Excessive Worry
Conditions
Keywords
High worry, Anxiety, Attention Training Technique, Attention Control, Attention, Mindfulness, Attention Bias, Worry, Pathological Worry, Anxiety Disorder
Brief summary
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.
Detailed description
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.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALAttention 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.
BEHAVIORALControl 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.
Sponsors
Ministry of Research, Innovation and Science, Ontario
Toronto Metropolitan University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Subject)
Intervention model description
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.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No
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.
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Breathing Focus Task -Negative Intrusions | Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention). | Behavioural measure of attention control over worry. Number of negative thought intrusions reported during the post-worry breathing focus period (i.e. a period of focused breathing after a period of worry). Scores range from 0-12. A greater number means more negative thought intrusions. |
| Daily Worry Questions | Completed every evening for two weeks. The first week will take place before beginning the ATT/ control intervention. The second week will take place during the intervention period. | A daily self-report measure of the frequency, duration, intensity and uncontrollability of worry. Only uncontrollability of worry was used (see Data Analysis Plan for rationale). Scores range from 0-6. Higher scores represent greater uncontrollability of worry. |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Attention Rating Scale | Completed before and after listening to the recoding (immediate change) and every evening for two weeks. The first week will take place before beginning the ATT/ control intervention. The second week will take place during the intervention period. | A daily self-report measure of focus of attention (from internal to externally focused). The scale ranges from 0 to 6. 0 represents entirely externally focused and 6 represents entirely internally focused. |
| Attention Network Task (ANT) | Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention). | Behavioural measure of general attentional control, using reaction time. A larger number suggests lower attention control, whereas a smaller number suggests greater attention control. |
| Metacognition Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Cognitive Self Consciousness Subscale | Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention). | Self-report measure of focus of attention. Scores range from 6- 24. Greater scores represent greater self-focused attention. |
| Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Negative Beliefs About the Uncontrollability of Thoughts and Danger Subscale | Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention). | Self-report measure of beliefs about the uncontrollability and dangerousness of worry. Scores range from 6-24. Greater scores represent greater negative beliefs about worry. |
| Attention Control Scale | Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention). | Self-report measure of attentional control. Scores range from 20-80. Greater scores indicate greater self-reported attention control. |
| Dot Probe | Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention). | Behavioural measure of attentional bias to threat related words, measured in reaction time. A larger positive number indicates a greater bias to threat information while a negative number indicates the participant was faster to respond to neutral information. |
| Southampton Mindfulness Questionnaire | Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention). | Self-report measure of mindfulness. Scores range from 0-96. Greater scores indicate greater self-reported mindfulness. |
| Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Past Week | Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention). | Self-report measure of the degree of worry experienced over the past week. Scores range from 15 to 75. Higher scores indicate higher worry over the past week. |
Other
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| UPPS-P | Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention). | Self-report measure of impulsivity. Scores range from 12 to 48. Greater scores indicate greater negative urgency. |
Countries
Canada
Participant flow
Recruitment details
Participants were recruited with flyers and online advertisements. Recruitment took place between 2017-2019 at Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| 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.
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. | 34 |
| 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.
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. | 44 |
| Total | 78 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Total | Attention Training Technique | Control Condition |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical <=18 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical >=65 years | 0 Participants | 0 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Age, Categorical Between 18 and 65 years | 78 Participants | 34 Participants | 44 Participants |
| Age, Continuous | 29.44 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.68 | 30.15 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.35 | 23.89 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 11.25 |
| Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale-Revised | 27.94 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 13.01 | 27.53 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 13.25 | 28.25 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 12.96 |
| Generalized Anxiety Disorder Questionnaire-IV | 10.19 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.06 | 10.39 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.89 | 10.04 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 2.2 |
| Penn State Worry Questionnaire | 70.53 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.85 | 70.18 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 4.08 | 70.79 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 3.69 |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity Aboriginal | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity Arab/West Asian | 1 Participants | 1 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity Black | 3 Participants | 2 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity East Asian | 11 Participants | 3 Participants | 8 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity Latin American | 3 Participants | 3 Participants | 0 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity Mixed | 5 Participants | 3 Participants | 2 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity Other | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity South Asian | 12 Participants | 5 Participants | 7 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity Southeast Asian | 18 Participants | 5 Participants | 13 Participants |
| Race/Ethnicity, Customized Ethnicity White | 23 Participants | 12 Participants | 11 Participants |
| Sex/Gender, Customized Gender Female | 64 Participants | 26 Participants | 38 Participants |
| Sex/Gender, Customized Gender Male | 13 Participants | 8 Participants | 5 Participants |
| Sex/Gender, Customized Gender Other | 1 Participants | 0 Participants | 1 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 34 | 0 / 44 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 34 | 0 / 44 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 34 | 0 / 44 |
Outcome results
Primary
Breathing Focus Task -Negative Intrusions
Behavioural measure of attention control over worry. Number of negative thought intrusions reported during the post-worry breathing focus period (i.e. a period of focused breathing after a period of worry). Scores range from 0-12. A greater number means more negative thought intrusions.
Time frame: Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention).
Population: Participants were only included on this analyses if they had data for all time points. 3 participants were not included (1 from ATT, 2 from control).
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention Training Technique | Breathing Focus Task -Negative Intrusions | Visit 1 | 2.85 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.32 |
| Attention Training Technique | Breathing Focus Task -Negative Intrusions | Visit 2 | 2.45 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.53 |
| Attention Training Technique | Breathing Focus Task -Negative Intrusions | Visit 3 | 1.79 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 2.13 |
| Control Condition | Breathing Focus Task -Negative Intrusions | Visit 1 | 2.55 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.99 |
| Control Condition | Breathing Focus Task -Negative Intrusions | Visit 2 | 2.26 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.93 |
| Control Condition | Breathing Focus Task -Negative Intrusions | Visit 3 | 1.64 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.82 |
p-value: 0.93ANOVA
Primary
Daily Worry Questions
A daily self-report measure of the frequency, duration, intensity and uncontrollability of worry. Only uncontrollability of worry was used (see Data Analysis Plan for rationale). Scores range from 0-6. Higher scores represent greater uncontrollability of worry.
Time frame: Completed every evening for two weeks. The first week will take place before beginning the ATT/ control intervention. The second week will take place during the intervention period.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 1 | 3.66 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.14 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 2 | 3.56 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.83 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 3 | 2.86 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.78 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 4 | 3.48 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.75 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 5 | 3.34 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.5 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 6 | 3.11 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.5 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 7 | 3.56 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.48 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 8 | 3.55 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.6 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 9 | 2.87 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.52 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 10 | 3.13 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.79 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 11 | 3.28 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.45 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 12 | 3.15 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.78 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 13 | 3.31 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.61 |
| Attention Training Technique | Daily Worry Questions | Day 14 | 2.97 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.54 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 11 | 3.13 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.53 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 1 | 3.15 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.52 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 8 | 3.56 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.52 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 2 | 3.63 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.7 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 13 | 3.11 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.67 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 3 | 3.34 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.83 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 9 | 3.43 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.69 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 4 | 3.28 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.8 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 12 | 3.44 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.98 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 5 | 3.41 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.62 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 10 | 3.63 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.54 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 6 | 3.17 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.54 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 14 | 3.03 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.67 |
| Control Condition | Daily Worry Questions | Day 7 | 3.18 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.66 |
Comparison: HLM piecewise analysis was used to examine linear change from day 1-7 (visit 1 to visit 2) and change from day 7-14 (visit 2 to visit 3) on uncontrollability of worryp-value: 0.74Mixed Models Analysis
Comparison: HLM piecewise analysis was used to examine quadratic change from day 1-7 (visit 1 to visit 2) and change from day 7-14 (visit 2 to visit 3) on uncontrollability of worryp-value: 0.44Mixed Models Analysis
Secondary
Attention Control Scale
Self-report measure of attentional control. Scores range from 20-80. Greater scores indicate greater self-reported attention control.
Time frame: Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention).
Population: Participants were only included on this analyses if they had data for all time points. 1 participant was not included from the control condition.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention Training Technique | Attention Control Scale | Visit 1 | 47.59 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 9.78 |
| Attention Training Technique | Attention Control Scale | Visit 2 | 46.62 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 8.21 |
| Attention Training Technique | Attention Control Scale | Visit 3 | 49.17 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 10.62 |
| Control Condition | Attention Control Scale | Visit 1 | 44.09 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.68 |
| Control Condition | Attention Control Scale | Visit 2 | 44.61 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.28 |
| Control Condition | Attention Control Scale | Visit 3 | 46.72 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 8.31 |
p-value: 0.58ANOVA
Secondary
Attention Network Task (ANT)
Behavioural measure of general attentional control, using reaction time. A larger number suggests lower attention control, whereas a smaller number suggests greater attention control.
Time frame: Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention).
Population: Participants were only included on this analyses if they had data for all time points. 10 participants were not included (2 from ATT, 8 from control).
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention Training Technique | Attention Network Task (ANT) | Visit 1 | 104.60 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 40.74 |
| Attention Training Technique | Attention Network Task (ANT) | Visit 2 | 80.02 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 33.43 |
| Attention Training Technique | Attention Network Task (ANT) | Visit 3 | 80.51 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 44.14 |
| Control Condition | Attention Network Task (ANT) | Visit 1 | 108.82 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 40.59 |
| Control Condition | Attention Network Task (ANT) | Visit 2 | 85.58 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 31.85 |
| Control Condition | Attention Network Task (ANT) | Visit 3 | 76.76 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 42.1 |
p-value: 0.46ANOVA
Secondary
Dot Probe
Behavioural measure of attentional bias to threat related words, measured in reaction time. A larger positive number indicates a greater bias to threat information while a negative number indicates the participant was faster to respond to neutral information.
Time frame: Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention).
Population: Participants were only included on this analyses if they had data for all time points. 17 participants were not included (10 from ATT, 7 from control). A substantial amount of data was lost due to a technical issue with the computer.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention Training Technique | Dot Probe | Visit 1 | 6.78 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 19.12 |
| Attention Training Technique | Dot Probe | Visit 2 | 2.14 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 15.85 |
| Attention Training Technique | Dot Probe | Visit 3 | 0.65 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 17.81 |
| Control Condition | Dot Probe | Visit 1 | -1.75 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 19.54 |
| Control Condition | Dot Probe | Visit 2 | -2.42 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 19.66 |
| Control Condition | Dot Probe | Visit 3 | -5.83 miliseconds | Standard Deviation 23.37 |
p-value: 0.86ANOVA
Secondary
Metacognition Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Cognitive Self Consciousness Subscale
Self-report measure of focus of attention. Scores range from 6- 24. Greater scores represent greater self-focused attention.
Time frame: Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention).
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention Training Technique | Metacognition Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Cognitive Self Consciousness Subscale | Visit 1 | 17.21 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.41 |
| Attention Training Technique | Metacognition Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Cognitive Self Consciousness Subscale | Visit 2 | 17.56 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.27 |
| Attention Training Technique | Metacognition Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Cognitive Self Consciousness Subscale | Visit 3 | 16.65 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.56 |
| Control Condition | Metacognition Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Cognitive Self Consciousness Subscale | Visit 1 | 17.84 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.88 |
| Control Condition | Metacognition Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Cognitive Self Consciousness Subscale | Visit 2 | 18.02 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 4.07 |
| Control Condition | Metacognition Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Cognitive Self Consciousness Subscale | Visit 3 | 17.82 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 4.31 |
p-value: 0.53ANOVA
Secondary
Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Negative Beliefs About the Uncontrollability of Thoughts and Danger Subscale
Self-report measure of beliefs about the uncontrollability and dangerousness of worry. Scores range from 6-24. Greater scores represent greater negative beliefs about worry.
Time frame: Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention).
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention Training Technique | Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Negative Beliefs About the Uncontrollability of Thoughts and Danger Subscale | Visit 1 | 17.68 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.65 |
| Attention Training Technique | Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Negative Beliefs About the Uncontrollability of Thoughts and Danger Subscale | Visit 2 | 17.00 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.68 |
| Attention Training Technique | Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Negative Beliefs About the Uncontrollability of Thoughts and Danger Subscale | Visit 3 | 15.21 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 4.3 |
| Control Condition | Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Negative Beliefs About the Uncontrollability of Thoughts and Danger Subscale | Visit 1 | 18.07 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.59 |
| Control Condition | Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Negative Beliefs About the Uncontrollability of Thoughts and Danger Subscale | Visit 2 | 17.84 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.77 |
| Control Condition | Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) Negative Beliefs About the Uncontrollability of Thoughts and Danger Subscale | Visit 3 | 17.36 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.62 |
p-value: 0.07ANOVA
Secondary
Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Past Week
Self-report measure of the degree of worry experienced over the past week. Scores range from 15 to 75. Higher scores indicate higher worry over the past week.
Time frame: Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention).
Population: Participants were only included on this analyses if they had data for all time points. 1 participant was not included from the control condition.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention Training Technique | Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Past Week | Visit 1 | 71.91 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 9.23 |
| Attention Training Technique | Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Past Week | Visit 2 | 67.38 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 13.15 |
| Attention Training Technique | Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Past Week | Visit 3 | 61.06 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 13.51 |
| Control Condition | Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Past Week | Visit 1 | 72.72 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 8.69 |
| Control Condition | Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Past Week | Visit 2 | 67.51 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 12.13 |
| Control Condition | Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Past Week | Visit 3 | 63.07 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 15.41 |
p-value: 0.17ANOVA
Secondary
Self-Attention Rating Scale
A daily self-report measure of focus of attention (from internal to externally focused). The scale ranges from 0 to 6. 0 represents entirely externally focused and 6 represents entirely internally focused.
Time frame: Completed before and after listening to the recoding (immediate change) and every evening for two weeks. The first week will take place before beginning the ATT/ control intervention. The second week will take place during the intervention period.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 1 | 3.72 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.41 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 2 | 3.11 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.67 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 3 | 3.18 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.49 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 4 | 3.17 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.5 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 5 | 3.61 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.4 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 6 | 3.75 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.62 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 7 | 4.11 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.5 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 8 | 3.03 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.3 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 9 | 2.87 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.71 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 10 | 3.48 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.88 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 11 | 3.06 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.59 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 12 | 3.08 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.79 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 13 | 3.41 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.59 |
| Attention Training Technique | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 14 | 3.69 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.42 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 11 | 3.29 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.45 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 1 | 3.56 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.37 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 8 | 3.44 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.5 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 2 | 3.11 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.56 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 13 | 3.18 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.41 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 3 | 3.69 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.51 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 9 | 3.30 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.33 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 4 | 3.00 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.58 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 12 | 3.27 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.5 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 5 | 3.00 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.76 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 10 | 3.25 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.55 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 6 | 3.64 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.66 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 14 | 3.05 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.63 |
| Control Condition | Self-Attention Rating Scale | Day 7 | 3.33 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 1.69 |
Comparison: HLM piecewise analysis was used to examine linear change from day 1-7 (visit 1 to visit 2) and change from day 7-14 (visit 2 to visit 3) on self-focused attentionp-value: 0.5Mixed Models Analysis
Comparison: HLM piecewise analysis was used to examine quadratic change from day 1-7 (visit 1 to visit 2) and change from day 7-14 (visit 2 to visit 3) on self-focused attentionp-value: 0.02Mixed Models Analysis
Secondary
Southampton Mindfulness Questionnaire
Self-report measure of mindfulness. Scores range from 0-96. Greater scores indicate greater self-reported mindfulness.
Time frame: Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention).
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention Training Technique | Southampton Mindfulness Questionnaire | Visit 1 | 36.09 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 12.93 |
| Attention Training Technique | Southampton Mindfulness Questionnaire | Visit 2 | 36.38 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 13.41 |
| Attention Training Technique | Southampton Mindfulness Questionnaire | Visit 3 | 43.88 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 12.47 |
| Control Condition | Southampton Mindfulness Questionnaire | Visit 1 | 32.21 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 11.93 |
| Control Condition | Southampton Mindfulness Questionnaire | Visit 2 | 34.77 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 12.21 |
| Control Condition | Southampton Mindfulness Questionnaire | Visit 3 | 38.68 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 13.35 |
p-value: 0.39ANOVA
Other Pre-specified
UPPS-P
Self-report measure of impulsivity. Scores range from 12 to 48. Greater scores indicate greater negative urgency.
Time frame: Administered three times over the course of two weeks. Changes will be examined from Visit 1 (Baseline) to Visit 2 (Preintervention, 1 week following Baseline) and Visit 2 to Visit 3 (1 week following preintervention).
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attention Training Technique | UPPS-P | Visit 1 | 29.85 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 6.42 |
| Attention Training Technique | UPPS-P | Visit 2 | 28.71 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.15 |
| Attention Training Technique | UPPS-P | Visit 3 | 28.32 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 6.59 |
| Control Condition | UPPS-P | Visit 1 | 31.98 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.12 |
| Control Condition | UPPS-P | Visit 2 | 31.43 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 7.28 |
| Control Condition | UPPS-P | Visit 3 | 29.39 score on a scale | Standard Deviation 8.28 |