The role of risk regulation in intimate relationships among individuals with social anxiety disorder and healthy controls

10.32920/ryerson.14649807.v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ariella P. Lenton-Brym

Keyword(s):

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Social Anxiety ◽

Social Anxiety Disorder ◽

Intimate Relationships ◽

Intimate Partner ◽

Negative Evaluation ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Risk Regulation ◽

Daily Diaries

Individuals with social anxiety disorder (SAD) experience heightened concern about rejection and negative evaluation by other people. However, limited research has assessed the extent to which individuals with SAD also experience elevated concerns about rejection within the context of their intimate relationships. In the present study, individuals with SAD (n = 21) and healthy controls (HCs; n = 25) who were in current intimate relationships completed daily diaries each evening for 14 days. Daily diaries assessed the extent to which participants experienced feelings of rejection and acceptance in their intimate relationships, as well as the extent to which they responded to feelings of rejection by using behaviours characterized by withdrawal (“withdrawal” processes) versus efforts to reaffiliate with their partners (“approach” processes). Results revealed that individuals with SAD reported greater levels of intimate partner rejection and marginally lower levels of intimate partner acceptance than HCs. Further, feelings of rejection were associated with an increased use of next-day withdrawal processes among SAD, but not HC participants. These findings provide insight into the nature of rejection concerns and responses to rejection among individuals with SAD.

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Effectiveness of Acceptance Commitment Therapy (ACT) in Social Anxiety Disorder: Application of a Longitudinal Method for Evaluation of Mediation Role of Acceptance, Cognitive Fusion and Values

Basic and Clinical Neuroscience Journal ◽

10.32598/bcn.2021.2785.1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Esmail Soltani ◽

◽

Seyed Abdolmajid Bahrainian ◽

Ali Farhoudian ◽

Abbas Masjedi Arani ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Anxiety Disorder ◽

Social Anxiety ◽

Social Anxiety Disorder ◽

Negative Evaluation ◽

Fear Of Negative Evaluation ◽

Analysis Of Covariance ◽

Cognitive Fusion

Objectives: The purpose of the current study was to examine the effectiveness of ACT on symptom severity, fear about negative evaluation, quality of life and mediation role of acceptance, cognitive fusion and value among patients with Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). Methods: Thirty patients diagnosed with SAD were randomized in the intervention (n=15) or waiting list groups (n=15). The Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory (SPAI), Brief Fear of Negative Evaluation Scale (BFNE), WHO Quality of Life (WHOQOL), Social Anxiety - Acceptance and Action Questionnaire (SA-AAQ), Cognitive Fusion Questionnaire (CFQ) and Valued Living Questionnaire (VLQ) were administered before, immediately after, and at one month follow up. Repeated measurement design was used in the intervention group to investigate the changes of mediation and outcomes variables in the pretest, during, and post- therapy. Twenty-four patients completed the study. One-way analysis of covariance, Multivariate analysis of covariance and repeated measures was used for analysis. Results: Results showed that there were differences between the intervention and waiting list groups on the severity of symptoms (p=0.001), fear of negative evaluation (p=0.002), and quality of life (p=0.03), as well as in terms of specific measures of SA-AAQ(p=0.001), cognitive fusion (p=0.001), and important section of VLQ(p=0.001). Repeated measurement result showed that acceptance and action of social anxiety and cognitive fusion had a mediating role in the severity of anxiety, fear about negative evaluation, and quality of life. Discussion: Results of the study indicate the effectiveness of ACT for SAD and highlighted mediator contribution acceptance and action and cognitive fusion in severity of social anxiety.

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