Introduction
It is proven that high levels of disgust contribute to implementing protective behaviors. Investigators also discovered that the emotion of disgust plays a central role in determining ...anxiety related to the contraction of COVID-19. Few data are available about the role of the contamination disgust, a specific disgust domain, in this relationship.
Objectives
The effect of contamination disgust on COVID-19-related anxiety was investigated.
Methods
295 healthy subjects were enrolled through an online survey. They completed Disgust Scale-Revised (DS-R) and were asked to estimate their levels of Covid-19-related anxiety in 12 proposed situations. A total score was then calculated. An ANOVA model having Covid-19-related anxiety total score as dependent variable, and DS-R contamination disgust, age, and sex as predictors was estimated.
Results
The overall model was significant (F(3,291)=6.402, p<0.001) and explained 6.2% of total Covid-19 anxiety variance (R
2
=0.062). The effect of DS-R contamination disgust on Covid-19-related anxiety was positive, significant (B=0.974, t(291)=3.227, p=0.001) and explained 3.5% of Covid-19-related anxiety variance (partial η
2
=0.035). A significant effect of sex was detected
(F(1,291)=4.919, p=0.027), with females having higher Covid-19-related anxiety than males, while no effect was detected for age (B=-0.024, t(291)=-0.884, p=0.377).
Conclusions
The presented data provide preliminary evidence for an effect of contamination disgust on Covid-19-related anxiety.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Introduction
Theory of Mind is defined as the ability to understand mental states of other people, and is notoriously impaired in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder. A growing body of evidence ...suggests an impairment of Theory of Mind in several other psychopathological disorders. However, only few studies have assessed Theory of Mind in patients with Anxiety Disorders (AD), addressing only patients with Social Anxiety Disorder.
Objectives
We aimed to investigate the differences in Theory of Mind between patients with AD and Healthy Controls (HC).
Methods
We enrolled 35 patients admitted in the Psychiatric Unit of Careggi with diagnosis of AD and 31 HC. We administered them: Zung Anxiety Scale (ZSAS), Empathy Quotient (EQ), Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RMET), and Faux Pas test (FP). A t-test for independent samples was performed to assess between-group differences.
Results
Zung total scores proved to be significantly higher in patients (t(60)=4.375, p<0.001), while Empathy Quotient total scores (t(61)=-3.325, p=0.002), detection of faux pas in Faux Pas test (t(61)=-4.957, p<0.001), RMET total scores (t(63)=-2.269, p=0.031) were significantly higher in healthy controls.
Conclusions
Such preliminary data suggest impairment of Theory of Mind and Empathy in patients with AD as compared to HC. This could be linked to the development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms in patients with AD, making Theory of Mind a potential target in psychotherapy of AD.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Introduction
Theory of Mind (ToM) is defined as the ability to understand mental states of other people. Recent studies explored its role in various psychopathological disorders, but evidence lacks ...on the relationship existing between specific psychopathological domains and ToM.
Objectives
We aimed to investigate the relationship between psychopathology of Anxiety Disorders (AD) and Theory of Mind.
Methods
We enrolled 35 patients admitted to the Psychiatric Unit of Careggi Hospital in Florence with diagnosis of AD. We administered them: Zung Anxiety Scale (ZSAS), Metacognition Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), and Reading the Mind in the Eyes (RMET). Pearson’s correlation was used to assess relationships between variables.
Results
A significant positive correlation was detected between RMET scores and ZSAS total scores (r=0.385, p=0.022), MCQ-30 Negative Beliefs about Uncontrollability and Danger subscale (MCQ-30-Neg, r=0.407, p=0.015), and MCQ-30 Cognitive Self-Consciousness subscale (MCQ-30-CSC, r=0.349, p=0.040).
Correlations between the variables in the study and Reading the mind in the eyes total scores are shown.
RMET total score
r
p
MCQ-30-Neg
0.407
0.015
MCQ-30-CSC
0.349
0.040
MCQ-30 Positive beliefs about Worry
0.073
0.667
MCQ-30 Lack of Cognitive Confidence
-0.245
0.155
MCQ-30 Need to Control Thoughts
0.311
0.069
ZSAS total scores
0.385
0.022
Conclusions
Such preliminary data suggest a relationship between Theory of Mind and AD psychopathology. In particular, some dimensions of AD psychopathology seem to predict higher Theory of Mind levels.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Introduction
The comorbidity between anxiety disorders (AD) and eating disorders (ED) has already been well discovered, and because of the link between disgust, food choice and rejection (which ...appear to be key factors of eating psychopathology), it can be suggested that these three aspects may be related. Accordingly, it can be hypothesized that individuals who express heightened levels of both disgust and eating concerns are at a higher risk to develop an AD. By contrast, disgust, as a negative emotion, influences ED symptoms through a greater level of anxiety.
Objectives
We aimed to investigate the psychopathological role of disgust and eating disorder symptoms in the development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms in patients with AD.
Methods
We enrolled 84 patients admitted in the Psychiatric Unit of Careggi with diagnosis of Anxiety Disorders. We administered them: Zung Anxiety Scale (ZSAS), Disgust Propensity and Sensibility Scale-revised (DPSS-r) and Eating Disorders Examination Questionnaire (EDE-Q).
Results
A multiple regression model having ZSAS total as dependent variable, and EDE-Q total and DPSS disgust sensitivity subscale as independent variables explained 29% of ZSAS total variance (R²=0.290). The effect of EDE-Q total was positive, significant (β=0.331, t=2.631, p=0.011) and explained 11.9% of ZSAS total variance (pr²=0.119). The effect of DPSS disgust sensitivity was positive, significant (β=0.326, t=2.595, p=0.012) and explained 11.6% of ZSAS total variance (pr²=0.116) (Fig.1).
Conclusions
Such preliminary data suggest a possible role of feelings of disgust and eating disorder symptoms in development and maintenance of anxiety symptoms in patients with AD, making them a potential target for psychotherapy.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Introduction
Disgust is a basic emotion characterized by the feeling of revulsion and evoked by unpleasant stimuli such as contaminated food, poor hygiene and contact with sick or dead organisms. ...Disgust is a contributing factor to the development of several mental disorders including anxiety disorders (AD). Several studies have tried to explore the relationship between disgust and eating disorders (ED), with heterogeneous findings. Subjects with ED showed a heightened level of disgust sensitivity (DS) when compared with healthy controls (HC).
Objectives
Our study aims to evaluate levels of disgust and anxiety in ED, AD and HC in order to assess associations between these two emotions.
Methods
We enrolled 74 patients admitted to Psychiatric Unit of Careggi, 41 with diagnosis of Eating Disorder, 33 with Anxiety Disorders, and 40 healthy controls. We administered to all groups: Zung Anxiety Scale (ZSAS) and Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-revised (DPSS-r).
Results
Both patients with anxiety disorders and eating disorders showed higher levels of disgust propensity and sensitivity than healthy controls. Moreover, there was no significant differences in anxiety, Disgust Propensity (DP) and Disgust Sensitivity levels between patients with eating disorders and anxiety disorders. Among healthy controls there was a significant association between DS and Anxiety levels (B: 0.579, T:3,416 p:0,001).
Conclusions
Anxiety and disgust are typical emotions of anxiety disorders and eating disorders. However, they are increased both in anxiety and eating disorders and they are associated in healthy controls. The nature of this association needs to be deeply investigated.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Introduction
There is a growing literature suggesting disgust plays a major role in religiosity. Asceticism is a personality trait characterized by abstinence from sensual pleasures, often for the ...purpose of pursuing spiritual goals. Since few studies suggested that higher disgust levels may lead to greater fear of sin, contamination disgust may serve as effective mechanisms for inflated scrupulosity.
Objectives
We aimed to investigate the role of contamination disgust on a specific religious belief in two clinical groups: eating disorders and anxiety disorders.
Methods
We enrolled 84 patients admitted in the Psychiatric Unit of Careggi with diagnosis of Anxiety Disorders (AD) and Eating Disorders (ED). We administered them: Disgust Scale Revised (DS-R) and Eating Disorders Inventory 2 (EDI-2)
Results
A t-test for independent samples between AD patients and ED patients showed no difference in DS-R contamination disgust subscale (t=1.437, p=0.153), while significantly higher EDI-2 asceticism scores were detected in ED patients (t=2.452, p=0.010). An ANCOVA model having EDI2 Asceticism subscale as dependent variable, and DS contamination disgust subscale, diagnosis, and interaction between contamination disgust and diagnosis was estimated. The overall model was significant (F(1,136)=4.854, p=0.003) and accounted for 9.7% of variance of EDI2 Asceticism subscale (R
2
=0.097). The effect of contamination disgust was positive and significant (β=0.302, t=2.781, p=0.006), and accounted for 5.4% of variance of EDI2 Asceticism (partial η
2
=0.054). No effect was detected for diagnosis (F(1,136)=0.012, p=0.912) or interaction between contamination disgust and diagnosis (F(1,136)=1.346, p=0.248).
Conclusions
Contamination disgust may have a trans-diagnostic effect on asceticism and may be a possible driver for specific religious behaviors.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Introduction
Several studies demonstrate that disgust, defined as a revulsion response aimed at distancing an individual from a potentially harmful or noxious stimulus, is linked to post-traumatic ...stress following sexual trauma even when accounting for associated fear and anxiety. One of the suggested mechanisms implicated in this association is a feeling of mental contamination. Recent neuroimaging studies demonstrated that exposure to contamination activates the insular cortex. In addition, disgust sensitivity correlates with the activation of the insular cortex.
Objectives
We aimed to investigate the psychopathological role of the emotion of disgust in the developement of anxiety symptoms in patient with an history of abuse.
Methods
We enrolled 84 patients admitted in Psychiatric Unit of Careggi with diagnosis of Anxiety Disorders. We administered to them: Zung Anxiety Scale (ZSAS), Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ), Disgust Propensity and Sensitivity Scale-revised (DPSS-r).
Results
Results showed a significant mediation of the association between CTQ emotional abuse scores and total ZSAS scores via DPSS disgust sensitivity scores in patients with anxiety disorders (p=0.022). Total effect and indirect effect of emotional abuse on severity of anxiety symptoms were significant (total effect = 0.494; p=0.051, indirect effect: 0.256, p=0.022), while there was no significant direct effect from emotional abuse to anxiety symptoms in the total model (direct effect: 0.237, p=0.356). The model explained 18% of variance in anxiety symptomatology (R
2
=0.18).
Conclusions
Such preliminary data suggest a possible mediating role of disgust in development and maintenance of childhood abuse-related anxiety, making it a potential target for psychotherapy.
Disclosure
No significant relationships.
Cardiac injury is common in patients who are hospitalized with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and portends poorer prognosis. However, the mechanism and the type of myocardial damage associated ...with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) remain uncertain.
We conducted a systematic pathological analysis of 40 hearts from hospitalized patients dying of COVID-19 in Bergamo, Italy, to determine the pathological mechanisms of cardiac injury. We divided the hearts according to presence or absence of acute myocyte necrosis and then determined the underlying mechanisms of cardiac injury.
Of the 40 hearts examined, 14 (35%) had evidence of myocyte necrosis, predominantly of the left ventricle. Compared with subjects without necrosis, subjects with necrosis tended to be female, have chronic kidney disease, and have shorter symptom onset to admission. The incidence of severe coronary artery disease (ie, >75% cross-sectional narrowing) was not significantly different between those with and without necrosis. Three of 14 (21.4%) subjects with myocyte necrosis showed evidence of acute myocardial infarction, defined as ≥1 cm
area of necrosis, whereas 11 of 14 (78.6%) showed evidence of focal (>20 necrotic myocytes with an area of ≥0.05 mm
but <1 cm
) myocyte necrosis. Cardiac thrombi were present in 11 of 14 (78.6%) cases with necrosis, with 2 of 14 (14.2%) having epicardial coronary artery thrombi, whereas 9 of 14 (64.3%) had microthrombi in myocardial capillaries, arterioles, and small muscular arteries. We compared cardiac microthrombi from COVID-19-positive autopsy cases to intramyocardial thromboemboli from COVID-19 cases as well as to aspirated thrombi obtained during primary percutaneous coronary intervention from uninfected and COVID-19-infected patients presenting with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Microthrombi had significantly greater fibrin and terminal complement C5b-9 immunostaining compared with intramyocardial thromboemboli from COVID-19-negative subjects and with aspirated thrombi. There were no significant differences between the constituents of thrombi aspirated from COVID-19-positive and -negative patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction.
The most common pathological cause of myocyte necrosis was microthrombi. Microthrombi were different in composition from intramyocardial thromboemboli from COVID-19-negative subjects and from coronary thrombi retrieved from COVID-19-positive and -negative patients with ST-segment-elevation myocardial infarction. Tailored antithrombotic strategies may be useful to counteract the cardiac effects of COVID-19 infection.
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