Ashley M. Shaw

Correlates of Facebook usage patterns

Greater social anxiety symptoms were associated with more time spent on Facebook.Greater social anxiety symptoms were associated with passively using Facebook.Brooding mediated the association between passive Facebook use and social anxiety.Results have implications for the cognitive-behavioral model of social anxiety. Facebook (FB)1Facebook=FB.1 is a popular platform for interacting with others to establish or maintain relationships. Compared to other interpersonal exchanges, FB does not require in-person interactions. Therefore, FB may represent an important social sphere for individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD).2Social anxiety disorder=SAD.2 Examining the relationship between social anxiety symptoms and FB activity could inform future research on the benefits or consequences of FB use in SAD individuals. This study examined the relationship between social anxiety symptoms and different FB usage patterns. We also considered the role of brooding-a known risk factor for SAD. 75 nonclinical FB users completed questionnaires about psychological symptoms, FB usage, and brooding. Greater social anxiety symptoms were associated with spending more time on FB and passively using FB (i.e., viewing others profiles without interacting). Brooding mediated the relationship between passive FB use and social anxiety symptoms. An alternative model demonstrated that social anxiety symptoms mediated the association between passive FB use and brooding. This study was limited by its cross-sectional, self-report design. Future research should assess FB use with objective, real-time data and use experimental designs. Results have implications for the cognitive-behavioral model of SAD.

Research ReportCorrelates of Facebook usage patterns: The relationship between passive Facebook use, social anxiety symptoms, and brooding

Greater social anxiety symptoms were associated with more time spent on Facebook.Greater social anxiety symptoms were associated with passively using Facebook.Brooding mediated the association between passive Facebook use and social anxiety.Results have implications for the cognitive-behavioral model of social anxiety. Facebook (FB)1Facebook=FB.1 is a popular platform for interacting with others to establish or maintain relationships. Compared to other interpersonal exchanges, FB does not require in-person interactions. Therefore, FB may represent an important social sphere for individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD).2Social anxiety disorder=SAD.2 Examining the relationship between social anxiety symptoms and FB activity could inform future research on the benefits or consequences of FB use in SAD individuals. This study examined the relationship between social anxiety symptoms and different FB usage patterns. We also considered the role of brooding-a known risk factor for SAD. 75 nonclinical FB users completed questionnaires about psychological symptoms, FB usage, and brooding. Greater social anxiety symptoms were associated with spending more time on FB and passively using FB (i.e., viewing others profiles without interacting). Brooding mediated the relationship between passive FB use and social anxiety symptoms. An alternative model demonstrated that social anxiety symptoms mediated the association between passive FB use and brooding. This study was limited by its cross-sectional, self-report design. Future research should assess FB use with objective, real-time data and use experimental designs. Results have implications for the cognitive-behavioral model of SAD.

A Multifaceted Assessment of Emotional Tolerance and Intensity in Hoarding

Hoarding is characterized by emotionally reinforced saving behaviors, which often combine with excessive acquisition to give rise to clutter, distress, and impairment. Despite the central role emotional processes are thought to play in hoarding, very little research has directly examined this topic. There is suggestive evidence linking hoarding with several facets of emotional intolerance and avoidance, though one key limitation of this past research has been the exclusive reliance on self-report questionnaires. The aim of the current study was to conduct a multimethod investigation of the relationship between hoarding and perceptions of, and cognitions about, negative emotional states. A large unselected sample of nonclinical young adults (N=213) completed questionnaires, behavioral tasks, and a series of negative mood inductions to assess distress tolerance (DT), appraisals of negative emotions, and emotional intensity and tolerance. Hoarding symptoms were associated with lowered tolerance of negative emotions, as well as perceiving negative emotions as more threatening. Individuals high in hoarding symptoms also experienced more intense emotions during the mood inductions than individuals low in hoarding symptoms, though there was no association with poorer performance on a behavioral index of DT. Across measures, hoarding was consistently associated with experiencing negative emotions more intensely and reporting lower tolerance of them. This relationship was particularly pronounced for the difficulty discarding and acquiring facets of hoarding. Our results offer initial support for the important role of emotional processes in the cognitive-behavioral model of hoarding. A better understanding of emotional dysfunction may play a crucial role in developing more effective treatments for hoarding.

Hoarding and emotional reactivity: The link between negative emotional reactions and hoarding symptomatology

Hoarding disorder (HD) is characterized by difficulty discarding, clutter, and frequently excessive acquiring. Theories have pointed to intense negative emotional reactions (e.g., sadness) as one factor that may play a critical role in HDs etiology. Preliminary work with an analogue sample indicated that more intense negative emotions following emotional films were linked with greater hoarding symptoms. Symptom provocation imaging studies with HD patients have also found evidence for excessive activation in brain regions implicated in processing emotions. The current study utilized a sample with self-reported serious hoarding difficulties to examine how hoarding symptoms related to both general and hoarding-related emotional reactivity, taking into account the specificity of these relationships. We also examined how two cognitive factors, fear of decision-making and confidence in memory, modified this relationship. 628 participants with self-identified hoarding difficulties completed questionnaires about general emotional reactivity, depression, anxiety, decision-making, and confidence in memory. To assess hoarding-related emotional reactivity, participants reported their emotional reactions when imagining discarding various items. Heightened general emotional reactivity and more intense emotional reactions to imagined discarding were associated with both difficulty discarding and acquisition, but not clutter, controlling for age, gender, and co-occurring mood and anxiety symptoms. Fear of decision-making and confidence in memory interacted with general emotional reactivity to predict hoarding symptoms. These findings provide support for cognitive-behavioral models of hoarding. Experimental research should be conducted to discover whether emotional reactivity increases vulnerability for HD. Future work should also examine whether emotional reactivity should be targeted in interventions for hoarding.

Shared social competence impairment: another link between the obsessive-compulsive and autism spectrums?

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the phenotypic, pathogenic, and pathophysiological overlap between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSD). However, social competence impairment is one domain of overlap that has received less attention. Codified as one of three diagnostic categories in ASD, pathological social processing has also been demonstrated in OCSD. Yet, to date no reviews have synthesized the research literature on social competence impairments in OCSD, especially impairments that may parallel those found in ASD. The current review set out to examine the extant literature in this area in the service of advancing understanding of shared phenomenology between these two spectrums of conditions. Further, delineation of shared social competence impairments between ASD and OCSD might highlight candidate endophenotypes for further investigation. Ultimately, understanding the links between OCSD and ASD may aid in development of better intervention and prevention strategies, some of which may directly target maladaptive social processing.

Clinical features of olfactory reference syndrome: An internet-based study

OBJECTIVE Preoccupation with perceived bodily odor has been described in neuropsychiatric disorders for more than a century; however, empirical research on olfactory reference syndrome (ORS) is scarce. This study investigated the phenomenology of ORS in a broadly ascertained, diverse sample. METHOD Data were obtained from 253 subjects in an internet-based survey that operated from January - March 2010. Measures included the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale Modified for ORS (ORS-YBOCS), Work and Social Adjustment Scale (WSAS), Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS), and symptom specific questionnaires developed for this study. RESULTS Individuals reported, on average, moderately severe ORS symptoms. The average age of onset of ORS symptoms was 21.1 years, with 54% reporting a chronic, unremitting course. Individuals endorsed a lifetime average of two malodorous preoccupations, most commonly stool, garbage, and ammonia. Odors were most often reported to emanate from the armpits, feet, and breasts. Nearly all participants engaged in time-consuming rituals to try to hide or fix their perceived malodor (e.g., checking and camouflaging). Eighteen percent reported poor or delusional insight and 64.0% reported ideas or delusions of reference. More severe ORS symptoms were moderately associated with female gender, poorer insight, and higher levels of impairment (in work, social leisure, ability to maintain close relationships, and consecutive days housebound). CONCLUSION This is the largest study on ORS to date. Results underscore the clinical significance and psychosocial impact of this understudied disorder, and highlight the need for subsequent research to examine clinical features and inform treatment.

An Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Stress on Saving and Acquiring Behavioral Tendencies: The Role of Distress Tolerance and Negative Urgency.

Stress has been implicated as a risk factor for hoarding, although past research has relied on cross-sectional and self-report designs. Using experimental methods and objective hypothetical behavioral hoarding paradigms, we investigated the direct effect of stress on in-the-moment saving and acquiring behavioral tendencies. We also evaluated whether distress tolerance (DT) and negative urgency interacted with stress to predict saving and acquiring behavioral tendencies. A sample of young adults (N=80) completed questionnaires about DT and negative urgency. Participants were randomized to either a psychosocial stressor or nonstressful control task prior to completing two hypothetical behavioral hoarding paradigms. The discarding task asked participants to choose between saving and disposing of items. For the acquiring task, participants completed a computer-simulated shopping spree that measured items acquired. Unexpectedly, participants in the stress condition saved and acquired fewer items than those in the control condition. As hypothesized, stress interacted with DT to predict saving tendencies. The current study should be replicated in a clinical sample. Longitudinal studies are needed to further examine the long-term effect of stress on hoarding. This is the first examination of the direct effect of stress on saving and acquiring tendencies. Although some study hypotheses were not supported, several results are consistent with our predictions and suggest a complex relationship between stress and hoarding. If findings are replicated in a clinical sample, it may be that hoarding patients could benefit from treatments incorporating DT strategies.

Interpersonal risk for suicide in social anxiety: The roles of shame and depression

Though research indicates that individuals with social anxiety disorder may experience elevated levels of thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness, two interpersonal risk factors critical for the development of suicidal desire, it remains unclear why. The current investigation considered how shame and depression may help to explain the relationship between social anxiety and interpersonal suicide risk factors. Participants (N=259), recruited using Amazon.coms Mechanical Turk, completed measures of social anxiety, interpersonal suicide risk factors, shame, and depression. Social anxiety was associated with greater thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness. In addition, shame partially explained the association between social anxiety and thwarted belongingness, though the indirect effect was no longer significant after considering depression as a moderator. As predicted, shame was found to fully explain the association between social anxiety and perceived burdensomeness and this indirect effect was most pronounced among individuals with high comorbid depression. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.

Body dysmorphic disorder symptoms and risk for suicide: The role of depression

Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) is associated with elevated suicidality. Little is known about why BDD patients are at increased risk. The interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (IPTS) could clarify suicidality in BDD, and theorizes that perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness lead to suicidal desire, while an acquired capability for suicide is necessary to attempt suicide. No study has investigated how BDD symptoms relate to IPTS constructs or mediators of the relationship between BDD and suicidality. Individuals (N=235) enrolled in Amazon.coms Mechanical Turk (MTurk), who had appearance concerns, completed questionnaires about BDD, depression, eating pathology, and suicide risk. MTurk is an online data collection platform in which participants complete surveys for payment. BDD symptoms predicted suicidal desire, but not acquired capability for suicide. Depression mediated the relationship between BDD and suicidal desire. Research should examine how fluctuations in BDD affect suicide risk. Replication in a clinical sample may inform treatments for BDD.

Anxiety Sensitivity Differentially Predicts Factors of Interpersonal–Psychological Suicide Risk: A Consideration of Specificity

Recent studies have identified anxiety sensitivity (AS) as a risk factor for suicidality; however, limited work has been performed to understand this risk within the context of the interpersonal-psychological theory of suicide (IPTS; Joiner, 2005). The current study examined the relationship between overall AS, each AS subfactor (cognitive, social, and physical), and the three IPTS domains (perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability). While each AS subfactor uniquely predicted one IPTS domain, greater overall AS only predicted greater acquired capability, suggesting that assessment of AS at the subfactor level may offer us more information about an individuals interpersonal suicide risk.