Francesca Zecchinato

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I am a PhD candidate at the Centre for Innovation in Mental Health, University of Southampton (UK), funded by the ESRC South Coast DTP. I have also trained as a Clinical Psychologist in Italy. My PhD project focuses on the identification of risk factors for the development of anxiety disorders and on preventive interventions for both children and adults.

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Guided self-help for anxiety: the importance of choice

Only 7% of the participants accepted being randomised, while 93% chose their treatment, showing a preference for CAT-GSH; however, CAT-GSH and CBT-GSH were found to result in similar anxiety outcomes at the follow-up assessments.

In her latest blog, Francesca Zecchinato summarises findings from a recent pragmatic, partially randomised, patient preference trial on two forms of guided self-help for anxiety.

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Parental mental illness a key risk factor for offspring mental illness: new evidence from Australia

The prevalence of developmental vulnerabilities in children increased with the number of parental comorbidities, with overall stronger associations for mothers compared to fathers.

Francesca Zecchinato summarises a new study which suggests that children of parents with experience of mental illness comorbidities represent a vulnerable population and should be prioritised in prevention and intervention efforts.

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Physical activity can help anxious young people, but can it treat youth anxiety?

Junior,Football,Team,Huddling,Together

In her debut blog, Francesca Zecchinato explores a recent systematic review which finds that physical activity may help address anxiety symptoms in children and young people, but more research is needed to confirm it is a safe and effective treatment for anxiety disorders.

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