Attention Bias Modification for Reducing Health Anxiety During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Attention Bias Modification for Reducing Health Anxiety During the Coronavirus Pandemic: An Open Pilot Trial

The outbreak of the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is a major stressor leading to increased levels of anxiety, and specifically, an excessive fear of being infected and affected by the disease among major parts of the population. At the same time, the access to mental health services is limited due to the lockdown policy applied in many countries worldwide, warranting the development of home-delivered interventions aimed at reducing stress and anxiety symptoms. Attention Bias modification (ABM) has been found to be an efficacious computerized intervention to reduce anxiety symptoms. In this open pilot trial, participants reporting on elevated levels of health anxiety concerning the COVID-19 epidemic will receive one session of ABM over 5 consecutive days (5 sessions total). Symptoms of health anxiety, state anxiety, generalized anxiety, and depression will be measured at baseline and post-treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 3 or more symptoms (out of 7) reported in the COVID-19 anxiety inventory with a score of 4 or 5.
• Fluent Hebrew
• Having a PC computer at home with internet access

Exclusion Criteria:

• A diagnosis of dyslexia or other reading disability