Efficacy of applied relaxation and cognitive-behavioral therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.

TLDR

The study compared nondirective, applied relaxation, and cognitive behavioral therapies for generalized anxiety disorder. The authors evaluated these three therapies in a comparative study. Applied relaxation and cognitive behavioral therapies were similarly effective and superior to nondirective therapy at postassessment, maintained gains at follow‑up (especially CBT), and yielded higher end‑state functioning, whereas nondirective therapy lost gains and produced deeper emotional processing, and expectancy also predicted outcome.

Abstract

Nondirective (ND), applied relaxation (AR), and cognitive behavioral (CBT) therapies for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) were compared. The latter 2 conditions were generally equivalent in outcome but superior to ND at postassessment. The 3 conditions did not differ on several process measures, and ND created the greatest depth of emotional processing. Follow-up results indicated losses in gains in ND, maintained gains in the other 2 conditions, especially CBT, and highest endstate functioning for CBT. AR and CBT thus contain active ingredients in the treatment of GAD; support exists for further development of imagery exposure methods or cognitive therapy because of their likely role in promoting maintenance of change with this disorder. Expectancy for improvement was also associated with outcome, suggesting the need for further research on this construct for understanding the nature of GAD and its amelioration.