Elsevier

Journal of Anxiety Disorders

Volume 9, Issue 3, May–June 1995, Pages 201-215
Journal of Anxiety Disorders

Research paper
Strategies used with intrusive thoughts: Context, appraisal, mood, and efficacy

https://doi.org/10.1016/0887-6185(95)00002-6Get rights and content

Abstract

Neutralization and avoidance play a key role in current models of OCD and GAD. This study examines strategies used when intrusive thoughts occur as a function of potential discriminative stimuli (sequences, context, thought appraisal), mood state, and efficacy. Structured interviews identified strategies used by 53 normal subjects when the most frequent intrusive thought occurred. The seven major strategies used to cope with the thoughts were physical action, thought replacement, analyzing the thought, talking to others, thought stopping, attempts to convince that the thought has no importance, and doing nothing. Results suggest that the choice of a strategy is not random; some strategies were used in particular situations, in specific sequences, and according to the intensity and appraisal of the intrusive thought. All strategies were equally efficient (or inefficient) and efficacy was not associated with thought characteristics. Thought appraisal was related to mood intensity, whereas depressed mood was associated with lower efficacy of strategies. The specific and differential effects of mood intensity and type need to be integrated into current models of intrusive cognition and OCD.

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  • Cited by (0)

    This research was partially supported by a grant from les Fonds de Recherche en Santé de Québec. The study was completed while the first author was supported by the Medical Research Council of Canada.

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