Brief Enhanced Anxiety Sensitivity Treatment (Group)

Completed · Not applicable

Conditions studied: Anxiety Sensitivity, Anxiety

In brief

One-third of the U.S. population experience anxiety disorders in their lifetime and only 25% of them seek treatment, reporting logistics and cost of treatment among the primary barriers. A potential way to prevent and treat multiple anxiety disorders is to target the risk factors that contribute to their etiology. One such well-researched risk factor is anxiety sensitivity (AS), a fear of anxiety-related sensations. Given a need for affordable and accessible brief treatments, we and our colleagues have been iteratively developing Brief Enhanced Anxiety Sensitivity Treatment (BEAST), a one-session virtual treatment targeting AS. Older versions of BEAST include psychoeducation, interoceptive exposure (IE), and IE homework. Several studies showed that the previous versions of BEAST reduced AS and, through the reductions in AS, they also reduced anxiety. However, the effect sizes for the decrease in anxiety were modest. Efficacy and personalization may be improved using Ecological Momentary Intervention (EMI). EMI delivers brief interventions remotely in real-time and in natural settings. The goal of the current study is to test the efficacy of adding EMI to BEAST. Participants will be randomly assigned to EMI and control (no EMI) conditions. All participants will receive a virtual 1.5-hour-long intervention group session facilitated by a therapist. The EMI group will receive individualized intervention messages helping them to use new skills for two weeks after the session. After the two-week EMI period, all participants will complete post-treatment measures of AS and anxiety. A month later, they will complete a follow-up assessing AS and anxiety. The efficacy of the EMI component in reducing AS and anxiety will be tested using multilevel modeling. Improving the efficacy of BEAST, while keeping it brief, affordable, and accessible online, is an important step towards making it a treatment that may be used on a large scale.

Key facts

Study ID: NCT05458362
Run by: Ohio University
People needed: 73
Starts: 2022-02-09
Expected to finish: 2022-07-04
Last updated by the study team: 2022-12-12

Who can join

Age: 18 and older. Sex: any. Healthy volunteers: accepted.

You may qualify if…

elevated anxiety sensitivity symptoms (i.e., ASI-3 scores greater than or equal to 17),
have access to a device smartphone with internet connection.

You may not qualify if…

cardiovascular disease or stroke
respiratory disorders (asthma, COPD, other),
renal disease,
epilepsy or other seizure disorder,
and uncontrolled hypertension or migraines.
current substance use disorder (severe),
uncontrolled manic symptoms,
uncontrolled psychotic symptoms,
suicidal ideation that requires hospitalization,
if the participants endorse that English is not their first language in the screening questionnaire and demonstrate significant impairment in understanding the interviewer, they will be considered not proficient in English and will be excluded from the study.

Where it is running

Ohio University — Athens, Ohio, United States

Full record on ClinicalTrials.gov

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