Disengagement Training for the Treatment of Pathological Worry: A Preliminary Test

• Other Authors: McDermott, Katherine A. (author)
• Format: Others
• Language: English; English
• Published: Florida State University
• Subjects: Clinical psychology
• Online Access: http://purl.flvc.org/fsu/fd/2019_Spring_McDermott_fsu_0071N_15050

Pathological worry is characterized by an inability to distract or disengage from worry, and this uncontrollability is the defining feature of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD; Ruscio & Borkovec, 2004). Several interventions, including stimulus control (McGowan & Behar, 2013) and thought replacement (Eagleson, Hayes, Mathews, Perman, & Hirsch, 2016), have attempted to target disengagement from worry by restricting worry as soon as it begins. However, these interventions have not targeted disengagement from worry once participants have fully engaged with it, nor do they involve cultivating alternative topics to compete with worry. The present study assessed a novel computerized treatment designed to train disengagement from worry. Participants with pathological worry (N = 50) were randomized to three sessions of Worry Disengagement Training (WDT) or a waitlist control. Across six sessions, participants in the WDT condition alternated between writing about their worry and positive writing. WDT led to increased ability to disengage from in vivo worry on a breath focus task, resulting in both fewer negative intrusions (B = -.29, p = .02; sr2 = .08) and lower self-reported worry (B = -.49, p < .001, sr2 = .25) during the task. Relative to waitlist, WDT also led to lower self-reported worry (PSWQ; B = -.36, p = .001, sr2 = .14) and depressive symptoms (B = -.25, p = .02, sr2 = .07). These effects remained in the subset of participants meeting criteria for GAD. WDT did not appear to impact more behavioral symptoms of GAD or anxious arousal. In summary, WDT may be effective in increasing disengagement ability and reducing worry and depression among those with pathological worry. Future research directions are discussed. === A Thesis submitted to the Department of Psychology in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science. === Spring Semester 2019. === March 11, 2019. === Includes bibliographical references. === Jesse R. Cougle, Professor Directing Thesis; N. Brad Schmidt, Committee Member; Colleen M. Ganley, Committee Member.