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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2011 Dec;25(8):1087-94.
doi: 10.1016/j.janxdis.2011.07.007. Epub 2011 Jul 27.

Combined medication and cognitive therapy for generalized anxiety disorder

Paul Crits-Christoph  1 , Michelle G Newman, Karl Rickels, Robert Gallop, Mary Beth Connolly Gibbons, Jessica L Hamilton, Sarah Ring-Kurtz, Amy M Pastva
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Combined medication and cognitive therapy for generalized anxiety disorder

Paul Crits-Christoph et al. J Anxiety Disord. 2011 Dec.

Abstract

The current study assessed efficacy of combined cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and venlafaxine XR compared to venlafaxine XR alone in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) within settings where medication is typically offered as the treatment for this disorder. Patients with DSM-IV-diagnosed GAD who were recently enrolled in a long-term venlafaxine XR study were randomly offered (n=77), or not offered (n=40), the option of adding 12 sessions of CBT. Of those offered CBT, 33% (n=26) accepted and attended at least one treatment session. There were no differences between the combined treatment group and the medication only group on primary or secondary efficacy measures in any of the sample comparisons. Many patients who present in medical/psychopharmacology settings seeking treatment for GAD decline the opportunity to receive adjunctive treatment. Of those that receive CBT, there appears to be no additional benefit of combined treatment compared to venlafaxine XR alone.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Mean HAM-A total scores for patients who received at least one session of combined treatment (n=26) versus those randomized to receive only medication and received at least one dose (n=35).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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