Cognitive-behavioral Treatment For Anxiety Research Articles

Using Adherence and Competence Measures Based on Practice Elements to Evaluate Treatment Fidelity for Two CBT Programs for Youth Anxiety

Measures designed to assess the quantity and quality of practices found across treatment programs for specific youth emotional or behavioral problems may be a good fit for evaluating treatment fidelity in effectiveness and implementation research. Treatment fidelity measures must demonstrate certain reliability and validity characteristics to realize this potential. This study examines the extent to which two observational measures, the Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Anxiety in Youth Adherence Scale (CBAY-A) and the CBAY Competence Scale (CBAY-C), can assess the quantity (the degree to which prescribed therapeutic techniques are delivered as intended) or quality (the competence with which prescribed techniques are delivered) of practices found in two distinct treatment programs for youth anxiety. Treatment sessions (N = 796) from 55 youth participants (M age = 9.89 years, SD = 1.71; 46% female; 55% White) with primary anxiety problems who participated in an effectiveness study were independently coded by raters who coded quantity, quality, and the youth–clinician alliance. Youth received one of three treatments: (a) standard (i.e., cognitive-behavioral therapy program), (b) modular (i.e., a cognitive-behavioral and parent-training program), and (c) usual clinical care. Interrater reliability for the CBAY-A items was good across the standard and modular conditions but mixed for the CBAY-C items. Across the standard and modular conditions, the CBAY-A Model subscale scores demonstrated evidence of construct validity, but the CBAY-C Model subscale scores showed mixed evidence. The results provide preliminary evidence that the CBAY-A can be used across different treatment programs but raise concerns about the generalizability of the CBAY-C.

The Association between Insomnia and Anxiety Symptoms in a Naturalistic Anxiety Treatment Setting

ABSTRACT Objective/Background: Few studies have examined the relationship between insomnia and anxiety treatment outcomes in naturalistic settings. Furthermore, prior studies typically examine insomnia within a single anxiety diagnosis without accounting for the high overlap between disorders. Here we investigate the association between insomnia and multiple anxiety disorders over a course of cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) in a naturalistic treatment setting. Participants: Insomnia was assessed in 326 patients seeking treatment at a clinic specializing in CBT for anxiety. Methods: Multilevel modeling was used to investigate whether insomnia moderated reductions in anxiety symptoms. A cross-lagged analysis tested for bidirectional effects between insomnia and anxiety. Multiple regression was used to investigate the relationship between insomnia and anxiety while controlling for the other anxiety disorders and depression. Results: While there was a significant reduction in insomnia during treatment in all anxiety disorders, the majority of the most severe patients remained in the clinical range at post-treatment. Baseline insomnia did not significantly moderate anxiety outcomes, suggesting that patients with high or low levels of insomnia will do equally well in CBT for anxiety. The bidirectional effect between insomnia and anxiety did not reach significance. Additionally, posttraumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder were associated with the greatest endorsement of insomnia, after controlling for the overlap between disorders. Conclusions: Sleep problems may persist after anxiety treatment, suggesting that CBT for insomnia may be warranted during or after a course of CBT for anxiety. Importantly, baseline insomnia does not impede anxiety reduction during CBT.

Incidence, clinical correlates and treatment effect of rage in anxious children

Episodic rage represents an important and underappreciated clinical feature in pediatric anxiety. This study examined the incidence and clinical correlates of rage in children with anxiety disorders. Change in rage during treatment for anxiety was also examined. Participants consisted of 107 children diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and their parents. Participants completed structured clinical interviews and questionnaire measures to assess rage, anxiety, functional impairment, family accommodation and caregiver strain, as well as the quality of the child's relationship with family and peers. Rage was a common feature amongst children with anxiety disorders. Rage was associated with a more severe clinical profile, including increased anxiety severity, functional impairment, family accommodation and caregiver strain, as well as poorer relationships with parents, siblings, extended family and peers. Rage was more common in children with separation anxiety, comorbid anxiety, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder and behavioral disorders, but not depressive symptoms. Rage predicted higher levels of functional impairment, beyond the effect of anxiety severity. Rage severity reduced over treatment in line with changes in anxiety symptoms. Findings suggest that rage is a marker of greater psychopathology in anxious youth. Standard cognitive behavioral treatment for anxiety appears to reduce rage without adjunctive treatment.

Bad Dream Frequency in Older Adults With Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Prevalence, Correlates, and Effect of Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Anxiety

This study investigated the relation between generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and frequency of bad dreams in older adults. A secondary analysis from a randomized clinical trial comparing cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety to enhanced usual care (EUC) assessed bad dream frequency at baseline, post treatment (3 months), and at 6, 9, 12, and 15 months. Of 227 participants (mean age = 67.4), 134 met GAD diagnostic criteria (CBT = 70, EUC = 64), with the remaining 93 serving as a comparison group. Patients with GAD had significantly more bad dreams than those without, and bad dream frequency was significantly associated with depression, anxiety, worry, and poor quality of life. CBT for anxiety significantly reduced bad dream frequency at post treatment and throughout follow up compared to EUC.

Transdiagnostic CBT for anxiety disorder: Efficacy, acceptability, and beyond = TCC transdiagnóstica para los trastornos de ansiedad: Eficacia, aceptabilidad, y otros aspectos

Interest in transdiagnostic approaches to the cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) ofemotional disorders has been increasing over the past decade. The purpose of this paper was toreview the rationale behind transdiagnostic treatment models, describe one such group-based treatmentprotocol in detail, and report on the building evidence base to date. The evidence suggests thattransdiagnostic CBT for anxiety is associated with symptom improvement, performs better thanwaitlist controls, is associated with improvements in comorbid disorders, and performs equivalentlyto established diagnosis-specific treatments. Transdiagnostic protocols are also associatedwith good client satisfaction, high levels of therapeutic alliance and group cohesion, and positivetreatment perceptions during and following treatment. Limitations and directions for future researchare discussed.