Exposing how exposure works: expectancy change is crucial for successful exposure treatment

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In her debut blog, Rena Gatzounis summarises a study that investigated the mechanisms of threat expectancy, occurrence, and change in relation to exposure therapy for anxiety disorders.

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From parent to child: understanding the risk of anxiety in families affected by mood disorders

Close up faces in row, diverse women smile looking at camera, little cute girl, her adult mother, mature grandmother and old great-grandmother portraits. Multi-generational family, heredity, offspring

Aslihan Baser summarises a systematic review and meta-analysis investigating the risk for developing anxiety disorders in children whose parents experience mood disorders.

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Individual, group and guided self-help CBT for panic disorder: most delivery formats equally effective, but more evidence needed

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Hannah Wallace summarises a network meta-analysis comparing four different formats of CBT for panic disorder, which finds “no efficacy differences between CBT delivered as guided self-help, or in the face-to-face individual or group format in the treatment of panic disorder”.

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Is anxiety a gateway to other mental health problems? Comorbidities with depression and other anxiety disorders

Results from the current study largely replicated findings from the NESDA dataset in demonstrating that those with comorbid anxiety and/or depression have more severe presentations that anxiety or depression alone.

Nina Higson-Sweeney summarises a study using data from the UK-based GLAD and COPING NBR cohorts to investigate factors associated with anxiety disorder comorbidity with anxiety and depression.

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Sitting in the waiting room: what happens when anxiety disorders are left untreated?

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In her debut blog, Beth Hindhaugh summarises a systematic review and meta-analysis of 173 studies examining the untreated course of anxiety disorders, which finds that for some people, anxiety disorders can improve without treatment.

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As waiting lists grow for anxiety disorders, should we be turning to digital interventions?

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Theo Kyriacou and Andie Ashdown explore a recent systematic review that brings together two decades of research, which suggests that digital health interventions for anxiety disorders may be a more effective alternative to inactive controls, such as waiting-list groups.

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Changing the game: how virtual reality treatment can help people with psychotic disorders get back into the world

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Imogen Bell summarises the gameChangeVR trial of virtual reality for agoraphobic avoidance and distress in patients with psychosis.

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Diagnostic labels: helpful or harmful?

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In her debut blog, Carla Kundert explores a systematic review which looks at how diagnostic labels affect social responses to people with mental illness.

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Revenge porn and social anxiety: how can we help victims? #SaferInternetDay

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In her debut blog, Katie Masters summarises recent qualitative research, which finds that victims of ‘revenge porn’ can experience symptoms of social anxiety.

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IAPT: does improved access lead to increased complexity?

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Mark Smith presents the early findings of the PROMPT naturalistic cohort study, which looks at the clinical characteristics of patients assessed within an Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) service.

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