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

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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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Is persistent anxiety and depression in childhood a one-way road to adverse outcomes in adulthood?

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In her latest blog, Laura Hankey summarises a longitudinal study using ALSPAC data that explored associations between anxiety, depression, and comorbid anxiety/depression in childhood and adverse outcomes in young adulthood.

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Can brain scans tell us how successful CBT for anxiety will be? Meta-analysis of task-based fMRI studies shows promise

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Millie Lowther, Isabel Luetkenherm, Carlos Mena and Alexandra Pike summarise a recent fMRI meta-analysis, which finds that activation in brain circuits related to salience, interoception and emotional processing were found to predict a positive response to CBT in anxiety disorders.

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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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Persistent anxiety disorders: who is most at risk?

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Tessa Reardon summarises a systematic review, which reports on the specific clinical and psychological factors that predict persistent anxiety disorders.

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Alcohol and bipolar: how does heavy alcohol use predict the course of bipolar disorder?

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Danielle Windget and Sammy Eden review a recent study on the patterns and clinical correlates of lifetime alcohol consumption in women and men with bipolar disorder.

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