Effects of structured worry interviews were examined among analog-GAD and nonanxious college students. Thirty-four analog-GAD and 29 nonanxious control participants generated sequences of possible catastrophic outcomes for each of six worry topics using the Catastrophizing Interview Technique (Vasey and Borkovec, 1992). Threat ratings for each topic were collected, and ratings of subjective distress, likelihood of the feared outcome, and perceived control over the feared outcome were obtained immediately following each interview. Results indicated that the analog-GAD group rated the worry topics of achievement, social relations, and economics as more threatening than their nonanxious counterparts. The analog-GAD group also generated more catastrophizing steps and reported higher levels of negative mood following the worry interviews. In addition, the eventual fear underlying each worry was determined by coding the content of the final outcome step from each interview. Results from the coded interview responses indicated that fears of negative emotion and of failure were the most frequently coded categories in each of the six topical domains for the analog-GAD group. Although there was no difference in the proportion of negative emotion codes between analog-GAD and nonanxious groups, the analog-GAD group did receive a greater proportion of failure codes than the nonanxious control group. Results largely replicated the findings of Vasey and Borkovec in an analog-GAD sample. In addition, results suggest that fear of negative emotion underlies worry in general, regardless of diagnostic status, while fears of failure or ineffectiveness are more specific to GAD.

The present study examined the recall of material representative and non representative of schemata for social and evaluative situations. Socially anxious (n = 24) and nonanxious (n = 25) individuals were presented with three positively valenced and three negatively valenced prose passages describing common social and evaluative scenarios. Eight of the sentences in each passage described events representative of the schema content of most individuals, whereas three of the sentences in each passage described events that are not representative of typical schema content. Participants completed a free recall task in both immediate (i.e. 2 minutes) and delayed (i.e. one week) recall conditions. Although there were no group differences as a function of type of content (i.e. schematic, non-schematic), socially anxious individuals were less likely than nonanxious individuals to accurately recall the gist of passages containing negative information in the immediate recall condition. In all, this study provided little evidence for the influence of maladaptive schema content on memory for threatening material in anxious individuals, but it added to an increasingly large literature suggesting that some types of anxiety are associated with an avoidance of processing emotional material.

The present study surveyed a sample of 116 Australian therapists who identified themselves as working primarily with traumatized clients. Outcome variables were measures of vicarious traumatization (VT), burnout and trauma symptomatology (intrusion and avoidance). A measure of beliefs about the therapeutic process was constructed for the present study and examined along with other predictor variables, namely years of experience as a therapist, percentage of time spent in clinical work with clients, predominant client group, and recent and direct exposure to trauma in the therapist. Therapist beliefs were found to predict vulnerability to VT and burnout, supporting a cognitive model of therapist distress. Implications of the findings for maintaining therapist health are discussed.

The Novaco Anger Scale is the only scale published that allows for the measurement of anger with relation to Novaco's (1976) widely used model of anger management. This paper is the first to present a statistical analysis of the factor structure of this scale. From a sample of healthcare employees and outpatients with problems with anger control, a factor solution was identified. It is suggested that the items loading on this scale contribute to valid assessment of anger. The implications for the use of the NAS are considered.

Greenberg, Rice and Elliott (1993) elaborate in detail different applications of the two-chair method within an experiential therapy framework. In the present paper we present an adapted two-chair method for use in cognitive therapy. The principal aims of the adapted method are to elaborate a positive self-schema that has an emotional (“lived”) quality, and to use this experience to create a new model of self as emotionally and cognitively varied and changing. Procedurally, the first two steps are to (1) summarize the negative self-schema (Chair 1) and (2) draw out a positive self-schema (Chair 2). In Steps 3 and 4 the client remains in Chair 2 and is encouraged to accept the two self-schemata, and to integrate them both within a broader, more diverse metacognitive model of self. We present key themes from analysis of two clients' reflections on the method, which highlight issues of generalization and the process of change, and conclude with clinical and research implications.

Interpersonal therapy (IPT) was developed in the late 1960s, but has only recently gained real prominence. The interest in this approach has grown further following the positive findings obtained in the NIMH study (Elkin et al., 1989). In this extensive, multi-site US study it was found to be as effective as CBT and, in some methods of analyses, more effective. There is a growing literature on IPT's use with older people (Miller and Reynolds, 2002), but very few articles, with the exception of Bauer's (1997) work, have examined its use with people with cognitive impairment. The present paper describes the use of IPT to treat a man (Mr M) with dementia suffering from depression. The case is presented chiefly as a vehicle to explore the applicability of the conceptual framework, although details regarding treatment are discussed.

Hoarding has been recognized as a frequent sub-component of obsessive-compulsive disorder that can occur at lesser frequency in a primary form. The theoretical and empirical literature on hoarding is still in its infancy. The current paper attempts to expand and refine CBT theory via the identification of the specific cognitive distortion of object-affect fusion (OAF) relating to problematic emotional attachment to objects. The concept of OAF is defined and then related to sentimental saving. Two case examples are detailed in which OAF represented the main focus of the CBT intervention. The case examples illustrate how OAF recognition can be integrated into and supplement existing CBT approaches to hoarding. Future theoretical and empirical developmental tasks in relation to OAF are identified and discussed.

The accounts of five subjects who survived life threatening experiences without the development of PTSD were examined, focusing on the coping strategies and cognitions described in these situations. The study aimed to determine whether there was a common pattern of response amongst subjects in these situations similar to the cognitive patterns described by the senior author of the previous case study (Ness & Macaskill, 2000) who survived a near drowning experience without the development of PTSD. In the search for common coping strategies all five respondents in the study completed the Locus of Control Scale (Rotter, 1966) and the Self-Control Schedule (Fisher & Reason, 1988). All five respondents demonstrated the use of problem solving as their main cognitive strategy, utilizing specific information from their previous experience relevant to their life-threatening situation. Respondents did not appear to rely on coping strategies aimed at the management of acute anxiety symptomatology. There was no common pattern among respondents in profiles on the Self-Control Schedule or the Locus of Control Scale. The possible implications of this case series study are discussed in relation to opportunities for the prevention of PTSD, the use of debriefing and the treatment of post-traumatic stress.

There is widespread support for training in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapy (CBP) amongst psychiatrists and from the Royal College of Psychiatrists. One possible way to gain such training is to undertake a diploma or certificate course, a growing number of which exist in the United Kingdom. We report on a postal questionnaire survey of psychiatrists who have completed a CBP diploma course. Psychiatrists described the course as altering their clinical practice and found the skills learned, the format of multidisciplinary learning and of supervision all useful and helpful. However, individuals who undertook a CBP diploma were concerned about their ability to apply these skills and undergo further training, given the time constraints within busy consultant jobs.

A pilot RCT of cognitive therapy (CT; based on Fowler, Garety, and Kuipers, 1995) for early psychosis adjunctive to treatment as usual (TAU) compared to TAU alone is presented. Recruitment is problematic and numbers are small. Levels of symptomatology are low at baseline; and both CT (n = 12) and TAU (n = 9) groups improve, with few significant group differences and high levels of individual variation. This pattern is common to other studies (Jackson et al., 1998; Lewis et al., 2002). The body of evidence to date seems to suggest that CT for early psychosis is not strongly indicated as an adjunctive treatment for all people with early psychosis, but should perhaps focus on the sub-group of patients whose recovery is incomplete.

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