Faculty Bibliography

BACKGROUND:The Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS) is a brief, transdiagnostic measure used to assess anxiety severity and related interference. The OASIS has demonstrated strong psychometric properties in previous investigations, however, it has yet to be validated using a transdiagnostic clinician-rated measure. METHODS:We evaluated the factor structure, convergent and discriminant validity, and illness severity cut-scores of the OASIS in a sample of outpatients (N=202). RESULTS:A confirmatory factor analysis indicated an unidimensional structure provided the best fit. The OASIS demonstrated good convergent validity and internal consistency. Using the Clinical Global Impression-Severity Scale (CGI-S), ROC curves showed OASIS scores of 6, 10 and 12 to indicate moderate, marked and severe illness severity, respectively. CONCLUSIONS:The OASIS is a unidimensional self-report measure with good convergent validity and data from the current study provide illness severity cut-scores.

BACKGROUND:Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) holds promise for treating generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) but has only been studied in uncontrolled research. AIMS:This is the first randomised controlled trial (clinicaltrials.gov: NCT01659736) to investigate the efficacy and neural correlates of rTMS in GAD. METHOD:Twenty five participants (active n = 13; sham, n = 12) enrolled. rTMS was targeted at the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC, 1 Hz, 90% resting motor threshold). RESULTS:Response and remission rates were higher in the active v. sham groups and there were significant group × time interactions for anxiety, worry and depressive symptoms, favouring active v. sham. In addition, right DLPFC activation during a decision-making gambling task increased at post-treatment for active rTMS only, and changes in neuroactivation correlated significantly with changes in worry symptoms. CONCLUSIONS:Findings provide preliminary evidence that rTMS may improve GAD symptoms in association with modifying neural activity in the stimulation site.

Internet-guided self-help (iGSH) has amassed significant empirical support for a variety of psychiatric conditions; however, it is not known who responds best to these treatments. This open trial examined the clinical outcomes and predictors of a 17-week iGSH program for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Therapist support was provided either in person or by phone 9 times for an average of 13minutes per session. Twenty-four patients initiated treatment, and 17 of these (70.8%) completed. Results of the intent-to-treat sample indicated statistically significant improvements at posttreatment with large treatment effects for OCD symptoms as assessed by the Yale Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (d=0.87), and small to moderate improvements in depression (d=0.19), functioning (d=0.53), and quality of life (d=-0.18). These outcomes were largely maintained over a 6-month follow-up. Readiness to reduce avoidance of OCD triggers and attendance to therapist sessions were moderately associated with posttreatment response, and correctly classified the responder status (defined as clinically significant change) of nearly 9 out of 10 patients at posttreatment. These same variables did not predict responder status at 6-month follow-up. These results lend further empirical support to iGSH as a treatment for OCD and provide direction on the development of predictor models to identify patients who are and are not likely to acutely respond to iGSH.

Traditionally, hoarding symptoms were coded under obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), however, in DSM-5 hoarding symptoms are classified as a new independent diagnosis, hoarding disorder (HD). This change will likely have a considerable impact on the self-report scales that assess symptoms of OCD, since these scales often include items measuring symptoms of hoarding. This study evaluated the psychometric properties of one of the most commonly used self-report measures of OCD symptoms, the Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory-Revised (OCI-R), in a sample of 474 individuals with either OCD (n = 118), HD (n = 201), or no current or past psychiatric disorders (n = 155). Participants with HD were diagnosed according to the proposed DSM-5 criteria. For the purposes of this study the OCI-R was divided into two scales: the OCI-OCD (measuring the five dimensions of OCD) and the OCI-HD (measuring the hoarding dimension). Evidence of validity for the OCI-OCD and OCI-HD was obtained by comparing scores with the Saving Inventory Revised (SI-R), the Hoarding Rating Scale (HRS) and the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI). Receiver operating curves for both subscales indicated good sensitivity and specificity for cut-scores determining diagnostic status. The results indicated that the OCI-OCD and OCI-HD subscales are reliable and valid measures that adequately differentiate between DSM-5 diagnostic groups. Implications for the future use of the OCI-R in OCD and HD samples are discussed.

Anxiety and related disorders are highly prevalent and costly to society. Fortunately, a large number of randomized controlled trials have demonstrated the efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in the treatment of anxiety and related disorders. A smaller number of effectiveness studies have also demonstrated that similar outcomes to randomized controlled trials can be obtained in "real-world" settings. There is minimal research, however, into long-term outcomes in effectiveness research. This study describes the outcomes of 98 individuals with anxiety and related disorders treated in an outpatient, fee-for-service setting using a case formulation CBT approach. Participants were followed up each year after their discharge, for a period of 3 years. The results indicate that patients maintained their treatment gains, with large effect sizes obtained from pre-treatment to each follow-up time point (d=1.11-1.60). The results provide preliminary evidence to suggest that individuals treated with CBT in "real-world" settings maintain their treatment gains in the long-term.

OBJECTIVES/OBJECTIVE:The factor structure and clinical correlates of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory were determined within a sample of patients with cognitive impairment. METHODS:Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected within an outpatient Memory Disorders Center. Clinical participants were diagnosed with either mild dementia (N = 45) or cognitive impairment, no dementia (N = 55). A comparison group of participants without subjective memory complaints (N = 50) was also included. The Geriatric Anxiety Inventory was administered and scored as both the 20-item version and 5-item short form. Measures of cognitive status, depressive symptoms, and functioning were also completed. RESULTS:Clinical participants reported more severe anxiety than did participants in the comparison group; however, the two patient groups did not differ. Principal components analysis revealed a four-factor structure of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory. Item endorsement on factors characterized by excessive worry and difficulty making decisions were associated with a nearly twofold (odds ratio [OR]: 1.86) and nearly sixfold (OR: 5.70) odds of having cognitive impairment, respectively. The short-form version was composed of a single factor, and item endorsement was associated with a twofold increased odds of having cognitive impairment (OR: 2.02). CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:Psychometric properties of the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory are acceptable among patients with cognitive impairment. Anxiety symptoms were common, and symptoms characterized by excessive worry and difficulty making decisions demonstrated the strongest associations with cognitive status.