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Imagery rescripting in non-clinical paranoia: a pilot study of the impact on key cognitive and affective processes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 July 2019

Katherine Newman-Taylor Open the ORCID record for Katherine Newman-Taylor [Opens in a new window] ,
Pamela McSherry  and
Lusia Stopa
Katherine Newman-Taylor*
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, University of Southampton, Shackleton Building, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Pamela McSherry
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, University of Southampton, Shackleton Building, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
Lusia Stopa
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, University of Southampton, Shackleton Building, Highfield Campus, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
*
*Corresponding author. Email: knt@soton.ac.uk
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Abstract

Background:

Paranoia is often accompanied by distressing intrusions associated with traumatic memories, yet one of the best-evidenced interventions, imagery rescripting (IR), is not routinely offered. This is likely to be due to poor understanding of the effects of IR on postulated mechanisms of change as well as the absence of a robust evidence base.

Aims:

This study aimed to establish proof of principle that IR impacts key cognitive-affective processes associated with distressing intrusions – memory characteristics and self-representations – and level of paranoia.

Method:

We used a within-subject repeated measures design to examine the effect of single-session IR on memory characteristics (level of intrusions, vividness, distress, encapsulated belief strength, emotion intensity and frequency), self-representation variables, affect and paranoia. Fifteen participants were seen once before and once after the IR session, to gather baseline and follow-up data.

Results:

As predicted, participants reported reductions in memory characteristics, improved self-esteem and positive affect, and reduced negative affect and paranoia, with large effect sizes. These effects were maintained at follow-up.

Conclusions:

While a within-subject design is useful for initial exploration of novel interventions, controlled studies are needed to determine causality. This is the first study to examine mechanisms of IR in paranoia. A controlled trial is now warranted.

Keywords

imagery rescriptingmechanisms of changeparanoiapilot
Type
Main
Information
Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy , Volume 48 , Issue 1 , January 2020 , pp. 54 - 66
Copyright
© British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2019 

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