Lauren Stavropoulos, Nancy Briggs, Jessica R. Grisham
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Background
Mental images of feared events are overactive and intrusive in generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Imagery rescripting involves integration of positive or neutral imagery and corrective information into images to facilitate emotional processing, reduce imagery intrusions, and re-structure underlying schema. Yet only one known study has applied the technique to treatment of worry. The present study aimed first to examine the relationship between trait worry and properties of future-oriented worry images, and second to examine the efficacy of a self-guided imagery rescripting intervention in improving individuals' response to their worries.
Methods
Participants recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (N = 365) identified their major worry and wrote the script of a worst-case scenario mental image. Participants were randomized to three conditions: re-writing the same worry image script (exposure), or writing scripts of either one or three positive alternative future-oriented images (rescripting conditions).
Results
In preliminary analyses, trait worry negatively predicted participants' ratings of worry images, including valence and ability to cope, and positively predicted distress, anticipated cost, and belief in their negative meaning. In experimental analyses, linear mixed-effects models revealed anxious response and cognitive appraisal of the threat were significantly lower among participants allocated to rescripting relative to exposure. There was no effect of rescripting type.
Conclusions
This investigation demonstrated the impact of a future-oriented imagery rescripting task on anxiety and cognitive biases associated with real worries in an unselected sample. Results may contribute to the development of imagery rescripting interventions for GAD.
期刊介绍:
Founded in 1945, the Journal of Clinical Psychology is a peer-reviewed forum devoted to research, assessment, and practice. Published eight times a year, the Journal includes research studies; articles on contemporary professional issues, single case research; brief reports (including dissertations in brief); notes from the field; and news and notes. In addition to papers on psychopathology, psychodiagnostics, and the psychotherapeutic process, the journal welcomes articles focusing on psychotherapy effectiveness research, psychological assessment and treatment matching, clinical outcomes, clinical health psychology, and behavioral medicine.