CBT eased anxiety sensitivity by changing catastrophic thinking
In a randomized trial, brief CBT reduced anxiety sensitivity, the fear of bodily sensations that drives panic, by shifting catastrophic interpretations.
A 2026 study published in Psychotherapy research : journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research reports new findings relevant to panic-attacks.
What the study reported
This study utilized a single-session, randomized controlled analog design to investigate the mechanisms underlying cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and psychodynamic therapy in treating anxiety sensitivity (AS). We hypothesized that changes in catastrophic interpretations of bodily sensations would predict reductions in AS in CBT, whereas improvements in panic-specific reflective functioning (pRF) would predict changes in the psychodynamic intervention (PDTp). Participants with elevated AS (N = 110; Mage = 43, 91 women) were randomized to CBT, PDTp, or a control group. Pre-to-post changes in mechanisms were examined as predictors of changes in AS at post-treatment and one-month follow-up. Results partially supported the hypotheses. Catastrophic interpretations changed significantly in the CBT condition. However, pRF did not change in any group. The relationship between changes in mechanisms and AS was more complex than predicted. In CBT, reductions in AS were closely tied to changes in interpretations. Within-session, distress declined in CBT but did not consistently predict AS change. pRF change was related to AS reductions only in CBT. These findings highlight the clinical relevance of targeting catastrophic thinking in brief CBT for AS, and suggest that pRF may play a secondary role. Future work should test these mechanisms in clinical settings and longer treatments.
The source
These findings are drawn from “Mechanisms of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic interventions for anxiety sensitivity- A randomized, controlled single-session study” (Hacohen MG, Sharoni A, Kabha B, et al., 2026), published in Psychotherapy research : journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research. Read the full study on PubMed.
1.Hacohen MG, Sharoni A, Kabha B, et al. (
2026). Mechanisms of cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic interventions for anxiety sensitivity- A randomized, controlled single-session study. Psychotherapy research : journal of the Society for Psychotherapy Research.
Link
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doi:10.1080/10503307.2025.2548498
