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An outcome study of a brief anxiety management programme: Anxiety Control Training

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 June 2014

Philip Snaith ,
David Owens  and
Eileen Kennedy
Philip Snaith
Affiliation:
Academic Unit of Psychiatry, Clinical Sciences Building, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF
David Owens
Affiliation:
Academic Unit of Psychiatry, Clinical Sciences Building, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF
Eileen Kennedy
Affiliation:
Academic Unit of Psychiatry, Clinical Sciences Building, St. James's University Hospital, Leeds LS9 7TF
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Abstract

Objective: Anxiety management techniques may all be expected to produce immediate therapeutic effect; more information is required on long term outcome after contact with the therapist ceases. The study is an independently monitored enquiry into the outcome of a brief technique, Anxiety Control Training. Following eight ten-minute instructional sessions with the therapist, assessments were made by a person who had not been involved with the treatment. Medication was withheld throughout the whole period of the study and ‘booster’ sessions were not given in order that an estimate may be made of the degree of subsequent improvement which may be attributed to the patient's own resources and continued practice of the technique. Method: The study was conducted on a sample of patients referred to an anxiety management service suffering from a phobic disorder. Assessments of the severity of the phobia and of generalized anxiety were made at commencement of treatment, at the end of the eight sessions and thereafter at three month and nine month intervals. Follow up assessment of all patients included in the sample was achieved. Results: At inception into the treatment phase seven of the 22 patients suffered from a moderate to severe degree of generalized anxiety in addition to phobia. As expected a significant (p<0.001) degree of improvement in phobic severity occurred during the period of therapy. Following termination of therapy further significant (p<0.01) improvement occurred up to the final assessment. The number of patients suffering from generalized anxiety was too small to allow confident conclusion but the results suggest improvement in generalized as well as phobic anxiety. Conclusions: The instructional sessions of the ACT procedure provide skill in mastery over anxiety. The subject may continue to use this skill without further aid from the therapist; with regular practice of the technique progressive improvement is likely to occur.

Keywords

Anxiety statePhobiasAnxiety management therapy
Type
Original Papers
Information
Irish Journal of Psychological Medicine , Volume 9 , Issue 2 , November 1992 , pp. 111 - 114
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1992

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