An Idiographic Examination of Treatment Mechanisms in Emotion Regulation Therapy

An Idiographic Examination of Treatment Mechanisms in Emotion Regulation Therapy: A Multiple Case-Based Design

This study is an open trial designed to examine individual changes that occur before, during, and after 12 sessions of Emotion Regulation Therapy (ERT) delivered via telehealth for individuals in New York State who are experiencing elevated worry, rumination, or self-criticism.

The main questions this study aims to answer are to:

1. Examine temporal patterns of ERT-specific treatment mechanisms (attention regulation, metacognitive regulation, motivation regulation, and valued living), relationships between these mechanisms and negative self-referential processing (NSRP; i.e., rumination, worry, and self-criticism) severity over time, and changes in these mechanisms in response to specific intervention strategies/modules.
2. Investigate the effect of concordance and/or discordance between therapists and clients regarding skill acquisition, treatment goals, and case conceptualizations on treatment mechanisms as well as measures of treatment outcome and satisfaction.
3. Demonstrate the preliminary efficacy of a 12-session version of ERT in reducing symptoms of psychological distress (e.g., anxiety, depression, worry, rumination, self-criticism), changing ERT-specific treatment mechanisms (e.g., attention regulation), and improving quality of life and overall functioning.

Participants will:

1. Fill out an online pre-screening questionnaire and complete a structured clinical interview via Zoom Healthcare
2. Be enrolled as a patient at the Dean Hope Center for Educational and Psychological Services (DHCEPS), located at Teachers College
3. Attend 12 once-weekly telehealth ERT sessions
4. Complete 18 weekly questionnaires online via Qualtrics (two before starting treatment, 12 each week during treatment, and 4 after ending treatment).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Between the ages of 18 and 65
• Fluent in English (and therefore able to provide consent)
• Currently living in New York State
• Access to at least one device with internet and video-conferencing capabilities
• High self-reported worry, rumination, and/or self-criticism
• Meet Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition (DSM-5) criteria for at least one, current psychological disorder

Exclusion Criteria:

• Active suicidal ideation or intent
• Substance dependence disorder, schizophrenia, bipolar-I disorder, or a primary DSM-5 diagnosis of borderline or narcissistic personality disorder
• Currently in therapy or receiving any type of psychosocial treatment
• Individuals taking psychotropic mediation that has not been stabilized for a period of at least 3 months
• Current students at Teachers College, Columbia University