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 .
Comparison of behavior therapy and cognitive behavior therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.
In a controlled clinical trial , 57 Ss meeting DSM-III-R criteria for generalized anxiety disorder , and fulfilling an additional severity criterion , were r and omly allocated to  cognitive behavior therapy ( CBT ) , behavior therapy ( BT ) , or a waiting-list control group . Individual treatment lasted 4 - 12 sessions ; independent assessment s were made before treatment , after treatment , and 6 months later , and additional follow-up data were collected after an interval of approximately 18 months . Results show a clear advantage for CBT over BT . A consistent pattern of change favoring CBT was evident in measures of anxiety , depression , and cognition . Ss were lost from the BT group , but there was no attrition from the CBT group . Treatment integrity was double-checked in Engl and and in Holl and , and special efforts were made to reduce error variance . Possible explanations for the superiority of CBT are discussed
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 .