Alejandro de la Torre-Luque

Psychological Treatments to Improve Quality of Life in Cancer Contexts: A Meta-Analysis

This study aimed to analyze the effects of psychological treatments on quality of life among cancer patients and survivors. Additionally, it was explored the moderating influence of some medical- and treatment-related features on these effects. Scientific studies published between 1970 and 2012 were analyzed. Seventy-eight studies were included in a meta-analysis. Concerns related to samples, interventions, and standard of methodological evidence were explored across the studies. A significant overall effect size of psychological interventions was revealed (g = .35). Clinical state and use of adjuvant psychological treatment for managing medical side effects moderated this result (p < .05). Furthermore, a meta-regression model was showed significant (R2 = .30) so as to explain the quality of life change associated with psychological interventions. The psychotherapeutic benefits on depressive symptomatology were included as a moderating factor. To sum up, quality of life is improved by psychological interventions, especially when patients have to cope with medical treatment or with adjustment after the disease is treated. Psychological treatments tend to promote better outcomes when depressive symptomatology is managed. These findings support that providing psychological treatments should be considered as crucial for the patients health in cancer contexts.

Trajectories of anxiety symptoms in adolescents: Testing the model of emotional inertia

Background/Objective Two predictions derived from a recently introduced model of psychotherapy outcome were tested, assuming the dynamical relationship between the individuals emotional trajectory and the force of intervention necessary to change this trajectory: (a) only a high intensity treatment would succeed to lower the increasing trajectory of anxiety, and (b) high as well as low intensity treatments would equivalently lower the non-increasing trajectory of anxiety. Methods: Seventy-four adolescents (58.40% girls; M = 14.65 years, SD = 0.53) were randomly assigned to a high intensity treatment condition, a low intensity treatment condition, or a waiting list condition. Results: Only the high intensity treatment reduced the anxiety when participants showed an increasing trajectory (p < .01). None of the treatments reduced anxiety when a previously non-increasing trajectory was shown. Conclusions: These findings support the theoretical predictions and underscore the need to consider not only how severe the anxiety is but also the time course of anxiety in applied treatment settings.

Acute stress recovery through listening to Melomics relaxing music: A randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Daily life entails having to cope with many stressful situations. Although stress-related reactions could sometimes provoke impairments in physiological processes due to the frequency of exposure or the stress burden of the event, physiological recovery after coping with stressors is highly implied in the aversive consequences of stress. To analyze the effects of listening to relaxing music (generated by the Melomics computer system) on the cardiovascular recovery and subjective feelings of anxiety after undergoing an acute-stress episode, a double-blind randomized controlled trial was conducted in healthy adults (N = 24; M = 23.05 years, SD = 2.97). Participants reported their levels of psychiatric symptomatology and anxiety and were then exposed to a stress induction protocol. Afterward, they underwent a period of recovery where they would be exposed to either a relaxing music track or silence, depending on a random assignation. Heart-derived functioning and self-reported anxiety were monitored throughout the study stages. All the participants showed stress-related reactions throughout the study stages, as it was shown for the study outcomes. Regarding the effect of listening to music, participants who listened to relaxing music during the recovery stage showed higher levels of sample entropy than controls, highlighting a large effect size on this difference (η2partial = .59). Relaxing music promotes more adaptive emotional regulation after coping with an acutely stressful event. This study aims to shed light on the actual effects of music interventions, and encourage the use of music-based interventions on health services.

Altered Heart Rate Regulation in Adolescent Girls and the Vulnerability for Internalizing Disorders

Background: The association between decreased heart rate variability (HRV) and increased internalizing symptoms is well documented. Adolescence is a critical period for the development of mental health problems, in particular internalizing symptoms. Previous research has illustrated sex differences in adolescent HRV, such that females have reduced short-term resting state HRV compared to males. Studies on long-term ecological recordings of HRV in adolescents are scarce. The aims of the present study were, (a) to test if adolescent females show decreased long-term HRV and cardiac complexity (CC) compared to males, and (b) to explore whether sex and HRV and CC measures, as well as their interaction, would predict internalizing symptoms. Materials and Methods: HRV was recorded in n = 166 adolescents (86 girls), on a normal school day. HRV and CC measures were calculated on the interbeat interval time series. Results: Females showed lower HRV and CC in most of the assessed indices. Internalizing symptoms were mainly predicted by HRV whereas sex only predicted symptoms of social anxiety. The interaction between sex and HRV did not predict internalizing symptoms. Conclusions: Results suggest that reduced HRV should be considered as a potential contributor to exacerbating internalizing symptoms in adolescence. Girls with reduced HRV and CC might be prone to the development of internalizing disorders. HRV is a promising tool for the early identification of vulnerability.