[Symposium 57] Perception and stigma, trans-ethnic genetics, virtual reality treatment of anxiety disorder, and Hyperemesis Gravidarum

[SY-57] Perception and stigma, trans-ethnic genetics, virtual reality treatment of anxiety disorder, and Hyperemesis Gravidarum

Tsuyoshi Akiyama¹, Yong-Wook Shin², Kazutaka Ohi³, Junhyung Kim⁴, Wan Asyikin⁵ (1.Rokubancho Mental Clinic(Japan), 2.University of Ulsan(Korea), 3.Gifu University(Japan), 4.Kangbuk Samsung Hospital (Korea), 5.Hospital Permai(Malaysia))

Keywords:

Anxiety disorder,Stigma,Trans-ethnic genetics,Virtual reality treatment

Anxiety disorder places a substantial burden on both individuals and society. Despite its impact, an understanding of the disorder is still limited, and various debates remain. The purpose of this symposium is to highlight a few outstanding issues related to anxiety disorders. Yong-Wook Shin examines how the evolving role of social media networks is influencing public perceptions of anxiety, contributing to changing stigma dynamics, and ultimately impacting the prevalence and treatment of anxiety disorders in Eastern and Western societies. In recent years, social platforms have become spaces for increased mental health advocacy, creating both opportunities for support and visibility as well as challenges related to misinformation and online harassment. Kazutaka Ohi reports genetic studies on anxiety disorders, with a focus on trans-ethnic genetic backgrounds between Asian and European populations. Despite cultural and genetic differences between these populations, anxiety disorders in Asian population shares transethnic genetic etiologies with anxiety disorders as well as other psychiatric disorders and related intermediate phenotypes in European population. Junhyung Kim presents the development of a novel assessment method for anxiety disorders and a predictive model for treatment response utilizing virtual reality (VR) technology. Virtual reality is a promising supplemental or alternative approach for treating anxiety disorders. Focusing on the unique affordances of VR, such as immersive therapeutic settings and uniform treatment delivery, both the current applications and future potential of VR technology in treating and assessing anxiety disorders will be explored. Wan Asyikin reports a study done in a tertiary center hospital in Malaysia. The focus of this study was anxiety, depression, and marital satisfaction in Hyperemesis Gravidarum. There was no association between Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) and anxiety disorder, depressive disorder, and marital satisfaction.