Treatment of Anxiety Disorders With Comorbid Depression: A Survey of Expert CBT Clinicians

Abstract

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an empirically supported psychological treatment for anxiety disorders. These treatments have primarily been developed to target primary anxiety disorders, despite the fact that these disorders frequently co-occur with a diagnosis of depression. Empirical evidence provides guidance regarding how to treat an individual with a primary anxiety disorder with comorbid depression; however, there is limited data regarding how to translate these findings into clinical practice. Improving our understanding of how CBT is currently being used in practice among experts is integral to learning whether modifications to protocols lead to more or less effective treatments. Accordingly, we surveyed expert CBT clinicians about their assessment and treatment approaches and what challenges they face in formulating and treating mood and anxiety comorbidity. Most experts reported that their assessment includes a semistructured interview and self-report measures to determine breadth and hierarchical ordering of comorbidity severity. Symptom severity, client's goals, temporal onset of disorders, presence of suicide risk, and potential for early treatment success were reported as factors to consider when deciding where to begin treatment. Almost three quarters of experts surveyed indicated that they usually take some type of sequential treatment approach when treating primary anxiety disorders with comorbid depression. The top three reported challenges associated with treating comorbid presentations were client's motivation/energy, hopelessness/pessimism, and ongoing need for risk assessment. Implications for the nature and timing of CBT interventions in “real-world” clinical practice are discussed.