TY - JOUR

T1 - Trait and symptom change in group cognitive behaviour therapy for anxiety and depression

AU - Niemeijer, Miriam

AU - Reinholt, Nina

AU - Poulsen, Stig

AU - Bach, Bo

AU - Christensen, Anne Bryde

AU - Eskildsen, Anita

AU - Hvenegaard, Morten

AU - Arendt, Mikkel

AU - Arnfred, Sidse

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 The Authors. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Personality traits underlying both anxiety disorders and depression are more malleable than previously presumed. This study examined associations between changes in personality traits (i.e. negative affectivity and detachment) and alleviation of anxiety and depression symptoms following cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). We hypothesized that decreases in negative affectivity would predict alleviation of depression and anxiety symptoms and decreases in detachment would predict decreases in depression and, to a lesser degree, anxiety symptoms. Data (N = 156) were collected in a randomized controlled trial comparing transdiagnostic and diagnosis-specific group CBT for patients with major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder or agoraphobia. We assessed personality traits using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and symptoms with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 25-item scale (SCL). Prediction was based on regression analyses. We found that decreases in negative affectivity predicted lower levels of depression and anxiety symptoms while decreases in detachment only predicted lower levels of depression symptoms. The findings substantiate current efforts to explicate the dynamic interplay between personality traits and symptoms and support the existing focus on targeting negative affectivity and detachment in therapy for anxiety disorders and depression. The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (ID NCT02954731).

AB - Personality traits underlying both anxiety disorders and depression are more malleable than previously presumed. This study examined associations between changes in personality traits (i.e. negative affectivity and detachment) and alleviation of anxiety and depression symptoms following cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). We hypothesized that decreases in negative affectivity would predict alleviation of depression and anxiety symptoms and decreases in detachment would predict decreases in depression and, to a lesser degree, anxiety symptoms. Data (N = 156) were collected in a randomized controlled trial comparing transdiagnostic and diagnosis-specific group CBT for patients with major depressive disorder, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder or agoraphobia. We assessed personality traits using the Personality Inventory for DSM-5 (PID-5) and symptoms with the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 25-item scale (SCL). Prediction was based on regression analyses. We found that decreases in negative affectivity predicted lower levels of depression and anxiety symptoms while decreases in detachment only predicted lower levels of depression symptoms. The findings substantiate current efforts to explicate the dynamic interplay between personality traits and symptoms and support the existing focus on targeting negative affectivity and detachment in therapy for anxiety disorders and depression. The trial is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (ID NCT02954731).

KW - anxiety disorders

KW - cognitive behaviour therapy

KW - major depression

KW - personality traits

KW - psychopathology

U2 - 10.1002/cpp.2857

DO - 10.1002/cpp.2857

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 37106559

AN - SCOPUS:85156239252

VL - 30

SP - 1058

EP - 1070

JO - Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy

JF - Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy

SN - 1063-3995

IS - 5

ER -