Effectiveness of Association Splitting in Reducing Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts in a Nonclinical Sample

Abstract

<jats:p><jats:bold>Background:</jats:bold>Association Splitting (AS) is a novel cognitive technique, which has shown some promise for the reduction of obsessive thoughts in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Its effect on unwanted intrusive thoughts (UITs) in the general population is yet unknown.<jats:bold>Method:</jats:bold>Our experimental study tested the effect of AS in 49 participants who reported UITs as a regular problem. Participants were randomly allocated either to an AS versus waitlist control (WL) condition. The White Bear Suppression Inventory (WBSI) was used for measuring changes over time.<jats:bold>Results:</jats:bold>Significant group differences were found across time. Relative to WL, AS exerted a positive effect on the reduction of UITs yielding a large effect size. According to self-report AS exerted a positive effect 6 days after the participants had initiated the exercises. All subjects in the AS condition judged the technique as effective<jats:bold>Conclusion:</jats:bold>Results suggest that AS could be a suitable intervention to help people with a potential vulnerability to a clinical problem to control their UITs.</jats:p>

Aetiology and treatment of nightmare disorder: State of the art and future perspectives

“…Thus, it remains to be tested whether association splitting helps to demolish gridlocked nightmare scripts beyond and above IRT. Association splitting, which was originally developed to treat obsessive thoughts in obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD, Moritz, Jelinek, Klinge, & Naber, 2007) but was also effective in alleviating other symptoms such as unwanted intrusive thoughts (Rodríguez-Martín, Moritz, Molerio-Pérez, & Gil-Pérez, 2013), may be a particularly good candidate for future research. Similarly, Harvey et al's (2005) cognitive restructuring approach may help patients to alter assumptions such as nightmares foretell the future or that nights with nightmares make it impossible to concentrate on work and life issues the next day.…”

The Metacognitive Training for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A pilot study

“…The results of the present study are in line with previous research suggesting that the various elements of the MCT-OCD are effective. For example, the effectiveness of association splitting has been confirmed by various studies (Ching & Williams, 2018;Jelinek et al 2018c;Moritz & Jelinek, 2011;Moritz & Russu, 2013;Rodríguez-Martín et al, 2013). Furthermore, the MCT-OCD uses core elements of CT such as the normalization of thoughts (i.e., teaching patients that intrusive thoughts are not pathological per se; Marsden et al, 2018) as well as elements that are also used in the metacognitive therapy developed by Wells (especially thought-action fusion; Fisher & Wells, 2008).…”

“…Patients do thought behavioral exercises and learn that not all thoughts are controllable and that suppression of thoughts can paradoxically intensify these. Patients are advised to tolerate these thoughts as inner noise and let them pass Ching and Williams, 2018;Jelinek et al, 2018c;Moritz and Jelinek, 2011;Moritz and Russu, 2013;Rodríguez-Martín et al, 2013). is taught to help patients form new positive (or neutral) associations with OCD-relevant cognitions that help to reduce obsessions.…”

Overeaters Anonymous: A Mutual-Help Fellowship for Food Addiction Recovery

“…Mechanisms of writing may be similar to other cognitive-behavioral techniques such Association Splitting (Moritz and Jelinek, 2011 ). The exercise of writing has been proven to be useful to reduce weight and shape concerns (Musiat et al, 2014 ) as well as other everyday-life “obsessions” (Rodríguez-Martín et al, 2013b ).…”