues. These children's state anxiety was compared with the state anxiety of a comparison group: 63 children (25%) of the 248 children, who were shown a neutral weather film. The data from the 185 children shown the disaster media were used to evaluate the study's conceptual model. State anxiety was statistically significantly higher in the children shown the disaster media cues than the children shown the neutral weather film. Structural equation modeling results indicated that children's perceived available social support and use of coping strategies predicted state anxiety following exposure to the media cues of disaster. Life events and preexisting depression symptoms did not significantly predict social support and coping; child anxiety symptoms significantly predicted perceived social support. The study represents an initial step toward establishing and empirically evaluating a multivariate model of children's reactions to disaster cues. The study's findings are discussed in the context of developing preventive interventions for children at-risk for exposure to disasters. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Latent variable analysis of coping, anxiety/depression, and somatic symptoms in adolescents with chronic pain.

Reports of adolescents' coping with recurrent pain, symptoms of anxiety/depression, and somatic complaints were obtained from a sample of 164 adolescents with recurrent abdominal pain and their parents. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed that coping consisted of 3 nonorthogonal factors: Primary Control Engagement Coping (problem solving, emotional expression, and emotional regulation), Secondary Control Engagement Coping (positive thinking, cognitive restructuring, acceptance, and distraction), and Disengagement Coping (denial, avoidance, and wishful thinking). Structural equation modeling using latent variables revealed that secondary control engagement coping predicted lower levels of anxiety/depression symptoms and somatic complaints, and disengagement coping was related to higher levels of anxiety/depression and somatic complaints. Implications for understanding child and adolescent coping with pain are highlighted. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of a cognitive-behavioral intervention for adolescents.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of a cognitive- behavioral, biofeedback-assisted intervention to impart skills for coping with stressful encounters in a nonclinical adolescent population. Israeli Arab and Israeli Jewish participants completed pre- and postintervention questionnaires assessing state anxiety, test anxiety, behavior symptoms, hostility, and self-esteem. Electrodermal activity was recorded using biofeedback. From pre- to postintervention, scores of state anxiety, test anxiety, behavior symptoms, and self-esteem, but not hostility, changed significantly in the intervention group as compared with the control group. A significant Group × School effect was evident for state and test anxiety and behavior problems, indicative of higher reductions in the Arab group. The cognitive-behavioral program proved an effective preventive intervention for adolescents. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The assessment of anxiety by physiological behavioral measures.

There is little research to support the contention that clearly defined patterns of physiological-behavioral responses associated with anxiety arousal can be distinguished from other arousal patterns. Intercorrelations among physiological measures of anxiety obtained under either resting states or under stress are generally low. No studies have been reported in which several measures of behavior were obtained simultaneously with a variety of physiological measures under conditions likely to be fear arousing. From Psyc Abstracts 36:02:2HN34M. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Sense of coherence, coping strategies, and test anxiety as predictors of test performance among college students.

The study tested sense of coherence (SOC; Antonovsky, 1987), coping strategies, and test anxiety as predictors of test performance in 216 1st-year undergraduates. The students attended 3 obligatory courses and completed inventories assessing SOC, coping, and test anxiety during the final session of the 2nd semester; their grades on the final examination were recorded. The results showed SOC to be negatively related to test anxiety, whereas emotion-focused coping and avoidance were positively related to it. Problem-focused coping contributed positively to performance on the test, and avoidance coping adversely affected test grades. The data suggest that test anxiety is minimally associated with performance grades, and the 2 measures are related somewhat differentially to coping strategies and SOC. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Individual differences in reaction to failure: Mode of coping with anxiety and interference proneness.

The study begins with the proposition that the individual's mode of coping with anxiety and his ability to resist and overcome the interference of anxiety in cognitive functioning are important determinants of performance under stress. It was decided to employ output or speed of performance as a measure of changes in motivation, and errors as a measure of interference. A suitable instrument that combined both measures was at hand in the Minnesota Clerical Test (MCT; Andrew & Paterson, 1946). This is a test of speed and accuracy which involves the scanning of pairs of numbers and of names and the detection of minor differences between the members of a pair. Subjects (65 student nurses) were divided into goal oriented and ego oriented groups and subdivided into high and low interference prone groups. Various aspects of performance on a cognitive task preceding and following failure in a situation in which they were motivated to succeed were compared. The results supported the hypotheses (a) that the goal oriented subjects increase output significantly following failure, whereas the ego oriented subjects do not, and (b) that the high interference prone subjects make more errors after failure than before, whereas the low interference prone subjects do not. Some of the implications of these results for the general problem of individual differences in performance under stress were discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Fitting in and feeling fine: Conformity and coping motives as mediators of the relationship between social anxiety and problematic drinking.

The present research was conducted to clarify the relationships among social anxiety, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and negative-reinforcement drinking motives among college students. Heavy drinking students (N = 316, 53.80% female) completed self-report measures of social anxiety, alcohol consumption, alcohol-related problems, and drinking motives. Findings indicated that students higher in social anxiety consumed less alcohol but experienced more negative consequences. Moreover, the relationship between social anxiety and negative consequences was mediated by coping and conformity drinking motives in addition to alcohol consumption. In the context of social anxiety, the current research demonstrates the importance of examining problematic drinking as distinct constructs: alcohol consumption and negative consequences. Findings are also discussed in terms of implications for interventions with socially anxious students. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Neural and behavioral measures of error-related cognitive control predict daily coping with stress.

This study tested the hypothesis that individual differences in cognitive control can predict individual differences in emotion regulation. Participants completed color–word and emotional Stroop tasks while an electroencephalogram was recorded, and then they reported daily stressful events, affect, and coping for 14 days. Greater posterror slowing in the emotional Stroop task predicted greater negative affect in response to stressors and less use of task-focused coping as daily stressors increased. Participants whose neural activity best distinguished errors from correct responses tended to show less stress reactivity in daily self-reports. Finally, depression levels predicted daily affect and coping independent of cognitive control variables. The results offer qualified support for an integrated conception of cognitive and emotional self-regulation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

A randomized trial of a brief mental health intervention for primary care patients.

This randomized trial is a first evaluation of a brief psychotherapeutic intervention for primary care patients. Sixty-two participants were randomly assigned to the intervention or to treatment as usual. As compared with treatment as usual, the intervention led to significant reductions in symptoms of anxiety and depression. The reduction was maintained for 3 months after the end of treatment, but some return of symptoms occurred by 6 months after treatment. The treatment was well accepted by patients. This study provides good preliminary evidence for the effectiveness of this intervention. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effects of coping style and BRCA1 and BRCA2 test results on anxiety among women participating in genetic counseling and testing for breast and ovarian cancer risk.

Using the monitoring process model (MPM), the authors examined the immediate effects of coping style and test results on the psychological distress of women at increased risk for breast and/or ovarian cancers. Cases selected for analysis were 107 probands and relatives of positive probands participating in genetic counseling and testing for heritable cancer risk. Specifically, the authors explored the relationships among coping style (high and low monitoring), test results (BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carrier and noncarrier status), and psychological distress (state anxiety). Consistent with the MPM, higher monitoring was associated with greater psychological distress while anticipating genetic test results. After test results were disclosed, greater distress was associated with testing positive for a mutation. The implications of the findings for breast and ovarian cancer patients are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

A randomized controlled trial of a coping group intervention for adults with HIV who are AIDS bereaved: Longitudinal effects on grief.

The authors sought to study the longitudinal effects of a cognitive-behavioral group intervention for coping with AIDS bereavement among a diverse sample of adults who were HIV positive. Participants (N = 267) were randomly assigned to receive the 12-week intervention or individual therapy upon request. Measures were administered at baseline, postintervention, and 4-, 8-, and 12-month follow-ups. Longitudinal data were analyzed with linear mixed models to examine change in grief by condition across the study period and the effect of the intervention on grief through its interaction with psychiatric distress. The authors used the Grief Reaction Index to assess grief and the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised to assess global psychiatric distress. Participants in both conditions reported decreases in grief severity. However, among those with higher levels of psychiatric distress, participants in the group intervention had significantly lower grief severity scores compared with participants in the individual therapy condition. The long-term effectiveness of this AIDS-bereavement intervention for psychiatrically distressed people with HIV/AIDS supports the need for tailored interventions among those at risk for complicated grief responses. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Identifying patterns of appraising tests in first-year college students: Implications for anxiety and emotion regulation during test taking.

The authors explored patterns of appraising tests in a large sample of 1st-year college students. Cluster analysis was used to identify homogeneous groups of 1st-year students who shared similar patterns of cognitive appraisals about testing. The authors internally validated findings with an independent sample from the same population of students and examined the extent to which cluster membership differentiated undergraduates on the basis of external indicators (e.g., anxiety, emotion-regulation strategies, and achievement). The authors used 2 randomly drawn samples to conduct an initial cluster analysis (n = 1,107) and to replicate the solution on a 2nd, independent cluster and cross-classification analysis (n = 1,108). There may be 5 subtypes of test takers who differ in how they approach tests, their experience of anxiety, and how they manage problems that occur during test taking. Theoretical implications for emotion and emotion regulation, as well as practical implications for working with undergraduates who experience test anxiety, are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Strategies for coping with work-family conflict: The distinctive relationships of gender role ideology.

Study 1, with 266 employed parents, identified 8 coping strategies: super at home, good enough at home, delegation at home, priorities at home, super at work, good enough at work, delegation at work, and priorities at work. Study 2, with 679 employed parents, demonstrated a moderating effect of sex and gender role ideology in the relationship between coping strategy and work-family conflict. Specifically, the relationships between coping strategies (i.e., good enough at home, good enough at work, and delegation at work) and work interference with family were moderated by sex and gender role ideology. Regarding family interference with work, the relationships between coping strategies (i.e., good enough at home and good enough at work, delegation at home and delegation at work, and priorities at home) and family interference with work were moderated by sex and gender role ideology. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Evaluation of an intensive psychosocial intervention for children of parents with multiple sclerosis.

Objective: To evaluate an intervention for children of parents with multiple sclerosis (MS). It was hypothesized that the intervention would increase knowledge of MS, approach coping, and social support and decrease avoidant coping and stress appraisals. It was expected that these changes would reduce the adverse impacts of caregiving and produce better adjustment. Method: Twenty children (9-14 years) who had a parent with MS attended a 6-day camp intervention. These children completed questionnaires at pre- and postintervention and at 3-month follow-up; their parents with MS (N = 14) completed questionnaires at preintervention and at follow-up. Results: After the intervention, children reported significant decreases in distress, stress appraisals, caregiving compulsion, and activity restrictions and increases in social support and knowledge of MS. Parental data confirmed the increase in the children's knowledge of MS, and overall, qualitative data supported the quantitative findings. Qualitative data showed that the intervention had indirect effects on some parents and families. Conclusions: Findings offer preliminary support for the use of a stress- and coping-based intervention for supporting children and their families with parental MS. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Maternal coping strategies and emotional distress: Results of an early intervention program for low birth weight young children.

Several questions were examined with Infant Health and Development Program (IHDP) data (N?=?843). Are effects of intervention services found for maternal emotional distress and coping strategies, and are these effects different for different groups of mothers? Do maternal distress, coping, and life events moderate (or mediate) the intervention effects reported earlier for children's test scores and behavior problems (IHDP, 1990)? The intervention reduced maternal distress, especially for women with less than a high school education. Maternal distress did not moderate or mediate the influence of the intervention on child outcomes. Maternal coping was not influenced by the intervention and did not moderate the influence of the intervention on child outcomes. Life events moderated the influence of the intervention on children's test scores; the intervention was more effective for children whose mothers had fewer life events. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Affect-focused body psychotherapy in patients with generalized anxiety disorder: Evaluation of an integrative method.

The aim of this study was to explore the long-term effects of affect-focused body psychotherapy (ABP) for patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). A group of 61 consecutive patients, 21–55 years old, were randomized to ABP and psychiatric treatment as usual (TAU). The patients were assessed before treatment and followed up 1 and 2 years after inclusion. The ABP patients received one session of treatment per week during 1 year. Three self-report questionnaires were administered; Symptom Checklist—90, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and the WHO (Ten) Well-Being Index. In both groups, there was a significant improvement. On termination, the ABP group had improved significantly more on the SCL-90 Global Symptom Index than the TAU group, whereas the differences were short of significance on the other two scales. The integration of bodily techniques with a focus on affects in a psychodynamically informed treatment seems to be a viable treatment alternative for patients with GAD. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Efficacy of an acceptance-based behavior therapy for generalized anxiety disorder: Evaluation in a randomized controlled trial.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a chronic anxiety disorder, associated with comorbidity and impairment in quality of life, for which improved psychosocial treatments are needed. GAD is also associated with reactivity to and avoidance of internal experiences. The current study examined the efficacy of an acceptance-based behavioral therapy aimed at increasing acceptance of internal experiences and encouraging action in valued domains for GAD. Clients were randomly assigned to immediate (n = 15) or delayed (n = 16) treatment. Acceptance-based behavior therapy led to statistically significant reductions in clinician-rated and self-reported GAD symptoms that were maintained at 3- and 9-month follow-up assessments; significant reductions in depressive symptoms were also observed. At posttreatment assessment 78% of treated participants no longer met criteria for GAD and 77% achieved high end-state functioning; these proportions stayed constant or increased over time. As predicted, treatment was associated with decreases in experiential avoidance and increases in mindfulness. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The role of self-statements as a mediator in treatment for youth with anxiety disorders.

The authors investigated features of self-statements as predictors of anxiety in children with and without anxiety disorder (AD) and as a mediator of treatment of ADs in children. Children (N = 145) between the ages of 9 and 13 years participated (71 AD youth, 84 controls). Self-statements were classified by valence and content. Results indicated that children's anxious, but not positive or depressed, self-statements significantly predicted anxiety in children with and without AD. For children with AD, changes in anxious self-statements mediated treatment gains, replicating a previously reported finding. A states of mind ratio mediated only 1 outcome measure, and positive and depressive cognitions served no mediating role. The impact of anxious self-talk on children's adjustment and implications for cognitive theory of anxiety in children are discussed. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)