This study examined the effects of anticipatory processing on a subsequent speech in high and low socially anxious participants. Forty participants (n = 20 in each group) gave two speeches, one after no anticipatory processing and one after 10-minutes of anticipatory processing. In anticipatory processing, high socially anxious participants were more anxious, and experienced more negative and unhelpful self-images than low socially anxious participants did. However, both groups rated memories of past speeches as having a somewhat helpful effect on their speech preparation. High socially anxious participants tended to use the observer perspective more in the anticipated speech, while, in the unanticipated speech, they might have been switching between observer and field perspectives. Low socially anxious participants tended to use the field perspective in both speeches. High and low socially anxious participants reported better speech performances after the anticipated, compared to after the unanticipated speech. Results suggest that anticipatory processing may have both positive and negative effects on socially anxious individuals' cognitive processing and performance before and during a speech.

Three influential theoretical models of OCD focus upon the cognitive factors of inflated responsibility (Salkovskis, 1985), thought-action fusion (Rachman, 1993) and meta-cognitive beliefs (Wells and Matthews, 1994). Little is known about the relevance of these models in adolescents or about the nature of any direct or mediating relationships between these variables and OCD symptoms. This was a cross-sectional correlational design with 223 non-clinical adolescents aged 13 to 16 years. All participants completed questionnaires measuring inflated responsibility, thought-action fusion, meta-cognitive beliefs and obsessive-compulsive symptoms. Inflated responsibility, thought-action fusion and meta-cognitive beliefs were significantly associated with higher levels of obsessive-compulsive symptoms. These variables accounted for 35% of the variance in obsessive-compulsive symptoms, with inflated responsibility and meta-cognitive beliefs both emerging as significant independent predictors. Inflated responsibility completely mediated the effect of thought-action fusion and partially mediated the effect of meta-cognitive beliefs. Support for the downward extension of cognitive models to understanding OCD in a younger population was shown. Findings suggest that inflated responsibility and meta-cognitive beliefs may be particularly important cognitive concepts in OCD. Methodological limitations must be borne in mind and future research is needed to replicate and extend findings in clinical samples.

Mothers of children with behaviour problems have more negative attributions about their children than other mothers; they also report reacting differently to their children's misbehaviour. The present study explored whether maternal attributions were associated with actual maternal behaviour observed in the home. Fifty-seven mothers and their 3-year-old children were observed in the home carrying out a range of everyday tasks and behaviour was coded using Gardner's observational coding scheme. Mothers were interviewed about their attributions, using an adaptation of Walker's PAQ and level of behaviour problems was measured using the Child Behaviour Check List (CBCL). Mothers who thought the causes of the child's misbehaviour were more internal to the child had more conflict with their child, used more negative strategies and were more likely to use reactive strategies only, even when controlling for level of behaviour problem in the child. Mothers who thought the causes of the child's misbehaviour were more stable were more likely to use reactive strategies only and mothers who thought the causes of the child's misbehaviour were more global used fewer positive strategies. This study is part of the growing body of literature that suggests observed maternal behaviour is associated with maternal attributions.

As a result of its expanding evidence base from randomized controlled trials, cognitive therapy is becoming increasingly widely practised in the treatment of many mental health problems. However, little is known about the extent to which it is carried out competently in practice, nor about what characteristics of therapists may be associated with competence. In therapists claiming to practice cognitive therapy, this study examined the relationship of a number of therapist factors, including training, profession, experience, supervision and accreditation, to competence. Therapists (n = 24) taped a mid-treatment cognitive therapy session. An independent rater, blind to information about the therapist, assessed the competence shown by the therapist during this session using the Cognitive Therapy Scale (CTS). Five randomly selected tapes were rated by a second rater and the inter-rater correlations were high. Although all therapists had received some cognitive therapy training during basic professional qualification, therapists with formal post-qualification training in cognitive therapy showed significantly higher levels of competence than those without. Psychologists were rated as more competent than therapists from other professions on one of the CTS subscales (Interpersonal Effectiveness). Number of years of experience, frequency of supervision, and accreditation were unrelated to ratings of competence. A number of accredited cognitive therapists scored well below a widely used criterion of competence.

In recent years that has been an increasing interest in supervision within the UK's cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) community. This is because the role of supervision has begun to be recognized in relation to the delivery of effective clinical services (Department of Health, 1998), and because of a clear recognition of the need to ensure that CBT practitioners are competent. Perhaps less well recognized in CBT are a number of interesting educational approaches to supervision, ones that may make supervision more successful. This paper summarizes some of these theories from a CBT perspective. Whilst the evidence base does not yet justify being too prescriptive, it is argued that some of these theories, such as Vygotsky's notion of the “Zone of Proximal Development”, provide helpful prompts for reflecting on CBT supervision. An integrative model is constructed from these theories, with illustrative examples and suggestions for future research.

This paper reports on the development and running of an anger management service that has been provided in Southampton for the past decade. It discusses some of the challenges that the service has had to face, (including over-popularity with referrers and high attrition rates) and describes the model that is used. The paper also examines the outcome of one particular therapeutic group. The results of this evaluation show that those who drop out of the group have higher initial depression and poorer self-esteem compared to those who remain in the group. In addition, those who complete the anger management group show improvements in anger control and have improved self-esteem. The paper concludes with practice recommendations.

Self-efficacy is a potentially useful concept when applied to Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). The aims of the current study were to examine the psychometric properties of the Self-Efficacy for Social Situations Scale (SESS; Gaudiano and Herbert, 2003) and to investigate the relationship between self-efficacy and anxiety in an adolescent sample with generalized SAD. Results replicated those found in a previous adult SAD sample. The SESS showed high internal consistency and good construct and criterion-related validity. The SESS also predicted subjective anxiety and perceived performance in social role play tests after controlling for social anxiety severity. Furthermore, self-efficacy more clearly predicted self-ratings in contrast to observer ratings of performance in social role play tests. Finally, changes in social self-efficacy were strongly associated with changes in social anxiety symptoms following treatment, even after controlling for changes in fear of negative evaluation. Treatment implications for adolescent SAD are discussed.

We assessed the use of a microswitch cluster (i.e. a combination of two micro-switches) plus contingent stimulation for promoting adaptive responding and reducing aberrant behaviour in a woman with profound developmental disabilities. The woman was initially taught an adaptive hand response that activated a pressure microswitch and produced preferred stimuli. Subsequently, her hand response led to preferred stimuli only if it occurred free from face hiding (i.e. aberrant behaviour detected through a mercury microswitch). The study also included a 3-month post-intervention and generalization check, and a social validation assessment. Data showed that the woman increased her adaptive responding, learned to perform this responding largely free from aberrant behaviour, and maintained and generalized the new performance across settings. Forty-five psychology students provided positive social validation of the woman's new performance and the use of microswitch-cluster technology.

This study considered the role of schema-level cognitive processes in alcohol and opiate abuse. It examined the hypothesis that alcohol abuse will be associated with the use of “blocking” behaviours to reduce the experience of emotions (secondary avoidance of affect), while opiate abuse will be associated with a tendency to avoid emotions being activated in the first place (primary avoidance of affect). The sample consisted of 30 patients who abused alcohol, and 30 who abused opiates. Each completed the Young Compensatory Inventory (YCI) and the Young-Rygh Avoidance Inventory (YRAI). There were no differences between the groups in their absolute levels of schema processes (YCI and YRAI scores). However, they differed in the way in which the severity of use was associated with the level of YRAI behavioural-somatic avoidance. Among alcohol abusers only, severity of use was greater in those who were more likely to avoid affective arousal in this way. This association with severity was not found among opiate abusers. Implications are discussed for existing treatments and for the use of schema-level cognitive behavioural interventions with substance-using populations.

This study explored the beliefs held by 17 individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia on the identity and cause of their problems using a semi-structured interview. Just over half of the sample considered their main difficulty to be something other than a psychiatric or psychological problem. Nevertheless, all participants reported having at least one problem, and a range of views concerning the causes of these problems were elicited, with an average of five causal factors endorsed. This suggests that traditional insight scales fail to capture the complex subjective models of understanding held by individuals with a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Five 18 week skills training groups based on Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) were provided for 34 participants with parasuicidal behaviours; 26 participants completed the programme. Monthly support/education groups for their keyworkers were also provided. Inpatient admissions decreased by 30% and out-patient appointments for those without admission by 61% over the 18 months from the initial pre-group formulation meeting, compared with the preceding 18 months. Statistical analysis (N = 17) showed significant reduction in CORE scores over the intervention period, and a similar effect in scores on the Work and Social Adjustment Scale. User satisfaction was high and drop out low (23.5%). Results indicate DBT skills group might be a useful service where full DBT is unavailable.

This case study introduces brief cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for a student athlete with focal dystonia and describes the development of an idiosyncratic cognitive model of the symptom. In order to aid case formulation of the idiosyncratic dystonic symptom, the therapist adapted and applied an existing cognitive model, which emphasizes the interactions between cognition, anxiety, and bodily sensation (e.g. Clark, 1986; Salkovskis and Warwick, 2001).

Trauma focused cognitive behavioural therapy (TFCBT) is recommended as a first line treatment for post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Unfortunately, it is not widely available, often resulting in long waits for sufferers. We attempted to overcome this through a pilot feasibility study of brief training and supervision with a group of mental health professionals (MHPs). The MHPs attended a structured weekly clinical supervision group adhering to a cognitive therapy model of supervision. Eleven PTSD sufferers were treated during the pilot phase. Davidson Trauma Scale scores dropped by a mean of 36.5 points (95% C.I. 12.8, 60.5) over the course of treatment. Group Clinical Supervision for TFCBT appears to have the potential to offer a clinically and cost-effective model of maximizing treatment availability for PTSD sufferers.