The Differential Effect of Two Treatments for Childhood Anxiety Disorders Among Subgroups of Patients

The last three decades have witnessed significant advances in psychotherapy. Numerous scholarly articles and books have been devoted to pertinent topics in the field, making it difficult for the practicing clinician to keep up with this rapidly growing area. The purpose of this article is to provide some guidelines on how to evaluate the empirical literature in psychotherapy and then to explore three key areas: evidence-based psychotherapies for patients with psychiatric disorders, individual variables that predict differential outcome to treatment, and the therapeutic alliance. Finally, two case examples will be presented to illustrate how knowledge of the empirical literature can facilitate an evidence-based approach to the daily practice of psychotherapy in general psychiatry.

A previous Cochrane review (James 2005) showed that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was effective in treating childhood anxiety disorders; however, questions remain regarding (1) the relative efficacy of CBT versus non-CBT active treatments; (2) the relative efficacy of CBT versus medication and the combination of CBT and medication versus placebo; and (3) the long-term effects of CBT. To examine (1) whether CBT is an effective treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders in comparison with (a) wait-list controls; (b) active non-CBT treatments (i.e. psychological placebo, bibliotherapy and treatment as usual (TAU)); and (c) medication and the combination of medication and CBT versus placebo; and (2) the long-term effects of CBT. Searches for this review included the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group Register, which consists of relevant randomised controlled trials from the bibliographic databases－The Cochrane Library (1970 to July 2012), EMBASE, (1970 to July 2012) MEDLINE (1970 to July 2012) and PsycINFO (1970 to July 2012). All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of CBT versus waiting list, active control conditions, TAU or medication were reviewed. All participants must have met the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for an anxiety diagnosis, excluding simple phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and elective mutism. The methodological quality of included trials was assessed by three reviewers independently. For the dichotomous outcome of remission of anxiety diagnosis, the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) based on the random-effects model, with pooling of data via the inverse variance method of weighting, was used. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Continuous data on each child's anxiety symptoms were pooled using the standardised mean difference (SMD). Forty-one studies consisting of 1806 participants were included in the analyses. The studies involved children and adolescents with anxiety of mild to moderate severity in university and community clinics and school settings. For the primary outcome of remission of any anxiety diagnosis for CBT versus waiting list controls, intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses with 26 studies and 1350 participants showed an OR of 0.13 (95% CI 0.09 to 0.19, Z = 10.26, P < 0.0001), but with evidence of moderate heterogeneity (P = 0.04, I² = 33%). The number needed to treat (NNT) was 6.0 (95% CI 7.5 to 4.6). No difference in outcome was noted between individual, group and family/parental formats. ITT analyses revealed that CBT was no more effective than non-CBT active control treatments (six studies, 426 participants) or TAU in reducing anxiety diagnoses (two studies, 88 participants). The few controlled follow-up studies (n = 4) indicate that treatment gains in the remission of anxiety diagnosis are not statistically significant. Cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders; however, the evidence suggesting that CBT is more effective than active controls or TAU or medication at follow-up, is limited and inconclusive.

A previous Cochrane review (James 2005) showed that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was effective in treating childhood anxiety disorders; however, questions remain regarding (1) the relative efficacy of CBT versus non-CBT active treatments; (2) the relative efficacy of CBT versus medication and the combination of CBT and medication versus placebo; and (3) the long-term effects of CBT. To examine (1) whether CBT is an effective treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders in comparison with (a) wait-list controls; (b) active non-CBT treatments (i.e. psychological placebo, bibliotherapy and treatment as usual (TAU)); and (c) medication and the combination of medication and CBT versus placebo; and (2) the long-term effects of CBT. Searches for this review included the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) and the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group Register, which consists of relevant randomised controlled trials from the bibliographic databases－The Cochrane Library (1970 to July 2012), EMBASE, (1970 to July 2012) MEDLINE (1970 to July 2012) and PsycINFO (1970 to July 2012). All randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of CBT versus waiting list, active control conditions, TAU or medication were reviewed. All participants must have met the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) or the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) for an anxiety diagnosis, excluding simple phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder, post-traumatic stress disorder and elective mutism. The methodological quality of included trials was assessed by three reviewers independently. For the dichotomous outcome of remission of anxiety diagnosis, the odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) based on the random-effects model, with pooling of data via the inverse variance method of weighting, was used. Significance was set at P < 0.05. Continuous data on each child's anxiety symptoms were pooled using the standardised mean difference (SMD). Forty-one studies consisting of 1806 participants were included in the analyses. The studies involved children and adolescents with anxiety of mild to moderate severity in university and community clinics and school settings. For the primary outcome of remission of any anxiety diagnosis for CBT versus waiting list controls, intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses with 26 studies and 1350 participants showed an OR of 7.85 (95% CI 5.31 to 11.60, Z = 10.26, P < 0.0001), but with evidence of moderate heterogeneity (P = 0.04, I² = 33%). The number needed to treat (NNT) was 6.0 (95% CI 7.5 to 4.6). No difference in outcome was noted between individual, group and family/parental formats. ITT analyses revealed that CBT was no more effective than non-CBT active control treatments (six studies, 426 participants) or TAU in reducing anxiety diagnoses (two studies, 88 participants). The few controlled follow-up studies (n = 4) indicate that treatment gains in the remission of anxiety diagnosis are not statistically significant. Cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders; however, the evidence suggesting that CBT is more effective than active controls or TAU or medication at follow-up, is limited and inconclusive.

Previous Cochrane Reviews have shown that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective in treating childhood anxiety disorders. However, questions remain regarding the following: up-to-date evidence of the relative efficacy and acceptability of CBT compared to waiting lists/no treatment, treatment as usual, attention controls, and alternative treatments; benefits across a range of outcomes; longer-term effects; outcomes for different delivery formats; and amongst children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and children with intellectual impairments. To examine the effect of CBT for childhood anxiety disorders, in comparison with waitlist/no treatment, treatment as usual (TAU), attention control, alternative treatment, and medication. We searched the Cochrane Common Mental Disorders Controlled Trials Register (all years to 2016), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, Embase, and PsycINFO (each to October 2019), international trial registries, and conducted grey literature searches. We included randomised controlled trials of CBT that involved direct contact with the child, parent, or both, and included non-CBT comparators (waitlist/no treatment, treatment as usual, attention control, alternative treatment, medication). Participants were younger than age 19, and met diagnostic criteria for an anxiety disorder diagnosis. Primary outcomes were remission of primary anxiety diagnosis post-treatment, and acceptability (number of participants lost to post-treatment assessment), and secondary outcomes included remission of all anxiety diagnoses, reduction in anxiety symptoms, reduction in depressive symptoms, improvement in global functioning, adverse effects, and longer-term effects. We used standard methodological procedures as recommended by Cochrane. We used GRADE to assess the quality of the evidence. We included 87 studies and 5964 participants in quantitative analyses. Compared with waitlist/no treatment, CBT probably increases post-treatment remission of primary anxiety diagnoses (CBT: 49.4%, waitlist/no treatment: 17.8%; OR 5.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 3.90 to 7.60; n = 2697, 39 studies, moderate quality); NNTB 3 (95% CI 2.25 to 3.57) and all anxiety diagnoses (OR 4.43, 95% CI 2.89 to 6.78; n = 2075, 28 studies, moderate quality). Low-quality evidence did not show a difference between CBT and TAU in post-treatment primary anxiety disorder remission (OR 3.19, 95% CI 0.90 to 11.29; n = 487, 8 studies), but did suggest CBT may increase remission from all anxiety disorders compared to TAU (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.16 to 6.46; n = 203, 5 studies). Compared with attention control, CBT may increase post-treatment remission of primary anxiety disorders (OR 2.28, 95% CI 1.33 to 3.89; n = 822, 10 studies, low quality) and all anxiety disorders (OR 2.75, 95% CI 1.22 to 6.17; n = 378, 5 studies, low quality). There was insufficient available data to compare CBT to alternative treatments on post-treatment remission of primary anxiety disorders, and low-quality evidence showed there may be little to no difference between these groups on post-treatment remission of all anxiety disorders (OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.35 to 2.23; n = 401, 4 studies) Low-quality evidence did not show a difference for acceptability between CBT and waitlist/no treatment (OR 1.09, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.41; n=3158, 45 studies), treatment as usual (OR 1.37, 95% CI 0.73 to 2.56; n = 441, 8 studies), attention control (OR 1.00, 95% CI 0.68 to 1.49; n = 797, 12 studies) and alternative treatment (OR 1.58, 95% CI 0.61 to 4.13; n=515, 7 studies). No adverse effects were reported across all studies; however, in the small number of studies where any reference was made to adverse effects, it was not clear that these were systematically monitored. Results from the anxiety symptom outcomes, broader outcomes, longer-term outcomes and subgroup analyses are provided in the text. We did not find evidence of consistent differences in outcomes according to delivery formats (e.g. individual versus group; amount of therapist contact time) or amongst samples with and without ASD, and no studies included samples of children with intellectual impairments. CBT is probably more effective in the short-term than waiting lists/no treatment, and may be more effective than attention control. We found little to no evidence across outcomes that CBT is superior to usual care or alternative treatments, but our confidence in these findings are limited due to concerns about the amount and quality of available evidence, and we still know little about how best to efficiently improve outcomes.

Treatment of childhood anxiety disorders: a preliminary comparison between cognitive-behavioral group therapy and a psychological placebo intervention

BackgroundChildhood and adolescent anxiety disorders are relatively common, occurring in between 5‐18% of all children and adolescents. They are associated with significant morbidity and impairment in social and academic functioning, and when persistent, there is a risk of depression, suicide attempts and substance abuse in adulthood. There is accumulating evidence for the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), with a number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) suggesting benefit.ObjectivesTo determine whether CBT is an effective treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders in comparison to waiting list or attention controls.Search strategySearch of the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials and the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group Register, which includes relevant randomised controlled trials from the bibliographic databases ‐ The Cochrane Library ( to January 2004), EMBASE, (1970‐2004) MEDLINE (1970‐2004) and PsycINFO (1970‐2004). We also searched the references of all included studies and relevant textbooks, and contacted authors in order to identify further trials.Selection criteriaEach identified study was assessed for possible inclusion by two reviewers independently.Inclusion criteria consisted of randomised controlled trials of CBT versus waiting list/attention controls in children (more than six years of age) and adolescents (under the age of 19 years) with a DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual) or ICD (International Classification of Diseases) anxiety diagnosis; and excluding simple phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder and post‐traumatic stress disorder. Each study was required to conform to the principles of CBT through use of a protocol and comprising at least eight sessions of CBT.Data collection and analysisThe methodological quality of included trials was assessed by two reviewers independently. The dichotomous outcome of remission of anxiety diagnosis was pooled using relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals. Means and standard deviations of anxiety symptom continuous scores were pooled using the standardised mean difference (SMD). Heterogeneity was assessed and intention‐to‐treat (ITT) analyses undertaken. The presence of publication bias was assessed using funnel plots.Main resultsThirteen studies with 498 subjects and 311 controls met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analyses. The studies involved community or outpatient subjects only, with anxiety of only mild to moderate severity. ITT analyses showed a response rate for remission of any anxiety diagnosis of 56% for CBT versus 28.2% for controls (RR 0.58,95%CI 0.50 to 0.67), with no evidence of heterogeneity. The number needed to treat (NNT) was 3.0 (95%CI 2.5 to 4.5). For reduction in anxiety symptoms, the SMD was ‐0.58 (95% CI ‐0.76 to ‐0.40) with no significant heterogeneity indicated. Post hoc analyses suggest that individual, group and family/parental formats of CBT produced fairly similar outcomes.Authors' conclusionsCognitive behavioural therapy appears an effective treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders in comparison to waiting list or attention control. There was no evidence for a difference between an individual, group or parental/family format. CBT can be recommended for the treatment of childhood and anxiety disorders, although with only just over half improving, there is a need for further therapeutic developments.Plain language summaryCognitive behavioural therapy appears an effective treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders in comparison to waiting list or an attention control.Cognitive behavioural therapy has been adapted for the treatment of anxiety disorders in adolescents and children over the age of six years. This psychological treatment can be delivered in various formats: individual, group and family /parent. Cognitive behavioural therapy appears effective in just over 50% of cases. There is no difference between formats.

A qualitative research study presents a thorough examination of one therapist's methods of supplementing art therapy with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) during the treatment of children impaired by a variety of anxiety disorders---i.e. generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and posttraumatic stress disorder (PSTD). A review of the existing literature was used to inform the current study. The researcher created an exploratory case study, through the utilization of a pilot study, to gain a better understanding of the topic from an expert in these therapeutic fields. Through the gathering of data and analysis, the findings suggest that supplementing art therapy with CBT and DBT during the treatment of children impaired by GAD, OCD, and PTSD has intrinsic value in reducing the symptoms exhibited in these anxiety disorders and can create an overall improvement in their quality of life. The pilot study provided a means to analyze these three therapeutic methods within the collaborative therapeutic model in a critical manner, allowing it to be researched further and implemented in the future. Drawing on her expertise in working with children impaired by these anxiety disorders, the therapist provided valuable feedback in supplementing art therapy with CBT and DBT during the treatment of these anxiety disorders. Combining these three therapeutic methods into a collaborative model has the potential to provide adequate treatment for childhood anxiety disorders amidst the negative impacts that a cognitive and/or behavioral disorder might evoke.

BackgroundAnxiety disorders are among the most prevalent psychiatric conditions, and are associated with poor quality of life and substantial economic burden. Cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective treatment to reduce anxiety symptoms, but is also costly and labour intensive. Cost-effectiveness could possibly be improved by delivering cognitive behavioural therapy in a blended format, where face-to-face sessions are partially replaced by online sessions. The aim of this trial is to determine the cost-effectiveness of blended cognitive behavioural therapy for adults with anxiety disorders, i.e. panic disorder, social phobia or generalized anxiety disorder, in specialized mental health care settings compared to face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy. In this paper, we present the study protocol. It is hypothesized that blended cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders is clinically as effective as face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy, but that intervention costs may be reduced. We thus hypothesize that blended cognitive behavioural therapy is more cost-effective than face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy.Methods/designIn a randomised controlled equivalence trial 156 patients will be included (n = 78 in blended cognitive behavioural therapy, n = 78 in face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy) based on a power of 0.80, calculated by using a formula to estimate the power of a cost-effectiveness analysis: n=frac{2{left({z}_a+{z}_{beta}right)}^2left(s{d}^2+left({W}^2s{d}^2right)-left(2Wrho s{d}_cs{d}_qright)right)}{{left( WE-Cright)}^2} . Measurements will take place at baseline, midway treatment (7 weeks), immediately after treatment (15 weeks) and 12-month follow-up. At baseline a diagnostic interview will be administered. Primary clinical outcomes are changes in anxiety symptom severity as measured with the Beck Anxiety Inventory. An incremental cost-effectiveness ratio will be calculated to obtain the costs per quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) measured by the EQ-5D (5-level version). Health-economic outcomes will be explored from a societal and health care perspective.DiscussionThis trial will be one of the first to provide information on the cost-effectiveness of blended cognitive behavioural therapy for anxiety disorders in routine specialized mental health care settings, both from a societal and a health care perspective.Trial registrationNetherlands Trial Register NTR4912. Registered 13 November 2014.

Parents’ perceptions of pharmacological and cognitive-behavioral treatments for childhood anxiety disorders

FROM: Creswell C, Violato M, Fairbanks H, et al . Clinical outcomes and cost-effectiveness of brief guided parent-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy and solution-focused brief therapy for treatment of childhood anxiety...

This article reviews the current screening and assessment tools for anxiety disorders in children and adolescents, as well as evidence-based treatment interventions for these disorders. The following anxiety disorders are discussed: separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, specific phobia, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder (social phobia), and selective mutism. There are several well-studied screening and assessment tools to identify childhood anxiety disorders early and differentiate the various anxiety disorders. Evaluations of baseline somatic symptoms, severity, and impairment ratings of the anxiety disorders, and collecting ratings from several sources is clinically helpful in assessment and treatment follow-up. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been extensively studied and has shown good efficacy in treatment of childhood anxiety disorders. A combination of CBT and medication may be required for moderate to severely impairing anxiety disorders and may improve functioning better than either intervention alone. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are currently the only medications that have consistently shown efficacy in treatment of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. Despite proven efficacy, the availability of CBT in the community is limited. Current research is focusing on early identification of anxiety disorders in community settings, increasing the availability of evidence-based interventions, and modification of interventions for specific populations.

To review the magnitude and duration of and factors associated with effects of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders in older people. Electronic literature databases and the Cochrane Trials Registry were searched for articles. A systematic critical review, random-effects meta-analysis, and meta-regression of randomized controlled trials were conducted. Community outpatient clinics. People with diagnoses of anxiety disorders. Outcome measures of anxiety and depression. Twelve studies were included. CBT was significantly more effective than treatment as usual or being on a waiting list at reducing anxiety symptoms at 0-month follow-up, with the effect size being moderate, but when CBT was compared with an active control condition, the between-group difference in favor of CBT was not statistically significant, and the effect size was small. At 6- but not 3- or 12-month follow-up, CBT was significantly more effective at reducing anxiety symptoms than an active control condition, although the effect size was again small. Meta-regression analyses revealed only one factor (type of control group) to be significantly associated with the magnitude of effect sizes. The review confirms the effectiveness of CBT for anxiety disorders in older people but is suggestive of lower efficacy in older than working-age people. The small effect sizes in favor of CBT over an active control condition illustrate the need to investigate other treatment approaches that may be used to substitute or augment CBT to increase the effectiveness of treatment of anxiety disorders in older people.

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is a pragmatic, action-oriented treatment approach that has become a widely used psychotherapy for major mental disorders. CBT methods were initially developed for depression and anxiety disorders (1–3), and later they were modified for many other conditions, including personality disorders, eating disorders, and substance abuse; they have also been adapted for use as an adjunct to medication in the management of schizophrenia and bipolar disorder (3, 4–7). This article delineates the core principles of CBT, describes procedures used in clinical practice, and notes some of the recent advances that have been made in this treatment method. The extensive research supporting the efficacy of CBT is briefly reviewed.

Childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders are relatively common, occurring in between 5-18% of all children and adolescents. They are associated with significant morbidity and impairment in social and academic functioning, and when persistent, there is a risk of depression, suicide attempts and substance abuse in adulthood. There is accumulating evidence for the efficacy of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), with a number of randomised controlled trials (RCTs) suggesting benefit. To determine whether CBT is an effective treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders in comparison to waiting list or attention controls. Search of the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials and the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group Register, which includes relevant randomised controlled trials from the bibliographic databases - The Cochrane Library ( to January 2004), EMBASE, (1970-2004) MEDLINE (1970-2004) and PsycINFO (1970-2004). We also searched the references of all included studies and relevant textbooks, and contacted authors in order to identify further trials. . Each identified study was assessed for possible inclusion by two reviewers independently. Inclusion criteria consisted of randomised controlled trials of CBT versus waiting list/attention controls in children (more than six years of age) and adolescents (under the age of 19 years) with a DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual) or ICD (International Classification of Diseases) anxiety diagnosis; and excluding simple phobia, obsessive compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. Each study was required to conform to the principles of CBT through use of a protocol and comprising at least eight sessions of CBT. The methodological quality of included trials was assessed by two reviewers independently. The dichotomous outcome of remission of anxiety diagnosis was pooled using relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals. Means and standard deviations of anxiety symptom continuous scores were pooled using the standardised mean difference (SMD). Heterogeneity was assessed and intention-to-treat (ITT) analyses undertaken. The presence of publication bias was assessed using funnel plots. Thirteen studies with 498 subjects and 311 controls met the inclusion criteria and were included in the analyses. The studies involved community or outpatient subjects only, with anxiety of only mild to moderate severity. ITT analyses showed a response rate for remission of any anxiety diagnosis of 56% for CBT versus 28.2% for controls (RR 0.61,95%CI 0.53 to 0.69), with no evidence of heterogeneity. The number needed to treat (NNT) was 3.0 (95%CI 2.5 to 4.5). For reduction in anxiety symptoms, the SMD was -0.58 (95% CI 0.76 to -0.40) with no significant heterogeneity indicated. Individual, group and family/parental formats of CBT produced fairly similar outcomes. Cognitive behavioural therapy appears an effective treatment for childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders in comparison to waiting list or attention control. There was no evidence for a difference between an individual, group or parental/family format. CBT can be recommended for the treatment of childhood and anxiety disorders, although with only just over half improving, there is a need for further therapeutic developments.

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental health problems. They are chronic and unremitting.Effective treatments are available, but access to services is limited.Media-delivered behavioural and cognitive behavioural interventions (self-help) aim to deliver treatment with less input from professionals compared with traditional therapies. To assess the effects of media-delivered behavioural and cognitive behavioural therapies for anxiety disorders in adults. Published and unpublished studies were considered without restriction by language or date. The Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Review Group's Specialized Register (CCDANCTR) was searched all years to 1 January 2013. The CCDANCTR includes relevant randomised controlled trials from the following bibliographic databases: The Cochrane Library (all years), EMBASE (1974 to date), MEDLINE (1950 to date) and PsycINFO (1967 to date). Complementary searches were carried out on Ovid MEDLINE (1950 to 23 February 2013) and PsycINFO (1987 to February, Week 2, 2013), together with International trial registries (the trials portal of the World Health Organization (ICTRP) and ClinicalTrials.gov). Reference lists from previous meta-analyses and reports of randomised controlled trials were checked, and authors were contacted for unpublished data. Randomised controlled trials of media-delivered behavioural or cognitive behavioural therapy in adults with anxiety disorders (other than post-traumatic stress disorder) compared with no intervention (including attention/relaxation controls) or compared with face-to-face therapy. Both review authors independently screened titles and abstracts.Study characteristics and outcomes were extracted in duplicate. Outcomes were combined using random-effects models, and tests for heterogeneity and for small study bias were conducted.We examined subgroup differences by type of disorder, type of intervention provided, type of media, and recruitment methods used. One hundred and one studies with 8403 participants were included; 92 studies were included in the quantitative synthesis. These trials compared several types of media-delivered interventions (with varying levels of support) with no treatment and with face-to-face interventions. Inconsistency and risk of bias reduced our confidence in the overall results. For the primary outcome of symptoms of anxiety, moderate-quality evidence showed medium effects compared with no intervention (standardised mean difference (SMD) 0.67, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.55 to 0.80; 72 studies, 4537 participants), and low-quality evidence of small effects favoured face-to-face therapy (SMD -0.23, 95% CI -0.36 to -0.09; 24 studies, 1360 participants). The intervention was associated with greater response than was seen with no treatment (risk ratio (RR) 2.34, 95% CI 1.81 to 3.03; 21 studies, 1547 participants) and was not significantly inferior to face-to-face therapy in these studies (RR 0.78, 95 % CI 0.56 to 1.09; 10 studies, 575 participants), but the latter comparison included versions of therapies that were not as comprehensive as those provided in routine clinical practice. Evidence suggested benefit for secondary outcome measures (depression, mental-health related disability, quality of life and dropout), but this evidence was of low to moderate quality. Evidence regarding harm was lacking. Self-help may be useful for people who are not able or are not willing to use other services for people with anxiety disorders; for people who can access it, face-to-face cognitive behavioural therapy is probably clinically superior. Economic analyses were beyond the scope of this review.Important heterogeneity was noted across trials. Recent interventions for specific problems that incorporate clinician support may be more effective than transdiagnostic interventions (i.e. interventions for multiple disorders) provided with no guidance, but these issues are confounded in the available trials.Although many small trials have been conducted, the generalisability of their findings is limited.Most interventions tested are not available to consumers.Self-help has been recommended as the first step in the treatment of some anxiety disorders, but the short-term and long-term effectiveness of media-delivered interventions has not been established.Large, pragmatic trials are needed to evaluate and to maximise the benefits of self-help interventions.