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 .
Predicting outcome after treatment for generalised anxiety disorder.
A previous paper , Butler and Anastasiades ( Behaviour Research and Therapy 26 , 531 - 534 , 1988 ) presented evidence for three reliable predictors of response to Anxiety Management in patients with generalised anxiety disorder . It was argued there that these reflected severity of anxiety , demoralisation and depression . A second study ( Butler , Fennell , Robson & Gelder , Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology , 59 , 167 - 175 , 1991 ) has compared two treatments for GAD : Behaviour Therapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy . Data from this study is used here to answer two questions : ( i ) do the same three variables predict outcome in the second study ? The answer to this question is ' no ' ; and ( ii ) which variables contribute to prediction of outcome when these two treatments are compared ? Information presented here suggests that this depends partly on the nature of the treatment given . Outcome after behaviour therapy is predicted by initial levels of anxiety only , but the gains made are also relatively modest . Outcome after  cognitive behaviour therapy  is predicted by the degree to which ambiguous ( external ) information is interpreted as threatening . Thus a cognitive variable contributes reliably to the prediction of outcome after a cognitive treatment , but does not predict in the same way to outcome after a behavioural treatment
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 .