title: Combined medication and cognitive therapy for generalized anxiety disorder.
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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania, 3535 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, United States. crits@mail.med.upenn.edu
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Crits-Christoph
authors.forename: Michelle G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Newman
authors.forename: Karl
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rickels
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gallop
authors.forename: Mary Beth Connolly
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Gibbons
authors.forename: Jessica L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Hamilton
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ring-Kurtz
authors.forename: Amy M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Pastva
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D003511:Cyclohexanols / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride
chemical_list: D014151:Anti-Anxiety Agents; D003511:Cyclohexanols; D000069470:Venlafaxine Hydrochloride