Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry最新文献

{"title":"Psychopathic meanness is associated with fewer over-mentalizing errors","authors":"Steven M. Gillespie ,&nbsp;Ahmad M. Abu-Akel","doi":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102054","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102054","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In many of the tests used to investigate the relationship of psychopathic traits with theory of mind task perfromance, the nature of any mentalizing errors is unclear, and performance could reflect a tendency towards either under-mentalizing or over-mentalizing. In this study, a sample of 92 healthy adult participants completed a measure of psychopathic traits and the Movie for the Assessment of Social Cognition (MASC). The MASC not only assesses mentalizing about cognitive and affective mental states but also measures the proportion of under-versus over-mentalizing errors. Psychopathic meanness, but not boldness or disinhibition, was associated with better overall mentalizing, better cognitive mentalizing, and fewer over-mentalizing errors. Our findings are discussed in the context of using a consistent and well-defined operationalization of mentalizing and the importance of assessing the tendency toward under- or over-mentalizing errors to better understand the nature of theory of mind task performance in relation to distinct psychopathic traits.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48198,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry","volume":"89 ","pages":"Article 102054"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144665768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Facing your inner critic: a randomized controlled trial investigating a virtual reality intervention with and without a perspective change for excessive self-criticism","authors":"Marit Hidding ,&nbsp;Wim Veling ,&nbsp;Gerdina H.M. Pijnenborg ,&nbsp;Elisabeth C.D. van der Stouwe","doi":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102053","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102053","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>Excessive self-criticism has been associated with several psychiatric disorders, as well as poorer therapeutic outcomes. Compassion-based therapies are time-consuming and can be challenging because of the use of mental imagery. Virtual Reality interventions enable concrete visual representations and may be more efficient. We investigated a single-session VR intervention, based on chair dialogue exercises from schema therapy, for self-criticism and self-compassion. Furthermore, the additional effect of the novel VR technique perspective change was assessed.</div></div><div><h3>Design</h3><div>Undergraduate students (n = 68) with high levels of self-criticism were randomized to either the intervention with or without an additional perspective change. Pre- and post-measures consisted of self-report questionnaires on self-compassion, self-criticism, negative and positive affect.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Participants underwent the single-session VR intervention where they had to respond assertively towards an avatar who expressed the participant's own excessive self-criticism. The perspective change consisted of a change to third person perspective.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The VR intervention significantly decreased self-criticism and negative affect and increased self-compassion for both conditions directly after the session. No additional effect was found for the perspective change.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This was the first study to apply VR within a schema therapy exercise. Positive effects indicate the potential of VR schema therapy for individuals with excessive self-criticism in clinical practice.</div></div><div><h3>Trial registration</h3><div>The trial was registered retrospectively at <span><span>ClinicalTrials.gov</span><svg><path></path></svg></span> (Trial ID: NCT05887141).</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48198,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry","volume":"89 ","pages":"Article 102053"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144703634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stress and stress reactivity in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following eye movement desensitization (EMD): A randomized controlled trial","authors":"Eka Susanty ,&nbsp;Marit Sijbrandij ,&nbsp;Denise J. van der Mee ,&nbsp;Wilis Srisayekti ,&nbsp;Yusep Suparman ,&nbsp;Anja C. Huizink","doi":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102052","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102052","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and objectives</h3><div>People with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may experience heightened stress reactivity. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based treatment involving eye movements while retrieving memories. We evaluated if EMD participants had less stress reactivity than retrieval-only participants after personal trauma scripts. We also investigated changes in daily cortisol levels related to treatment outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Methodology</h3><div>PTSD participants (N = 91) were randomly assigned to EMD (N = 47) or retrieval-only conditions (N = 44). Baseline and post-treatment data were collected and measured using Heart rate variability (HRV), heart rate (HR), pre-ejection period (PEP), and cortisol levels (AUC; the area under the curve, and CAR; the cortisol awakening response). We conducted a linear mixed model to analyze the main outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>No difference between EMD and retrieval-only in the reduction of stress reactivity and acceleration of recovery over time. Both groups showed that HR and PEP reactivity to the trauma script decreased significantly after treatment. In contrast, only EMD group experienced an acceleration of HR recovery in response to trauma scripts following treatment. Cortisol measures showed an inconsistent pattern, with a higher CAR in retrieval-only after treatment compared to EMD. However, no significant difference was found between groups in terms of AUC levels after treatment.</div></div><div><h3>Limitation</h3><div>The precision of measuring and analyzing saliva samples is highly dependent on the participant's adherence to the schedule.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>No specific benefits for eye movements was found in the current study. Both EMDR and retrieval-only can reduce stress reactivity in treating PTSD.</div></div><div><h3>Clinical trial registration</h3><div>[<span><span>www.ClinicalTrials.gov</span><svg><path></path></svg></span>], identifier [ISRCTN55239132].</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48198,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry","volume":"89 ","pages":"Article 102052"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144686551","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Enhancing effects on memory for psychotherapy in people with anxiety via metaphor encoding of solutions and motivated retrieval of problem contexts","authors":"Lu Zhang ,&nbsp;Xiaoyu Zhang ,&nbsp;Fei Yu ,&nbsp;Wencai Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102041","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102041","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The psychotherapeutic memory is vital for sustaining the therapy's effect for longer, as it serves as a resource for coping with future mental distress. This study used “problem-solution” micro-counselling dialogues (MCDs) to investigate whether memory for psychotherapy in people with anxiety could be promoted by enhancing encoding and retrieval of memory. Experiment 1 examined whether metaphorical encoding of solutions could obtain better memory of solutions in people with anxiety. Experiment 2 examined whether high retrieval motivation (HRM) of problems could promote memory retrieval of solutions, especially metaphorical ones, compared with low retrieval motivation (LRM) in people with anxiety. The results revealed that (1) metaphorical encoding increased memory performance, with higher memory discrimination (d’) and correct recognition numbers (CR) of solutions compared with literal solutions in both the anxious and healthy group. (2) High retrieval motivation increased memory performance only in anxious participants, with the d’ of HRM higher than LRM and the d’ of HRM in metaphorical solutions higher than literal ones. These results indicated optimal memory of psychotherapy for anxious individuals can be achieved by simultaneously employing metaphorical encoding of solutions and increasing the retrieval motivation of problems.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48198,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 102041"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-05-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144166711","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Investigating the role of weight in body representation through the Rubber Hand Illusion: when individual weight concerns matter","authors":"Maria Elena Navarra ,&nbsp;Sofia Tagini ,&nbsp;Alessandro Mauro ,&nbsp;Federica Scarpina","doi":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102039","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102039","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Bodily weight is a physical characteristic involved in body dissatisfaction. We investigated whether the cognitive body representation can be updated to include weight variations using the Rubber Hand Illusion. Moreover, we aimed to explore the role of the individual expression of weight concerns and fat-phobia.</div><div>Twenty-eight healthy-weight women participated to a Rubber Hand Illusion study, in which an over- and an under-weight rubber hand were tested together with a normal-weigh rubber hand. We verified the effect of hand's weight on the proprioceptive drift and the subjective experience of illusion. Moreover, we measured the individual expression of weight concerns.</div><div>As with the normal-weight rubber hand, both the underweight and overweight ones produced significant rubber hand illusion effects, as quantified by proprioceptive judgments and questionnaire ratings. Moreover, higher levels of body image concerns were linked to higher shift towards the under-weight rubber hand, as well as higher expression of fat-phobia increased higher illusory subjective experience towards the normal-weight hand.</div><div>Hands of different weights can be successfully embodied, in line with previous evidence relative to whole body illusions. Nevertheless, we underlined the role of weight concerns in modulating the illusion. Our results are meaningful for those psychopathological conditions characterized by profound changes in individual weight.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48198,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 102039"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143878568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Repetitive negative thinking in OCD: Evaluation of novel scenarios for cognitive bias modification training","authors":"Chloe Bowles ,&nbsp;Rachel White ,&nbsp;Colette R. Hirsch ,&nbsp;Karina Wahl","doi":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102037","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102037","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and objectives</h3><div>Evidence suggests that repetitive negative thinking (RNT) is underpinned by interpretation bias which is heightened among individuals with OCD. Cognitive bias modification for interpretation training (CBM-I) may reduce RNT by modifying interpretation bias which could reduce OCD symptoms. This study evaluated novel scenarios in terms of appropriateness and validity for use in a future CBM-I study targeting OCD-related RNT. This included analysis of the associations between interpretation bias and OCD symptoms, RNT, and OCD-specific rumination, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Forty-four novel CBM-I scenarios targeting RNT in OCD were developed based on clinical expertise and interviews of people with lived experience. A general population sample (<span><math><mrow><mi>N</mi></mrow></math></span> = 167) completed the missing word at the end of each scenario to resolve ambiguity. This provided a measure of interpretation bias, and item-level data on the materials’ ability to assess negative and benign interpretations. Participants also completed measures of OCD symptoms, general RNT and OCD-specific rumination.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Most scenarios displayed strong item discrimination coefficients, and well-balanced valence of interpretation responses, with minimal improvements required for future use. Interpretation bias was moderately positively correlated with OCD symptoms, RNT, and OCD-specific rumination, indicating good criterion validity.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>The order of CBM-I scenarios was not randomised which may have led to order effects, and some participants failed to adhere to instructions causing missing data.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The evaluation of the CBM-I scenarios yielded encouraging results for their use in a future CBM-I single session study. This may lead the way for future interventions for OCD-related RNT.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48198,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry","volume":"89 ","pages":"Article 102037"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144139620","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Functional assessment of hikikomori behaviors: Functional types and psycho-behavioral factors","authors":"Shunsuke Nonaka ,&nbsp;Tomoya Takeda ,&nbsp;Motohiro Sakai","doi":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102038","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Hikikomori is a condition of prolonged social withdrawal (at least six months) characterized by not working or attending school, not socializing outside one's home, and staying at home on most days except for solitary outings. Currently, there are no adequate tools for the assessment of individual differences in hikikomori functions. This study involved the development of the Hikikomori Functional Assessment Scale (HFAS), which quantitatively assesses the perceived functions of hikikomori. Three data samples were collected at different time periods and included 490 participants with hikikomori and 251 without hikikomori. An item pool was analyzed resulting in 17 items and three factors: intrapersonal-positive (pursuing activities and self-stimulatory behaviors), intrapersonal-negative (alleviating discomfort), and social-negative (avoiding social interactions) reinforcement. The HFAS showed good internal consistency reliability, moderate-to-good test-retest reliability, acceptable construct validity, and good criterion-related validity. Furthermore, social-negative reinforcement correlated positively with measures of depressive symptoms and subjective social functioning impairment and negatively with adaptive behavior and quality of life. Intrapersonal-negative reinforcement was weakly correlated with most of the related scales, and intrapersonal-positive reinforcement showed no significant correlations. Future studies are needed to confirm the consistency of functional assessment results with those of the HFAS, using behavioral observations by researchers and clinicians, and follow the changes in hikikomori functioning longitudinally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48198,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 102038"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143864326","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Measuring attentional bias using the dot-probe task in young women: Psychometric properties and feasibility of response-based computations, dwell time, and the N2pc component","authors":"Sandra Klonteig ,&nbsp;Elise S. Roalsø ,&nbsp;Brage Kraft ,&nbsp;Torgeir Moberget ,&nbsp;Eva Hilland ,&nbsp;Peyman Mirtaheri ,&nbsp;Rune Jonassen","doi":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102036","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102036","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Attentional bias (AB) is characterized by preferential cognitive and emotional processing of mood-congruent stimuli and considered a central mechanism in mood disorders. Considerable research has focused on improving AB measures to enhance mechanistic understanding and clinical utility. The present study examines psychometric properties of a range of AB measures with a multimodal setup.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A nonclinical sample of 62 women aged 20–30 years completed the facial dot-probe task while behavioral responses (reaction time), eye-gaze patterns (eye tracking), and electrical brain potentials (electroencephalography) were recorded. AB metrics from four types of AB measures – traditional, response-based, dwell time, and the N2pc component– were examined with internal consistency and short-term test-retest calculations. AB metrics with an internal consistency score over .4 were considered reliable, and their validity were explored by examining relations to depression and anxiety symptoms. In addition, the consistency between reliable metrics across trials were examined.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Findings show that traditional AB metrics exhibited no degree of reliability, whereas response-based and dwell time metrics overall demonstrated better internal consistencies. Response-based metrics also had higher test-retest reliability in all but one metric. The previously reported reliability of the N2pc component was not observed. As for validity, no linear associations were found between the reliable measures, depression, and anxiety. There were no relations between metrics across trials.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>This study provides insights for future AB research, emphasizing the potential of novel metrics over traditional ones and the use of multimodal setups to develop reliable and potentially hybrid measurements for clinical assessment.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48198,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 102036"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143834169","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of exposure scenario in virtual reality for the treatment of acrophobia: A randomized controlled trial","authors":"Anna Francová ,&nbsp;Markéta Kolman Jablonská ,&nbsp;Lenka Lhotská ,&nbsp;Jan Husák ,&nbsp;Iveta Fajnerová","doi":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102035","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102035","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and objectives</h3><div>Individuals with acrophobia (fear of heights) can experience severe anxiety or panic attacks when they are located at height. This randomized controlled study aimed to verify the effects of a novel scalable virtual reality-based exposure (VR exposure) tool in individuals with acrophobia, by exposing them to a predefined set of situations they usually tend to avoid.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Forty-three adults were randomly assigned to one of the two groups: the experimental group or the waitlist group. Both groups attended initial short online education. The experimental group consecutively attended three VR-based exposure therapy (VRET) intervention sessions over 3–5 weeks during which the therapist encouraged participants to enter the predefined feared situations, while the control group on the waitlist had no additional intervention.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The findings show that a 3-session VR exposure intervention with a standardized set of tasks effectively reduces the level of experienced height intolerance and particularly avoidance behavior compared to the control waitlist group limited to psychoeducation only. Results were maintained at the 2 months follow-up. The higher the sense of presence after the VR exposure was, the lower the avoidance level rated in the follow-up.</div></div><div><h3>Limitations</h3><div>Our study has some limitations, such as potential sample selection bias and tracking of only medium-term effects in the 2-month follow-up.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The findings show that three sessions of VR exposure intervention with a standardized set of VR-based scenarios are effective in reducing the level of height intolerance and associated avoidance behavior and led to improvement of the outcome measures two months after the procedure. The role of presence was implicated in the prolonged outcome of the VR exposure intervention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48198,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 102035"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143767912","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Efficacy of internet-based emotion-focused cognitive behavior therapy (IECBT) in improving stress and anxiety of women with suspected fetal malformation: A randomized controlled trial","authors":"Sajede Aligoltabar ,&nbsp;Fatemeh Nasiri-Amiri ,&nbsp;Soraya Khafri ,&nbsp;Hajar Adib-Rad ,&nbsp;Shahnaz Barat ,&nbsp;Zeinab Pahlavan ,&nbsp;Seyedsina Taheriotaghsara ,&nbsp;Mostafa Rayati ,&nbsp;Mahbobeh Faramarzi","doi":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102033","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.jbtep.2025.102033","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and objectives</h3><div>Anxiety is prevalent among pregnant women with suspected fetal malformation. Hence, this study aimed to assess the effectiveness of IECBT in alleviating pregnancy-specific stress and anxiety in anxious women with suspected fetal malformation.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A randomized four-arm parallel-group controlled trial was conducted involving 140 pregnant women displaying anxiety symptoms before 20 weeks of gestation and suspected fetal malformation. Participants were randomly allocated into four groups, each consisting of 35 women: IECBT alone, IECBT with booster sessions, IECBT with spouse participation, and IECBT combined with spouse participation and booster sessions. The IECBT intervention comprised six 50-min therapist-led sessions for women, with an additional 20-min session for men in the IECBT with spouse participation group. Those in the IECBT with booster sessions groups received six monthly 50-min sessions post-intervention until delivery. Five questionnaires—Spielberger's State Anxiety, Pregnancy-Specific Stress, Uncertainty Intolerance, and Emotion Regulation—were administered before the trial, upon completion of the 6-week intervention, and at 3-month and 6-month post-trial follow-ups.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The IECBT interventions led to significant improvements in anxiety symptoms, pregnancy-specific stress, uncertainty intolerance, and emotional regulation after therapy, with these improvements sustained at the 3-month and 6-month post-treatment assessments. However, no superiority was observed among the four IECBT models across the three measurement intervals—post-trial, 3-month, and 6-month follow-ups regarding outcome improvement. Additionally, participants expressed high satisfaction levels with all IECBT approaches, with no significant differences noted among the four groups.</div></div><div><h3>Limitation</h3><div>IECBT with spouse participation and IECBT with booster sessions were not therapist-guided, results might stem from the masculism culture of the population and their low responsibility and assistance in solving pregnant women's problems, especially during pregnancy, the lack of long-term follow-up of treatment effectiveness and postnatal psychological outcomes with or without fetal malformation.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The findings suggest that the four models of IECBT improved anxiety, stress, uncertainty, and dysregulated emotions in women with suspected fetal malformation, and such improvements remained stable up to six months after the intervention.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":48198,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry","volume":"88 ","pages":"Article 102033"},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143807505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}