Utility of measuring remoralization in addition to symptoms in efficacy research: a preliminary study

Remoralization as an outcome measure for psychological treatments was compared with symptom reduction (agoraphobic avoidance and cognitions). Twenty-four patients with panic disorder and agoraphobia received empirically supported treatment and were monitored across multiple time points for 28 weeks. Treatment resulted in reduced symptoms and enhanced remoralization (Cohen's d=1.19-1.45). Slopes of symptoms and remoralization were obtained from latent growth model analyses. The slopes correlated highly (r=- .50 to -.55), which indicates similar patterns of change over time. The slope of remoralization also correlated with a number of aspects of health-related quality of life, while the slope of symptom reduction did not. Although strongly related to symptom reduction, the measurement of remoralization is expected to provide unique information for treatment efficacy research.