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Imagery Rescripting for Anxiety Disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Recent Advances and Future Directions

  • Anxiety Disorders (A Pelissolo, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

This review describes imagery rescripting (ImRs) and its clinical application to anxiety disorders and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Variations in ImRs delivery, clinical evidence, and theories of potential mechanisms of change are also reviewed. Finally, we propose a future research agenda.

Recent Findings

There is some evidence that ImRs affects memory processes and schemas. ImRs is associated with reductions in cognitive-affective, physiological and behavioural symptoms of social anxiety disorder and reductions in OCD-related distress and OCD symptoms. ImRs for other anxiety disorders has not been evaluated.

Summary

While ImRs appears to be an effective intervention for social anxiety disorder and OCD, more research is needed to (a) systematically compare ImRs to established interventions, (b) evaluate ImRs for other anxiety disorders, (c) test theorized mechanisms of change, and (d) evaluate the impact of moderating factors and treatment variations on therapeutic outcomes.

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Notes

  1. Cohen’s d effect size calculated as Mpre-Mpost/SDpre

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Psychology, Curtin University, GPO Box U1987, Perth, Western Australia, 6845, Australia

    Laura P. Strachan, Matthew P. Hyett & Peter M. McEvoy

  2. Centre for Clinical Interventions, Perth, Australia

    Peter M. McEvoy

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  1. Laura P. Strachan
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Correspondence to Peter M. McEvoy.

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Laura P. Strachan and Matthew P. Hyett each declare no potential conflicts of interest. Peter M. McEvoy receives royalties from Guilford Press for his co-authored book “Imagery-enhanced CBT for social anxiety disorder.”

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Strachan, L.P., Hyett, M.P. & McEvoy, P.M. Imagery Rescripting for Anxiety Disorders and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Recent Advances and Future Directions. Curr Psychiatry Rep 22, 17 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11920-020-1139-4

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