ICBT in Psychiatry: Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Abstract

Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common anxiety disorder characterised by excessive and uncontrollable worry. It is a chronic disorder associated with considerable disability. Historically, GAD has been considered one of the least successfully treated anxiety disorders. In recent years, more than ten published studies have described outcomes of Internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (ICBT) for GAD. These include research trials and reports of use in clinics. The results of research trials consistently reveal that large effect sizes are obtained during therapist-guided ICBT, with gains sustained up to 2 years post-treatment. Reports of use of ICBT for GAD from clinics are also highly promising and indicate that those who complete the interventions obtain outcomes similar to those reported in clinical trials. To date, most reports from clinics using ICBT for GAD have been limited to analyses of outcomes from those who have completed the ICBT intervention. This limits the conclusions that can be drawn about the effectiveness of existing ICBT interventions for GAD at this time. It is expected, however, that future reports will confirm the potential of ICBT interventions for treating GAD.