Search

Objective This study examines discontinuation of psychotherapy from a consumer decision-making perspective. Two plausible predictors, the level of illness and rate of progress from where the patient started, were examined as predictors of treatment discontinuation. Method Using data from 139 patients (45.5% women; mean age = 32.18 years) participating in a 12-week transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy program for anxiety, weekly assessments of anxiety severity were examined to investigate the extent to which level of anxiety and rate of improvement predicted treatment discontinuation. Results Support was found for a significant interaction effect wherein at higher anxiety levels, rate of progress was less associated with discontinuation than at lower anxiety levels. Conclusion Faster rates of anxiety reduction are associated with greater likelihood of discontinuation when the client is at a lower level of anxiety, whereas rate of improvement is less associated with discontinuation if there remains continued impairment and room for improvement. As such, clinicians should monitor rates of improvement throughout treatment to help identify and evaluate patients at increased risk of premature discontinuation.

The effects of aerobic and nonaerobic exercise on employee state and trait anxiety levels, absenteeism, job satisfaction, and resting heart rate were investigated within a worksite setting. Results indicated that aerobic subjects significantly reduced their state anxiety levels over a single exercise session. Post-exercise state anxiety decreased over the 8 weeks for both groups. Aerobic subjects who were not previous exercisers decreased their trait anxiety. No changes in job satisfaction, absenteeism, or resting heart rate were evident. These results support past findings that concluded that aerobic exercise is superior to nonaerobic exercise for anxiety reduction. Tentative evidence was found to oppose the hypothesis that cardiovascular conditioning is the mechanism responsible for the psychological benefits because no significant cardiovascular changes occurred.