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Anxiety Management for Persistent Generalised Anxiety

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

G. Butler*
Affiliation:
University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry
A. Cullington
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Warneford Hospital
G. Hibbert
Affiliation:
University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry
I. Klimes
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Warneford Hospital
M. Gelder
Affiliation:
University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry
*
Warneford Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 7JX

Extract

A preliminary controlled investigation of the effectiveness of Anxiety Management as a treatment for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is described. Patients with a primary diagnosis of GAD, in which the current episode had lasted for at least 6 months but not more than 2 years, were included. Anxiety Management, a self-help treatment including procedures for managing somatic and cognitive symptoms, and for dealing with avoidance and low self-confidence, was given either immediately or after a 12-week waiting period. The average length of treatment was 8.7 sessions. Highly significant changes in anxiety, depression, and problem ratings were shown after treatment. These changes were replicated when the waiting list group had also received treatment, and gains were maintained by both groups for 6 months. Similar degrees of improvement and maintenance of change were shown in subgroups with and without minor depressive disorder or recurrent panic attacks.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1987 

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