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Development and evaluation of a computerized intervention for low distress tolerance and its effect on performance on
Richard J Macatee1, Jesse R Cougle1
1Department of Psychology, Florida State University, P.O. Box 3064301, Tallahassee, FL 32306, USA.
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
|February 15, 2015
Summary
This study shows that a brief computerized intervention effectively reduced distress intolerance (DI) and urges to neutralize intrusive thoughts in individuals with high DI. These findings support the role of DI in obsessions and suggest a new treatment avenue.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Background:
- High distress intolerance (DI) is linked to obsessions, but existing research is correlational.
- Experimental studies are needed to establish causality.
- Brief methods for reducing DI are lacking.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop and test a brief, computerized intervention to reduce DI.
- To determine if reducing DI affects obsessional phenomena.
- To provide experimental evidence for the role of DI in obsessions.
Main Methods:
- Individuals with high DI were randomized to a 2-hour computerized intervention or a waitlist control group (N=53).
- DI and obsession-relevant phenomena were measured post-intervention.
- Bootstrapping analyses examined mediation by DI reduction.
Main Results:
- The intervention group showed greater reductions in self-reported DI and lower in-vivo urges to neutralize intrusions compared to the waitlist group.
- Anxious reactivity and neutralization behavior were not significantly affected.
- Reductions in DI mediated the intervention's effect on neutralization urges.
Conclusions:
- These results provide experimental evidence for DI's role in obsessional phenomena, specifically neutralization urges.
- DI can be reduced by a brief, computerized intervention.
- Findings support negative reinforcement models of DI and have implications for treatment development.
