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Worried About us: Evaluating an Intervention for Relationship-Based Anxiety
Christine M Paprocki1, Donald H Baucom1
1Department of Psychology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC.
Family Process
|August 26, 2015
Summary
This study explored relationship-based anxiety, finding a brief psychoeducational session effectively reduced reassurance-seeking and self-silencing in individuals and maladaptive accommodation in partners.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Clinical Psychology
- Relationship Science
Background:
- Romantic relationships often provide comfort, but can be a source of anxiety for some.
- Relationship-based anxiety is characterized by patterns like excessive reassurance-seeking, self-silencing, and partner accommodation.
- These maladaptive interactive patterns can negatively impact relationship satisfaction and individual well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore the construct of relationship-based anxiety.
- To evaluate the effectiveness of a brief couple-based psychoeducational intervention for relationship anxiety.
- To identify and address common behavioral and cognitive patterns associated with relationship anxiety.
Main Methods:
- A sample of 21 couples participated in the investigation.
- A single, brief psychoeducational session was specifically designed to target maladaptive interactive behaviors.
- The session focused on addressing excessive reassurance-seeking, self-silencing, and partner accommodation.
Main Results:
- The psychoeducational session significantly decreased reassurance-seeking among individuals with relationship anxiety.
- Self-silencing tendencies were also significantly reduced in individuals following the intervention.
- Partners of individuals with relationship anxiety showed a significant decrease in maladaptive accommodation behaviors.
Conclusions:
- A brief, couple-based psychoeducational session is an effective intervention for relationship-based anxiety.
- The intervention successfully mitigated key maladaptive interactive patterns in romantic relationships.
- This approach offers a promising avenue for improving relationship dynamics and reducing anxiety.
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