Psychological therapy based on CBT principles is effective in reducing anxiety symptoms for short-term treatment of GAD .
The body of evidence comparing CBT with other psychological therapies is small and heterogeneous , which precludes drawing conclusions about which psychological therapy is more effective .
BACKGROUND Generalised anxiety disorder ( GAD ) is a highly prevalent condition , characterised by excessive worry or anxiety about everyday events and problems .
The effectiveness and effectiveness of psychological therapies as a group has not yet been evaluated in the treatment of GAD .
OBJECTIVES To examine the efficacy and acceptability of psychological therapies , categorised as cognitive behavioural therapy ( CBT ) , psychodynamic therapy and supportive therapy , compared with treatment as usual/waiting list ( TAU/WL ) and compared with one another , for patients with GAD .
Cognitive therapy vs behaviour therapy in the treatment of chronic general anxiety.
Abstract Psychiatric out patients with a diagnosis of chronic anxiety of at least one year 's duration were r and omly assigned to either behaviour therapy or Beck 's cognitive therapy , and to one of two experienced therapists . Both treatment conditions followed the therapeutic processes described in Beck 's treatment manual for anxiety states , but the behaviour therapy condition excluded any attempt to modify automatic thoughts , thinking errors , or underlying assumptions . However , it did include the use of positive self-statements . Treatment consisted of a maximum of 16 1-hour sessions . Several outcome measures were administered before treatment , during treatment , at discharge , and at 6 month follow-up . At the end of treatment there was no difference between the cognitive and behavioural treatments in the amount of improvement observed . By the 6 month follow-up , however , there was a trend , which was significant on a number of outcome measures , for the cognitive therapy patients to maintain or improve upon their progress and for the behaviour therapy patients to revert toward their pre-treatment scores
Psychological therapy based on CBT principles is effective in reducing anxiety symptoms for short-term treatment of GAD .
The body of evidence comparing CBT with other psychological therapies is small and heterogeneous , which precludes drawing conclusions about which psychological therapy is more effective .
BACKGROUND Generalised anxiety disorder ( GAD ) is a highly prevalent condition , characterised by excessive worry or anxiety about everyday events and problems .
The effectiveness and effectiveness of psychological therapies as a group has not yet been evaluated in the treatment of GAD .
OBJECTIVES To examine the efficacy and acceptability of psychological therapies , categorised as cognitive behavioural therapy ( CBT ) , psychodynamic therapy and supportive therapy , compared with treatment as usual/waiting list ( TAU/WL ) and compared with one another , for patients with GAD .