Journal Articles | Optimizing Wellness

Published Journal Articles

* Indicates a current or former undergraduate or post-baccalaureate honors thesis mentee.

2024

61. Bantjes, J., Hunt, X., Cuijpers, P., Kazdin, A., Kennedy, C., Luedtke, A., Malenica, I., Petukhova, M., Sampson, N., Zainal, N. H., Davids, C., Dunn-Coetzee, M., Gerber, R., Stein, D. J., & Kessler, R. C. (in press). Comparative effectiveness of remote digital gamified and group CBT skills training interventions for anxiety and depression among college students: results of a three-arm randomised controlled trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy.

60. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (in press). Treatment condition as a moderator and change in trait mindfulness as a mediator of a brief mindfulness ecological momentary intervention for generalized anxiety disorder. European Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2024.1750.

59. Zainal, N. H., Soh, C. P.,* & Van Doren, N. (in press). Daily stress reactivity and risk appraisal mediates childhood parental abuse predicting adulthood psychopathology severity: An 18-year longitudinal mediation analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2024.04.068.

58. Zainal, N. H., Tan, H. H., Hong, R. Y., & Newman, M. G. (in press). Is a brief mindfulness ecological momentary intervention more efficacious than a self-monitoring app for social anxiety disorder? A randomized controlled trial. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102858.

57. Zainal, N. H., Bossarte, R. M., Gildea, S. M., Hwang, I., Kennedy, C. J., Liu, H., Luedtke, A., Marx, B. P., Petukhova, M. P., Post, E. P., Ross, E. L., Sampson, N. A., Sverdrup, E., Wager, S., & Kessler, R. C. (in press). Developing an individualized treatment rule for Veterans with major depressive disorder using electronic health records. Molecular Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-024-02500-0.

56. Zainal, N. H., Tan, H. H., Hong, R. Y., & Newman, M. G. (in press). Efficacy of a brief self-guided mindfulness ecological momentary intervention on emotion regulation and self-compassion in social anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial. JMIR Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.2196/53712.

55. Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (in press). The effects of a brief, fully self-guided mindfulness ecological momentary intervention on empathy and theory-of-mind for generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial. JMIR Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.2196/54412.

54. Ng, M. H. S.,* Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (in press). Positive reappraisal mediates childhood parental abuse and affection deficits to predict future higher generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) symptom severity. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102826.

53. Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (in press). Which client with generalized anxiety disorder benefits from a brief mindfulness ecological momentary intervention versus a self-monitoring app? A machine learning analysis. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102825.

52. Chen, S.,* Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (in press). Elevated depression and anxiety relate to future changes in cultural values: A cross-lagged panel network analysis of psychopathology and self-construal components in midlife community adults. Journal of Affective Disorders.

51. Zainal, N. H. (in press). Is combined antidepressant medication (ADM) and psychotherapy better than either monotherapy at preventing suicide attempts and other psychiatric serious adverse events for depressed patients? A rare events meta-analysis. Psychological Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291723003306.

50. Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Rojas, E., Topooco, N., Rackoff, G. N., Zainal, N. H., Eisenberg, D., Shah, J., Desage, C., Wilfley, D. E., Taylor, C. B., & Newman, M. G. (in press). Training, supervision, and experience of coaches offering digital guided self-help for mental health concerns. Frontiers in Psychology. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1217698.

49. Zainal, N. H. & Jacobson, N. C. (in press). Reliability (or lack thereof) of smartphone ecological momentary assessment of visual dot probe attention bias toward threat indices. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2023.101918.

2023

48. Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (in press). Mindfulness enhances cognitive functioning: A meta-analysis of 111 randomized controlled trials. Health Psychology Review. https://doi.org/10.1080/17437199.2023.2248222. PMID: 37578065.

47. Benjet, C., ..., Zainal, N. H., & Kessler, R. C. (2023). Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy versus treatment as usual for anxiety and depression among Latin American university students: A randomized clinical trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/ccp0000846.

46. Ross, E. L., ... Zainal, N. H., Sverdrup, E., Wager, S., & Kessler, R. C. (2023). Estimated average treatment effect of psychiatric hospitalization in patients with suicidal behaviors: A precision treatment analysis. JAMA Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.3994.

45. Benjet, C., Zainal, N. H., ... & Kessler, R. C. (2023). A precision treatment model for internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety and depression among university students: A secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Psychiatry, 80(8), 768-777. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2023.1675. PMID: 37285133.

44. Zainal, N. H., Hellberg, S. N., Kabel, K. E., Hotchkin, C. E., & Baker, A. W. (2023). Cognitive-behavioral therapy plus attention bias modification reduces anxiety sensitivity and depression in panic disorder: A pilot randomized trial. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 64(4), 390-400. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12902.

43. Zainal, N. H., Camprodon, J., Greenberg, J. G., Hurtado, A., Curtiss, J. E., Berger-Gutierrez, R. M., Gillan, C., & Wilhelm, S. (2023). Goal-directed learning deficits in patients with OCD: A Bayesian analysis. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 47, 243-254. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-022-10348-3.

42. Hong, R. Y., Zainal, N. H., & Ong, X. L. (in press). Longitudinal associations between academic competence-building and depression symptoms in early adolescence. Development and Psychopathology. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0954579422000694. PMID: 35959684.

41. Puac-Polanco, V., ... Zainal, N. H., Zaslavsky, A. M., Zubizarreta, J. R., Luedtke, A., Kennedy, C. J., Cipriani, A., Furukawa, T. A. & Kessler, R.C. (2023). Development of a model to predict antidepressant treatment response for depression among Veterans. Psychological Medicine, 53(11), 5001-5011. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722001982. PMID: 35144713.

40. Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2023). A cross-lagged prospective network analysis of common mental health and cognitive functioning components in midlife community adult women. Psychological Medicine, 53(9), 4160-4171. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291722000848. PMID: 35534458. PMCID: PMC9646930 (available on 2023-11-10).

39. Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2023). Prospective network analysis of proinflammatory proteins, lipid markers, and depression components in midlife community women. Psychological Medicine, 53(11), 5267-5278. https://doi.org/10.1017/S003329172200232X.

38. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (2023). Elevated anxious and depressed mood relates to future executive dysfunction in older adults: A longitudinal network analysis of psychopathology and cognitive functioning. Clinical Psychological Science, 11(2), 218-238. https://doi.org/10.1177/21677026221114076.

37. Bossarte, R. M., Ross, E. L., Liu, H., T., Brett, T., Bryant C., Zainal, N. H., ... & Kessler, R.C. (2023). Development of a model to predict combined antidepressant medication and psychotherapy treatment response for depression among Veterans. Journal of Affective Disorders, 326, 111-119. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.082.

36. Sanghvi, D.*, Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2023). Trait self-acceptance mediates parental childhood abuse predicting depression and anxiety symptoms in adulthood. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 94, 102673. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102673.

35. Barber, K. E.,* Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2023). The mediating effect of stress reactivity in the 18-year relationship between generalized anxiety and depression severity. Journal of Affective Disorders, 325, 502-512. (Accepted January 8, 2023) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2023.01.041.

34. Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2023). A randomized controlled trial of a 14-day mindfulness ecological momentary intervention (MEMI) for generalized anxiety disorder. European Psychiatry, 66(1), e12, 1–11. https://www.doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2023.2.

33. Barber, K. E.* Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2023). Positive relations mediate the bidirectional connections between depression and anxiety symptoms. Journal of Affective Disorders, 324, 387-394. (Accepted December 18, 2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.082.

32. Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2023). Corrigendum: Curiosity does help to protect against anxiety and depression symptoms but not conversely. Journal of Affective Disorders, 323, 894-897. (Accepted November 14, 2022) https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.11.038.

2022

31. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (2022). Executive functioning constructs in anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, post-traumatic stress, and related disorders. Current Psychiatry Reports, 24(12), 871-880. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-022-01390-9.

30. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (2022). Life satisfaction prevents decline in working memory, spatial cognition, and processing speed: Latent change score analyses across 23 years. European Psychiatry, 65(1), e27, 1-13. https://www.doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2022.19. Selected as Editor’s choice by the European Psychiatric Association.

29. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (2022). Depression and worry symptoms predict future executive functioning impairment via inflammation. Psychological Medicine, 52, 3625-3635. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291721000398. PMID: 33653430. PMCID: PMC8413386. Winner of the honorable mention for best departmental paper award at The Pennsylvania State University.

28. Nguyen, V.V.,* Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2022). Why sleep is key: Poor sleep quality is a mechanism for the bidirectional relationship between major depressive disorder and generalized anxiety disorder across 18 years. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 90, 102601. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2022.102601. PMCID: PMC9945467 (available on 2023-08-01).

27. Marr, N. S.,* Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2022). Focus on and venting of emotion mediates the 18-year bi-directional major depressive disorder-generalized anxiety disorder relation. Journal of Affective Disorders, 303, 10-17. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2022.01.079. PMID: 35065091. PMCID: PMC8917061 (available on 2023-04-15).

26. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (2022). Inflammation mediates depression and generalized anxiety symptoms predicting executive function impairment after 18 years. Journal of Affective Disorders, 296, 465-475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.08.077. PMID: 34649180. PMCID: PMC8603378.

25. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (2022). Curiosity helps: Growth in need for cognition bidirectionally predicts future reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms across 10 years. Journal of Affective Disorders, 296, 642-652. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.10.001. PMID: 34627855. PMCID: PMC8759714.

24. Kim, H., Rackoff, G. N., Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Shin, K. E., Zainal, N. H., Schwob, J. T., . . . Newman, M. G. (2022). College mental health before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic: Results from a nationwide survey. Cognitive Therapy and Research, 46, 1-10. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-021-10241-5. PMID: 34177004. PMCID: PMC8214371.

2021

23. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (2021). Increased inflammation predicts nine-year change in major depressive disorder diagnostic status. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 130(8), 829-840. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000716. PMID: 34618490. PMCID: PMC8629837.

22. Zainal, N. H., Chan, W. W., Saxena, A. P., Taylor, C. B., & Newman, M. G. (2021). Pilot randomized trial of self-guided virtual reality exposure therapy for social anxiety disorder. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 147, 103984. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brat.2021.103984. PMID: 34740099. PMCID: PMC8759454.

21. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (2021). Depression and executive functioning bidirectionally impair one another across 9 years: Evidence from within-person latent change and cross-lagged models. European Psychiatry, 64(1), e43. https://doi.org/10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.2217.

20. Van Doren, N., Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2021). Cross-cultural and gender invariance of emotion regulation in the United States and India. Journal of Affective Disorders, 295, 1360–1370. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.089. PMID: 34706449. PMCID: PMC8802756.

19. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (2021). Within-person increase in pathological worry predicts depletion of unique executive functioning domains. Psychological Medicine, 51(10), 1676-1686. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291720000422. PMID: 32188519.

18. Bartek, M. E.,* Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2021). Individuals’ marital instability mediates the association of their perceived childhood parental affection predicting adulthood depression across 18 years. Journal of Affective Disorders, 291, 235-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.04.091.

17. Win, E.,* Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2021). Trait anger expression mediates childhood trauma predicting for adulthood anxiety, depressive, and alcohol use disorders. Journal of Affective Disorders, 288, 114-121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2021.03.086. PMID: 33853004.

16. Fitzsimmons-Craft, E. E., Taylor, C. B., Newman, M. G., Zainal, N. H., ..., Eisenberg, D., & Wilfley, D. E. (2021). Harnessing mobile technology to reduce mental health disorders in college populations: A randomized controlled trial study protocol. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 103, 106320. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cct.2021.106320. PMID: 33582295. PMCID: PMC8089064.

15. Zainal, N. H. & Newman M. G. (2021). Larger increase in trait negative affect is associated with greater future cognitive decline and vice versa across 23 years. Depression and Anxiety, 38(2), 146–160. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.23093. PMID: 32840954. PMCID: PMC7902413.

14. Zainal, N. H., Hong, R.S., & Newman, M. G. (2021). Cross-cultural and gender invariance of transdiagnostic processes in the United States and Singapore. Assessment, 28(2): 485–502. https://doi.org/10.1177/1073191119869832. PMID: 31538795 PMCID: PMC7082183.

2020

13. Newman, M. G. & Zainal, N. H. (2020). The value of maintaining social connections for mental health in older people. The Lancet Public Health, 5(1), e12-e13. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30253-1.

2019

12. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (2019). Relation between cognitive and behavioral strategies and future change in common mental health problems across 18 years. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 128(4), 295-304. https://doi.org/10.1037/abn0000428. PMID: 31045412. PMCID: PMC6707366. Winner of the best clinical paper award and honorable mention for best departmental paper award at The Pennsylvania State University.

11. Newman, M. G., Jacobson, N. C., Zainal, N. H., Shin, K. E. & Szkodny, L. E. (2019). The effects of worry in daily life: An ecological momentary assessment study supporting the tenets of the contrast avoidance model. Clinical Psychological Science, 7(4), 794-810. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702619827019.

2018

10. Zainal, N. H. & Newman, M. G. (2018). Worry amplifies theory-of-mind reasoning for negatively valenced social stimuli in generalized anxiety disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 227, 824-833. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2017.11.084. PMID: 29254067. PMCID: PMC6707505.

9. Zainal, N. H., & Newman, M. G. (2018). Executive function and other cognitive deficits are distal risk factors of generalized anxiety disorder 9 years later. Psychological Medicine, 48(12), 2045-2053. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291717003579. PMID: 29224581. PMCID: PMC6707521.

2017

8. Yeo, S.-N., Zainal, N. H., Tang, C. S., Tong, E. M., Ho, C. S., & Ho, R. C. (2017). Success/failure condition influences attribution of control, negative affect, and shame among patients with depression in Singapore. BMC Psychiatry, 17, 285. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-017-1451-7. PMID: 28768488. PMCID: PMC5541725.

2016

7. Zainal, N. H., Silva, E., Lim, L. L., & Kandiah, N. (2016). Psychometric properties of Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog) for mild cognitive impairment and mild Alzheimer’s disease patients in an Asian context. ANNALS Academy of Medicine Singapore, 45(7), 273-283. PMID: 27523508.

6. Zainal, N. H., & Magiati, I. (2016). A comparison between caregiver-reported anxiety and other emotional and behavioral difficulties in children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorders attending specialist or mainstream schools. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49(7), 2653-2663. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-016-2792-7. PMID: 27160302.

2014

5.    Zainal, N. H., Magiati, I., Tan, J. W., Sung, M., Fung, D. S., & Howlin, P. (2014). A preliminary investigation of the Spence children’s anxiety parent scale as a screening tool for anxiety in young people with autism spectrum disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 44(8), 1982-1994. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10803-014-2075-0. PMID: 24573336.

4.    Kandiah, N., Zainal, N. H., Narasimhalu, K., Chander, R. J., Ng, A., Mak, E., Au, W. L., Sitoh, Y. Y., Nadkarni, N., & Tan, L. C. S. (2014). Hippocampal volume and white matter disease in the prediction of dementia in Parkinson’s disease. Parkinsonism and Related Disorders, 20(11), 1203-1208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.parkreldis.2014.08.024. PMID: 25258331.

3.    Ho, V. Zainal, N. H., Lim, L., Ng, A., Silva, E., & Kandiah, N. (2014). Voluntary cognitive screening: characteristics of participants in an Asian setting. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 10, 771-780. https://doi.org/10.2147/CIA.S73563. PMID: 25945043.

2.    Ng, A., Jion, Y. I., Zainal, N. H., & Kandiah, N. (2014). Renal dysfunction contributes to episodic memory deficits and medial temporal atrophy in Alzheimer’s disease: A pilot study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 62(10), 1981-1982. https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.13034.

1. Wen M. C., Steffens D. C., Chen M. K., & Zainal N. H. (2014). Diffusion tensor imaging studies in late-life depression: Systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 29, 1173-1184. https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.4129.