How Mindfulness and Worry Affect Treatment-Resistant Anxiety Disorders

The present study investigated the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on anxiety, mindfulness and worry compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU), and examined whether worry mediates the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety in 103 adults with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders. Within a RCT, participants were randomised to receive either MBCT or TAU over 8 weeks. Subjects completed online questionnaires assessing demographics, mindfulness (Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire), worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire) and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI, Fear Questionnaire; FQ) at baseline, midterm, post-test and follow-up. The aims were investigated using baseline and post-test data for analysis. Repeated measures ANOVAs showed that MBCT significantly reduced worry and anxiety measured by the FQ, increased mindfulness, and that it was more effective in reaching these outcomes than TAU. Scores on anxiety measured by the BAI also improved significantly,...Show moreThe present study investigated the effect of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) on anxiety, mindfulness and worry compared to treatment-as-usual (TAU), and examined whether worry mediates the relationship between mindfulness and anxiety in 103 adults with treatment-resistant anxiety disorders. Within a RCT, participants were randomised to receive either MBCT or TAU over 8 weeks. Subjects completed online questionnaires assessing demographics, mindfulness (Five-Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire), worry (Penn State Worry Questionnaire) and anxiety (Beck Anxiety Inventory; BAI, Fear Questionnaire; FQ) at baseline, midterm, post-test and follow-up. The aims were investigated using baseline and post-test data for analysis. Repeated measures ANOVAs showed that MBCT significantly reduced worry and anxiety measured by the FQ, increased mindfulness, and that it was more effective in reaching these outcomes than TAU. Scores on anxiety measured by the BAI also improved significantly, however, results indicated no difference between groups. Mediation analyses identified a mediating role of worry between mindfulness and anxiety if anxiety was measured by the FQ, but not if it was measured by the BAI. These results demonstrate a superiority in treatment effectiveness of MBCT over TAU, next to establishing MBCT’s effectiveness for patients with anxiety disorders who did not respond to their first treatment. The mixed findings on anxiety suggest that mindfulness may be more relevant to symptoms of behavioural avoidance than to somatic symptoms of anxiety, emphasising a need for further investigation. The present results contribute meaningfully to available literature in the field, promoting treatment optimisation in the long-term.Show less

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How Mindfulness and Worry Affect Treatment-Resistant Anxiety Disorders