Presentation Information
[P-16-07]Investigating the mechanism of action of an intervention based on metacognitive therapy for social dysfunction in high worriers.
*Minori Machida, Jun Tayama (Waseda University(Japan))
Keywords:
high worrieres,social dysfunctions,attentional strategies,ecological momentary assessment
Objectives. This study aimed to examine mechanisms of change in metacognitive beliefs and attentional strategies related to social dysfunctions among high worriers, who lie on a continuum with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
Methods. Thirty individuals reporting clinically significant levels of worry and social dysfunction were semi-randomly assigned to an experimental group or an active control group (n = 15 each). Both groups received feedback on self-report scales and participated in Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) for one week before and after the intervention. The experimental group received psychoeducation on self-instruction training, attention training technique, and situational attentional refocusing (SAR), with each component administered over one week. The active control group did not receive SAR.
Results. A group × time ANOVA showed significant main effects of time on social dysfunctions, trait worry, and negative metacognitive beliefs. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling also revealed significant main effects of time for both disengagement and engagement attentional strategies. No significant interaction effects were found. To investigate potential mechanisms, we tested baseline–post changes in correlations between key processes and outcomes. Fisher’s Z test showed that the correlation between negative metacognitive beliefs and social dysfunctions increased significantly from baseline to post-intervention (r = .15 vs. r = .47; z = 2.38, p = .018), suggesting a stronger link following intervention. Other correlation changes were nonsignificant. Hierarchical Bayesian mediation analysis including group × time interactions detected no credible indirect effects, likely due to limited sample size.
Conclusion. These findings suggest that interventions modifying metacognitive beliefs may enhance the structural coupling between beliefs and social dysfunctions, even when direct causal effects are not observable. Future research should test this mechanism in larger samples.
Methods. Thirty individuals reporting clinically significant levels of worry and social dysfunction were semi-randomly assigned to an experimental group or an active control group (n = 15 each). Both groups received feedback on self-report scales and participated in Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA) for one week before and after the intervention. The experimental group received psychoeducation on self-instruction training, attention training technique, and situational attentional refocusing (SAR), with each component administered over one week. The active control group did not receive SAR.
Results. A group × time ANOVA showed significant main effects of time on social dysfunctions, trait worry, and negative metacognitive beliefs. Hierarchical Bayesian modeling also revealed significant main effects of time for both disengagement and engagement attentional strategies. No significant interaction effects were found. To investigate potential mechanisms, we tested baseline–post changes in correlations between key processes and outcomes. Fisher’s Z test showed that the correlation between negative metacognitive beliefs and social dysfunctions increased significantly from baseline to post-intervention (r = .15 vs. r = .47; z = 2.38, p = .018), suggesting a stronger link following intervention. Other correlation changes were nonsignificant. Hierarchical Bayesian mediation analysis including group × time interactions detected no credible indirect effects, likely due to limited sample size.
Conclusion. These findings suggest that interventions modifying metacognitive beliefs may enhance the structural coupling between beliefs and social dysfunctions, even when direct causal effects are not observable. Future research should test this mechanism in larger samples.