Anxiety symptoms and disorders in older adults are both prevalent and disabling. At the moment little is known about how age of onset of anxiety problems is related to the clinical characteristics...Show moreAnxiety symptoms and disorders in older adults are both prevalent and disabling. At the moment little is known about how age of onset of anxiety problems is related to the clinical characteristics of older adults. The current study aimed to explore clinical differences between older adults with early-onset (before the age of 50) anxiety problems and later-life onset (after the age of 50) anxiety problems. Differences in the severity and type of anxiety were assessed, as well as differences in health care use, quality of life, functional impairment, comorbid depressive complaints, comorbid somatic problems and positive mental health. This crosssectional study included 161 participants that experienced anxiety problems (aged 55-75). Multiple one-way ANOVAs were used to compare the early- and late-onset groups regarding clinical factors. A chi-square test, followed by a post-hoc z-test was performed to examine if certain types of anxiety more often had a late-onset. Results showed no significant differences in clinical factors between the early- and late-onset group. Generalized anxiety was significantly more often reported with a late-onset than early-onset (χ2 = 14.516, p = <.001) This finding underscores the need for further research on late-onset types of anxiety. Older adults with early vs. late-onset anxiety might differ on other clinical factors than those studied in the current article. Therefore, further research into potential similarities and differences between early- and late-onset groups should include a wide variety of clinical factors.Show less
Both an enhanced error sensitivity, measured in the electroencephalogram as the error-related negativity (ERN) and inflated responsibility attitudes, have been found to play a role in...Show moreBoth an enhanced error sensitivity, measured in the electroencephalogram as the error-related negativity (ERN) and inflated responsibility attitudes, have been found to play a role in psychopathology. This was found especially in the obsessive-compulsive disorder, with both patients and healthy volunteers scoring high on symptoms showing elevated ERN amplitudes. The aim of the study was to investigate the relation of the ERN amplitude and responsibility attitudes as measured by the Responsibility Attitude Scale (RAS) in healthy participants. As both concepts may play a central role in the social life of individuals, we used a speeded choice reaction-time task that was performed both in a medium responsibility and high responsibility context where mistakes harmed the financial bonus of the participants and of an observer respectively. Healthy volunteers (N = 65) performed a social variant of the Flanker task while EEG recording were obtained. The results showed that there was no statistically significant difference between the ERN amplitudes measured in the different conditions, that participants felt more responsible when performing the Flanker task under the high responsibility condition, and that there was a negative correlation between the ERN and RAS subscale pertaining to responsibility to oneself. We concluded that while the participants perceived one condition to require more responsibility, this either did not affect their performance or distress, or there was a ceiling effect. The negative ERN – RAS in the “self” subscale correlation was unexpected as it contradicts the previous literature on the subject. A possible explanation might be associated with the outcome expectation that participants with high responsibility attitudes had.Show less
Eye contact is crucial for interpersonal communication and bonding between humans. In adults, eye contact can improve feelings of connectedness to and liking for another person, as well as mood....Show moreEye contact is crucial for interpersonal communication and bonding between humans. In adults, eye contact can improve feelings of connectedness to and liking for another person, as well as mood. The present study examined whether eye contact could improve connectedness to and liking for other people in adolescents. Additionally, the influence of perceived levels of closeness (to parents, unknown adults and unknown adolescents) and inter-individual variation in autism spectrum symptoms was assessed. Participants (n = 61; 26.1% female) watched videos of themselves, an unknown adolescent, a parent, or an unknown adult of similar age as their parent either holding eye contact or averting their gaze. After each video, participants reported on their subjective feelings of connectedness to and liking for the person in the video, and their mood. Eye contact significantly improved all three aspects: connectedness, liking and mood. Participants felt most connected to their parents, liked them more and were in a better mood after looking at them, compared to unknown adolescents or adults. There was no evidence for the moderation of subclinical autism spectrum traits on the relationship between eye contact, connectedness, liking and mood. These findings highlight the importance of eye contact for connectedness to and liking for another person, as well as mood. They, therefore, have implications for interpersonal relationships and mental health. The present study points to a therapeutic potential of interventions enhancing eye contact: increased eye contact may contribute to an improved parent-child relationship, which is associated with better mental health.Show less
Background. Anger is experienced in various mental disorders. Based on increased mental health problems in students and the adversity of the coronavirus pandemic, (1) the relations between anger,...Show moreBackground. Anger is experienced in various mental disorders. Based on increased mental health problems in students and the adversity of the coronavirus pandemic, (1) the relations between anger, depression, anxiety, stress, and being occupied with COVID-19 were explored. As traits predict interpersonal events and states identify events under situational control, it was investigated (2) if baseline trait anger predicted average state anger during a period of self-isolation to test if anger levels were determined by general tendencies, and (3) if trait and average state anger differed within and between men and women to test if the groups were affected differently by situational factors. Methods. (1) Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) data was collected from 79 undergraduates from Dutch universities, with surveys prompted via smartphone four times daily for 14 days. Contemporaneous, temporal, and between-subjects networks were computed. (2) In a multiple regression analysis, average EMA state anger was regressed on trait anger while controlling for gender, age, depression, anxiety, and stress. (3) A mixed-design analysis of covariance included standardized type of anger as a within-factor and gender as a between-factor while controlling for differences in mental health. Results. (1) Contemporaneously, anger was positively associated with irritability, feeling nervous and anhedonia. Temporally, anger and irritability positively predicted each other. Anger positively predicted difficulty to relax and itself. Between-subjects, anger was positively associated with irritability and feeling nervous but negatively with being occupied with COVID-19. (2) Trait anger did not significantly predict average EMA anger, whereas the covariate stress did. (3) Despite significantly lower trait anger compared to women, men displayed significantly increased average EMA anger in relation to their trait levels. Trait and average EMA anger did not differ within women. Conclusion. EMA anger was persistently related to stress, less likely to be the source or recipient of activation compared to other constructs, not strongly linked to trait, and increased in relation to trait levels only in the male group. Differences between our healthy participants and a clinical sample encourage an investigation of anger in phase transitions towards psychopathology and its potentially adaptive effects in healthy individuals.Show less
Missing data is a problem all research should strive to understand and minimize. This study focuses on missing data in ecological momentary assessments (EMA), and specifically what impact voluntary...Show moreMissing data is a problem all research should strive to understand and minimize. This study focuses on missing data in ecological momentary assessments (EMA), and specifically what impact voluntary, in-person social activity has on it. This study consisted of a baseline assessment, an EMA assessment which was conducted for two weeks with four measures per day, and a post assessment. Missing data, in this study, is defined as missed notifications or beeps in the EMA. Overall missing data was 16.1%. Participants indicated their average voluntary, in-person social activity per day, the time of week they were most socially active, and the time of day they were most socially active on weekdays and on weekends. All these questions were asked in a baseline assessment prior to the 2-week EMA data collection. The questions asked in the baseline assessment were tested for correlation with each other as well as with the amount of missing data. Voluntary, in-person social activity had the highest correlation with missing data (r = -.196, p = .074). A significant negative correlation was found between the voluntary, in-person social activity and time of week with most social activity variables (r = -.278, p = .011). The regression analysis with the four social activity items as the independent values and missing data as the dependent value was non-significant (F(4, 79) = .941, p = .445). It is important to note the time and context of this study, as the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have affected results in some capacity.Show less
The present study aims to investigate a possible relationship between perceived stress and missing data. Respondents were asked to answer a series of questionnaires (Baseline, Ecological momentary...Show moreThe present study aims to investigate a possible relationship between perceived stress and missing data. Respondents were asked to answer a series of questionnaires (Baseline, Ecological momentary assessment (EMA) and post assessments) over the course of a 2-week period. One hundred undergraduate students between 18 to 48 years of age comprised the sample. The respondents were asked to complete four EMA questionnaires per day, for each day of the duration of the study. The results analysed were composed of the data from 84 of the respondents: 19 males, 64 females, and one person who did not identify their gender. The level of perceived stress was collected at baseline for each individual, and the evolution of stress level was analysed in relationship to the cumulative percentage of the amount of missing data; throughout the EMA period. To explore this relationship, two hypotheses were tested: stressed individuals have more missing data and women have more perceived stress in relation to the levels of missing data. The regression analysis between the level of perceived stress, gender and missing data held a non-significant p-value of 0.861. Concerning the exploratory research question: multiple stressors such as the burden created by the questionnaires and COVID-19 pandemic showed an influence on missing data. A positive relationship between stress created by the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and missing data was found with F(5,78)=2.335, p= .050 indicating the impact of the pandemic on the respondent's compliance. In conclusion, the obtained results did not show any significant results between stress, gender and missing data. Consequently, both the hypotheses were rejected. Interestingly, the stress caused by the current pandemic might have influenced the amount of missing data. A peculiarity of the study was the co-occurrence of the COVID-19 pandemic that might have influenced the results, and the level of perceived stress of the respondents. In the analysis and interpretation of the results it is necessary to take into consideration this particular situation and the impact on each individual’s daily life.Show less
Introduction: Therapists have long used music as a tool for treating mental health, this study was aimed at analysing music’s effect on mental health for university students. Methods: A total of 84...Show moreIntroduction: Therapists have long used music as a tool for treating mental health, this study was aimed at analysing music’s effect on mental health for university students. Methods: A total of 84 university students, mostly Dutch and German, were assessed with a baseline and a post-assessment questionnaire as well as an Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA). They were asked four times per day during a period of 14 days about how much time they spent listening to Music, two questions about Depression (“Anhedonia” and nothing to look forward to “Future”); two questions about Anxiety (“Worry” and “Nervous”); and two questions about Stress (difficulty to “Relax” and “Irritability”). Analysis: These results were analysed with Network Models of contemporaneous partial correlation and temporal ones, where the variable is compared to the next assessment point. Results: No significant associations were found between time spent listening to music and any of the assessed mental health variables in both contemporaneous and temporal network models. Null Hypotheses are not rejected Discussion: Potential reasons for the null-findings are discussed, such as measurement levels and unforeseen circumstances, suggesting improvements to the current study design to test in future work whether there is a meaningful relationship between music and mental health.Show less
Background: It is well established that social contact is related to mental health. Previous research has shown that the quantity and quality of social interactions are associated with the...Show moreBackground: It is well established that social contact is related to mental health. Previous research has shown that the quantity and quality of social interactions are associated with the development, course and severity of mental disorders, such as anxiety and depression. Less is known about the psychological effects of social contact during a pandemic. Method: The current study investigates the dynamic associations among offline social interactions, depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in undergraduates from a Dutch university (N=79; 75.95% female; MAge =20.37) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) was used for the data collection. A short online questionnaire was prompted via smartphone four times a day for two consecutive weeks. Multilevel vector autoregressive models were used for the network analysis and centrality indices were calculated. Results: We found significant dynamic associations among the duration of offline social contact and depression symptoms only. The absence of pleasure was associated with less offline social interactions, and vice versa. Having nothing to look forward to was predictive of less offline social contact three hours later. Social contact scored the lowest on centrality indices in our sample. Conclusion: Altogether, we found the duration of offline social contact to be partially related to mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic. Results, strengths and limitations are discussed. Examining the dynamic associations among mental health and social contact can provide novel insights into the development and maintenance of mental health issues.Show less
