Search

Misophonia was initially described in 2001 as a specific sensitivity to certain sounds (e.g., chewing, pen clicking). Despite greater recognition of misophonia over the last two decades, the extent of awareness of misophonia in the general public is unknown. Extensive research emphasizes the importance of public awareness in recognition and treatment of mental disorders and medical conditions. Awareness of misophonia is important for the continued advancement of misophonia research and identification of individuals with misophonia. As an important first step, this study investigated the general public's understanding of misophonia. Data were collected through Ipsos KnowledgePanel, which maintains a large, probability-based web panel designed to be representative of the United States. Panel members were invited to complete a brief survey, and the final sample was comprised of 4,005 participants (51.5% female). A small portion of individuals (11.3%, n = 451) recognized misophonia. A multivariate binary logistic regression model revealed that individuals who were female, younger, White/non-Hispanic, had a Bachelor's degree or higher, or reported an annual income between $75,000 - $99,000 were significantly more likely to endorse misophonia recognition. Most participants who were familiar with misophonia reported an accurate understanding about misophonia; yet, low level of knowledge. The internet was most commonly identified as the primary information source. Findings highlight the low level of misophonia awareness among laypersons and emphasize the need to increase public knowledge of misophonia., Author(s): Laura. J. Dixon [sup.1] [sup.2] , Mary. J. Schadegg [sup.1] , Heather. L. Clark [sup.1] , Megan. M. Perry [sup.1] Author Affiliations: (1) https://ror.org/02teq1165, grid.251313.7, 0000 0001 2169 2489, [...]

Objective: This study examined the impact of COVID-19 in the early stages of the pandemic on university students in the U.S. by: (1) characterizing COVID-19-related disruptions; (2) evaluating health anxiety, obsessive-compulsive (OC), depression, and stress symptoms; and (3) analyzing the unique role of COVID-19 anxiety on mental health outcomes, after accounting for relevant variables. Participants: Participants included 263 students (63.9% female). Methods: Data were collected online between March 19, 2020 and May 1, 2020. Results: Participants screened positive for health anxiety (6.5%), OC symptoms (48.7%), or depression (29.7%). COVID-19 anxiety was positively associated with mental health symptoms. After controlling for demographics and COVID-19 impact, COVID-19 anxiety accounted for significant variance in health anxiety, OC symptoms, and stress. Conclusions: Findings demonstrate the vast impact of COVID-19 on mental health among university students and provide guidance for identifying mental health priorities in the context of public health crises.

Objective: Adverse consequences of binge drinking episodes are well-established, but fewer studies have investigated how incremental changes in daily alcohol use relate to well-being. We examined within- and between-person associations in alcohol use and next-day valued living to enhance our understanding of the impact of alcohol use on following-day outcomes in college students. Participants: During November 2018, 73 undergraduate participants (65.7% female) completed surveys through Qualtrics. Method: Using daily diary methodology, participants completed nightly surveys (N = 784) on their cellular devices over a two-week period. Results: Within-participant variations in evening alcohol use demonstrated a negative linear association with next-day valued living, controlling for relevant variables. Conclusions: Findings supplement other studies demonstrating the impact of individual variability in alcohol use on engagement in valued behaviors. Knowledge of the hazards of alcohol use within the context of valued living has the potential to inform alcohol use prevention and intervention programs.

The connection between stress and skin disease has been extensively documented; however, there are no empirical studies investigating the incidence of traumatic event exposure and posttraumatic stress (PTS) symptoms among dermatology patients. To address this gap in the literature and begin to understand the associations between PTS symptoms and skin disease symptoms, this study used a sample of adults with self-reported skin disease symptoms to examine: (1) rates of potentially traumatic event (PTE) exposure and PTS symptoms; and (2) the association between PTS symptoms and skin-related quality of life, controlling for relevant covariates. Data were collected online through Cloud Research, and participants completed a battery of self-report measures. The sample included 310 participants (68.4% female) who endorsed current skin disease symptoms. Results indicated that 47.1% of participants endorsed clinical levels of PTS symptoms. Consistent with hypotheses, greater levels of PTS symptoms were associated with worse skin-related quality of life, and this association was particularly robust for arousal-related symptoms. Results shed light on the occurrence of trauma-related experiences among individuals with self-reported skin disease and indicate a link between PTS symptoms and the perceived burden of skin disease symptoms on daily living. However, this study was cross-sectional and relied on self-report measures; therefore, findings should be interpreted with caution, particularly since diagnoses could not be verified. Replication of this work in dermatology patients is needed to further understand these connections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Compared to nonaffiliated students, Greek students engage in higher rates of prescription drug abuse (PDA). We examined PDA among Greek students compared to non-Greek students, and whether PDA in high school predicted joining a Greek organization in college. Participants: From November to December 2014, 509 undergraduate students at a large, southeastern institution participated in an online survey. Methods: Stratified random sampling with academic classification as the strata; chi-square analyses were conducted to test study hypotheses. Results: Greek students were no more likely than non-Greek students to ever engage in overall PDA. However, Greek students were significantly more likely to report abuse of stimulants, but not downers, in college and in high school. Conclusions: Future research to examine individual types of prescription drugs abused in high school and their affiliation with PDA among Greek students, compared to non-Greek students, in college is warranted.

Misophonia is characterized by decreased tolerance for and negative reactions to certain sounds and associated stimuli, which contribute to impairment and distress. Research has found that misophonia is common in clinical, college, and online samples; yet, fewer studies have examined rates of misophonia in population-based samples. The current study addresses limitations of prior research by investigating misophonia prevalence, phenomenology, and impairment in a large, nationally representative sample of adults in the United States. Probability-based sampling was used to administer a survey to a representative sample of U.S. households. Data were adjusted with poststratification weights to account for potential sampling biases and examined as weighted proportions to estimate the outcomes. The sample included 4,005 participants (51.5% female; 62.5% White). Sensitivity to misophonia sounds was reported by 78.5% of the sample, and 4.6% reported clinical levels of misophonia. Results demonstrated significant demographic differences in misophonia symptom severity. Specifically, significantly higher misophonia symptoms were observed for participants who identified as female, less than 55 years old, less than a high school education, never married, lower income, and those working part time, compared to each of the respective comparison groups. Those with clinically significant misophonia symptoms reported that symptoms often onset in childhood and adolescence, were persistent, and contributed to severe impairment in at least one life domain. These findings provide a prevalence estimate of misophonia in the general population of the United States and inform our understanding of who is affected by misophonia. General Scientific Summary: Misophonia affects 4.6% of individuals in the United States. This study found that misophonia symptoms are higher among individuals who identify as female, less than 55 years old, less than a high school education, never married, lower income, and those working part time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Distress during pregnancy and postpartum is common and contributes to poor infant and maternal outcomes, such as developmental delays and mental health disorders, respectively. Anxiety sensitivity, or fear of the symptoms of anxiety (eg, palpitations, confusion), is a risk factor known to increase distress across psychological and health‐related conditions. Given the physiologic and emotional changes that occur during the perinatal period, anxiety sensitivity may be a salient risk factor for maternal distress. In this pilot study, we aimed to understand the unique role of prenatal anxiety sensitivity in postpartum psychological and parenting distress. Methods: Twenty‐eight pregnant women (mean age, 30.86 years) were recruited from the community in a Southeastern metropolitan area of the United States. Participants completed self‐report measures during their third trimester of pregnancy and again within 10 weeks postpartum. The Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales‐21 and the Parenting Distress subscale of the Parenting Stress Index‐4‐Short Form were the primary postpartum outcome measures. Results: Prenatal anxiety sensitivity was elevated in this sample relative to convenience samples. Prenatal anxiety sensitivity uniquely contributed to postpartum psychological (b, 1.01; P <.001) and parenting distress (b, 0.62; P =.008), after accounting for age, gravidity, and gestation. Discussion: Albeit preliminary, results suggest prenatal anxiety sensitivity may be an important and malleable risk factor associated with several mental health concerns common in the perinatal period. Anxiety sensitivity may be targeted with brief interventions to prevent or reduce postpartum distress. Reducing prenatal anxiety sensitivity has the potential prevent the onset or worsening of psychological disorders among women and, in turn, may improve infant and child outcomes. Future studies should replicate these findings in a larger sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.06.008 Byline: Laura J. Dixon (a), Ellen W. Leen-Feldner (b), Lindsay S. Ham (b), Matthew T. Feldner (b), Sarah F. Lewis (c) Keywords: Adolescent; Trauma; Posttraumatic stress; Alcohol motives Abstract: The current study evaluated the linkage between posttraumatic stress symptoms and alcohol use motives among 49 traumatic event-exposed adolescents (M.sub.age =16.39years). It was hypothesized that posttraumatic stress symptom levels would be positively associated with coping-related drinking motives specifically (cf., social, enhancement, or conformity motives) and that coping-related drinking motives would evidence associations with the hyperarousal and reexperiencing posttraumatic stress symptom types. Findings were consistent with hypotheses, suggesting traumatic event-exposed adolescents may be using alcohol to manage posttraumatic stress symptoms. Author Affiliation: (a) University of Wyoming, United States (b) University of Arkansas, United States (c) Center for Research, Assessment, and Treatment Efficacy, United States