The Efficacy of Emotion Regulation Therapy in Attention Control, Mindfulness and Reappraisal of Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder Comorbid with Major Depression

Introduction: Various studies indicate that generalized anxiety disorder has a high comorbidity with major depression disorder. Emotion dysregulation plays an important role in onset and maintenance of generalized anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. The purpose of this study was to examine the efficacy of emotion regulation therapy in control of attention, mindfulness and reappraisal of generalized anxiety disorder comorbid with major depression. Methods: Using single subject experimental designs with multiple baselines and according to participant tendency, structured diagnostic interview and inclusion criteria, 2 GAD patients comorbid with major depression were selected. Participants received emotion regulation therapy according in sixteen sessions. Patients were examined by Attention Control Scale, Kentucky Mindfulness Skills Questionnaire and Emotional Regulation Questionnaire. To analyze the data, indexes of process changes, slope and interpretation of ups & downs in charts were employed. Results: The results showed that emotion regulation therapy dramatically increased reappraisal, mindfulness and attention control strategies in patients with generalized anxiety disorder comorbid with major. Conclusions: Findings generally showed that emotion regulation therapy via targeting reappraisal, mindfulness and attention control components can be appreciate choice for treatment of generalized anxiety disorder comorbid with major depression.