OBJECTIVETo explore the relationship between psychological factors and efficacy of acupuncture on primary dysmenorrhea.

METHODSSixty cases of primary dysmenorrhea were observed. Before acupuncture treatment, the self-designed confidence questionnaire was used to assess patients' confidence in acupuncture efficacy. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) was adopted to assess patients' tension level during acupuncture. Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and self-rating depression scale (SDS) were applied to assess the situations of patients' anxiety and depression. Eysenck's personality questionnaire (EPQ) and Cattell sixteen personality factors questionnaire (16PF) were provided to assess the personal characters of patients. Pain intensity, pain duration and accompanied symptoms were recorded before and after acupuncture treatment so as to assess the efficacy. Canonical correlation analysis was used to analyze the relationship between the psychological factors and acupuncture efficacy on primary dysmenorrhea.

RESULTSThere were significant differences in grading of dysmenorrhea, pain intensity score and pain duration after treatment as compared statistically with those before treatment (all P<0.001). The standardized coefficients of dominance (r=0.6797) and anxiety (r=-0.5906) in personality factors and the reduction of pain duration (r=0.9042) among efficacy indices were the highest. The overall correlation coefficients were all lower between the indices of psychological factors and canonical variables of dysmenorrhea efficacy.

CONCLUSIONAcupuncture efficacy on primary dysmenorrhea has a certain correlation with dominance and anxiety of patients' personality factors. But, the psychological factors do not play a leading role in acupuncture treatment.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adolescent ; Adult ; Anxiety ; Dysmenorrhea ; psychology ; therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Pain ; psychology ; Pain Management ; Young Adult

Pathological anxiety is among the most difficult neuropsychiatric diseases to treat pharmacologically, and it represents a major societal problem. Studies have implicated structural changes within the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and functional changes in the communication of the PFC with distal brain structures in anxiety disorders. Treatments that affect the activity of the PFC, including cognitive therapies and transcranial magnetic stimulation, reverse anxiety- and fear-associated circuit abnormalities through mechanisms that remain largely unclear. While the subjective experience of a rodent cannot be precisely determined, rodent models hold great promise in dissecting well-conserved circuits. Newly developed genetic and viral tools and optogenetic and chemogenetic techniques have revealed the intricacies of neural circuits underlying anxiety and fear by allowing direct examination of hypotheses drawn from existing psychological concepts. This review focuses on studies that have used these circuit-based approaches to gain a more detailed, more comprehensive, and more integrated view on how the PFC governs anxiety and fear and orchestrates adaptive defensive behaviors to hopefully provide a roadmap for the future development of therapies for pathological anxiety.
Anxiety ; Anxiety Disorders/therapy* ; Fear/psychology* ; Humans ; Neural Pathways ; Prefrontal Cortex

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effectiveness of hypnotic and musical relaxation therapy and psychological consultation for parents of children with cleft lip and/or palate (CLP) and to provide a scientific basis of clinical-psychological treatment options.

METHODSSixty-six subjects with children with CLP participated in this study. The subjects were randomly assigned to a test group (n = 33) and a control group (n = 33). The test group was treated with hypnotic and musical relaxation therapy; the control group were subjected to psychological consultation. Anxiety and depression states were evaluated by using a self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) and a self-rating depression scale (SDS) before and after treatment was administered.

RESULTS1) The test group demonstrated a significant decrease in SAS and SDS scores (t = 2.855, P < 0.01; t = 2.777, P < 0.01). The control group showed a significant decrease in the SAS score (t = 1.831, P < 0.05) but failed to show a significant change in the depression score (t = 0.909, P > 0.05). 2) The test group yielded a higher percentage of remission indicated by the SDS scores than the control group (test group = 75.76%; control group = 60.61%; P < 0.05). The test group also displayed a higher percentage of remission indicated by the SAS scores than the control group (test group = 78.79%, test group = 69.70%; P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONHypnotic and musical relaxation therapy can more effectively reduce the scores of the anxiety and depression states of the parents of patients with cleft lip and/or palate than psychological consultation.

Anxiety ; psychology ; therapy ; Child ; Cleft Lip ; psychology ; Cleft Palate ; psychology ; Depression ; psychology ; therapy ; Humans ; Hypnosis ; Music ; Parents ; psychology ; Relaxation Therapy ; methods ; Self-Assessment

At the end of 2019, a new form of pneumonia disease known as the corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) rapidly spread throughout most provinces of China, and the total global number of COVID-19 cases has surpassed 500 000 by Mar. 27, 2020 (WHO, 2020). On Jan. 30, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a global health emergency (WHO, 2020). COVID-19 causes most damage to the respiratory system, leading to pneumonia or breathing difficulties. The confirmed case fatality risk (cCFR) was estimated to be 5% to 8% (Jung et al., 2020). Besides physical pain, COVID-19 also induces psychological distress, with depression, anxiety, and stress affecting the general population, quarantined population, medical staff, and patients at different levels (Kang et al., 2020; Xiang et al., 2020). Previous research on patients in isolation wards highlighted the risk of depressed mood, fear, loneliness, frustration, excessive worries, and insomnia (Abad et al., 2010).
Adult ; Anxiety ; therapy ; Betacoronavirus ; China ; Coronavirus Infections ; psychology ; therapy ; Depression ; therapy ; Dialectical Behavior Therapy ; Female ; Humans ; Pandemics ; Pneumonia, Viral ; psychology ; therapy ; Postpartum Period ; Pregnancy ; Pregnant Women ; psychology

OBJECTIVETo observe the differences in the clinical efficacy on menopausal irritability between acupuncture and medication.

METHODSSixty cases of menopausal irritability were randomized into an acupuncture group (31 cases) and a medication group (29 cases). In the acupuncture group, the warming needling manipulation was applied at the key acupoints such as Hegu (LI 4) and Taichong (LR 3), once a day, 10 treatments made one session. Totally, 2 sessions were required. In the medication group, 2.5 mg diazepam tablets were prescribed, three times a day, for 23 days totally. The clinical efficacy, the modified Kupperman score and self-rated health measurement scale (SRHMS) were compared before and after treatment in the two groups. RESULTS The total effective rate was 87. 1% (27/31) in the acupuncture group and 82.8% (24/29) in the medication group. The difference in the clinical efficacy was not significant between the two groups (P > 0.05). The modified Kupperman score and SRHMS score were both reduced obviously after treatment in the two groups, indicating the significant difference (all P < 0.05). The reduction of two scores in the acupuncture group was more obvious than those in the medication group (Kupperman: 15.23 +/- 6.19 vs 18.45 +/- 5.37; SRHMS: 116.29 +/- 38.24 vs 140.34 +/- 42.15, both P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe acupuncture and medication are effective in the treatment of menopausal irritability, but the efficacy of warming needling manipulation is better than that of diazepam tablets.

Acupuncture Therapy ; Adult ; Anti-Anxiety Agents ; administration & dosage ; Anxiety ; drug therapy ; psychology ; therapy ; Diazepam ; administration & dosage ; Female ; Humans ; Menopause ; drug effects ; psychology ; Middle Aged ; Treatment Outcome

OBJECTIVETo observe therapeutic effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on internet addiction disorder (lAD) and to preliminarily probe the mechanism.

METHODSForty-seven cases of TAD were randomly divided into a psychotherapy group and an EA plus psychotherapy group. The psychotherapy group were treated with cognition and behavior therapy, once every 4 days, 10 sessions constituting one course; the EA plus psychotherapy group were treated with EA at Baihui (GV 20), Sishencong (EX-HN 1), Hegu (LI 4), Taichong (LR 3), Neiguan (PC 6), Sanyinjiao (SP 6), etc. once every other day, for 20 sessions, in combination with the same psychotherapy as that in the psychotherapy group. Changes of score of lAD, score of anxiety self-rating scale (SAS), score of Hamilton anxiety scale (HAMA) and serum norepinephrine (NE) content before and after treatment were observed.

RESULTSThe total effective rate was 91.3% in the EA plus psychotherapy group and 59.1% in the psychotherapy group, the former being better than the latter (P<0.05). The scores for IAD, SAS, HAMA, and the se-rum NE content after treatment were significantly decreased in the two groups (both P<0.01). Those in the EA plus psychotherapy group were significantly lower than those in the psychotherapy group (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONElectroacupuncture combined with psychologic interference can significantly improve anxiety state and the mechanism is possibly related with the decrease of NE in the body.

Adult ; Anxiety ; therapy ; Behavior, Addictive ; psychology ; therapy ; Electroacupuncture ; Female ; Humans ; Internet ; Male ; Norepinephrine ; blood ; Psychotherapy

Pain and anxiety engender major psychic problems during all phases of treatment for burn patients. Analgesic alone does not allay these problems satisfactorily in these patients. Music therapy, as an important complementary and alternative therapy, has been widely used in multiple medical fields. However, its positive effect on alleviation of pain and anxiety in burn patients is undefined. The objective of this review is to summarize the feasibility, application fields, methods, and the effectiveness of music therapy in allaying pain and anxiety of burn patients during the whole course of treatment.
Anxiety ; therapy ; Burns ; Humans ; Music ; psychology ; Music Therapy ; methods ; Pain ; prevention & control ; Pain Measurement

OBJECTIVETo analyze the relationship of anxiety state with CD4(+) level and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio and to observe the effect of Chinese medicine (CM) treatment on anxiety in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients.

METHODSThe anxiety state of 120 CHB patients was evaluated based on Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) scoring. According to the scores, 63 patients with scores ≥14 were classified to anxiety and 57 patients with scores <14 to non-anxiety. The differences in CD4(+) cells and CD4(+)/CD8(+) ratio between patients with anxiety and non-anxiety were analyzed. Moreover, 63 patients with anxiety were randomized into two groups: 31 in the control group were treated with lamivudine (100 mg per day) alone and 32 in the observation group were given equal dosage lamivudine combined with CM treatment depending on syndrome differentiation, all for 12 weeks. The effects of treatment on anxiety state and T-lymphocyte subsets as well as its impact on some CHB-related indices were observed and compared.

RESULTSThe anxiety state of CHB patients was negatively correlated with CD4(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+); the level of CD4(+) in patients with anxiety was significantly lower than that in non-anxiety patients (P<0.01 or P<0.05). After treatment, anxiety state in the observation group was significantly improved, with their HAMA scores significantly lowered (P<0.01), and the levels of CD4(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) were significantly higher than those in the control group (P<0.05 or P<0.01). Moreover, the alanine transaminase recovery rate and the HBV-DNA-negative conversion rate in the observation group were significantly higher than those in the control group, respectively (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSThe anxiety state of CHB patients was related to CD4(+) and CD4(+)/CD8(+) levels. CM treatment could improve the anxiety state and showed certain regulatory effect on the patients' immune system.

Anxiety ; immunology ; therapy ; CD4-CD8 Ratio ; Hepatitis B, Chronic ; immunology ; psychology ; therapy ; Humans ; T-Lymphocyte Subsets

PURPOSE: The study aimed to develop a mind-body therapeutic program and evaluate its effects on mitigating uncertainty, anxiety, and implantation rate of second-trial in vitro fertilization (IVF) women. METHODS: This study employed a nonequivalent control group nonsynchronized design. The conceptual framework and program content were developed from a preliminary survey of eight infertile women and the extensive review of the literature. Program focuses on three uncertainty-induced anxieties in infertile women: cognitive, emotional, and biological responses. To evaluate the effect of the intervention, the infertile women with unknown cause preparing for a second IVF treatment were sampled at convenience (26 experimental and 24 control). RESULTS: The experimental group in the study showed greater decrease in uncertainty and anxiety in premeasurements and postmeasurements than the control group did. However, no statistically significant differences in the implantation rate between groups were observed. CONCLUSION: This study is meaningful as the first intervention program for alleviating uncertainty and anxiety provided during the IVF treatment process. The positive effects of the mind-body therapeutic program in alleviating both uncertainty and anxiety have direct meaning for clinical applications.
Adult ; *Anxiety/psychology/therapy ; Case-Control Studies ; Embryo Implantation ; Female ; Fertilization in Vitro/*psychology ; Humans ; Infertility, Female/*psychology ; Mind-Body Therapies/*methods ; Treatment Outcome ; *Uncertainty ; Women/*psychology

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A large number of studies have shown that function constipation (FC) has an extremely high incidence of mental and psychological disorders. Cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) was applied to the treatment of psychological disorders such as anxiety and depression. We explored the effects of CES combined with biofeedback therapy (BFT) on the psychological state, clinical symptoms, and anorectal function in patients with FC. METHODS: A total of 74 patients with FC were randomly divided into 2 groups. The control group received BFT. CES combined with BFT was carried out in the experiment group. All patients were assessed using the self-rating anxiety scale (SAS), self-rating depression scale (SDS), and Wexner constipation score at baseline and the end of each course. Anorectal manometry and balloon expulsion tests were performed before and after treatment. RESULTS: After treatment, the participants in the experiment group had significantly lower score SAS, SDS, and Wexner constipation scores than the control group (all P < 0.05). The number of successful expulsion in the experiment group was larger than the control group (P = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: CES combined with BFT was effective in improving the psychological status of anxiety, depression, and bowel symptoms in patients with FC.
Anxiety ; Biofeedback, Psychology* ; Constipation* ; Depression ; Electric Stimulation Therapy* ; Humans ; Incidence ; Manometry ; Treatment Outcome