Cognitive processes as mediators of the relation between mindfulness and change in social anxiety symptoms following cognitive behavioral treatment.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether pretreatment mindfulness indirectly affects treatment outcomes in cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for social phobia, specifically examining its relationship with probability and cost biases.
Results Summary
Pretreatment mindfulness was not directly related to changes in social anxiety symptoms but had an indirect effect on treatment outcomes via its association with probability bias (not cost bias) at midtreatment. These findings were consistent across multiple social anxiety symptom metrics.
Population
Sixty-seven individuals with a primary diagnosis of social phobia who identified public speaking as their greatest fear.
Effective Dosage
Not specified
Duration
Eight sessions of exposure-based CBT
Interactions
None mentioned
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) | decrease | social anxiety symptom change | individuals with a primary diagnosis of social phobia identifying public speaking as their greatest fear | - | exerted an indirect effect on outcomes | #1 |
pretreatment mindfulness | no change | social anxiety symptoms | individuals with a primary diagnosis of social phobia | - | was not related to change | #2 |
mindfulness | decrease | probability bias | individuals with social phobia | - | had an indirect effect on treatment outcome via its association with | #3 |
mindfulness | no change | cost bias | individuals with social phobia | - | had no indirect effect on treatment outcome via its association with | #4 |
The present study examined whether pretreatment mindfulness exerts an indirect effect on outcomes following cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Cognitive processes of probability and cost bias (i.e., overestimations of the likelihood that negative social events will occur, and that these events will have negative consequences when they do occur) were explored as potential mediators of the relation between mindfulness and social anxiety symptom change. People with higher levels of mindfulness may be better able to benefit from treatments that reduce biases because mindfulness may aid in regulation of attention. Sixty-seven individuals with a primary diagnosis of social phobia identifying public speaking as their greatest fear received eight sessions of one of two types of exposure-based CBT delivered according to treatment manuals. Participants completed self-report measures of mindfulness, probability bias, cost bias, and social anxiety symptoms. Mediation hypotheses were assessed by a bootstrapped regression using treatment outcome data. Pretreatment mindfulness was not related to change in social anxiety symptoms from pre- to posttreatment. However, mindfulness had an indirect effect on treatment outcome via its association with probability bias, but not cost bias, at midtreatment. These findings were consistent across three metrics of social anxiety symptoms. Mindfulness may play a role in response to CBT among individuals with social phobia through its relation with probability bias--even when the treatment does not target mindfulness.