The Effectiveness of Process-Based Therapy on Worry, Intolerance of Uncertainty, and Cognitive Flexibility in Individuals with Generalized Anxiety
Keywords:
Process-Based Therapy, Worry, Intolerance of Uncertainty, Cognitive Flexibility, Generalized AnxietyAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of process-based therapy in reducing worry and intolerance of uncertainty and increasing cognitive flexibility among individuals with generalized anxiety.
Methods and Materials: The present study employed a quasi-experimental pretest–posttest design with a control group. The statistical population consisted of adults with clinical symptoms of generalized anxiety. Forty participants were selected through convenience sampling and assigned to an experimental group and a control group, with 20 participants in each group. The experimental group received process-based therapy in ten weekly 90-minute sessions, whereas the control group received no psychological intervention during the study period. Data were collected using the Penn State Worry Questionnaire, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale, and the Cognitive Flexibility Inventory. The collected data were analyzed using multivariate and univariate analysis of covariance in SPSS-27.
Findings: The results of multivariate analysis of covariance showed that, after controlling for pretest scores, there was a significant difference between the experimental and control groups in the combined dependent variables. Wilks’ lambda was 0.571, F was 8.27, and the significance level was 0.001. The effect size was 0.429, indicating that 42.9% of the variance in the combined research variables was explained by the intervention. The results of univariate analysis of covariance also indicated that process-based therapy had a significant effect on reducing intolerance of uncertainty, F=16.09, p=0.001, reducing worry, F=25.00, p=0.001, and increasing cognitive flexibility, F=4.36, p=0.044.
Conclusion: The findings suggest that process-based therapy, by targeting the underlying and maintaining processes of generalized anxiety, including excessive worry, need for certainty, safety-seeking behaviors, control strategies, and cognitive inflexibility, can be considered an effective intervention for reducing worry and intolerance of uncertainty and improving cognitive flexibility in individuals with generalized anxiety.
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