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Predictors of Treatment Outcomes in Anxious Children Receiving Group Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy: Pretreatment Attention Bias to Threat and Emotional Variability During Exposure Tasks

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 July 2015

Allison M. Waters ,
Alex Potter ,
Leah Jamesion ,
Brendan P. Bradley  and
Karin Mogg
Allison M. Waters*
Affiliation:
School of Applied Psychology and Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Alex Potter
Affiliation:
School of Applied Psychology and Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Leah Jamesion
Affiliation:
School of Applied Psychology and Griffith Health Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Brendan P. Bradley
Affiliation:
Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
Karin Mogg
Affiliation:
Psychology, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
*
Address for correspondence: Dr Allison Waters, School of Applied Psychology, Mt Gravatt campus, Griffith University, 176 Messines Ridge Road, Mt Gravatt QLD 4122, Australia. Email: a.waters@griffith.edu.au
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Abstract

Background and objectives: Pretreatment attention bias towards threat stimuli has been shown to predict treatment outcomes following exposure-based treatments. The extent of emotional variability experienced during exposure therapy has also been found to predict better treatment outcomes in anxious adults. The present study examined whether pretreatment attention bias towards threat stimuli and greater emotional variability during exposure activities were associated with stronger treatment outcomes in anxious children receiving group-based cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Methods: Twenty-six anxious children completed a visual probe task with emotional faces, followed by a 10-week CBT program in a group format. Children completed weekly within-session exposure activities during the last 5 weeks of group CBT. Results: Pretreatment attention bias towards threat stimuli, greater emotional variability and within-session habituation during exposure activities were significantly associated with reductions in clinician- and/or parent-rated anxiety symptoms after the 10-week CBT program. Treatment responders had significantly higher peak emotional distress ratings during exposure activities. However, threat attention bias and within-session exposure measures were not significantly related. Conclusions: Pre-existing individual differences in attention bias to threat cues and the degree of emotional reactivity experienced during exposure activities are both important independent predictors of treatment outcomes for anxious children receiving group-based CBT.

Keywords

anxietychildrenattention biasemotional variabilitycognitive behavioural therapy
Type
Standard Papers
Information
Behaviour Change , Volume 32 , Issue 3 , September 2015 , pp. 143 - 158
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s) 2015 

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