Article Accepted Manuscript

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 anxiety

Persistent 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
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Hirsch, Colette R.
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Meeten, Frances
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Newby, Jill M.
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    O'Halloran, Sophie
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Gordon, Calum
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Krzyzanowski, Hannah
  • Author(s) / Creator(s)
    Moulds, Michelle L.
  • PsychArchives acquisition timestamp
    2021-04-28T11:03:54Z
  • Made available on
    2021-04-28T11:03:54Z
  • Date of first publication
    2021-04-28
  • 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.
    en_US
  • Publication status
    acceptedVersion
  • Review status
    reviewed
  • Sponsorship
    CH 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
  • 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
  • ISSN
    2625-3410
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12034/4227
  • Persistent Identifier
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4788
  • Language of content
    eng
    en_US
  • Publisher
    PsychArchives
    en_US
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.3781
  • Is version of
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.5772
  • Is related to
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.4856
  • Is related to
    https://doi.org/10.23668/psycharchives.5772
  • Keyword(s)
    perinatal mental health
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    worry
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    interpretation bias
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    cognitive bias mediation (CBM)
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    pregnancy
    en_US
  • Keyword(s)
    anxiety
    en_US
  • Dewey Decimal Classification number(s)
    150
  • Title
    Looking on the Bright Side Reduces Worry in Pregnancy: Training Interpretations in Pregnant Women
    en_US
  • DRO type
    article
    en_US
  • Journal title
    Clinical Psychology in Europe
  • Visible tag(s)
    PsychOpen GOLD
    en_US
  • Visible tag(s)
    Accepted Manuscript
    en_US