Brief imagery rescripting is equivalent to imaginal exposure in improving response to worry images among high worry individuals

IF 4.3 2区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL

Behaviour Research and Therapy Pub Date : 2025-12-01 Epub Date: 2025-11-12 DOI:10.1016/j.brat.2025.104915

Lauren Stavropoulos , Isaac Sabel , David D.J. Cooper , Jill M. Newby , Jessica G. Grisham

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background

Generalized anxiety disorder is characterised by aversive mental images of feared outcomes. This study investigated whether a single session of imagery rescripting would produce greater reductions in anxious response, threat appraisals, and intrusive images regarding a feared event than imaginal exposure among individuals high in trait worry.

Methods

Undergraduate participants (N = 89) high in trait worry attended a 45-min video-call session with a psychologist in which they identified a worry image, rated their anxiety, worry, threat appraisals, and imagery-related distress, and were randomised to 15-min therapist-guided imagery rescripting or imaginal exposure. Imagery rescripting involved rewriting the worry image to achieve a positive outcome. Participants were asked to listen to a recording of the exercise on three days and provided outcome ratings after 1 week.

Results

Linear mixed effect modelling revealed both conditions produced medium-to-large decreases in worry, anxiety, threat appraisals, and frequency and distress associated with worry images between baseline and 1-week post-intervention (ds = 0.54-0.2.33). Results were comparable between conditions, and the study hypotheses predicting that imagery rescripting would produce greater reductions in outcome variables than imaginal exposure were not supported.

Conclusion

A novel, future-oriented imagery rescripting intervention produced comparable effects to imaginal exposure in improving participants’ anxious response, threat appraisals, and intrusive imagery regarding their worries 1 week later. However, the intervention was not superior to imaginal exposure as predicted. Future studies may further investigate longer term outcomes and mechanisms of change of imagery rescripting for worry, and apply imagery rescripting with clinical samples and comparison to additional comparator conditions.

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在提高高焦虑个体对焦虑图像的反应方面，简短的图像重写与图像暴露相当

背景广泛性焦虑障碍的特征是对恐惧结果的厌恶的心理形象。本研究调查了在高焦虑特质的个体中，与想象暴露相比，单次图像重新描述是否能更有效地减少焦虑反应、威胁评估和关于恐惧事件的侵入性图像。方法89名高焦虑特质的大学生与心理学家进行了45分钟的视频通话，在视频通话中，他们识别了一幅焦虑图像，对自己的焦虑、担忧、威胁评估和与图像相关的痛苦进行了评分，并被随机分配到15分钟的治疗师指导下的图像重新描述或图像暴露组。意象重塑包括改写忧虑的形象以达到积极的结果。参与者被要求听三天的练习录音，并在一周后提供结果评级。结果线性混合效应模型显示，在基线和干预后1周，两种情况下的担忧、焦虑、威胁评估以及与担忧图像相关的频率和痛苦都有中等到较大的降低（ds = 0.54-0.2.33）。不同条件下的结果具有可比性，并且预测图像重写会比图像暴露产生更大的结果变量减少的研究假设不被支持。结论一种新颖的、面向未来的图像描述干预在改善参与者焦虑反应、威胁评估和1周后关于他们担忧的侵入性图像方面具有与图像暴露相当的效果。然而，干预并不像预期的那样优于想象暴露。未来的研究可能会进一步研究长期的结果和对焦虑的图像重写的改变机制，并将图像重写与临床样本和其他比较条件进行比较。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Behaviour Research and Therapy PSYCHOLOGY, CLINICAL-

CiteScore

7.50

自引率

7.30%

发文量

148

期刊介绍： The major focus of Behaviour Research and Therapy is an experimental psychopathology approach to understanding emotional and behavioral disorders and their prevention and treatment, using cognitive, behavioral, and psychophysiological (including neural) methods and models. This includes laboratory-based experimental studies with healthy, at risk and subclinical individuals that inform clinical application as well as studies with clinically severe samples. The following types of submissions are encouraged: theoretical reviews of mechanisms that contribute to psychopathology and that offer new treatment targets; tests of novel, mechanistically focused psychological interventions, especially ones that include theory-driven or experimentally-derived predictors, moderators and mediators; and innovations in dissemination and implementation of evidence-based practices into clinical practice in psychology and associated fields, especially those that target underlying mechanisms or focus on novel approaches to treatment delivery. In addition to traditional psychological disorders, the scope of the journal includes behavioural medicine (e.g., chronic pain). The journal will not consider manuscripts dealing primarily with measurement, psychometric analyses, and personality assessment.