Emotion Regulation Therapy for Clinical Worry and Rumination
Condition: Anxiety Disorders and Symptoms; Depression, Anxiety; Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Emotional Dysfunction
MeSH terms: Depression; Anxiety Disorders
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      The present project aims to broaden our understanding of neural mechanisms which may underlie
      change in symptoms occurring over the course of Emotion Regulation Therapy. Specifically, we
      aim to examine neural changes as a result of either an 8-session or 16-session version of the
      treatment.
    

Detailed description: 
      This study aims to examine the utility of Emotion Regulation Training (ERT) in reducing
      symptoms of anxiety and/or depression in young adults aged 18 to 29 years old. Additionally,
      we are interested in assessing neural, cardiac, and immunological changes associated with
      psychological symptom reduction in these individuals. Lastly, we are interested in examining
      whether an abbreviated 8-session version of ERT produces similar results to a longer
      (16-session) version of ERT.
    

Intervention name(s): Emotion Regulation Therapy: 8-session version; Emotion Regulation Therapy: 16-session version
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Emotion Regulation Therapy will be administered over 8 individual sessions on a weekly basis, resulting in a total required time commitment of 9 hours over the course of 8 weeks. The initial stage of treatment focuses on psychoeducation about anxiety and depression, individual patterns of these behaviors, emotions in recent situations, and self-monitoring of worry, anxiety, and depression. The sessions focus on the development of skills that help regulate one's emotional experience (i.e., recognizing emotions when they are happening, identifying the meaning of a given emotion experience, and soothing oneself in the context of negative emotional experiences). Following the development of these skills, sessions focus on the application of somatic awareness and emotion regulation skills while imagining emotionally evocative themes. The remaining sessions focus on terminating therapy, relapse prevention, and future goals.; Emotion Regulation Therapy will be administered over 16 individual sessions on a weekly basis, resulting in a total required time commitment of 18 hours over the course of 16 weeks. The initial stage of treatment focuses on psychoeducation about anxiety and depression, individual patterns of these behaviors, emotions in recent situations, and self-monitoring of worry, anxiety, and depression. The sessions focus on the development of skills that help regulate one's emotional experience (i.e., recognizing emotions when they are happening, identifying the meaning of a given emotion experience, and soothing oneself in the context of negative emotional experiences). Following the development of these skills, sessions focus on the application of somatic awareness and emotion regulation skills while imagining emotionally evocative themes. The remaining sessions focus on terminating therapy, relapse prevention, and future goals.
Other intervention name(s): Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT); Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT)
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Intervention model description: All participants will be randomly assigned to an 8-session or 16-session version of ERT.
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Emotion Regulation; Distress Disorders; Anxiety; Depression