Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Abstract

Abstract The uncontrollability and pervasiveness of worry central to generalized anxiety disorder, its degree of comorbidity and chronic and fluctuating course, and its associated psychosocial impairment underscore the need for highly effective treatments for generalized anxiety disorder. Accordingly, cognitive behavioral therapy packages have been designed to target cognitive, affective, behavioral, and somatic responses to perceived future threat that are characteristic of individuals diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder, and have typically included interventions such as self‐monitoring, relaxation techniques, stimulus control, self‐control desensitization, and cognitive therapy. The efficacy of these methods has been documented in a series of randomized controlled trials; however, recent research has centered on enhancing treatment of generalized anxiety disorder given its severity and chronicity. Therapeutic advancement for generalized anxiety disorder has been made in the areas of interpersonal and emotional processing therapy, emotional contrast exposure therapy, metacognitive therapy, treatment of intolerance of uncertainty, integration of acceptance and mindfulness techniques with cognitive behavioral therapy, and emotion regulation therapy.