COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL AND PHARMACOLOGICAL TREATMENT OF GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER - A PRELIMINARY METAANALYSIS

This study provides a meta-analytic review of controlled trials examin ing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy for generaliz ed anxiety disorder (GAD). Thirty-five studies, published or presented between 1974 and January 1996, were identified, and provided 61 separ ate treatment interventions. Both modalities of treatment offered clea r efficacy to patients, and the overall effect size (ES) for CBT (ES = .70) was not statistically different from pharmacotherapy (ES = 0.60) for measures of anxiety severity. CBT was associated with significant ly greater effects on depression severity, and was associated with cle ar maintenance of treatment gains, whereas the long-term efficacy of p harmacologic treatment was attenuated following medication discontinua tion. Data concerning the efficacy of specific cognitive behavioral an d pharmacologic interventions are provided, as are analyses of the inf luence of methodological factors (e.g., gender distribution, length of treatment) on the efficacy of treatments.