Examination of emotional distress,depression,and anxiety in neurodiverse students:A cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND Neurodiverse students frequently encounter distinct challenges that can adversely affect their mental well-being.This research aimed to investigate emotional distress,depression,and anxiety among neurodiverse students,examine the interrelationships among these factors,and assess the impact of participant characteristics.AIM To address the problem of lack of data pointed out in the neurodiversity research in Nigeria,this study aims to examine the emotional distress,depression,and anxiety in neurodiverse students.METHODS A cross-sectional study was carried out involving 200 neurodiverse students in Nigeria.Participants filled out self-report questionnaires that measured emotional distress(Brief Emotional Distress Scale for Youth),depression(Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale Revised),and anxiety(State-Trait Anxiety Inventory).The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics,correlation analyses,Bayesian Mann-Whitney U tests,two-way ANOVAs,and Kruskal-Wallis tests.RESULTS Anxiety was found to have the highest prevalence(mean=68.8),followed by depression(mean=34.2)and emotional distress(mean=26.3).Significant positive correlations were identified among all three mental health factors,with the strongest correlation observed between depression and anxiety(rho=0.492,P<0.001).Moderate evidence indicated gender differences in emotional distress(BF10=2.448).The interaction between educational environment and diagnosis had a significant effect on emotional distress(F=3.106,P=0.017).Kruskal-Wallis tests indicated significant variations in anxiety levels across different educational settings(P=0.002),although post-hoc comparisons did not reveal significant differences among specific settings.CONCLUSION This research emphasizes the prevalence of mental health challenges among neurodiverse students,particularly concerning anxiety.The intricate relationships among emotional distress,depression,and anxiety highlight the necessity for thorough mental health support.The impact of educational settings and diagnoses on mental health outcomes stresses the importance of customized interventions.These findings are significant for educators,mental health professionals,and policymakers in formulating targeted support strategies for neurodiverse students.

Auricular vagus nerve acupressure for patients with emotional distress under the COVID-19 pandemic:A smartphone-based,randomized controlled trial

Objective: To confirm whether self-administered AVNA treatment is effective in improving emotional distressunder the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: A smartphone-based online, randomized, controlled trial was designed from 26 February 2020 to 28April 2020 in four study sites, including Wuhan, Beijing, Shenyang, and Guangzhou of China. Local residentswho had considerable emotional distress with a score of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) ≥9 were recruited. Participants were randomly assigned to three times of AVNA (n = 191) per day, in morning,around noon, and in evening or usual care (UC, n = 215) once daily for 14 days. The primary outcome was theresponse rate, which was the proportion of participants whose Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS)score reduced from baseline by ≥ 50%. The assessment was conducted at baseline, 3 days, and 14 days.Results: The AVNA group had a markedly higher response rate than the UC group at 3 days (35.6% vs. 24.9%,P = 0.02) and at 14 days (70.7% vs. 60.6%, P = 0.02). The AVNA group showed significantly greater reductionin scores of HADS at the two measurement points and BAI at 3 days (P ≤ 0.03), with average respective effectsize of 0.217 and 0.195. Participants with AVNA spent less time falling asleep and rated their sleep qualitybeing remarkably higher than those with UC at endpoint.Conclusion: During COVID-19 pandemic period, treatment with self-administrated AVNA was more effectivethan UC in reducing emotional distress of isolated populations. These findings support self-administered AVNAas a treatment option for patients with emotional distress under the COVID-19 pandemic or other emergentevents.

Cognitive coping strategies, emotional distress and quality of life in mothers of children with ASD and ADHD—A comparative study in a Romanian population sample

The Quality of Life (QoL) represents a dimension of the overall status and of the wellbeing that might be influenced by various factors. Mothers’ emotional and behavioral reactions, when having a child with diagnosis of mental disorder, are different depending on the emotional distress and cognitive coping strategies used. The aim of this study was to assess the cognitive coping strategies, emotional distress and the relationship between them and the quality of life in mothers of children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) compared to mothers of children with Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). Data were collected from 114 mothers of children with diagnosis of ASD or ADHD. Different psychological measurements have been used in order to assess the quality of life (Family Quality of Life Survey) cognitive coping strategies (Cognitive-Emotional Regulation Questionnaire) and emotional distress (Profile of Affective Distress) of the parents. For QOL and emotional distress, we didn’t find significant differences between the two groups. The coping strategies of the mothers of children with ASD that significantly correlated with the overall assessment of the family quality were: positive refocusing, positive reevaluation and catastrophizing. The results suggest that the use of adaptive coping strategies correlates with a higher family quality of life, while for the maladaptive ones, the relationship is reversed.

Doctor,Ease My Mind!Associations between Cancer Patients’Emotional Distress and Their Perception of Patient-Centeredness during Oncology Consultations

Objective: To investigate whether perceived patient-centered communication during oncology consultations relates to patient satisfaction and degree of emotional distress following the medical encounter. Methods: 226 cancer patients attending an oncology outpatient clinic completed questionnaires before and after a consultation including the Physician-Patient Relationship Inventory, the brief Profile of Mood States, and the Information satisfaction questionnaire. Results: Patients who perceived the communication during the consultations to be highly patient-centered were more likely to be maximally satisfied with information provided by the oncologist. Additionally, adjusting for pre-consultation distress, as well as sociodemographic, clinical, and consultation-related variables, patients who perceived the oncologist to communicate in a highly patient-centered manner, experienced lower levels of emotional distress after the consultation. Conclusion: Patient-centered communication may be an important quality in oncology as an approach to positively influence patient outcomes, including emotional distress. However, the findings in the present study of an effect of PCC on patient satisfaction and emotional distress are modest, and no firm conclusions can thus be drawn. Practice Implications: Oncology settings may benefit from the positive effects of patient-centered care and physicians should acknowledge the potential of their own relational competence in order to facilitate patient-centered communication.

Navigating emotional challenges:A journey with patients undergoing chemotherapy

A recent article reported that cancer patients with subthreshold depression are more likely to develop major depression within a year.Multivariate regression analysis revealed that regular exercise was a protective factor against cancerrelated fatigue,whereas advanced age,radiotherapy,pain,and low hemoglobin were risk factors for cancer-related fatigue.A limitation of this study was the lack of methodological details about leukemia patients receiving depressive treatment at a specific hospital.Professional assessment,behavioral modification plans,communication,destressing techniques,and educational plans may help chemotherapy patients manage emotional issues and reduce anxiety.Furthermore,these strategies can inspire patients to create,facilitate their treatment,and help them to remain healthy.

Web-based cognitive interventions on subjective cognitive impairment in cancer survivors:A systemic review

Objective:Cancer survivors have experienced subjective cognitive impairment(SCI)when they received cancer diagnoses or treatments.Their psychosocial and emotional statuses were also impacted.With the advancement of web technologies,web-based cognitive interventions have been implemented in the management and the alleviation of the SCI,the psychosocial distress,and the emotional distress in cancer survivors.This review aimed to summarize the intervention contents of web-based cognitive interventions for SCI,and to explore the effects of the interventions on SCI,psychosocial status,and emotional health.Methods:Six databases(CINAHL Plus,Cochrane Library,Embase,APA PsycInfo,PubMed and CNKI)were searched from the establishment of databases up to December 2023.Literature references were also manually searched for related articles.Results:This review contained 21 studies that covered the contents of web-based cognitive interventions,such as computer-assisted cognitive training,online cognitive rehabilitation,cognitive behavior therapy with the Internet,telehealth physical exercise,and web-based mindfulness interventions.The effects of web-based cognitive interventions positively impacted SCI for cancer survivors.Also,these interventions showed varying degrees of effectiveness in alleviating psychosocial and emotional distresses.Conclusion:By summarizingfive types of cognitive intervention contents delivered via web technology,this review demonstrated that web-based cognitive interventions optimized SCI and overall psychosocial and emotional statuses for the cancer survivors.It is recommended that future research focus on the development of customized web-based cognitive interventions for individuals with SCI,along with their psychosocial and emotional statuses.

Understanding Anger and Effective Anger Management Techniques(A Short Review)

This article explores the complex topic of rage and its important concomitant,anger management.Anger is a natural emotion that is experienced in many ways.Its triggers,body reactions,and mental components are all examined.Developing techniques for efficient anger management begins with an understanding of the nature of rage.This short review emphasizes the significance of anger management,stressing its critical role in preserving mental and physical health,stimulating personal development,and preserving relationships.Anger that is out of control can have serious ramifications,such as long-term stress,poor decision-making,damaged relationships,and legal issues.In order to provide readers with practical knowledge,an extensive range of effective strategies for managing anger is provided.These techniques include deep breathing,cognitive restructuring,self-awareness,and physical practices including progressive muscle relaxation and exercise.Other essential elements of anger control are stress reduction,obtaining professional help,and developing effective communication skills.The conclusion highlights the transformative potential of anger management,highlighting that the key to effectively managing and utilizing this powerful emotion is not about repressing anger.By putting these strategies into practice and seeing anger as a chance for development and transformation,people can start down the path to greater wellbeing,more wholesome relationships,and a more peaceful life.

Effectiveness of lorazepam-assisted interviews in an adolescent with dissociative amnesia A case report

To facilitate gathering information during a psychiatric interview, some psychiatrists advocate augmenting the interview using drugs. Rather than barbiturates, benzodiazepines have been used for drug-assisted interviews. Dissociative amnesia is one of the indications for these interviews. Herein, we present the case of a 15-year-old female who was diagnosed as having dissociative amnesia because of conflicts with her friends. She was administered a Iorazepam-assisted interview to aid recovery of her memories. In this case, a small dose of Iorazepam was sufficient to recover her memories without any adverse effects.