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Journal of anxiety disorders

ISSN 1873-7897

5 papers in the library · 25 citations · publishing 2024-2025

Papers

Is a brief mindfulness ecological momentary intervention more efficacious than a self-monitoring app for social anxiety disorder? A randomized controlled trial.

Journal of anxiety disorders June 1, 2024 Nur Hani Zainal, Hui Han Tan, Ryan Y Hong et al. 13 citations

A 14-day mindfulness ecological momentary intervention (MEMI) for social anxiety disorder was compared with a self-monitoring app in a randomized trial with 191 participants. The MEMI produced small but statistically significant improvements in momentary depression, anxiety, and mindfulness. However, no between-group differences were found for social anxiety symptoms, worry, depression severity, repetitive negative thinking, or trait mindfulness at post-intervention or one-month follow-up. Within the MEMI group, depression severity decreased significantly, while the self-monitoring group showed no such reduction. The findings suggest that brief MEMI may offer limited added benefit over self-monitoring for social anxiety disorder but could have value in stepped-care settings.

DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2024.102858 Full text Depression Mindfulness Ecological momentary intervention Randomized controlled trial +1

Mindfulness- and acceptance-based programmes for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Journal of anxiety disorders March 1, 2025 Johannes J Bürkle, Stefan Schmidt, Johannes C Fendel 7 citations

Mindfulness- and acceptance-based programmes (MABPs) produce large reductions in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) severity, according to a meta-analysis of 46 trials involving 2221 patients. In randomized controlled trials, MABPs outperformed medication and waitlist controls but did not differ from cognitive behavioral therapy or exposure and response prevention. Depressive symptoms decreased with small to moderate effects, and improvements in anxiety, obsessive beliefs, and quality of life were moderate to large. Increases in mindfulness and psychological flexibility predicted OCD symptom reductions. Outcomes were not moderated by treatment duration or therapist characteristics. The authors call for more high-quality trials with long-term follow-ups to confirm the findings.

DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2025.102977 Full text Meta-analysis Mindfulness interventions Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy Obsessive-compulsive disorder +2

The unique autonomic signatures of savoring meditation for anxiety reduction: A pilot randomized controlled trial.

Journal of anxiety disorders July 1, 2025 Tomoko Kishimoto, Ximing Hao, Qiyu Bai 3 citations

Savoring meditation, a positive emotion intervention, produces a distinct autonomic pattern compared to breathing relaxation in people with probable generalized anxiety disorder. In a pilot randomized trial, 44 participants with moderate or higher anxiety severity were assigned to either savoring meditation or breathing relaxation. Heart rate variability indicators showed that savoring meditation increased sympathetic and decreased parasympathetic activity, while breathing relaxation showed the opposite pattern. Despite these different autonomic signatures, both interventions led to similar and significant reductions in anxiety after worrying. The findings suggest that savoring meditation may reduce anxiety through unique autonomic mechanisms, offering new possibilities for anxiety treatment.

DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2025.103024 Full text Anxiety Autonomic nervous system Breathing relaxation Heart rate variability +1

Find your rhythm and regulate: Breath-synced vibration feedback during breath-focused mindfulness reduces respiration variability in trauma-exposed adults.

Journal of anxiety disorders June 1, 2025 Timothy J Mcdermott, Greg J Siegle, Alfonsina Guelfo et al. 2 citations

A clinical trial tested whether adding vibration to breath-focused mindfulness meditation (VABF) reduces respiration rate or variability in trauma-exposed adults with dissociation. 128 participants were randomly assigned to VABF, breath-focus only, vibration only, or open awareness. VABF decreased respiration variability across visits, while all other interventions increased it. Respiration variability was positively associated with anxiety and anger ratings. The findings suggest respiration variability is a meaningful metric for examining regulatory processes and is modifiable through VABF, which holds promise as an intervention for trauma-exposed populations.

DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2025.103008 Full text Anxiety Autonomic Dissociation Physiology +1

Savoring meditation for emotional disorders: Targeting positive emotion regulation deficits.

Journal of anxiety disorders July 22, 2025 Tomoko Kishimoto, Ximing Hao, Jianwei Qian

A savoring meditation intervention reduced depression and positive emotion contrast-seeking (PEC-seeking), a maladaptive strategy of sustaining negative affect to enhance later positive emotions, in Chinese college students with elevated anxiety and depression. In a randomized trial, 59 participants were assigned to two weeks of group savoring meditation or a waitlist. Depression declined significantly at mid-test, post-test, and one-month follow-up, with large effect sizes. Savoring beliefs increased, and PEC-seeking decreased, with reductions in PEC-seeking mediating depression improvement. Negative affect also decreased during sessions. Anxiety symptoms declined within the intervention group but did not differ significantly from the waitlist group. The findings suggest that targeting PEC-seeking through savoring meditation may reduce emotional disorder symptoms.

DOI: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2025.103054 Full text Emotional disorders Positive emotion contrast Savoring