A randomized controlled trial of the rapid symptom shifting therapy for anxiety

INTERVENTION: The intervention group will receive the Rapid Symptom Shift. The interviewer (a GP with 30 years experience, a masters student with research training and a alternative therapy practitioner with 20 years experience) asks the patient if they can describe where their anxiety is in space. While this may seem an unusual request, patients often have no difficulty in explaining where it is located. They are asked to describe their anxiety in terms of colour and shape. In almost all cases they say it is close but has no shape and a variety of colours. Then they are asked to change the shape to a circle and put it in front of them. They are then asked what a “safe” colour for them is and to make the circle that colour. That image is then moved away visually and pushed to the horizon where it is stood up like a 50 cent piece. They are asked to then make it a 10 cent piece and put it face down so it is not visible. At this point they are asked how they feel about their “anxiety or stress’ and this visualisation from experience in the clinic almost always provides a positive response. We plan to measure this response with changes in the STAI questionnaire and the participant’s heart rate variability. The moving of the image to the horizon we think is the essential difference between the intervention and the control intervention. The mode of the interview delivery will be face to face on a one to one basis. It is done once only and lasts about 3 minutes. The interview will be conducted in University consulting rooms or private clinics. CONDITION: Anxiety PRIMARY OUTCOME: Heart rate variability as measured by a chest lead sending a signal to a Polar watch. The primary outcome of the trial is to measure any statistically significant change to the participants anxiety scores on the state trait anxiety scale immediately after the intervention, and at 8 weeks after the intervention. SECONDARY OUTCOME: HAD‐s Hospital anxiety and depression scale STAI questionnaire INCLUSION CRITERIA: Otherwise healthy volunteers with significant anxiety