CBT & Generalised Anxiety

Disorder
Hananie binti Mohd Hanafi
Nur Ayu Hazira binti Nor Mohd Azahar
Nur Zuyyin Nabilla binti Basri
Wan Norsyahirah binti Wan Abd Razak
 Introduction
O The treatment of choice for generalized anxiety disorder
(GAD) is cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
O CBT is significantly more effective than all other psychological
treatments for generalized anxiety disorder
O Between 10 and 20 sessions
O Most people reporting significant symptom reduction after 10
sessions
Efficacy of CBT for GAD
O Proves to have both short-term and long term efficacy
O Treatment of choice for patients who are psychologically
minded and motivated to understand the source of their anxiety
O The goal is to increase the patient’s anxiety tolerance rather
than to eliminate it
O Most patients experience a marked lessening of anxiety when
given opportunity to discuss their difficulty with a concern and
sympathetic physician
O Combination of various CBT-based approaches for treating
GAD has produced compromising result
O CBT generally outperforms wait-list and placebo controls
O Patient who undergo CBT treatment were more likely to show
reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms
O CBT seems to be more effective than non-CBT modalities in
maximizing treatment gains
O CBT may be more effective for younger patient than the older
one
O However, treatment gains made by patients of all ages after
CBT were largely maintained for up to 1 year follow up.
O This finding suggests that CBT may yield long term benefit
towards preventing symptoms relapse in GAD.
O Meta-analytic findings also suggest superiority of individual
CBT over group CBT in reducing chronic and uncontrollable
worry symptoms in GAD
Specific Techniques Used to Manage
GAD
 Relaxation training
O Important part of treatment
O As people with anxiety have great deal of muscle tension
O Physical relaxation makes it easier for the mind to relax and let
go of worries
 Cognitive restructuring
Involves
O Examining unhelpful patterns of thinking
O Learn new way to think about challenging situations
With GAD, it help to focus
O Negative prediction about future
O Unhelpful attitudes about one’s ability to cope with difficult
situations
 Mindfulness training
O Bring one’s attention to present moment
 Systematic exposure
O Helps people to face their fears and test their extreme
predictions
O Involves imagining the worst case scenario
O Making peace with it such that it no longer triggers anxiety
 Problem solving training
O Helpful way to reduce objective stressors
O They can feel at ease even in difficult situations through
learning skills to effectively manage stress
 REFERENCES
O Kaplan & Sadock’s Concise Textbook of Psychiatry
O Bunmi O., Josh M, et all. Efficacy of Cognitive Behavioural
Therapy for Anxiety Disorder: A Review of Meta-Analytic
Findings (2010) Elsevier USA
O http://cogbtherapy.com/generalized-anxiety-disorder-treatment/