A Comparison of Treatment Rationales on Willingness to Tolerate Distress in Interoceptive Exposure

Cognitive behavioral models of panic disorder maintain that recurrent, unexpected panic attacks result from anxiety sensitivity, or the fear of anxiety-related physiological sensations (e.g., fear of increased heart rate) and catastrophic misinterpretations regarding the danger of those sensations (e.g., misinterpreting increased heart rate as an oncoming heart attack). From these models and subsequent clinical research, interoceptive exposure has emerged as the most efficacious component of cognitive behavioral therapy for panic disorder treatment and, as expected, an efficacious intervention for decreasing anxiety sensitivity. Nevertheless, small-to-moderate effect sizes, wide variability in response rates and dropout rates indicated that panic disorder treatments may benefit from modifications to improve upon retention, response rates, and symptom reduction. Patient motivation and lack of engagement have been identified as factors to intervene upon. Numerous therapeutic techniques have been used to facilitate patient motivation in treatment; however, one specific direction that has gained increasing empirical interest is the inclusion of values identification. Values have been incorporated as a motivational component in empirically supported behavioral techniques and treatments, including Motivational Interviewing, Behavioral Activation Treatment for Depression packages, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Evidence from randomized controlled trials have generally supported the inclusion of packages containing values components in facilitating exposure therapy, and preliminary evidence has specifically favored the inclusion of packages containing values components in exposure therapy in cognitive behavioral therapy for panic disorder. However, there is no research known by the author that examines the influence of values on motivation in interoceptive exposure. Therefore, research examining the effect of a values component in isolation motivation in and acceptability of interoceptive exposure exercises has the potential to further improve treatment efficacy reducing costs associated with panic disorder and the many other conditions treated by interoceptive exposure. Therefore, the purpose of the current study is to examine the effect of emphasizing values in the treatment rationale on treatment response, willingness to tolerate distress, and acceptability of a one-session interoceptive exposure intervention among a clinical analogue sample with elevated anxiety sensitivity.