Evaluating the long-term (Three Year) durability of brief interventions targeting risk factors for psychopathology

• Published in: Journal of anxiety disorders Vol. 96; p. 102710
• Main Authors: Schmidt, Norman B., Capron, Daniel, Raines, Amanda M., Albanese, Brian, Short, Nicole, Mathes, Brittany M., Morabito, Danielle M., Saulnier, Kevin, Allan, Nicholas
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2023
• Subjects: Affect; Anxiety - therapy; Anxiety Disorders - therapy; Anxiety sensitivity; Crisis Intervention; Digital interventions; Humans; Risk Factors; Digital interventions; Anxiety sensitivity; Risk factors
• ISSN: 0887-6185; 1873-7897
• DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2023.102710

Despite their brevity, prior work indicates that computer-based interventions can substantially impact risk factors for psychopathology including anxiety sensitivity (AS), thwarted belongingness (TB), and perceived burdensomeness (PB). However, very few studies have assessed the long-term (> 1 year) effects of these interventions. The primary aim of the current study was to evaluate post-hoc, the long-term (3 year) durability of brief interventions targeting risk factors for anxiety and mood psychopathology using data from a pre-registered randomized clinical trial. Moreover, we were interested in evaluating whether mitigation in these risk factors mediated long-term symptom change. A sample determined to be at-risk for anxiety and mood pathology based on elevations on several risk factors (N = 303) was randomly assigned to one of four experimental conditions focused on: (1) reducing TB and PB; (2) reducing AS, (3) reducing TB,PB, and AS; or (4) a repeated contact control condition. Participants were assessed at post-intervention, one, three, six, 12, and 36 month follow-ups. Participants in the active treatment conditions showed sustained reductions in AS and PB through long-term follow-up. Mediation analyses suggested that reductions in AS mediated long-term reductions in anxiety and depression symptoms. These findings suggest that brief and scalable risk reduction protocols have long-term durability and efficacy both in terms of reducing risk factors for psychopathology. •Brief interventions may lead to long-term reduction in anxiety and mood symptoms.•Reductions in anxiety sensitivity mediate long term effects.•Findings suggest brief, scalable prevention protocols have long-term durability.