Looking on the Bright Side Reduces Worry in Pregnancy: Training Interpretations in Pregnant Women
Author(s) / Creator(s)
Hirsch, Colette R.
Meeten, Frances
Newby, Jill M.
O'Halloran, Sophie
Gordon, Calum
Krzyzanowski, Hannah
Moulds, Michelle L.
Abstract / Description
Background: Recent evidence suggests that anxiety is more common than depression in the perinatal period, however there are few interventions available to treat perinatal anxiety. Targeting specific processes that maintain anxiety, such as worry, may be one potentially promising way to reduce anxiety in this period. Given evidence that negative interpretation bias maintains worry, we tested whether interpretation bias could be modified, and whether this in turn would lead to less negative thought (i.e., worry) intrusions, in pregnant women with high levels of worry.
Method: Participants (N = 49, at least 16 weeks gestation) were randomly assigned to either an interpretation modification condition (CBM-I) which involved training in accessing positive meanings of emotionally ambiguous scenarios, or an active control condition in which the scenarios remained ambiguous and unresolved.
Results: Relative to the control condition, participants in the CBM-I condition generated significantly more positive interpretations and experienced significantly less negative thought intrusions.
Conclusions: Our findings indicate that worry is a modifiable risk factor during pregnancy, and that it is possible to induce a positive interpretation bias in pregnant women experiencing high levels of worry. Although preliminary, our findings speak to exciting clinical possibilities for the treatment of worry and the prevention of perinatal anxiety.
Keyword(s)
perinatal mental health worry interpretation bias cognitive bias mediation (CBM) pregnancy anxietyPersistent Identifier
Date of first publication
2021-04-28
Journal title
Clinical Psychology in Europe
Publisher
PsychArchives
Publication status
acceptedVersion
Review status
reviewed
Is version of
Citation
Hirsch, C. R., Meeten, F., Newby, J. M., O'Halloran, S., Gordon, C., Krzyzanowski, H., & Moulds, M. L. (in press). Looking on the bright side reduces worry in pregnancy: Training interpretations in pregnant women [Author accepted manuscript]. Clinical Psychology in Europe. http://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4788
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Hirsch_Meeten_Newby_et_al._2021_Bright_Side_CPE_AAM.pdfAdobe PDF - 426.05KBMD5: a63d4cdcd0fa772ad7313cab5bba4a07Description: Author Accepted Manuscript
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There are no other versions of this object.
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Hirsch, Colette R.
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Meeten, Frances
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Newby, Jill M.
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Author(s) / Creator(s)O'Halloran, Sophie
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Gordon, Calum
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Krzyzanowski, Hannah
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Author(s) / Creator(s)Moulds, Michelle L.
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PsychArchives acquisition timestamp2021-04-28T11:03:54Z
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Made available on2021-04-28T11:03:54Z
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Date of first publication2021-04-28
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Abstract / DescriptionBackground: Recent evidence suggests that anxiety is more common than depression in the perinatal period, however there are few interventions available to treat perinatal anxiety. Targeting specific processes that maintain anxiety, such as worry, may be one potentially promising way to reduce anxiety in this period. Given evidence that negative interpretation bias maintains worry, we tested whether interpretation bias could be modified, and whether this in turn would lead to less negative thought (i.e., worry) intrusions, in pregnant women with high levels of worry. Method: Participants (N = 49, at least 16 weeks gestation) were randomly assigned to either an interpretation modification condition (CBM-I) which involved training in accessing positive meanings of emotionally ambiguous scenarios, or an active control condition in which the scenarios remained ambiguous and unresolved. Results: Relative to the control condition, participants in the CBM-I condition generated significantly more positive interpretations and experienced significantly less negative thought intrusions. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that worry is a modifiable risk factor during pregnancy, and that it is possible to induce a positive interpretation bias in pregnant women experiencing high levels of worry. Although preliminary, our findings speak to exciting clinical possibilities for the treatment of worry and the prevention of perinatal anxiety.en_US
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Publication statusacceptedVersion
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Review statusreviewed
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SponsorshipCH receives salary support from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Mental Health Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London.en_US
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CitationHirsch, C. R., Meeten, F., Newby, J. M., O'Halloran, S., Gordon, C., Krzyzanowski, H., & Moulds, M. L. (in press). Looking on the bright side reduces worry in pregnancy: Training interpretations in pregnant women [Author accepted manuscript]. Clinical Psychology in Europe. http://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4788
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ISSN2625-3410
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Persistent Identifierhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/4227
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Persistent Identifierhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4788
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Language of contentengen_US
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PublisherPsychArchivesen_US
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.3781
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Is version ofhttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.5772
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Is related tohttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4856
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Is related tohttps://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.5772
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Keyword(s)perinatal mental healthen_US
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Keyword(s)worryen_US
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Keyword(s)interpretation biasen_US
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Keyword(s)cognitive bias mediation (CBM)en_US
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Keyword(s)pregnancyen_US
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Keyword(s)anxietyen_US
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Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)150
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TitleLooking on the Bright Side Reduces Worry in Pregnancy: Training Interpretations in Pregnant Womenen_US
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DRO typearticleen_US
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Journal titleClinical Psychology in Europe
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Visible tag(s)PsychOpen GOLDen_US
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Visible tag(s)Accepted Manuscripten_US