Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy最新文献

{"title":"To Be or Not to Be-That Is the Obsession: The Nature and Treatment of Existential Obsessions and a Call for Research.","authors":"Jonathan S Abramowitz, Emily K Juel, Mujgan Inozu, Joseph B Friedman, Nicholas S Myers","doi":"10.1891/JCP-2025-0014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2025-0014","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Existential obsessions-persistent, intrusive doubts about unanswerable questions such as the nature of reality, identity, free will, and death-are an understudied and underrecognized presentation of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Although these symptoms align with core OCD features, their abstract and philosophical content distinguishes them from more commonly studied presentations. This article provides a conceptualization of existential obsessions, outlining their phenomenology, cognitive-behavioral underpinnings, and implications for assessment and treatment. We identify four primary content domains, namely, metaphysical, thanatological, ontological, and deterministic obsessions, and draw on established OCD models to explain their development and maintenance. Sociocultural and developmental influences are also highlighted. We then outline treatment recommendations based on the conceptual model and present a research agenda to address gaps in the literature, including the need for targeted assessment tools, empirical tests of proposed mechanisms, and treatment trials. Just as other manifestations of OCD have gained clarity through empirical study, existential obsessions merit scientific attention to enhance recognition and improve outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":47207,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144609951","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Differentiating Scrupulosity and Religiosity: The Mediating Role of Fear of Self, Inferential Confusion, and Obsessive Beliefs in Mental and Contact Contamination.","authors":"Mujgan Inozu, Nicholas S Myers, Emily K Juel, Joseph B Friedman, Jonathan S Abramowitz","doi":"10.1891/JCP-2025-0003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2025-0003","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This study explores the distinct roles of religiosity and scrupulosity in relation to cognitive factors-obsessive beliefs, fear of self, and inferential confusion-across contact and mental contamination (MC). Unlike prior research, it examines how religiosity and scrupulosity differentially predict contamination concerns through these cognitive factors. A sample of 235 undergraduates (83.4% female, <i>M</i> = 18.84 years) completed self-report measures assessing contamination types, scrupulosity, religiosity, fear of self, inferential confusion, and obsessive beliefs. Results showed that scrupulosity, compared with religiosity, was a stronger predictor of contamination, particularly MC, suggesting the importance of distinguishing between normative religious belief and pathological doubt. Fear of self and inferential confusion mediated the link between scrupulosity and MC, while inferential confusion alone mediated contact contamination. These findings highlight the distinct cognitive pathways underlying mental and contact contamination and emphasize the clinical relevance of targeting scrupulosity, fear of self, and inferential confusion-rather than religiosity-in interventions for contamination-related obsessive-compulsive disorder symptoms. Limitations include the sample's limited generalizability, cross-sectional design, and Western context, which may not fully capture cultural and religious influences.</p>","PeriodicalId":47207,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-07-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144609950","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cognitive-Constructive Psychotherapy for an Athlete's Harmful Competitive Anxiety, With a Schema Therapy Perspective on the Clinical Material: A Case Study.","authors":"Satu Kaski, Ulla Kinnunen","doi":"10.1891/JCP-2024-0039","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2024-0039","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This case illustrates the therapeutic effect of brief cognitive-constructive psychotherapy on an athlete struggling with harmful competitive anxiety. The case material was also later reinterpreted using the framework of schema therapy. The purpose of the intervention was to increase the client's self-awareness and understanding of the ways in which she perceives, understands, accepts, and interprets her beliefs. The focus of this case is on the athlete's personal harmful competitive anxiety and the change in beliefs and anxiety during and after therapy. The original analysis method used was assimilation analysis, and the reinterpretation was based on the reflection on the case material using concepts of schema therapy. The results support the introduction of both cognitive-constructive and schema therapy to help athletes manage their belief systems and harmful competitive anxiety. Treatment differences, effects, and recommendations are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":47207,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498361","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Insecure Attachment and Psychological Distress in Early Adolescence: Loneliness as a Mediator.","authors":"Chih-Ling Li, Pei-Chen Wu","doi":"10.1891/JCP-2025-0001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2025-0001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The existing research on attachment has been predominantly limited to Western adult populations and parental attachment relationships, leaving significant gaps in our understanding of adolescent development. The present study addresses these limitations by investigating how insecure attachment to mothers, fathers, and peers is associated with psychological distress in early adolescence (grades 7-9), with particular attention to the mediating role of loneliness. This developmental period represents a critical window for intervention, as patterns of social-emotional adjustment established during early adolescence often persist into adulthood. Our sample comprised 813 junior high school students who completed three well-validated self-report measures: the Relationships Structures Questionnaire assessing attachment patterns; the University of California, Los Angeles Loneliness Scale measuring subjective social isolation; and the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 evaluating psychological distress. Using structural equation modeling, we tested three mediation models to examine both direct and indirect pathways from insecure attachment to psychological distress through loneliness. The results revealed several important patterns: First, we observed moderate positive correlations between anxious and avoidant attachment styles (<i>r</i> = .38-.44), suggesting that these insecure attachment patterns frequently co-occur. Second, structural models demonstrated significant total effects of insecure attachment on psychological distress across most relationship figures, with the notable exception of avoidant peer attachment. Third, while both anxious and avoidant attachment positively predicted psychological distress, avoidant peer attachment exhibited a negative association with distress symptoms. Fourth, and most crucially, loneliness emerged as a significant mediator in all models, explaining substantial portions of the attachment-distress relationship. Gender, attachment style, and loneliness together explained 36%-38% of the variance in distress. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications. Theoretically, they extend attachment research beyond its traditional focus on parental relationships by demonstrating the unique and combined influences of multiple attachment figures during early adolescence. Practically, the robust mediating role of loneliness suggests that interventions targeting both attachment security and social connection may be particularly effective for reducing adolescent distress. We recommend that family education programs incorporate attachment-informed parenting strategies while school counseling interventions address peer relationships and loneliness directly.</p>","PeriodicalId":47207,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498362","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Treating a Case of Disgust-Based Contamination Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Using a Functional Approach to Exposure and Response Prevention: A Case Study.","authors":"Richard S Gallagher","doi":"10.1891/JCP-2024-0008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2024-0008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Research has shown that disgust-based contamination obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is often challenging to treat due to neurological and behavioral differences that can inhibit short-term habituation. This article presents a case study of using a novel functional approach to exposure and response prevention for disgust-based OCD focused on facilitating practice in avoided situations, incorporating concepts from acceptance and commitment therapy as well as emerging literature on using judicious safety behaviors to enable repeated practice. This case involves a 39-year-old male patient with disgust-based contamination OCD treated using this approach. Following a short course of psychotherapy combined with self-directed practice, the patient's measured level of OCD severity (Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale) was reduced by 56% over a 5-month period, with the patient meeting remission at posttreatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":47207,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-06-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144498363","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A Preliminary Investigation of the Role of Psychological Processes in Hoarding Stigma.","authors":"Jennifer Krafft, Mary E Dozier, Ashley C Middleton","doi":"10.1891/JCP-2024-0034","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2024-0034","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Hoarding disorder is a highly stigmatized condition, and stigma toward hoarding may prevent treatment-seeking. This study investigated the degree to which modifiable cognitive and behavioral processes (i.e., empathy and psychological inflexibility) predict hoarding stigma. Young adults recruited from a large public university (<i>N</i> = 354) completed an initial baseline survey, and 322 completed a follow-up survey 4 weeks later. Perspective-taking was related to a lower desire for social distance and lower perceived difference, while stigma-related psychological flexibility was associated with lower perceived difference, disdain, and blame. Among a subsample with elevated hoarding symptoms, disdain was linked to greater self-reported willingness to use both in-person and self-help treatment. Perspective-taking and psychological flexibility may be useful targets for preventing or reducing hoarding stigma, particularly in young adults. Limitations include the use of a largely female and White college student sample.</p>","PeriodicalId":47207,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144133189","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Loneliness and the Model of Sustainable Mental Health: A Cross-Sectional Secondary Data Analysis.","authors":"Morgan E Browning, Akshay V Trisal, Elizabeth E Lloyd-Richardson, Anna E Schierberl Scherr, Alexandra Morena, Mary H Kayyal","doi":"10.1891/JCP-2024-0011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2024-0011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The start of college is a powerful time of transition and development for emerging adults. There are many experiences involved with increasing independence and decreasing previous supports, changes in roles and identities, and the formation of new goals and connections. A more comprehensive view of mental health is needed to capture an evolving process that takes into account indicators of both distress and well-being. This article applies Bohlmeijer and Westerhoff's (2021) model of sustainable mental health to cross-sectional young adult risk behavior and mental health data from the Northeastern United States in Fall 2021 and considers loneliness, risk behaviors and self-harm, mental health distress, and flourishing in the context of this model. This research offers an initial application of a model that firmly considers distress and well-being as indicators of youth mental health. It is vital that there is an ongoing consideration to support youth and young adults that experienced the pandemic.</p>","PeriodicalId":47207,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144034254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"BOOK REVIEW.","authors":"Cristina Maria Cabanas Garcia, Andrew D Wiese","doi":"10.1891/JCP-2025-0002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2025-0002","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":47207,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144053000","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From Psychological Flexibility to Well-Being: The Mediating Role of Meaning in Life and Flourishing.","authors":"Angel C Zegarra-López, Karla A Uribe-Bravo, Natalia J Tapia-Núñez, Mercedes G Cigüeñas-Nuñez, María Isabel Estrada, Maria Alejandra Benites Argumedo","doi":"10.1891/JCP-2024-0037","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2024-0037","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Well-being encompasses several dimensions of individuals' lives, so promoting well-being beyond economic performance is crucial. This study proposed a theoretical model that highlights psychological flexibility as a key to well-being by helping people find meaning in life and achieve flourishing. The study evaluated 636 adults from Lima, Peru, and found a negligible direct relationship between psychological flexibility and emotional (hedonic), psychological (eudaimonic), and social well-being. However, psychological flexibility directly predicted meaning in life and flourishing, indirectly promoting well-being. In conclusion, meaning in life and flourishing mediate the relationship between meaning in life and well-being. The study emphasizes the importance of psychological flexibility and meaning in promoting well-being, suggesting that interventions targeting psychological flexibility may indirectly support individuals in developing a sense of purpose and fulfillment. Positive psychology interventions should incorporate strategies that promote both psychological flexibility and the search for meaning, as they are essential for well-being.</p>","PeriodicalId":47207,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143765404","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and Application of a Psychoeducation-Focused Web-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Program for Panic Disorder.","authors":"Ali Kayahan, Selin Tanyeri Kayahan, Cenan Hepdurgun, Damla İşman Haznedaroğlu, Özlem Kuman Tunçel, Şebnem Pırıldar","doi":"10.1891/JCP-2024-0043","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1891/JCP-2024-0043","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Web-based services are essential for making psychiatric treatments more accessible. Evidence-based treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy for panic disorder, should be disseminated to a broader segment of society. In our study, we developed a web-based cognitive behavioral psychoeducation program for panic disorder and evaluated its short-term effects in a clinical sample. The 4-week program was administered to 31 patients diagnosed with panic disorder, and related outcomes were assessed using the Panic Disorder Severity Scale (PDSS), Anxiety Sensitivity Index-3 (ASI-3), Health Anxiety Inventory Short Version (SHAI), and Adult Separation Anxiety Questionnaire (ASA). We found a statistically significant decrease in PDSS scores with a large effect size (<i>g</i> = 2.26, 95% CI [1.60, 2.92]). Significant reductions were also observed in ASI-3 (<i>g</i> = 1.18 95% CI [0.62, 1.74]), SHAI (<i>g</i> = 0.57, 95% CI [0.05, 1.10], and ASA scores (<i>g</i> = 1.28, 95% CI [0.72, 1.85]), with medium to large effect sizes. These results suggest that the intervention had a substantial impact on reducing panic-related symptoms in the short term. This approach may be a cost-effective option clinicians can recommend to their patients, particularly in low-resource settings.</p>","PeriodicalId":47207,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6,"publicationDate":"2025-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143765403","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}