The Effectiveness of EEG Biofeedback on Interpretation Bias, Self-Focused Attention, and Anxiety Severity in Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Keywords:
EEG Biofeedback, Interpretation Bias, Self-Focused Attention, Generalized Anxiety DisorderAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of EEG biofeedback on interpretation bias, self-focused attention, and anxiety severity in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.
Methods and Materials: This study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with an experimental and a control group. The statistical population consisted of female patients with generalized anxiety disorder who referred to the Ofoq Clinical Psychology Center in 2025, from which 30 participants were purposively selected and randomly assigned to two groups of 15. The experimental group received EEG biofeedback intervention in 20 sessions of 45 minutes (twice weekly), while the control group was placed on a waiting list. Instruments included the Interpretation Bias Questionnaire, Self-Focused Attention Scale, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and GAD-7. Data were analyzed using multivariate analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) in SPSS-28.
Findings: The results indicated a significant reduction in anxiety severity, self-focused attention, and interpretation bias in the experimental group compared to the control group (p<0.05). Effect sizes were very large, with 0.94 for anxiety severity, 0.96 for self-focused attention, and 0.99 for interpretation bias. These findings demonstrate that EEG biofeedback had a strong and statistically significant impact on both cognitive and clinical indicators of generalized anxiety disorder.
Conclusion: EEG biofeedback appears to be an effective therapeutic approach for reducing symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder and modifying underlying cognitive processes. By facilitating self-regulation of brain activity, this intervention improves both emotional and cognitive aspects of anxiety and can be considered a valuable complementary method in clinical treatment settings.
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Copyright (c) 2025 Zahra Ghorbani (Author); Mohsen Jalali; Elnaz Pourahmadi (Author)
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