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Updated: May 23, 2026
08:17
Reducing State Anxiety Using Working Memory Maintenance
Published on: July 19, 2017
Refinement of a brief anxiety sensitivity reduction intervention
Meghan E Keough1, Norman B Schmidt
1Department of Psychology, Florida State University, FL, USA. mkeough@uw.edu
Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology
|April 4, 2012
Summary
A brief intervention significantly reduced anxiety sensitivity (AS), a key risk factor for panic disorder. These reductions were maintained for six months, offering promising anxiety treatment implications.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Anxiety Disorders
Background:
- Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent, causing significant individual and societal burden.
- Effective treatments exist, but fewer interventions target anxiety-related risk and maintenance factors.
- Anxiety sensitivity (AS) is a key, modifiable risk factor for panic disorder and other psychopathology.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance the efficacy of anxiety sensitivity (AS) treatment.
- To refine a previously validated AS intervention for greater impact.
Main Methods:
- A 1-session intervention using psychoeducation and interoceptive exposure was employed.
- The intervention targeted AS in individuals with elevated scores.
- A health-focused control group was used for comparison in a sample of 104 participants.
Main Results:
- The active treatment group showed significantly greater AS reductions than the control group posttreatment and over 1 month.
- Treatment gains were observed across all Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI) subscales.
- AS reductions were largely maintained at 6-month follow-up, unlike the control group.
Conclusions:
- A brief, 1-session intervention effectively reduced anxiety sensitivity (AS).
- These reductions were substantially maintained 6 months posttreatment.
- Findings support the intervention's potential for anxiety treatment and prevention.
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