Therapists’ thought-action fusion beliefs predict utilization of exposure in obsessive-compulsive disorder
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Therapists’ thought-action fusion beliefs predict utilization of exposure in obsessive-compulsive disorder. / Jelinek, Lena; Balzar, Alicia Madeleine; Moritz, Steffen; Reininger, Klaus Michael; Miegel, Franziska Sophia.
In: BEHAV THER, Vol. 53, No. 1, 10.01.2022, p. 23-33.Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Therapists’ thought-action fusion beliefs predict utilization of exposure in obsessive-compulsive disorder
AU - Jelinek, Lena
AU - Balzar, Alicia Madeleine
AU - Moritz, Steffen
AU - Reininger, Klaus Michael
AU - Miegel, Franziska Sophia
PY - 2022/1/10
Y1 - 2022/1/10
N2 - Although exposure and response prevention (ERP) is considered the gold standard for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), it is rarely used in clinical practice. Therapists’ beliefs about ERP affect its utilization, as previous research suggests, but the role of therapists’ cognitive biases is unclear. In particular, susceptibility to thought-action fusion (TAF) may be related to the underutilization of ERP in OCD.Therapists (N = 353) were divided into those recommending (ERP+, n = 228) and not recommending ERP (ERP−, n = 125) as treatment for an OCD case example. TAF in therapists was assessed using behavioral and self-report measures (TAFS).TAF was higher in the ERP− than the ERP+ group, with a small to moderate effect size (0.2 ≤ d ≤ 0.4). ERP− therapists showed more avoidance and neutralizing behavior and a stronger emotional response than the ERP+ therapists during the experimental task. Moreover, higher TAF as measured by the TAFS was associated at a small magnitude with lower likelihood of using ERP in the therapists’ actual clinical practices.Therapists’ cognitive biases should be addressed in their training in order to increase the dissemination of evidence-based treatment (i.e., ERP) and thus improve the treatment of OCD.
AB - Although exposure and response prevention (ERP) is considered the gold standard for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), it is rarely used in clinical practice. Therapists’ beliefs about ERP affect its utilization, as previous research suggests, but the role of therapists’ cognitive biases is unclear. In particular, susceptibility to thought-action fusion (TAF) may be related to the underutilization of ERP in OCD.Therapists (N = 353) were divided into those recommending (ERP+, n = 228) and not recommending ERP (ERP−, n = 125) as treatment for an OCD case example. TAF in therapists was assessed using behavioral and self-report measures (TAFS).TAF was higher in the ERP− than the ERP+ group, with a small to moderate effect size (0.2 ≤ d ≤ 0.4). ERP− therapists showed more avoidance and neutralizing behavior and a stronger emotional response than the ERP+ therapists during the experimental task. Moreover, higher TAF as measured by the TAFS was associated at a small magnitude with lower likelihood of using ERP in the therapists’ actual clinical practices.Therapists’ cognitive biases should be addressed in their training in order to increase the dissemination of evidence-based treatment (i.e., ERP) and thus improve the treatment of OCD.
UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2021.05.004
U2 - 10.1016/j.beth.2021.05.004
DO - 10.1016/j.beth.2021.05.004
M3 - SCORING: Journal article
VL - 53
SP - 23
EP - 33
JO - BEHAV THER
JF - BEHAV THER
SN - 0005-7894
IS - 1
ER -
