Educational Videos for Anxiety

Overseen By Golnaz Tabibnia, PhD

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of California, Irvine

Disqualifiers: Previously seen videos

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 1

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial aims to understand how different types of scientific information can change beliefs about psychological therapy for anxiety. Participants will watch educational videos on neuroscience (neuro-education) or psychological science (psycho-education) and then answer questions about the videos and their therapy beliefs. English-speaking adults with anxiety can join through Prolific.com. The trial will help determine which type of information might make therapy feel more effective. Those who haven't seen the study's videos before could be a great fit. As an unphased study, this trial offers a unique opportunity to contribute to research that could enhance therapy experiences for many.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research shows that both neuro-education and psycho-education are generally well-accepted methods for managing anxiety. Participants in neuro-education programs often report reduced stress and anxiety, with no major safety concerns linked to this approach.

For psycho-education, one study found that 13.8% of participants experienced symptoms like anxiety and depression after six months. However, most participants did not experience these symptoms, indicating that psycho-education is mostly well-received. Other research found that brief psycho-education reduced social anxiety in students, with no major negative effects reported.

Both methods aim to educate people about their mental health and are generally safe. Participants often feel less anxious or more in control. Overall, these educational approaches are considered safe and are usually well-received by participants. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about these treatments because they take a fresh approach to tackling anxiety. Unlike standard treatments like medication and cognitive-behavioral therapy, which often focus on managing symptoms, neuro-education and psycho-education aim to empower patients through knowledge. Neuro-education educates people on the brain's role in anxiety, potentially helping them understand and manage their responses better. Meanwhile, psycho-education focuses on psychological science, offering insights into behavior and thought patterns. By providing these educational tools, these methods could equip individuals with a deeper understanding of anxiety and new strategies for managing it.

What evidence suggests that this trial's educational videos could be effective for anxiety?

This trial will compare two educational approaches for managing anxiety: neuroscience education and psycho-education. Studies have shown that learning about the brain through neuroscience education can help reduce stress and anxiety. This education focuses on understanding brain function, which can help people feel more in control and less anxious. For example, one study found that participants felt less anxious about brain-related topics after taking a course on the subject.

Research also shows that psycho-education, which involves teaching psychological concepts and coping strategies, has a small but meaningful effect on reducing anxiety. People who receive this education often feel more informed and better prepared to manage their anxiety symptoms. Overall, both approaches offer promising ways to manage anxiety through education, and this trial will assess their effectiveness. ^{6 7 8 9 10}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Golnaz Tabibnia, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of California, Irvine

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for adults with anxiety who are interested in how scientific information might influence their beliefs about psychological therapy. Participants should be willing to watch educational videos and answer surveys.

Inclusion Criteria

Fluent in English

Willingness and ability to comply with the protocol

Probable anxiety disorder based on the Overall Anxiety Severity and Impairment Scale (OASIS) score

Exclusion Criteria

Having previously seen the study's videos

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

1 week

Education and Assessment

Participants view educational videos for 30 minutes and complete surveys, including quiz questions about the videos and surveys about their beliefs about psychological therapy

1 hour

1 visit (in-person or virtual)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for changes in beliefs about psychological therapy immediately after the intervention

1 day

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Neuro-education
• Psycho-education

Trial Overview The study is testing if different types of scientific information (psycho-education vs. neuro-education) can change beliefs about the effectiveness of psychological therapy in anxious adults, through a one-hour session involving video viewing and survey completion.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Neuro-Ed Group Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

neuroscience education

Group II: Psycho-Ed Group Active Control 1 Intervention

psychological science education

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of California, Irvine

Lead Sponsor

Trials

580

Recruited

4,943,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

The comprehensive body system review (BSR) in the Safety Monitoring Uniform Report Form (SMURF) identified 129 additional adverse events (AEs) in pediatric patients, significantly more than the 48 AEs from the general inquiry and 16 from the drug-specific inquiry, highlighting its effectiveness in capturing important safety data.

Parents found the detailed BSR acceptable and satisfactory, while clinicians did not share the same level of acceptance, indicating a potential gap in the perceived utility of detailed adverse event reporting methods in pediatric psychopharmacology.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Comparison of increasingly detailed elicitation methods for the assessment of adverse events in pediatric psychopharmacology. Greenhill, LL., Vitiello, B., Fisher, P., et al.[2007]

The safety of psychological interventions is critical, as adverse events (AEs) can occur and must be carefully evaluated to ensure that these interventions do not cause harm before being deemed beneficial.

There is a pressing need for standardized protocols for assessing and reporting AEs in psychological interventions to improve transparency, consistency, and ultimately enhance clinical practice.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Editorial: Primum non nocere - are adverse events accurately reported in studies on psychological interventions for children? Purgato, M., Cortese, S.[2023]

In a study involving 488 participants aged 7 to 17, no significant differences in adverse events (AEs) were found between sertraline (an SSRI) and placebo, indicating that sertraline is generally safe for treating anxiety disorders in children and adolescents.

However, children (aged 12 and under) reported higher rates of psychiatric AEs across all treatment conditions, suggesting that closer monitoring for these side effects is necessary in younger patients.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Child/Adolescent anxiety multimodal study: evaluating safety. Rynn, MA., Walkup, JT., Compton, SN., et al.[2022]

In a systematic review of 117 studies on psychosocial interventions for childhood mental disorders, only 31% monitored adverse events, highlighting a significant gap in safety reporting.

Among the studies that did monitor adverse events, there was a lack of consistency in how these events were defined and assessed, with only 11% evaluating the causes of the events, which is crucial for understanding the risks associated with these treatments.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Review: Adverse event monitoring and reporting in studies of pediatric psychosocial interventions: a systematic review. Lodewyk, K., Bagnell, A., Courtney, DB., et al.[2023]

In a study of 1324 discharged patients, 10.88% experienced adverse events (AEs), with medication-related AEs occurring in 90% of those affected, highlighting the significant risk of harm from neuropsychiatric treatments.

The neuropsychiatry trigger tool (NPTT) was highly effective, identifying 30 times more AEs than traditional reporting methods, suggesting it could be a valuable tool for improving patient safety and reducing harm in hospital settings.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Development of a Trigger Tool to Identify Adverse Events and Harm in a Neuropsychiatry Setting. Sharma, S., Kapoor, K., Nasare, N., et al.[2023]

Citations

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Absence Makes the Mind Grow Fonder The present review outlines these gaps by, first, summarizing animal and human research on safety learning related to anxiety and OGF.