[PFLEGEprevent - A Randomized Controlled Intervention Study on the Effectiveness of a Prevention Program on Caregiver Workload].

Background: Care staff in Germany is being increasingly affected by physical and mental stress, which is reflected in high number of sick days and early retirement rates. A prevention program that addresses the specific needs of caregivers - strengthening their resources in dealing with workloads and daily challenges- was developed in the project PFLEGEprevent. The prevention program was implemented in an RCT and its effects on stress, work ability and quality of life were evaluated.

Experiential, autonomic, and respiratory correlates of CO2 reactivity in individuals with high and low anxiety sensitivity.

Psychometric studies indicate that anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a risk factor for anxiety disorders such as panic disorder (PD). To better understand the psychophysiological basis of AS and its relation to clinical anxiety, we examined whether high-AS individuals show similarly elevated reactivity to inhalations of carbon dioxide (CO2) as previously reported for PD and social phobia in this task. Healthy individuals with high and low AS were exposed to eight standardized inhalations of 20% CO2-enriched air, preceded and followed by inhalations of room air.

Respiratory, autonomic, and experiential responses to repeated inhalations of 20% CO₂ enriched air in panic disorder, social phobia, and healthy controls.

Inhalation of carbon dioxide (CO₂) enriched air triggers anxiety in panic disorder (PD) patients, which is often interpreted as a sign of biological vulnerability. However, most studies have not measured respiration in these tasks. We compared patients with PD (n=20) and social phobia (SP, n=19) to healthy controls (n=18) during eight inhalations of 20% CO₂, preceded and followed by two inhalations of room air, while continuously measuring subjective anxiety and dyspnea as well as autonomic and respiratory variables.