Trajectories of anxiety symptoms in adolescentstesting the model of emotional inertia

  1. Xavier Bornas 1
  2. Alejandro de la Torre-Luque 1
  3. Aina Fiol-Veny 1
  4. Maria Balle 1
  1. 1 Research Institute of Health Sciences. Uversitat Illes Balears
Journal:
International journal of clinical and health psychology

ISSN: 1697-2600

Year of publication: 2017

Volume: 17

Issue: 2

Pages: 192-196

Type: Article

DOI: 10.1016/J.IJCHP.2017.01.002 DIALNET GOOGLE SCHOLAR lock_openOpen access editor

More publications in: International journal of clinical and health psychology

Abstract

Two predictions derived from a recently introduced model of psychotherapy outcome were tested, assuming the dynamical relationship between the individual's emotional trajectory and the force of intervention necessary to change this trajectory: (a) only a high intensity treatment would succeed to lower the increasing trajectory of anxiety, and (b) high as well as low intensity treatments would equivalently lower the non-increasing trajectory of anxiety. Methods: Seventy-four adolescents (58.40% girls; M=14.65 years, SD=0.53) were randomly assigned to a high intensity treatment condition, a low intensity treatment condition, or a waiting list condition. Results: Only the high intensity treatment reduced the anxiety when participants showed an increasing trajectory (p<.01). None of the treatments reduced anxiety when a previously non-increasing trajectory was shown. Conclusions: These findings support the theoretical predictions and underscore the need to consider not only how severe the anxiety is but also the time course of anxiety in applied treatment settings.

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