Excessive Worry Clinical Trial
Official title:
Development of a Scientifically-Informed Written Exposure Procedure (The SCRIPTS Study)
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry and anxiety. When people with GAD worry, they tend to think about problems and feared situations in a vague way. Preliminary research suggests that writing about feared situations in a structured and detailed fashion may help with worry. In this experiment, the investigators are looking to improve the writing intervention. The investigators are testing the immediate and short-term effects of a new writing intervention.
Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry and
anxiety about bad things that may happen in the future. When people with GAD worry, they tend
to think about the situations they fear in a vague way. Preliminary research suggests that
writing repeatedly about one's fears in a structured and detailed way may help worry. In the
present experiment, the investigators are comparing three structured writing interventions
and testing their immediate and short-term effects on worry, and worry-related features.
Potential participants will be asked to complete a telephone screen. Those who meet
eligibility criteria will be invited to the laboratory at Ryerson University. After
completing pre-intervention outcome measures, participants will be randomly assigned to one
of three writing interventions: (1) standard written exposure, (2) enhanced written exposure,
or (3) neutral writing. All participants will write for 30 minutes on each of 4 days. The 4
sessions of writing will be spaced and will take place within a period of 2 weeks. Excessive
worry will be assessed at pre-intervention, mid-intervention, post-intervention, 1-week
follow-up and 1 month follow-up. With the exception of the Modified Behavioural Avoidance
Test, which will only be assessed at pre-intervention and 1 month follow-up, all other
outcomes will be assessed at pre-intervention, and at post-intervention, 1-week follow-up and
1 month follow-up. Additional assessments of Perceived Probability, Cost and Coping Questions
will occur at each writing session.
During the 2-week intervention period and the three days following the intervention period,
all participants will also track their worry and mood twice per day.
The present experiment will provide answers to important questions about the therapeutic
potential of writing interventions for excessive worry.
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