Many patients with obsessive-compulsive problems engage in neutralizing activity to reduce or "cancel out" the effects of the obsession. In many cases, neutralization is covert and therefore difficult to assess or manipulate experimentally. We hypothesize that neutralization resembles overt compulsions. In particular, it was predicted that: (i) neutralization reduces the anxiety evoked by unacceptable thoughts, and (ii) if neutralization is delayed, anxiety and the urge to neutralize will decay naturally. To test the hypothesis, 63 Ss prone to a cognitive bias known to be associated with obsessional complaints (thought-action fusion) were asked to write a sentence that would evoke anxiety. Measures of anxiety (and other variables of interest such as guilt, responsibility and the likelihood of harm) were taken. Subjects were then instructed to either immediately neutralize (n = 29) or delay for 20 min (n = 34), after which time anxiety and urge to neutralize were re-assessed. The Ss who had neutralized were then instructed to delay, and the Ss who had delayed were now instructed to neutralize, after which time the final assessments were taken. The results confirmed the predictions and supported the hypothesis that neutralization resembles overt compulsions. Of note, there were no differences between anxiety reduction after a 20-min delay, and after immediate neutralization. The problems involved in designing and conducting experiments on covert phenomena are discussed, and the clinical implications of the study are considered.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The Claustrophobia Questionnaire.

The content and psychometric properties of the Claustrophobia Questionnaire (CLQ) are described. An earlier version of the CLQ was developed to test the hypothesis that claustrophobia is comprised of two distinct but related fears--the fear of suffocation and the fear of restriction [J. Anxiety Disord. 7 (1993) 281.]. The scale was used to assess patients undergoing the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) procedure [J. Behav. Med. 21 (1998) 255.] and in participants with panic disorder [J. Abnorm. Psychol. 105 (1996) 146; Taylor, S., Rachman, S., & Radomsky, A. S. (1996). The prediction of panic: a comparison of suffocation false alarm and cognitive theories. Unpublished data.]. On the basis of these studies, we decided to revise and shorten the CLQ, collect normative data, and provide information on the scale's predictive and discriminant validity as well as its internal consistency and test-retest reliability. This was done through a set of four interconnected studies that included psychometric analyses of undergraduate and community adult questionnaire responses and behavioural testing. Results indicate that the CLQ has good predictive and discriminant validity as well as good internal consistency and test-retest reliability. The CLQ appears to be a reliable and sensitive measure of claustrophobia and its component fears. We encourage the use of the CLQ in a variety of clinical and research applications. The scale is provided in this paper for public use.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Why do episodes of panic stop?

Episodes of panic are self-limiting--they all come to an end. However, it has not been explained how and why they end. Neither the cognitive nor the biological theory of panic deals with this phenomenon. As a first step toward an understanding of what stops a panic, we collected evidence about the self-limiting nature of these episodes. A semistructured interview was developed and conducted with 25 participants who had received a diagnosis of panic disorder. Participants reported a variety of triggers of panic, signs that a panic was ending, and strategies used to terminate panic episodes. A substantial proportion of participants indicated that there was a refractory period following panic episodes. The theoretical and therapeutic significance of this self-limiting feature of panic episodes is considered, as is the probable occurrence of a postpanic refractory period.

Acute Disease↗