Can Corrective Information Reduce Negative Appraisals of Intrusive Thoughts in a Community Sample?

Background: Improving mental health literacy in the general population is important as it is associated with early detection and treatment-seeking for mental health problems. Target areas for mental health literacy programs should be guided by research that tests the impact of improving knowledge of...

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Main Authors: Rees, Clare, Austen, T., Anderson, Rebecca, Egan, Sarah
Format: Journal Article
Published: Cambridge University Press 2014
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/37714
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author Rees, Clare
Austen, T.
Anderson, Rebecca
Egan, Sarah
author_facet Rees, Clare
Austen, T.
Anderson, Rebecca
Egan, Sarah
author_sort Rees, Clare
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Background: Improving mental health literacy in the general population is important as it is associated with early detection and treatment-seeking for mental health problems. Target areas for mental health literacy programs should be guided by research that tests the impact of improving knowledge of psychological constructs associated with the development of mental health problems. Aims: This study investigated the impact of providing corrective information about the nature of intrusive thoughts on their subsequent appraisal in a community sample. Method: In an online, experimental design, 148 community participants completed measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and appraisals (Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised [OCI-R]; Intrusions Inventory [III]). Individuals were instructed to read either a brief informational text about the nature of intrusive thoughts or a control text. All participants then completed post-test measurements of appraisals. Intervention effectiveness was analysed using hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Individuals in the intervention group reported significantly lower levels of maladaptive appraisals than those in the control group (a = .05). Conclusions: The results of this study support the efficacy of provision of brief written information in reducing negative appraisals of intrusive thoughts in a community sample. It suggests a possible role for education about intrusive thoughts as a prevention strategy for obsessive-compulsive disorder.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-377142017-09-13T14:28:06Z Can Corrective Information Reduce Negative Appraisals of Intrusive Thoughts in a Community Sample? Rees, Clare Austen, T. Anderson, Rebecca Egan, Sarah Background: Improving mental health literacy in the general population is important as it is associated with early detection and treatment-seeking for mental health problems. Target areas for mental health literacy programs should be guided by research that tests the impact of improving knowledge of psychological constructs associated with the development of mental health problems. Aims: This study investigated the impact of providing corrective information about the nature of intrusive thoughts on their subsequent appraisal in a community sample. Method: In an online, experimental design, 148 community participants completed measures of obsessive-compulsive symptoms and appraisals (Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised [OCI-R]; Intrusions Inventory [III]). Individuals were instructed to read either a brief informational text about the nature of intrusive thoughts or a control text. All participants then completed post-test measurements of appraisals. Intervention effectiveness was analysed using hierarchical multiple regression. Results: Individuals in the intervention group reported significantly lower levels of maladaptive appraisals than those in the control group (a = .05). Conclusions: The results of this study support the efficacy of provision of brief written information in reducing negative appraisals of intrusive thoughts in a community sample. It suggests a possible role for education about intrusive thoughts as a prevention strategy for obsessive-compulsive disorder. 2014 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/37714 10.1017/S1352465813000994 Cambridge University Press restricted
spellingShingle Rees, Clare
Austen, T.
Anderson, Rebecca
Egan, Sarah
Can Corrective Information Reduce Negative Appraisals of Intrusive Thoughts in a Community Sample?
title Can Corrective Information Reduce Negative Appraisals of Intrusive Thoughts in a Community Sample?
title_full Can Corrective Information Reduce Negative Appraisals of Intrusive Thoughts in a Community Sample?
title_fullStr Can Corrective Information Reduce Negative Appraisals of Intrusive Thoughts in a Community Sample?
title_full_unstemmed Can Corrective Information Reduce Negative Appraisals of Intrusive Thoughts in a Community Sample?
title_short Can Corrective Information Reduce Negative Appraisals of Intrusive Thoughts in a Community Sample?
title_sort can corrective information reduce negative appraisals of intrusive thoughts in a community sample?
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/37714