Worried About us: Evaluating an Intervention for Relationship‐Based Anxiety

Abstract

Although romantic relationships are commonly a source of pleasure and comfort, for some individuals they can be a source of persistent anxiety. The aim of the current investigation was to explore the construct of relationship-based anxiety and to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief couple-based psychoeducational session for this issue. Common behavioral patterns and cognitive tendencies seen among individuals with relationship-based anxiety were examined, including excessive reassurance-seeking, self-silencing, and partner accommodation. In the current investigation, a single psychoeducational session was developed to address these maladaptive interactive patterns of behavior specifically. The session was administered to a sample of 21 couples and was found to decrease levels of reassurance-seeking and self-silencing significantly among individuals with relationship anxiety, and to decrease levels of maladaptive accommodation behaviors significantly in their partners.