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Changes in Affective Network Variability Among Youth Treated for Anxiety Disorders

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Abstract

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to be an efficacious treatment for youth anxiety, but we need to know more about the process of change. Affective network variability, or the “spread” of positive and negative emotions activated across a given time period, has been found to be positively associated with anxiety disorder symptomatology, but it is not yet known how this construct changes in response to intervention or its association with anxiety-focused treatment outcomes. The present study used a dynamical systems framework to model ecological momentary assessment (EMA) data collected via a cellular telephone from 114 youth aged 9–14 years (Mage = 10.94, SD = 1.46) who were seeking treatment for a primary anxiety disorder. We examined patterns of affective network variability over time and across (a) CBT and (b) client-centered therapy (CCT) to determine whether affective network changes were specific to CBT or due to nonspecific factors. Associations between treatment outcomes and patterns of affect at pretreatment and over the course of the treatments were also examined. Results revealed significant decreases in affective network variability over the course of treatment for youth who received CBT, but not for youth who received CCT. Changes in affective network variability over the course of treatment did not predict treatment outcomes. Findings provide initial support for the dynamical systems approach to examining changes that occur during treatment. Implications and future research are discussed.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Child and Adolescent Anxiety Disorders Clinic, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Matthew M. Carper & Philip C. Kendall

  2. Quantitative Sciences Program, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Box G-BH, Providence, RI, 02912, USA

    Matthew M. Carper

  3. Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Jennifer S. Silk, Cecile D. Ladouceur, Erika E. Forbes & Neal Ryan

  4. Department of Psychology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA

    Jennifer S. Silk, Cecile D. Ladouceur & Erika E. Forbes

  5. Department of Psychology, Center for Children and Families, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA

    Dana McMakin

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  1. Matthew M. Carper
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Carper, M.M., Silk, J.S., Ladouceur, C.D. et al. Changes in Affective Network Variability Among Youth Treated for Anxiety Disorders. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 53, 526–537 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-021-01141-6

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