Cognitive behavioural group therapy for social phobia with or without attention training: A controlled trial

The Self-Regulatory Executive Function model [S-REF; Wells, A., & Matthews, G. (1996). Modellingcognition in emotional disorder: the S-REF model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 34, 881–888] proposes that metacognitive beliefs, inflexible self-focused attention, and perseverative thinking (rumin...

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Main Authors: McEvoy, Peter, Perini, S.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Pergamon 2009
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/43185
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author McEvoy, Peter
Perini, S.
author_facet McEvoy, Peter
Perini, S.
author_sort McEvoy, Peter
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The Self-Regulatory Executive Function model [S-REF; Wells, A., & Matthews, G. (1996). Modellingcognition in emotional disorder: the S-REF model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 34, 881–888] proposes that metacognitive beliefs, inflexible self-focused attention, and perseverative thinking (rumination and worry) play an important role in maintaining emotional dysfunction. Attention training [ATT; Wells, A. (1990). Panic disorder in association with relaxation induced anxiety: an attentional training approach to treatment. Behavior Therapy, 21, 273–280] is a technique designed to increase attentional control and flexibility, and thereby lessen the impact of these maintaining factors. The main aim of this study was to determine whether or not supplementing cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) with ATT could potentiate greater changes in social anxiety, depression, attentional control, metacognitive beliefs, and anticipatory and post-event processing in a clinical sample with social phobia. Patients (N = 81) were allocated to CBGT with ATT or relaxation training (RT). ATT did not potentiate greater change on any outcome variable, with both groups achieving significant improvements on all measures. Exploratory correlational analyses (pre-treatment and changes scores) showed that somemetacognitive beliefs were associated with attentional control, anticipatory processing, and symptoms of social anxiety and depression. However, attentional control was more consistently associated with anticipatory processing, post-event processing, and symptoms of social anxiety and depression, than with metacognitive beliefs. Results are discussed with reference to cognitive behavioral models of social phobia. It is tentatively concluded that while supplementing CBGT with ATT does not improve outcomes, increasing attentional control during CBGT is associated with symptom relief.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-431852017-02-28T01:46:27Z Cognitive behavioural group therapy for social phobia with or without attention training: A controlled trial McEvoy, Peter Perini, S. Cognitive behavior therapy Rumination Anxiety disorders Social phobia Attention training Metacognition The Self-Regulatory Executive Function model [S-REF; Wells, A., & Matthews, G. (1996). Modellingcognition in emotional disorder: the S-REF model. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 34, 881–888] proposes that metacognitive beliefs, inflexible self-focused attention, and perseverative thinking (rumination and worry) play an important role in maintaining emotional dysfunction. Attention training [ATT; Wells, A. (1990). Panic disorder in association with relaxation induced anxiety: an attentional training approach to treatment. Behavior Therapy, 21, 273–280] is a technique designed to increase attentional control and flexibility, and thereby lessen the impact of these maintaining factors. The main aim of this study was to determine whether or not supplementing cognitive behavioral group therapy (CBGT) with ATT could potentiate greater changes in social anxiety, depression, attentional control, metacognitive beliefs, and anticipatory and post-event processing in a clinical sample with social phobia. Patients (N = 81) were allocated to CBGT with ATT or relaxation training (RT). ATT did not potentiate greater change on any outcome variable, with both groups achieving significant improvements on all measures. Exploratory correlational analyses (pre-treatment and changes scores) showed that somemetacognitive beliefs were associated with attentional control, anticipatory processing, and symptoms of social anxiety and depression. However, attentional control was more consistently associated with anticipatory processing, post-event processing, and symptoms of social anxiety and depression, than with metacognitive beliefs. Results are discussed with reference to cognitive behavioral models of social phobia. It is tentatively concluded that while supplementing CBGT with ATT does not improve outcomes, increasing attentional control during CBGT is associated with symptom relief. 2009 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/43185 Pergamon restricted
spellingShingle Cognitive behavior therapy
Rumination
Anxiety disorders
Social phobia
Attention training
Metacognition
McEvoy, Peter
Perini, S.
Cognitive behavioural group therapy for social phobia with or without attention training: A controlled trial
title Cognitive behavioural group therapy for social phobia with or without attention training: A controlled trial
title_full Cognitive behavioural group therapy for social phobia with or without attention training: A controlled trial
title_fullStr Cognitive behavioural group therapy for social phobia with or without attention training: A controlled trial
title_full_unstemmed Cognitive behavioural group therapy for social phobia with or without attention training: A controlled trial
title_short Cognitive behavioural group therapy for social phobia with or without attention training: A controlled trial
title_sort cognitive behavioural group therapy for social phobia with or without attention training: a controlled trial
topic Cognitive behavior therapy
Rumination
Anxiety disorders
Social phobia
Attention training
Metacognition
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/43185