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One of the most important aspects of clinical practice, outcome scales provide practitioners and clients alike with key information about client progress and response to various stimuli and treatments. While there are many self-reporting scales for anxiety, one such scale recently developed at Rhode Island Hospital has been created to allow for swift reporting and processing times, and to deliver a consistent and reliable accuracy. The scale has proven successful in resisting test-retest variance and is able to be completed in less than two minutes by a client, while scoring can take under thirty seconds. The scale may become popular in a number of clinical environments, especially those with demanding case loads.

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A GoodTherapy.org News Summary

Getting a soothing and relaxing massage has long been not only a popular source of unwinding and pleasure after a hard workweek or difficult event, but has also been hailed for its ability to ease symptoms of anxiety. In fact, massage therapy has traditionally been one of the most frequently-used alternatives to medical and psychotherapeutic treatment for anxiety, though issues of access to care and affordability exist. Providing the groundwork for a potential widening of the availability of these therapeutic benefits, a study recently published in the journal Depression and Anxiety has found that similar treatments, such as practicing deep breathing while lying down or receiving thermotherapy through warm towels applied to the limbs, all complimented with low light and soft music, are equally effective in reducing symptoms.

The study split participants into three groups, each of which received one type of treatment. After a twelve week study period in which subjects received ten therapeutic sessions, the researchers found that consistent reports of about a forty percent reduction in anxiety symptoms was experienced in each group, and this effect was amplified to a fifty percent reduction across all groups after a follow-up performed three months later. The research powerfully demonstrates that the process of relaxation itself may be the key component of the reduction of anxiety in alternative treatments, rather than the specific application involved. Read the rest of this entry

© Copyright 2010 by http://www.GoodTherapy.org Therapist San Antonio Bureau - All Rights Reserved.

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Physical activity is often recommended for people with a wide range of psychological concerns, though precise regimens and concerns still leave a great amount of research to be completed in the area. A team form the University of Georgia at Athens has made a positive step forward by recently publishing the results of a study examining the effects of moderate exercise on people experiencing anxiety over a recurring illness. The study found that over a period of four months, participants experienced an average of twenty percent improvement of their anxiety-related thoughts and feelings as compared to their concerns at the beginning of the research. The exercise was fairly light and may help professionals recommend more precise regimens for their clients.

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By Evelyn Goodman, Psy.D, LMFT, Anxiety Topic Expert Contributor

Click here to contact Evelyn and/or see her GoodTherapy.org Profile

The reaction of your body to anger is very similar to the reaction of your body to fear. They are both reactions of the fight or flight part of the brain. This creates confusion for some people; you can be reacting in anger but interpret it as anxiety since your body is reacting with many of the same symptoms: sweating, trembling, tense muscles.

Anger is a powerful and difficult emotion for people who have not yet learned anger-management skills. Some people do not feel their angry feelings because they were taught that it wasn’t nice to get angry. Or perhaps they grew up afraid of someone’s anger or rage and decided to repress their own. Others get angry very easily and often. Sometimes feeling angry replaces other feelings such as fear or or sadness–more vulnerable emotions. Read the rest of this entry

A GoodTherapy.org News Headline

Modern psychotherapeutic treatments for symptoms of anxiety are often able to help clients overcome panic attacks, feelings of constant or debilitating worry, and other issues frequently experienced when anxiety is diagnosed. But understanding precisely why the brain may react differently to emotional data in people with anxiety has been a less productive quest. Recently, a research team at Stanford University has used MRI brain scanning technology to study the brains of clients with and without anxiety issues as they process emotional stimuli, and has concluded that those with anxiety exhibit distinct behaviors. Further research may help create more precise and effective treatment options, the researchers say.

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