Computerized Anxiety Treatment for Suicide (CATS)

Florida State University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Anxiety; Suicide

Treatments: Other: Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity Treatment; Other: Physical Health Education Training

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01990131

RF02397

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness and usability of multiple computer-based treatments for mood and anxiety relevant risk factors. The target of the treatment is related to cognitive stress, which has been shown to be associated with a variety of negative mental health outcomes such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, suicidal ideation, and substance use disorders.

Full description

CATS is a newly developed computerized treatment targeting specific risk factors associated with anxiety symptoms and suicidal thoughts. Individuals will be asked to complete four appointments, where they will complete various self-report questionnaires as well as a newly developed computerized treatment targeting risk factors associated with anxiety.

Enrollment: 74 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Meet diagnostic criteria for a primary Axis 1 anxiety disorder or meet diagnostic criteria for a unipolar mood disorder along with an Axis 1 anxiety disorder.
• Show evidence of current suicidal ideation (BSS above 6.
• Show elevated AS indicated by scoring at or above the community sample mean on the ASI-Cog (above 9.

Exclusion criteria

• No significant medical illness (e.g. sig cardiovascular disease, epilepsy, stroke).
• Current or past psychotic-spectrum disorders or uncontrolled bipolar disorder
• No current substance dependence
• Must be an English speaker.
• Must be 18 years or older.
• Must have normal or corrected vision
• Cannot begin treatment/therapy within 1 month of baseline.
• Cannot begin a new medication within 3 months of baseline.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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74 participants in 2 patient groups, including a placebo group

Intervention

Experimental group

Description:

The anxiety risk reduction condition will be a combination of psychoeducation plus Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM-I) for anxiety sensitivity (AS). The psychoeducational component will focus on the nature of stress and its effect on the body. Interoceptive exposure (IE) exercises, designed to correct the conditioned fear to these bodily sensations, will be explained and practiced.

Treatment:

Other: Cognitive Anxiety Sensitivity Treatment

Control

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

The control condition will be a combination of information about general health and wellness (e.g. diet, exercise etc.) plus an inert Cognitive Bias Modification (CBM-I) task.

Treatment:

Other: Physical Health Education Training