How anxious is too anxious? State and trait physiological arousal predict anxious youth's treatment response to brief cognitive behavioral therapy.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:Exposure therapy is the gold standard for treating childhood anxiety, yet not all youth improve. Children do not always have insight on their distress, which can limit the utility of self-reported units of distress (SUDS) during exposures. Physiological assessment provides an objective means of monitoring emotional arousal. Electrodermal activity (EDA) in particular indexes sympathetic nervous system arousal which is heavily linked to anxiety. The aim of the current study was to examine the feasibility and utility of incorporating EDA assessment in an in-session exposure. We examined concordance between EDA and SUDS, and whether either predicted treatment response. METHODS:Thirty-four youth who met DSM-5 criteria for generalized, separation, and/or social anxiety disorder comple

SUBMITTER: McCormack CC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7216690 | biostudies-literature | 2020 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature