CURRENT STUDIES

BERP

The BERP study is known as the Behavioral Event-Related Potential study. The aim of this study is to integrate behavioral, physiological, and self-report markers of specific risk factors (anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty), and to determine how these risk factors relate to psychopathology. This study takes place over two sessions. In the first session a semi-structured clinical interview is administered, and participants complete a series of questionnaires. In the second session EEG measurements are recorded while participants complete several computer and additional behavioral tasks. Some of the research questions for this study are:

Can we integrate novel behavioral and physiological markers of anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty with previously validated questionnaires?
Using advanced statistics, can we incorporate behavioral, physiological, and self-report indices into a single latent variable?
How will the latent anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty variables relate to psychopathology?

TURK-E

The TURK-E study is known as the Testing Uncertainty Risk: An Exploratory Study. The primary aim of the study is to investigate relationships between different risk factors contributing to the etiology of mood and anxiety disorders in the general population during the COVID-19 pandemic. The study also investigated COVID-19 specific risk factors, such as worries related to COVID-19 and safety behaviors used in response to COVID-19. Although the study was largely exploratory, examples of research questions being tested with this data set include:

Is intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity related to worry in response to the COVID-19 pandemic? Do either of these constructs predict the use of safety behaviors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic?
Are the use of safety behaviors or COVID-19 related worries associated with symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders, both cross-sectionally and longitudinally?
Does loneliness predict suicidality, symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders, or substance use?

SCAR

In the Social Concerns Appraisal Retraining (SCAR) study, we are testing a new treatment to help people with social anxiety. In this treatment, we specifically focus on anxiety symptoms (e.g., blushing, trembling, sweating) that people may experience in social situations. For many people, these anxiety symptoms may make them feel even more anxious, which is what we are trying to help address! This treatment uses Cognitive Behavior Therapy principles to help clients gain a better understanding of anxiety symptoms, and to help clients practice experiencing these symptoms in a nonjudgmental environment. Overall, this treatment consists of a single, hour-and-a-half long, meeting with a trained clinician followed by two weeks of guided skills practice through a smartphone app.

CLDC

The CLDC study is the Career Coaching study which is in conjunction with the Career and Leadership Development Center. This 1804 grant funded project is an effort to conduct a randomized controlled experiment to test Ohio University’s innovative Career Coaching model, coined Brain Based Career Development (BBCD) and compare its effectiveness to the Best Practice Career Coaching (BPCC). A unique component of the BBCD is the neuropsychologically-based element. Participants are randomly assigned to a condition in which they receive BBCD or BPCC which train them to set goals and move towards these goals. A week and a month after treatment we measure participants’ goal-setting skills and their progress towards their goal. The research question in the CLDC study is:

Does the neuropsychologically-based component of the intervention of the BBCD lead to significantly better results in goal setting and achieving goals.

BEAST

Brief Enhanced Anxiety Sensitivity Treatment (BEAST) is a pilot study testing a brief anxiety sensitivity treatment for adolescents enhanced by a smartphone-based intervention. The purpose of this study is to examine the practical aspects of an anxiety intervention and receive feedback about the participants’ experience in the end of treatment as well as verify the effectiveness of the treatment in reducing anxiety sensitivity and anxiety. This study will provide a brief anxiety intervention followed by 2 weeks of brief (~1 minute) measures of anxiety 4 times a day through a phone application. Participants will receive an immediate brief intervention through their phone, if their anxiety is elevated. This intervention aims to both reduce anxiety and help to skills learned during the brief intervention in every-day situations. The research questions in the BEAST study are:

Does brief anxiety sensitivity intervention enhanced by phone intervention significantly reduce anxiety sensitivity and anxiety?
Receive feedback from the participants about the way to improve the treatment.