Publications by authors named "M S Moulds"

Background: Frontline health care staff are frequently exposed to traumatic events as part of their work. Although this study commenced before the emergence of COVID-19, levels of exposure were heightened by the pandemic. Many health care staff members report intrusive memories of such events, which can elicit distress, affect functioning, and be associated with posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in the long term.

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Objectives: Intrusive thoughts and images in Health Anxiety are poorly understood. The current study aims to explore the rates and nature of health-related intrusive thoughts and images in people with and without Health Anxiety.

Design: We used a cross-sectional interview and survey design recruiting 82 participants (Health Anxiety: n = 37; control: n = 45).

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Background: Perinatal anxiety is common: up to 40% of pregnant women and new mothers experience high levels of anxiety. Given its prevalence, interventions that are low-intensity, highly accessible and cost-efficient, and target modifiable risk factors for anxiety are needed. Repetitive negative thinking (RNT)-such as worrying about ways things will go wrong in the future or ruminating about past negative events-is a risk factor for the development of anxiety.

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Background: Intrusive memories of psychologically traumatic events bring distress both sub-clinically and clinically. This parallel-group, two-arm randomised controlled trial evaluated the effect of a brief behavioural intervention on reducing intrusive memories in frontline healthcare workers exposed to traumatic events during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Participants with at least two intrusive memories of work-related trauma in the week before recruitment were randomised 1:1 to an imagery-competing task intervention (n = 73) or attention-based control task (n = 71).

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Article Synopsis
  • A study explored the use of a cognitive task intervention delivered remotely to women in Iceland with a history of trauma, aiming to reduce intrusive memories.
  • Twelve participants tracked their intrusive memories for a week before undergoing at least two guided sessions via video, with encouragement for self-guided practice afterward.
  • Results showed significant reductions in intrusive memories, with an average decrease of 68% noted after five weeks, and the intervention was found to be both feasible and acceptable, indicating potential for broader use in therapeutic settings.
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