Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-j824f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-08T09:21:14.395Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Anxiety Management for Persistent Generalised Anxiety

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

G. Butler*
Affiliation:
University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry
A. Cullington
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Warneford Hospital
G. Hibbert
Affiliation:
University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry
I. Klimes
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, Warneford Hospital
M. Gelder
Affiliation:
University of Oxford Department of Psychiatry
*
Warneford Hospital, Headington, Oxford OX3 7JX

Extract

A preliminary controlled investigation of the effectiveness of Anxiety Management as a treatment for generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is described. Patients with a primary diagnosis of GAD, in which the current episode had lasted for at least 6 months but not more than 2 years, were included. Anxiety Management, a self-help treatment including procedures for managing somatic and cognitive symptoms, and for dealing with avoidance and low self-confidence, was given either immediately or after a 12-week waiting period. The average length of treatment was 8.7 sessions. Highly significant changes in anxiety, depression, and problem ratings were shown after treatment. These changes were replicated when the waiting list group had also received treatment, and gains were maintained by both groups for 6 months. Similar degrees of improvement and maintenance of change were shown in subgroups with and without minor depressive disorder or recurrent panic attacks.

Type
Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1987 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Barlow, D. H., Cohen, A. S., Waddell, M. T., Vermilyea, B. B., Klosko, J. S., Blanchard, E. B. & Di Nardo, P. A. (1984) Panic and generalised anxiety disorders: nature and treatment. Behaviour Therapy, 15, 431449.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Beck, A. T., Laude, R. & Bohnert, M. (1974) Ideational components of anxiety neurosis. Archives of General Psychiatry, 31, 319325.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T., Laude, R. & Bohnert, M., Emery, G. & Greenberg, R. L. (1985) Anxiety Disorders and Phobias: A Cognitive Perspective. New York: Basic Books. BUTLER, G., CULLINGTON, A., MUNBY, M., AMIES, P. & GELDER, M. (1984) Exposure and anxiety management in the treatment of social phobia. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 52, 642650.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T., Laude, R. & Bohnert, M. & Gelder, M. (1987) Anxiety management: developing effective strategies. Behaviour Research and Therapy (in press). CATALAN, J., GATH, D., EDMONDS, G. & ENNIS, J. (1984) The effects of non-prescribing in general practice: 1. Controlled evaluation of psychiatric and social outcome. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 593603.Google Scholar
Beck, A. T., Laude, R. & Bohnert, M. & Gath, D. (1985) Benzodiazepines in general practice: time for a decision. British Medical Journal, 290, 13741376. CLARK, D. M. (1986) Cognitive therapy for anxiety. Behavioural Psychotherapy, 14, 283–294.Google Scholar
Goldberg, D. & Hillier, V. F. (1979) A scaled version of the General Health Questionnaire. Psychological Medicine, 9, 139145.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hamilton, M. (1959) The assessment of anxiety states by rating. British Journal of Medical Psychology, 32, 5055.Google Scholar
Hamilton, M. (1967) Development of a rating scale for primary depressive illness. British Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology, 6, 278296.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hibbert, G. (1984) Ideational components of anxiety: their origin and content. British Journal of Psychiatry, 144, 618624.Google Scholar
Hoelsher, T. J., Lichstein, K. L. & Rosenthal, T. L. (1984) Objective vs subjective assessment of relaxation compliance among anxious individuals. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 22, 187193.Google Scholar
Jannoun, L., Oppenheimer, C. & Gelder, M. (1982) A self-help treatment programme for anxiety state patients. Behavior Therapy, 13, 103111.Google Scholar
Mathews, A. M. & Gelder, M. G. (1969) Psycho-physiological investigations of brief relaxation training. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 13, 112.Google Scholar
Ost, L.-G. (1985) Coping techniques in the treatment of anxiety disorders: two controlled case studies. Behavioural Psychotherapy, 13, 154161.Google Scholar
Paykel, E. S., Myers, J. K., Dievett, M. N., Klerman, G., Lindenthal, J. L. & Pepper, M. (1969) Life events and depression. Archives of General Psychiatry, 21, 753760.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Rapee, R. M. (1985) Distinctions between panic disorder and generalised anxiety disorder: clinical presentation. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 19, 227232.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Snaith, R. P., Bridge, G. W. K. & Hamilton, M. (1976) The Leeds scales for the self assessment of anxiety and depression. British Journal of Psychiatry, 128, 156165.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spielberger, C., Gorsuch, R. & Lushene, R. (1970) State-Trait Anxiety Inventory Manual. Palo Alto: Consulting Psychologist Press.Google Scholar
Spitzer, R. L., Endicott, J. & Robins, E. (1978) Research Diagnostic Criteria for a Select Group of Functional Disorders, 3rd edn. New York: State Psychiatric Institute.Google Scholar
Suinn, R. M. & Richardson, F. (1971) Anxiety Management Training: a nonspecific behavior therapy program for anxiety control. Behavior Therapy, 2, 498510.Google Scholar
Surtees, P. G. (1980) Social support, residual adversity and depressive outcome. Social Psychiatry, 15, 7180.Google Scholar
Tyrer, P. & Owen, R. (1984) Anxiety in primary care: is short-term drug treatment appropriate? Journal of Psychiatric Research, 18, 7379.Google Scholar
Waddell, M. T., Barlow, D. H. & O'Brien, G. T. (1984) A preliminary investigation of cognitive and relaxation treatment of panic disorder: effects on intense anxiety vs ‘background’ anxiety. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 22, 393402.Google Scholar
Watson, J. P. & Marks, I. M. (1971) Relevant and irrelevant fear in flooding: a crossover study of phobic patients. Behavior Therapy, 2, 275293.Google Scholar
Wing, J. K., Cooper, J. E. & Sartorius, N. (1974) The Measurement and Classification of Psychiatric Symptoms. London: Cambridge University Press.Google Scholar
Woodward, R. & Jones, R. B. (1980) A controlled trial with anxious patients. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 18, 401407.Google Scholar
Submit a response

eLetters

No eLetters have been published for this article.