TY - JOUR
T1 - The effect of emotional working memory training on emotional and cognitive outcomes in individuals with elevated social anxiety
AU - du Toit, Simone A.
AU - Kade, Saif A.
AU - Danielson, Craig T.
AU - Schweizer, Susanne
AU - Han, Jin
AU - Torok, Michelle
AU - Wong, Quincy J. J.
PY - 2020/1/15
Y1 - 2020/1/15
N2 - Background: Although cognitive-behavioural therapy is the gold standard psychological treatment for individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD), it does not benefit everyone. Emotional working memory training (eWMT) is a promising alternative intervention. This study examined the effects of eWMT versus control training (CT) on emotional and cognitive outcomes in individuals with elevated social anxiety. Methods: Forty participants with elevated social anxiety were randomly allocated to eWMT (n = 21) or CT (n = 19), each consisting of six training sessions. At pre- and post-training, participants completed: a working memory task, an impromptu speech, and self-reported measures of emotional and cognitive outcomes (anticipatory processing, peak anxiety and attentional focus during the speech, post-event processing). Results: Participants in both training conditions exhibited performance improvements on their respective training tasks. As expected, there was a Time x Condition interaction for peak anxiety, reflecting a decrease in peak anxiety for the eWMT condition but not the CT condition. Exploratory analyses also indicated a Time x Condition interaction for an aspect of post-event processing, reflecting a decrease in thinking about the past for the eWMT condition but not the CT condition. Limitations: Although the level of social anxiety of the current sample is comparable to that of samples of individuals diagnosed with SAD in the literature, participant diagnoses were not assessed in this study. Conclusions: The findings suggest that eWMT has potential as an alternative intervention for individuals with elevated social anxiety.
AB - Background: Although cognitive-behavioural therapy is the gold standard psychological treatment for individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD), it does not benefit everyone. Emotional working memory training (eWMT) is a promising alternative intervention. This study examined the effects of eWMT versus control training (CT) on emotional and cognitive outcomes in individuals with elevated social anxiety. Methods: Forty participants with elevated social anxiety were randomly allocated to eWMT (n = 21) or CT (n = 19), each consisting of six training sessions. At pre- and post-training, participants completed: a working memory task, an impromptu speech, and self-reported measures of emotional and cognitive outcomes (anticipatory processing, peak anxiety and attentional focus during the speech, post-event processing). Results: Participants in both training conditions exhibited performance improvements on their respective training tasks. As expected, there was a Time x Condition interaction for peak anxiety, reflecting a decrease in peak anxiety for the eWMT condition but not the CT condition. Exploratory analyses also indicated a Time x Condition interaction for an aspect of post-event processing, reflecting a decrease in thinking about the past for the eWMT condition but not the CT condition. Limitations: Although the level of social anxiety of the current sample is comparable to that of samples of individuals diagnosed with SAD in the literature, participant diagnoses were not assessed in this study. Conclusions: The findings suggest that eWMT has potential as an alternative intervention for individuals with elevated social anxiety.
KW - social anxiety disorder
KW - social phobia
KW - working memory training
KW - treatment
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85072987893&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.085
DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2019.09.085
M3 - Article
C2 - 31605835
AN - SCOPUS:85072987893
VL - 261
SP - 76
EP - 83
JO - Journal of Affective Disorders
JF - Journal of Affective Disorders
SN - 0165-0327
ER -