title: Reducing the Meta-Emotional Problem Decreases Physiological Fear Response during Exposure in Phobics.
abstract: Anxiety disorders may not only be characterized by specific symptomatology (e.g., tachycardia) in response to the fearful stimulus (primary problem or first-level emotion) but also by the tendency to negatively evaluate oneself for having those symptoms (secondary problem or negative meta-emotion). An exploratory study was conducted driven by the hypothesis that reducing the secondary or meta-emotional problem would also diminish the fear response to the phobic stimulus. Thirty-three phobic participants were exposed to the phobic target before and after undergoing a psychotherapeutic intervention addressed to reduce the meta-emotional problem or a control condition. The electrocardiogram was continuously recorded to derive heart rate (HR) and heart rate variability (HRV) and affect ratings were obtained. Addressing the meta-emotional problem had the effect of reducing the physiological but not the subjective symptoms of anxiety after phobic exposure. Preliminary findings support the role of the meta-emotional problem in the maintenance of response to the fearful stimulus (primary problem).
authors: ENPlab, Department of Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome Rome, Italy.
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Couyoumdjian
authors: Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation Rome, Italy.
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Ottaviani
authors: Neuroimaging Laboratory, IRCCS Santa Lucia Foundation Rome, Italy.
authors: Nicola
authors: N
authors: Petrocchi
authors: Scuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva S.r.l. Rome, Italy.
authors: Roberta
authors: R
authors: Trincas
authors: Scuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva S.r.l. Rome, Italy.
authors: Katia
authors: K
authors: Tenore
authors: Scuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva S.r.l. Rome, Italy.
authors: Carlo
authors: C
authors: Buonanno
authors: Scuola di Psicoterapia Cognitiva S.r.l. Rome, Italy.
authors: Francesco
authors: F
authors: Mancini
keywords: autonomic nervous system; double standard; heart rate; heart rate variability; meta-emotional problem; phobic stimuli; self-criticism; specific phobia