The Impact of the Attention Training Technique on Attention Control and High Worry

Study Results

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Basic Information

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Recruitment Status

COMPLETED

Clinical Phase

NA

Total Enrollment

95 participants

Study Classification

INTERVENTIONAL

Study Start Date

2017-08-15

Study Completion Date

2019-06-26

Brief Summary

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Excessive and uncontrollable worry has been associated with deficits in attention control. The Attention Training Technique (ATT; Wells, 1990) is a 12-minute audio recording that was developed to train attention control, so that individuals could learn to shift their attention away from maladaptive cognitive processes such as worry. The technique has shown to be promising at reducing symptoms across a variety of mental disorders (Knowles, Foden, El-Deredy, \& Wells, 2016) and is recommended for use in people who suffer from chronic worry. To date, little research has been conducted examining the benefits of using this technique in such a population. The present study aims to examine the immediate and short term effects of weekly ATT practice, compared to a control condition, in a population that suffers from high levels of worry about a variety of topics. About one-hundred participants who suffer from chronic worry will be randomly assigned to listen to the ATT or a control recording, every day for a week. Changes in attention control, worry, and cognitive processes will be examined over the course of the intervention period.

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Detailed Description

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People who suffer from pathological worry report that they worry to an excessive degree and that they find it very difficult to control their worry. Deficits in attention control may help to explain why people who worry pathologically find it difficult to shift their attention away from their worry, and back to the task at hand. The Attention Training Technique (ATT; Wells, 1990) was developed to train attentional control, so that individuals could learn to shift the focus of their attention away from maladaptive cognitive processes such as worry. Despite being recommended for use in populations that suffer from excessive worry, there is a dearth of research examining the effects of ATT in such a population. The study aims to examine the immediate (during the intervention) and short-term (right after finishing the intervention) effects of listening to the ATT, compared to the control recording, on attention, worry, and other cognitive processes. This will be the first study to our knowledge to examine the effects of 1 week of daily ATT practice in a sample of people who suffer from chronic worry, and will provide important information for optimizing the treatment of worry in this population.

Conditions

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Excessive Worry

Study Design

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Allocation Method

RANDOMIZED

Intervention Model

PARALLEL

Baseline outcome measures will be completed at the first visit to the lab. Participants will then engage in a week of reporting on their worry and attention on their own, before coming back to the lab to recomplete the outcome measures. They will then be randomly assigned to the intervention or control condition and will engage in a week of daily listening to the corresponding recording for their condition on their own, while reporting on their worry and attention again during that week. Outcome measures will be completed again at the lab immediately following the intervention.

Primary Study Purpose

TREATMENT

Blinding Strategy

SINGLE

Participants

Study Groups

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Attention Training Technique

Participants in this arm will listen to the Attention Training Technique. Participants will listen to the recording once in the lab, followed by a week of once/day listening at home for a week. For a week before the intervention, and for the week during the intervention, participants will respond to questions every evening, about their worry and attention that day.

Group Type EXPERIMENTAL

Attention Training Technique

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

The ATT is a 12-minute audio recording that includes sounds and a voice guiding attention to the sounds. The sounds play continuously during the training task.

Control Condition

Participants in this arm will listen to the control condition recording. Participants will listen to the recording once in the lab, followed by a week of once/day listening at home for a week. For a week before the intervention, and for the week during the intervention, participants will respond to questions every evening, about their worry and attention that day.

Group Type PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Control Condition

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

In the control condition, participants listen to an audio recording with the same sounds as the ATT recording, and a voice that delivers placebo instructions.

Interventions

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Attention Training Technique

The ATT is a 12-minute audio recording that includes sounds and a voice guiding attention to the sounds. The sounds play continuously during the training task.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Control Condition

In the control condition, participants listen to an audio recording with the same sounds as the ATT recording, and a voice that delivers placebo instructions.

Intervention Type BEHAVIORAL

Eligibility Criteria

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Inclusion Criteria

1. Score of 65 or higher on the Penn State Worry Questionnaire.
2. Endorsement of chronic worry as per the description of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).

Exclusion Criteria

1. Has current or past history of psychosis or mania, or endorse symptoms consistent with a diagnosis of a substance use disorder in the past 12 months
2. Report clinically significant suicidal ideation, intent, or plan
3. Participants will be excluded if they are currently receiving psychological treatment or counseling (e.g., cognitive behaviour therapy, supportive counseling, etc.), unless this treatment is infrequent (once monthly or less) or the participant has been receiving consistent weekly treatment for at least 12 weeks and still meets all other eligibility criteria
4. Are taking psychotropic medications and have had a change in dose in the past 12 weeks. If they have recently discontinued a psychotropic medication, they will be included if it has been at least 1 month since discontinuation, or 3 months if they had been taking fluoxetine/Prozac. If a participant is taking benzodiazepines on an 'as needed' basis they will be included and their use of this medication will be noted. Daily benzodiazepine usage will exclude participants, and if participants have ever taken benzodiazepines daily, they must be abstinent for at least one year.

Minimum Eligible Age

18 Years

Maximum Eligible Age

65 Years

Eligible Sex

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No