title: Effectiveness of collaborative stepped care for anxiety disorders in primary care: a pragmatic cluster randomised controlled trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Collaborative stepped care (CSC) may be an appropriate model to provide evidence-based treatment for anxiety disorders in primary care.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a cluster randomised controlled trial, the effectiveness of CSC compared to care as usual (CAU) for adults with panic disorder (PD) or generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) in primary care was evaluated. Thirty-one psychiatric nurses who provided their services to 43 primary care practices in the Netherlands were randomised to deliver CSC (16 psychiatric nurses, 23 practices) or CAU (15 psychiatric nurses, 20 practices). CSC was provided by the psychiatric nurses (care managers) in collaboration with the general practitioner and a consultant psychiatrist. The intervention consisted of 3 steps, namely guided self-help, cognitive behavioural therapy and antidepressants. Anxiety symptoms were measured with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) at baseline and after 3, 6, 9 and 12 months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We recruited 180 patients with a DSM-IV diagnosis of PD or GAD, of whom 114 received CSC and 66 received usual primary care. On the BAI, CSC was superior to CAU [difference in gain scores from baseline to 3 months: -5.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) -8.28 to -1.94; 6 months: -4.65, 95% CI -7.93 to -1.38; 9 months: -5.67, 95% CI -8.97 to -2.36; 12 months: -6.84, 95% CI -10.13 to -3.55].
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CSC, with guided self-help as a first step, was more effective than CAU for primary care patients with PD or GAD.
authors.affiliation: Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction (Trimbos Institute), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Muntingh
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: van der Feltz-Cornelis
authors.forename: Harm
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: van Marwijk
authors.forename: Philip
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Spinhoven
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Assendelft
authors.forename: Margot
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Waal
authors.forename: Herman
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Adèr
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Balkom
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000451:nursing / Q000628:therapy*; D016000:Cluster Analysis; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D057194:Intention to Treat Analysis; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055361:Multilevel Analysis; D009426:Netherlands; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010346:Patient Care Management / Q000379:methods* / Q000458:organization & administration; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000379:methods*; D011568:Psychiatric Nursing; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012648:Self Care / Q000379:methods*