The influence of CBM-I on generalised anxiety in older adults
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The influence of Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM-I) on generalised anxiety symptomatology in older adults
IRAS ID
183255
Contact name
Katherine Bristow
Contact email
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Individuals are thought to have a bias that influences the degree to which they perceive threat in their environment. This bias is thought to exist on a sliding scale, and is triggered in situations that involve ambiguity. A stronger bias towards threat has been linked with clinical anxiety, and is thought to play a role in how clinical levels of anxiety are developed and maintained.
Cognitive Bias Modification for interpretation (CBM-I) is a computer-delivered programme that encourages learning on an implicit level through repeatedly accessing the neutral meaning to ambiguous stimuli. The training works by getting people to read through short scenarios that remain ambiguous as to whether they describe a threatening or neutral situation until the final word. This clarifying word is presented as a simple word fragment for individuals to solve. In doing so, the meaning of the scenario is also resolved.
Positive CBM-I encourages individuals to consistently access non-threatening resolutions. Through practice, it is thought that new links can be formed between ambiguity and threat, which can replace existing threat-sensitive biases. Positive CBM-I has been shown to reduce interpretive threat biases, which has been further linked to decreases in trait levels of anxiety. This effect has been reliably found in clinical and non-clinical samples using adolescents and young adults, but its utility has yet to be researched in an older adult population.
This study aims to determine the efficacy of CBM-I in an older adult population who struggle with generalised anxiety. The CBM-I training will focus specifically on worry, which is a central feature of generalised anxiety disorder. Participants will complete worry-focused CBM-I training and questionnaires daily for seven days. There will be an additional period prior to and after the training stage, during which participants will complete daily questionnaires. All stages of the research can be conducted in participants’ own homes, with phone and visit support from the chief researcher.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/2159
Date of REC Opinion
18 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion