Test of an Anxiety Sensitivity Amelioration Program for at-risk youth (ASAP-Y)

Ashley A Knapp; Matthew Feldner; Nicholas P Allan; Norman B Schmidt; Meghan E Keough; Ellen W Leen-Feldner

doi:10.1016/j.brat.2019.103544

Test of an Anxiety Sensitivity Amelioration Program for at-risk youth (ASAP-Y)

Behav Res Ther. 2020 Mar:126:103544. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2019.103544. Epub 2020 Jan 2.

Authors

Ashley A Knapp¹, Matthew Feldner², Nicholas P Allan³, Norman B Schmidt⁴, Meghan E Keough⁵, Ellen W Leen-Feldner⁶

Affiliations

¹ Center for Behavioral Intervention Technologies, Department of Preventive Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 750 N. Lake Shore Dr. 10th Floor, Chicago, IL, 60611, USA; Anxiety Research Program, Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA. Electronic address: ashley.knapp@northwestern.edu.
² Anxiety Research Program, Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA. Electronic address: mfeldne@gmail.com.
³ Factors of Emotional/Affective Risk Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Ohio University, Porter Hall 209, Athens, OH, 45701, USA. Electronic address: allan@ohio.edu.
⁴ Anxiety and Behavioral Health Clinic, Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 West Call Street, Tallahassee, FL, 32306, USA. Electronic address: schmidt@psy.fsu.edu.
⁵ Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific Street Box 356560, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA. Electronic address: meghankeough@gmail.com.
⁶ Anxiety Research Program, Department of Psychological Science, University of Arkansas, 216 Memorial Hall, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR, 72701, USA. Electronic address: eleenfe@uark.edu.

Abstract

Objective: Adult research supports the efficacy of targeting the malleable risk factor of anxiety sensitivity (AS) in preventing anxiety and related psychopathology. However, very little work has evaluated the impact of AS reduction among youth, which is unfortunate given adolescence is a "core risk" period in terms of disorder onset.

Method: The primary project aim was to test the effects of an Anxiety Sensitivity Amelioration Program for Youth (ASAP-Y) among a sample of 88 youth aged 10-14 years with elevated AS. High AS youth and a parent were randomly assigned to either the ASAP-Y, which consisted of psychoeducation and experimenter-led and parent-led exposures, or a general health information control condition.

Results: Youth in the intervention condition sustained low AS levels across the intervention period, and although AS levels in both conditions decreased from baseline to the one-month assessment, this decrease was more pronounced at one-month for youth in the intervention condition. Further, significant indirect effects of condition on one-month anxiety and depression symptoms via reduced AS were detected. Homework compliance rates and self-report data support the acceptability of the ASAP-Y. Contrary to hypotheses, differences between conditions in emotional reactivity elicited using experimental psychopathology methods were not observed.

Conclusions: The current findings offer preliminary support for the ASAP-Y as an acceptable selective preventive intervention for at-risk youth, with specific anxiety- and depression-related effects through reduced AS.

Keywords: Adolescent; Anxiety; Anxiety sensitivity; Depression; Prevention; Preventive intervention; Youth.

Publication types

Randomized Controlled Trial
Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Anxiety / psychology
Anxiety / therapy*
Anxiety Disorders / psychology
Anxiety Disorders / therapy*
Behavior Therapy / methods*
Child
Depression / psychology
Depression / therapy
Depressive Disorder / psychology
Depressive Disorder / therapy
Female
Humans
Male
Parents / psychology
Treatment Outcome

Abstract

Publication types

MeSH terms

Grants and funding