Psychotherapy of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

German Research Foundation

Status and phase

Completed

Phase 3

Conditions

Anxiety Disorders

Treatments

Behavioral: Worry exposure

Behavioral: Applied relaxation

Study type

Interventional

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT00118001

HO 1900/3-1, HO 1900/3-2

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of worry exposure with the effects of applied relaxation in patients with generalized anxiety disorder.

Full description

Controlled treatment studies show that there is a lower efficacy of cognitive-behavioral treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) than in other anxiety disorders. The best effect sizes are found for applied relaxation (Öst), but there are only three treatment studies. Another, yet previously not tested in its pure form, approach is "worry-exposure", which aims at confronting the emotionally intensive imaginative contents of worries in GAD.

Fifty-two randomized patients with GAD as a primary diagnosis will be treated with one of the two treatments and will be compared with waiting-list patients. This treatment protocol contains 15 sessions (+/-2) and a 6 month and 12 month follow-up.

The comparisons in this study include: worry exposure versus applied relaxation versus a waiting control group.

Sex

All

Ages

18 to 70 years old

Volunteers

No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Primary Diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (according to impairment)
18-70 years of age
Informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Not able to understand and speak the German language
Acute, unstable and severe somatic disease (DSM-IV, Axis III)
History of schizophrenia or bipolar disorder
Other mental disorders requiring treatment
Substance dependence within the past 12 months preceding treatment
Personality disorders that interfere with treatment compliance
Participation in any other psychotherapeutic interventions
Use of anxiolytics (e.g. tranquilizer, hypnotics, neuroleptics; does not include stabile use of antidepressants)