Atopic dermatitis (AD) is the most common inflammatory dermatological disorder and is marked by itch and inflamed skin. For many patients, AD leads to substantial suffering, reduced quality of life, and an increased risk for depression and anxiety. Psychological treatments have been studied to a limited extent, despite that the …
Read More »Anxiety sensitivity and attentional bias to threat interact to prospectively predict anxiety
The purpose of the present study was to examine anxiety sensitivity, attentional bias to threat (ABT), and the aggregate influence of these constructs as prospective predictors of anxiety. Participants (N = 176) completed a baseline assessment session which included the completion of self-report measures of anxiety and anxiety sensitivity, as well as …
Read More »Can the REBT theory explain loneliness? Theoretical and clinical applications
Cognitive-behavioural models have been applied with great success to numerous forms of psychopathology including mood disorders (David, Kangas, Schnur, & Montgomery, 2004), anxiety- and stress-related disorders (Clark & Beck, 2011), and psychotic-based disorders (Birchwood et al., 2014). A robust, and commonly identified, correlate of all of these forms of psychopathology …
Read More »Phone coaching in Dialectical Behavior Therapy: frequency and relationship to client variables
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a comprehensive treatment for borderline personality disorder and, in its standard form, involves individual therapy, group skills training, consultation team for therapists, and phone coaching. Phone coaching is designed to help clients generalize the skills they are learning in treatment to the rest of their …
Read More »Comparing in-the-moment skill coaching effects from tailored versus non-tailored Acceptance and Commitment Therapy mobile apps in a non-clinical sample
There is growing research demonstrating that mobile apps can be used to improve mental health and help address many common psychological disorders (e.g., Firth et al., 2017; Torous, Levin, Ahern & Oser, 2017). Typically, these apps teach new psychological skills to users to learn how to better cope with difficult …
Read More »Executive Attention Moderates the Effect of Trait Anxiety on Hyperarousal Symptoms
People differ in the ability to control what they pay attention to, especially when they experience emotional distress. Drs. Bardeen and Fergus previously identified this difference in executive attention as a potentially important variable for understanding how posttraumatic stress develops and is maintained. This research study further supports those prior …
Read More »Relationships between health behaviours, posttraumatic stress disorder, and comorbid general anxiety and depression
Researchers consistently find a relationship between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and physical health problems, including (but not limited to) chronic pain, obesity, diabetes, and heart attacks. One possible explanation for this relationship is that people with PTSD take part in more unhealthy behaviours (e.g., illicit drug use, excessive drinking) and …
Read More »“Phobie à deux” and other reasons why clinicians do not apply exposure with response prevention in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder
The best way to overcome one’s fears and concerns is to confront them. This is as straightforward as it is true. Many studies show that exposure with response prevention (ERP) is the most efficacious treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), a mental illness characterized by intrusive thoughts (e.g., fears about getting …
Read More »Emotional Distress and Tobacco Demand during the Menstrual Cycle in Female Smokers
Roughly 1 in 6 adults in the United States smoke. Females, compared to males, are less likely to quit smoking successfully and are at greater risk of developing smoking-related illnesses, like cardiovascular disease. Female smokers are also more likely to use cigarettes help cope with distressing emotions, like anxiety and …
Read More »Social Support, Negative Social Exchange, and Response to Case Formulation Based Cognitive Behavior Therapy
Our social support networks affect us in a variety of ways, and a large body of research has examined the physical and mental health correlates of the positive (social support) and the negative (negative social exchange) aspects of social support networks. Our study builds on that research by examining the …
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