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Imagery rescripting of early memories in health anxiety disorder : A feasibility and non-randomized pilot study

Knutsson, Jens LU ; Nilsson, Jan-Erik LU ; Jalamo, Björn-Sindre and Lundh, Lars-Gunnar LU (2019) In Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry 65.
Abstract
Background and objectives:Health anxiety is a common problem and is associated with frequent primary carevisits, increased health care costs, and poor prognosis and low recovery rates. Previous research shows thatimagery rescripting (IR) is a promising treatment technique for various disorders. To date, IR has not beenexamined as a viable treatment for health anxiety. The purpose of the present feasibility and pilot study was totest one session of IR of early anxiety-laden health-related memories in a small sample of patients suffering fromHA.Methods:A within-groups design was used with a sample of 18 patients suffering from HA, whofirst underwenta control condition (reading about CBT), and then one week later a session of IR. After... (More)
Background and objectives:Health anxiety is a common problem and is associated with frequent primary carevisits, increased health care costs, and poor prognosis and low recovery rates. Previous research shows thatimagery rescripting (IR) is a promising treatment technique for various disorders. To date, IR has not beenexamined as a viable treatment for health anxiety. The purpose of the present feasibility and pilot study was totest one session of IR of early anxiety-laden health-related memories in a small sample of patients suffering fromHA.Methods:A within-groups design was used with a sample of 18 patients suffering from HA, whofirst underwenta control condition (reading about CBT), and then one week later a session of IR. After another week, the effectswere measured on self-reported health anxiety and early anxiety provoking health-related mental images(memories).Results:After the IR intervention, significant reductions of health anxiety and health worry, as well as image andmemory distress, vividness and frequency were observed.Limitations:Among the most important limitations are the absence of an active control group, the small size ofthe sample, the absence of a longer follow-up, and the use of only self-report measures.Conclusions:The results suggest that IR is a feasible technique in the treatment of health anxiety, and that morecontrolled research along these lines may be worthwhile. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Health anxiety; Intrusive; Imagery Rescripting; Memory
in
Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry
volume
65
pages
6 pages
publisher
Elsevier
external identifiers
  • scopus:85066493179
  • pmid:31176067
ISSN
1873-7943
DOI
10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.101491
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
02a4a8e6-161c-444f-a7d5-d00a2d0422bf
date added to LUP
2019-06-05 16:41:41
date last changed
2022-04-26 01:14:03
@article{02a4a8e6-161c-444f-a7d5-d00a2d0422bf,
  abstract     = {{Background and objectives:Health anxiety is a common problem and is associated with frequent primary carevisits, increased health care costs, and poor prognosis and low recovery rates. Previous research shows thatimagery rescripting (IR) is a promising treatment technique for various disorders. To date, IR has not beenexamined as a viable treatment for health anxiety. The purpose of the present feasibility and pilot study was totest one session of IR of early anxiety-laden health-related memories in a small sample of patients suffering fromHA.Methods:A within-groups design was used with a sample of 18 patients suffering from HA, whofirst underwenta control condition (reading about CBT), and then one week later a session of IR. After another week, the effectswere measured on self-reported health anxiety and early anxiety provoking health-related mental images(memories).Results:After the IR intervention, significant reductions of health anxiety and health worry, as well as image andmemory distress, vividness and frequency were observed.Limitations:Among the most important limitations are the absence of an active control group, the small size ofthe sample, the absence of a longer follow-up, and the use of only self-report measures.Conclusions:The results suggest that IR is a feasible technique in the treatment of health anxiety, and that morecontrolled research along these lines may be worthwhile.}},
  author       = {{Knutsson, Jens and Nilsson, Jan-Erik and Jalamo, Björn-Sindre and Lundh, Lars-Gunnar}},
  issn         = {{1873-7943}},
  keywords     = {{Health anxiety; Intrusive; Imagery Rescripting; Memory}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{05}},
  publisher    = {{Elsevier}},
  series       = {{Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry}},
  title        = {{Imagery rescripting of early memories in health anxiety disorder : A feasibility and non-randomized pilot study}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.101491}},
  doi          = {{10.1016/j.jbtep.2019.101491}},
  volume       = {{65}},
  year         = {{2019}},
}