What good are positive emotions for treatment? Trait positive emotionality predicts response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for anxiety. (June 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Taylor, Charles T.; Knapp, Sarah E.; Bomyea, Jessica A.; Ramsawh, Holly J.; Paulus, Martin P.; Stein, Murray B.
• Is Part Of: Behaviour research and therapy. Volume 93(2017)
• Page Start: 6
• Page End: 12
• Publication Date: 2017-06
• Subjects: Cognitive behavioral therapy -- Anxiety -- Positive emotions -- Prediction -- Treatment response; Cognitive therapy -- Periodicals; Psychotherapy -- Periodicals; 616.891
• DOI: 10.1016/j.brat.2017.03.006
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0005-7967

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is empirically supported for the treatment of anxiety disorders; however, not all individuals achieve recovery following CBT. Positive emotions serve a number of functions that theoretically should facilitate response to CBT – they promote flexible patterns of information processing and assimilation of new information, encourage approach-oriented behavior, and speed physiological recovery from negative emotions. We conducted a secondary analysis of an existing clinical trial dataset to test the a priori hypothesis that individual differences in trait positive emotions would predict CBT response for anxiety. Method: Participants meeting diagnostic criteria for panic disorder (n = 28) or generalized anxiety disorder (n = 31) completed 10 weekly individual CBT sessions. Trait positive emotionality was assessed at pre-treatment, and severity of anxiety symptoms and associated impairment was assessed throughout treatment. Results: Participants who reported a greater propensity to experience positive emotions at pre-treatment displayed the largest reduction in anxiety symptoms as well as fewer symptoms following treatment. Positive emotions remained a robust predictor of change in symptoms when controlling for baseline depression severity. Conclusions: Initial evidence supports the predictive value of trait positive emotions as a prognostic indicator for CBT outcome in a GAD and PD sample. Highlights: Trait positive emotionality was examined as a predictor of CBT response for anxiety. 59 individuals with panic disorder or GAD completed up to 10 sessions of CBT. Higher pre-treatment trait positive emotions predicted superior treatment response. Positive emotions predicted response even when controlling for depression symptoms. Dispositional positive emotions may be a prognostic indicator of CBT response.