| 1. |
- Boettcher, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Combining attention training with cognitive-behavior therapy in Internet-based self-help for social anxiety : study protocol for a randomized controlled trial
- 2013
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Ingår i: Trials. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1745-6215. ; 14:68
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Guided Internet-based cognitive-behavioral therapy (ICBT) has been found to be effective for social anxiety disorder (SAD) by several independent research groups. However, since the extent of clinically significant change demonstrated leaves room for improvement, new treatments should be developed and investigated. A novel treatment, which has generally been found to be effective, is cognitive bias modification (CBM). This study aims to evaluate the combination of CBM and ICBT. It is intended that two groups will be compared; one group randomized to receiving ICBT and CBM towards threat cues and one group receiving ICBT and control training. We hypothesize that the group receiving ICBT plus CBM will show superior treatment outcomes.Methods/design: Participants with SAD (N = 128), will be recruited from the general population. A composite score combining the scores obtained from three social anxiety questionnaires will serve as the primary outcome measure. Secondary measures include self-reported depression and quality of life. All treatments and assessments will be conducted via the Internet and measurement points will be baseline, Week 2, post-treatment, and 4 months post-treatment.Discussion: There is no direct evidence of the effects of combining CBM and ICBT in SAD. Adding attention-training sessions to ICBT protocols could increase the proportion of participants who improve and recover through Internet-based self-help.
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| 2. |
- Boettcher, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Combining attention training with Internet-based cognitive-behavioural self-help for social anxiety : a randomised controlled trial
- 2014
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Ingår i: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. - : Taylor & Francis Group. - 1650-6073 .- 1651-2316. ; 43:1, s. 34-48
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Guided Internet-based cognitive-behavioural self-help (ICBT) has been proven to be effective for social anxiety disorder (SAD) by several independent research groups. However, as the proportion of clinical significant change has room for improvement, new treatments should be developed and investigated. A novel treatment is attention bias modification (ABM). This study aimed at evaluating the combination of ABM and ICBT. We compared two groups, one group receiving ICBT and ABM targeting attentional avoidance and the other group receiving ICBT and control training. ABM and control training tasks were both based on the dot-probe paradigm. A total of 133 participants, diagnosed with SAD, were randomised to these two groups. The attention training group (N = 66) received 2 weeks of daily attention training followed by 9 weeks of ICBT. The control group (N = 67) received 2 weeks of daily control training, also followed by 9 weeks of ICBT. Social anxiety measures as well as the attention bias were assessed at pre-assessment, at week 2, and at post-treatment. Results showed no significant differences between the attention training group and the control group. Both groups improved substantially on social anxiety symptoms from pre- to post-assessment (dwithin = 1.39–1.41), but showed no change in attention processes (dwithin = 0.10–0.17). In this trial, the attention modification training failed to induce differential change in attention bias. Results demonstrate that the applied ABM procedure with its focus on the reduction of attentional avoidance was ineffective in the Internet-based setting. The results do not suggest that adding ABM targeting attentional avoidance to ICBT results in better outcomes than ICBT alone.
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| 3. |
- Boettcher, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Innovations in the Treatment of Social Anxiety Disorder
- 2017
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Social anxiety disorder (SAD) is a very common and disabling mental disorder. Cognitive-behaviour therapy (CBT) is first-line treatment and has a strong empirical basis. However, not all patients benefit from CBT. About one third of the treated patients do not respond to a sufficient degree (Rodebaugh, Holaway, & Heimberg, 2004). Additionally, access to CBT is often limited. Only a small minority of patients with SAD receives adequate, evidence-based treatment (e.g. Issakidis & Andrews, 2002). Hence, there is a pressing need to optimize existing treatment approaches and to lower treatment barriers. The planned symposium will present different approaches on how to make CBT more efficient and more available for patients with SAD. Treatments that are facilitated via the Internet have the potential to reach patients who are otherwise unlikely to receive adequate treatment (e.g. patients in remote areas, patients fearing stigmatization, patients too shy to initiate face-to-face contact). At the same time, technology-based interventions also help to bring important therapeutic techniques into practice. The first two talks will therefore focus on innovations in the field of Internet-based CBT for SAD and will present strategies to facilitate exposure exercises. Johanna Boettcher will present two studies on a newly developed app for SAD. In a gamified approach, the app guides and motivates patients to conduct exposure exercises in their natural environment. The second presentation will introduce virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy for social fears. Per Carlbring will present data on a RCT, evaluating the impact of a three-hour VR exposure session on public speaking anxiety. The third talk will present a different angle on how to improve treatment outcomes. Emma Warnock- Parks will outline how video-feedback can be optimized in the treatment of socially anxious patients in order to increase its impact on patients’ symptomatology. She will present data on the beneficial effect of video feedback on patients’ distorted self-images and will show ways how to make this technique even more powerful. Optimizing intervention techniques and contexts is one way to improve treatment of SAD. It is also important to consider external factors that may influence treatment adherence or outcome. In the last talk, Ulrike Willutzki will present data on a long-time neglected topic in SAD. She will demonstrate how the well-meant support of patients’ spouses can contribute to the maintenance of the disorder. She will discuss how partners can be educated and become involved in treatment helping the patient to overcome anxiety in difficult social situations. The planned symposium will offer four different strategies that can be implemented to improve cognitive-behavioural treatment techniques and to further the access to CBT. The symposium therefore contributes to a better understanding on how CBT for SAD can become more efficient in alleviating patients’ suffering.
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| 4. |
- Boettcher, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Internet-Based Attention Bias Modification for Social Anxiety: A Randomised Controlled Comparison of Training towards Negative and Training Towards Positive Cues
- 2013
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Ingår i: PLOS ONE. - : Public Library of Science. - 1932-6203. ; 8:9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Biases in attention processes are thought to play a crucial role in the aetiology and maintenance of Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). The goal of the present study was to examine the efficacy of a programme intended to train attention towards positive cues and a programme intended to train attention towards negative cues. In a randomised, controlled, double-blind design, the impact of these two training conditions on both selective attention and social anxiety were compared to that of a control training condition. A modified dot probe task was used, and delivered via the internet. A total of 129 individuals, diagnosed with SAD, were randomly assigned to one of these three conditions and took part in a 14-day programme with daily training/control sessions. Participants in all three groups did not on average display an attentional bias prior to the training. Critically, results on change in attention bias implied that significantly differential change in selective attention to threat was not detected in the three conditions. However, symptoms of social anxiety reduced significantly from pre- to follow-up-assessment in all three conditions (d(within) = 0.63-1.24), with the procedure intended to train attention towards threat cues producing, relative to the control condition, a significantly greater reduction of social fears. There were no significant differences in social anxiety outcome between the training condition intended to induce attentional bias towards positive cues and the control condition. To our knowledge, this is the first RCT where a condition intended to induce attention bias to negative cues yielded greater emotional benefits than a control condition. Intriguingly, changes in symptoms are unlikely to be by the mechanism of change in attention processes since there was no change detected in bias per se. Implications of this finding for future research on attention bias modification in social anxiety are discussed. less thanbrgreater than less thanbrgreater thanTrial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01463137
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| 5. |
- Boettcher, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Internet-Based Interventions for Social Anxiety Disorder - an Overview
- 2013
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Ingår i: Verhaltenstherapie (Basel). - : S. Karger AG. - 1016-6262 .- 1423-0402. ; 23:3, s. 160-168
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Internet-based interventions hold specific advantages and disadvantages in the treatment of social anxiety disorder (SAD). The present review examines different approaches in the internet-based treatment of SAD and reviews their efficacy and effectiveness. 21 studies investigated the potential of guided and unguided internet-based cognitive-behavioral treatments (ICBT) for SAD, comprising a total of N = 1,801 socially anxious individuals. The large majority of these trials reported substantial reductions of social anxiety symptoms through ICBT programs. Within effect sizes were mostly large and comparisons to waitlist and more active control groups were positive. Treatment gains were stable from 3 months to 5 years after treatment termination. In conclusion, ICBT is effective in the reduction of social anxiety symptoms. At the same time, not all participants benefit from these treatments to a sufficient degree. Future research should focus on what makes these interventions work in which patient populations, and at the same time, examine ways to implement internet-based treatment in the routine care for socially anxious patients.
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| 6. |
- Boettcher, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Internet-Based Mindfulness Treatment for Anxiety Disorders : A Randomized Controlled Trial
- 2014
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Ingår i: Behavior Therapy. - : Elsevier BV. - 0005-7894 .- 1878-1888. ; 45:2, s. 241-253
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mindfulness-based interventions have proven effective for the trans diagnostic treatment of heterogeneous anxiety disorders. So far, no study has investigated the potential of mindfulness-based treatments when delivered remotely via the Internet. The current trial aims at evaluating the efficacy of a stand-alone, unguided, Internet-based mindfulness treatment program for anxiety. Ninety-one participants diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or anxiety disorder not otherwise specified were randomly assigned to a mindfulness treatment group (MTG) or to an online discussion forum control group (CG). Mindfulness treatment consisted of 96 audio files with instructions for various mindfulness meditation exercises. Primary and secondary outcome measures were assessed at pre-, post-treatment, and at 6-months follow-up. Participants of the MTG showed a larger decrease of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia from pre- to postassessment than participants of the CG (Cohen's d(between) = 0.36-0.99). Within effect sizes were large in the MTG (d = 0.82-1.58) and small to moderate in the CG (d = 0.45-0.76). In contrast to participants of the CG, participants of the MTG also achieved a moderate improvement in their quality of life. The study provided encouraging results for an Internet-based mindfulness protocol in the treatment of primary anxiety disorders. Future replications of these results will show whether Web-based mindfulness meditation can constitute a valid alternative to existing, evidence-based cognitive-behavioural Internet treatments.
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| 7. |
- Boettcher, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Internet-Based Mindfulness Treatment for Anxiety Disorders : A Randomized Controlled Trial
- 2014
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Ingår i: Behavior Therapy. - New York : Association for advanced behavior therapy. - 0005-7894 .- 1878-1888. ; 45:2, s. 241-253
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Mindfulness-based interventions have proven effective for the trans diagnostic treatment of heterogeneous anxiety disorders. So far, no study has investigated the potential of mindfulness-based treatments when delivered remotely via the Internet. The current trial aims at evaluating the efficacy of a stand-alone, unguided, Internet-based mindfulness treatment program for anxiety. Ninety-one participants diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, or anxiety disorder not otherwise specified were randomly assigned to a mindfulness treatment group (MTG) or to an online discussion forum control group (CG). Mindfulness treatment consisted of 96 audio files with instructions for various mindfulness meditation exercises. Primary and secondary outcome measures were assessed at pre-, post-treatment, and at 6-months follow-up. Participants of the MTG showed a larger decrease of symptoms of anxiety, depression, and insomnia from pre- to postassessment than participants of the CG (Cohen's d(between) = 0.36-0.99). Within effect sizes were large in the MTG (d = 0.82-1.58) and small to moderate in the CG (d = 0.45-0.76). In contrast to participants of the CG, participants of the MTG also achieved a moderate improvement in their quality of life. The study provided encouraging results for an Internet-based mindfulness protocol in the treatment of primary anxiety disorders. Future replications of these results will show whether Web-based mindfulness meditation can constitute a valid alternative to existing, evidence-based cognitive-behavioural Internet treatments.
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| 8. |
- Boettcher, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Primun non nocere : Side effects in psychological treatments
- 2018
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Konferensbidrag (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Psychological treatments help patients overcome mental health problems. Thousands of studies document the positive effects of psychotherapeutic interventions. The potential of these same interventions to cause harm, on the other hand, has scarcely been subject to scientific investigation. The nature and frequency of side effects of psychological treatments are largely unknown. The present symposium aims at shedding light on some important questions concerning negative effects: How should side effects be defined? What are typical side effects? How frequent are side effects in different treatment formats? And how can side effects be effectively measured? In the first presentation, Michael Linden will speak about side effects in group therapy and will report data from two different group therapy formats. Johanna Boettcher will focus on side effects of individual therapy for depression. She will present data from a large trial of Internet-based therapy and will summarize a qualitative analysis of the patients’ experience of negative effects. Steve Hollon will talk specifically about one particular side effect, the deterioration of targeted symptoms. He will report results of an individual patient data meta-analysis and compare rates of deterioration in cognitive-behaviour therapy and pharmacotherapy. Finally, Alexander Rozental will present a new questionnaire for the assessment of negative effects and will demonstrate its psychometric properties in a Rasch analysis.
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| 9. |
- Boettcher, Johanna, et al.
(författare)
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Side effects in Internet-based interventions for social anxiety disorder
- 2014
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Ingår i: Internet Interventions. - : Elsevier BV. - 2214-7829. ; 1:1, s. 3-11
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Internet-based interventions are effective in the treatment of various mental disorders and have already been integrated in routine health care in some countries. Empirical data on potential negative effects of these interventions is lacking. This study investigated side effects in an Internet-based treatment for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD).A total of 133 individuals diagnosed with SAD took part in an 11-week guided treatment. Side effects were assessed as open formatted questions after week 2 and at post-treatment after week 11. Answers were independently rated by two coders. In addition, rates of deterioration and non-response were calculated for primary social anxiety and secondary outcome measures (depression and quality of life).In total, 19 participants (14%) described unwanted negative events that they related to treatment. The emergence of new symptoms was the most commonly experienced side effect, followed by the deterioration of social anxiety symptoms and negative well-being. The large majority of the described side effects had a temporary but no enduring negative effect on participants' well-being. At post-treatment, none of the participants reported deterioration on social anxiety measures and 0–7% deteriorated on secondary outcome measures. Non-response was frequent with 32–50% for social anxiety measures and 57–90% for secondary outcomes at post-assessment.Results suggest that a small proportion of participants in Internet-based interventions experiences negative effects during treatment. Information about potential side effects should be integrated in patient education in the practice of Internet-based treatments.
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| 10. |
- Bystedt, Samuel, et al.
(författare)
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Clinicians' perspectives on negative effects of psychological treatments
- 2014
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Ingår i: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1650-6073 .- 1651-2316. ; 43:4, s. 319-331
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Negative effects of psychological treatments is a fairly unexplored area of clinical research. Previous investigations have indicated that a portion of all patients experience negative effects in terms of deterioration and various adverse events. Meanwhile, evidence suggests that many clinicians are untrained in identifying negative effects and unaware of the current research findings. The objective of the current study is thus to investigate clinicians' own perspectives and experiences of possible negative effects of psychological treatments. An invitation to participate in an anonymous online survey consisting of 14 open-ended questions was distributed via three mailing lists used by clinicians that primarily identify themselves as cognitive behavior therapists. The responses were analyzed using a qualitative method based on thematic analysis. In total, 74 participants completed the survey. A majority agreed that negative effects of psychological treatments exist and pose a problem, and many reported having experienced both deterioration and adverse events among patients in their own practice. The thematic analysis resulted in three core themes: characteristics of negative effects, causal factors, as well as methods and criteria for evaluating negative effects. The clinicians recognize that negative effects exist, but many are unaware of the current research findings and are unfamiliar with methods and criteria for identifying and preventing deterioration and adverse events. The results provide evidence for further dissemination of the present knowledge regarding negative effects, particularly during basic clinical training, as well as the need for raising awareness of the available methods for identifying and preventing negative effects.
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