title: Does emotional reasoning change during cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety?
abstract: Emotional reasoning refers to the use of subjective emotions, rather than objective evidence, to form conclusions about oneself and the world. It is a key interpretative bias in cognitive models of anxiety disorders and appears to be especially evident in individuals with anxiety disorders. However, the amenability of emotional reasoning to change during treatment has not yet been investigated. We sought to determine whether emotional reasoning tendencies change during a course of routine cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT). Emotional reasoning tendencies were assessed in 36 individuals with a primary anxiety disorder who were seeking treatment at an outpatient clinic. Changes in anxiety and depressive symptoms as well as emotional reasoning tendencies after 12 sessions of CBT were examined in 25 individuals for whom there was complete data. Emotional reasoning tendencies were evident at pretreatment assessment. Although anxiety and depressive symptoms decreased during CBT, only one of six emotional reasoning interpretative styles (pertaining to conclusions that one is incompetent) changed significantly during the course of therapy. Attrition rates were high and there was not enough information regarding the extent to which therapy specifically focused on addressing emotional reasoning tendencies. Individuals seeking treatment for anxiety disorders appear to engage in emotional reasoning, however routine individual CBT does not appear to result in changes in emotional reasoning tendencies.
authors.affiliation: a School of Psychology , UNSW , Randwick , Australia.|b Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Nepean Anxiety Disorders Clinic , Penrith , Australia.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Berle
authors.affiliation: a School of Psychology , UNSW , Randwick , Australia.
authors.forename: Michelle L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Moulds
authors.affiliation: c Discipline of Psychiatry , Sydney Medical School-Nepean, University of Sydney , Penrith , Australia.
authors.forename: Vladan
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Starcevic
authors.affiliation: b Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Nepean Anxiety Disorders Clinic , Penrith , Australia.
authors.forename: Denise
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Milicevic
authors.affiliation: b Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Nepean Anxiety Disorders Clinic , Penrith , Australia.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hannan
authors.affiliation: b Nepean Blue Mountains Local Health District, Nepean Anxiety Disorders Clinic , Penrith , Australia.
authors.forename: Erin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Dale
authors.affiliation: d Department of Psychiatry , Nepean Hospital , Penrith , Australia.
authors.forename: Kirupamani
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Viswasam
authors.affiliation: c Discipline of Psychiatry , Sydney Medical School-Nepean, University of Sydney , Penrith , Australia.
authors.forename: Vlasios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brakoulias
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000628:therapy; D004644:Emotions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013850:Thinking; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: CBT; Emotional reasoning; anxiety; cognitive bias; cognitive distortion; treatment outcome