Morgan Amy J, Chittleborough Philip, Jorm Anthony F
School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.
J Affect Disord. 2016 Dec;206:68-76. doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2016.07.024. Epub 2016 Jul 19.
Many self-help strategies have been recommended for anxiety, but it is not clear which strategies are most effective and could be encouraged as part of an early intervention approach. This study used the Delphi expert consensus method to identify which strategies for mild (sub-threshold) anxiety are thought to be helpful and feasible to implement for individuals without professional assistance.
Participants were an international sample of 51 clinicians/researchers and 32 consumer advocates with expertise in anxiety. The scientific and lay literature was systematically searched for strategies claimed to be effective for anxiety. Participants rated the likely helpfulness of each strategy in reducing sub-threshold anxiety (related to generalised anxiety, social anxiety, or non-specific anxiety symptoms) and the feasibility of implementation in an iterative process across three questionnaire rounds.
66 out of 324 candidate strategies were endorsed by at least 80% of both consumers and clinicians/researchers as likely to be helpful, and 18 were judged as feasible to carry out. Endorsed strategies were most frequently related to cognitive strategies and other psychological methods, interpersonal strategies, reducing physical tension, and lifestyle strategies. Few strategies were endorsed that were related to diet, supplements, or complementary medicine.
Findings may not apply to other forms of mild anxiety related to panic attacks or specific phobias.
This study contributes to the evidence-base on strategies that individuals can use to improve mild anxiety symptoms. Research is now required to evaluate whether promoting the strategies can help reduce the overall community burden from anxiety disorders.
针对焦虑症，人们推荐了许多自助策略，但尚不清楚哪些策略最为有效，以及作为早期干预方法的一部分可予以鼓励采用。本研究采用德尔菲专家共识法，以确定哪些针对轻度（阈下）焦虑的策略被认为对无需专业帮助的个体有帮助且可行。
参与者是来自国际的51名临床医生/研究人员和32名焦虑症领域的消费者权益倡导者。系统检索了科学文献和通俗文献，以查找声称对焦虑症有效的策略。参与者在三轮问卷的迭代过程中，对每种策略在减轻阈下焦虑（与广泛性焦虑、社交焦虑或非特异性焦虑症状相关）方面可能的帮助程度以及实施的可行性进行评分。
324项候选策略中，有66项得到了至少80%的消费者以及临床医生/研究人员的认可，认为可能有帮助，其中18项被判定为可行。得到认可的策略最常与认知策略及其他心理方法、人际策略、减轻身体紧张以及生活方式策略有关。与饮食、补充剂或补充替代医学相关的策略很少得到认可。
研究结果可能不适用于与惊恐发作或特定恐惧症相关的其他形式的轻度焦虑。
本研究为个体可用于改善轻度焦虑症状的策略提供了证据基础。现在需要开展研究，以评估推广这些策略是否有助于减轻焦虑症给整个社区带来的负担。
