Abstract: Worry exposure (WE) is a core of cognitive-behavioral treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The present study was carried out to examine the efficacy of WE in treating patients with GAD. Three patients with GAD were selected using Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV (SCID) based on disorders axis I. Subjects were selected using purposeful sampling, and underwent the treatment after gaining treatment needs. Multiple baseline experimental single case study was used as the method of the present study. The treatment program was carried out for 8 weekly sessions, with a follow up period of 3 months later treatment ending. Subjects completed Pennsylvania State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ) and Cognitive Avoidance Questionnaire (CAQ). Research findings represented that WE decreased the intensity of GAD symptoms: Pathologic worry and cognitive avoidance. WE has suitable efficacy in treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder and it maintains suitable efficacy in treating GAD.
How to cite this paper
Shahmoradi, G. (2013). The effectiveness of worry exposure in treating generalized anxiety disorder.Management Science Letters , 3(6), 1659-1664.
Refrences
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versus applied relaxation in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Psychotherapy and
Psychosomatics, 78(2), 106-115.
Kessler, R. C., Chiu, W. T., Demler, O., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and
comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey
Replication. Archives of general psychiatry, 62(6), 617.
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behaviour therapy in generalized anxiety disorders. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics, 74(1), 36-
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Liss, M., Timmel, L., Baxley, K., & Killingsworth, P. (2005). Sensory processing sensitivity and its
relation to parental bonding, anxiety, and depression. Personality and Individual
Differences, 39(8), 1429-1439.
Mitte, K. (2005). Meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioral treatments for generalized anxiety disorder: a
comparison with pharmacotherapy. Psychological Bulletin, 131(5), 785.
Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2002). Expanding our conceptualization of and treatment for
generalized anxiety disorder: Integrating mindfulness/acceptance?based approaches with existing
cognitive?behavioral models. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9(1), 54-68.
Tyrer, P. (1999). Anxiety: A multidisciplinary review. London: Imperial College Press.
Warner, C. M., Reigada, L. C., Fisher, P. H., Saborsky, A. L., & Benkov, K. J. (2009). CBT for
anxiety and associated somatic complaints in pediatric medical settings: an open pilot
study. Journal of clinical psychology in medical settings,16(2), 169-177.
Wells, A., & King, P. (2006). Metacognitive therapy for generalized anxiety disorder: An open
trial. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 37(3), 206-212.
Wolitzky-Taylor, K. B., & Telch, M. J. (2010). Efficacy of self-administered treatments for
pathological academic worry: A randomized controlled trial. Behaviour research and
therapy, 48(9), 840-850.
cognitive avoidance, negative problem orientation and positive beliefs about worry in generalized
anxiety disorder patients with normal individuals. Journal of Tabriz University Psychology, 5(20),
[In Persian].
Ballenger, J. C., Davidson, J. R., Lecrubier, Y., Nutt, D. J., Borkovec, T. D., Rickels, K., ... &
Wittchen, H. U. (2001). Consensus statement on generalized anxiety disorder from the
International Consensus Group on Depression and Anxiety. Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. 62(11),
53-58.
Beck, A. T., Steer, R. A., Ball, R., & Ranieri, W. F. (1996). Comparison of Beck Depression
Inventories-IA and-II in psychiatric outpatients. Journal of personality assessment, 67(3), 588-
597.
Bennett-Levy, J., Butler, G., Fennell, M., Hackmann, A., Mueller, M., & Westbrook, D.
(2005). Oxford guide to behavioural experiments in cognitive therapy. Oxford University Press.
Bienvenu, O. J., Nestadt, G., & Eaton, W. W. (1998). Characterizing generalized anxiety: temporal
and symptomatic thresholds. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 186(1), 51-56.
Borkovec, T. D., & Newman, M. G. (1999). Worry and generalized anxiety disorder. Comprehensive
clinical psychology, 6, 439-459.
Borkovec, T. D., Alcaine, O., & Behar, E. (2004). Avoidance theory of worry and generalized anxiety
disorder. Generalized anxiety disorder: Advances in research and practice.
Covin, R., Ouimet, A. J., Seeds, P. M., & Dozois, D. J. (2008). A meta-analysis of CBT for
pathological worry among clients with GAD. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 22(1), 108-116.
Davidson, J.R.T. (2004). Use of benzodiazepines in social anxiety disorder, GAD, and posttraumatic
stress disorder. Journal of clinical psychiatry, 65, 29–33.
Dugas, M. J., & Robichaud, M. (2007). Cognitive-behavioral treatment for generalized anxiety
disorder: From science to practice. Brunner-Routledge.
Fata L. (2004). The structures of meaning of the emotional states and Cognitive processing of
emotional information: Comparison of two Conceptual Framework [Unpublished Ph.D.
Dissertation]: Iran University of Medical Sciences,[In Persian].
Fisher P. (2007). The efficacy of psychological treatment for generalized anxiety disorder. In. G. C.
L. Davey A. Wells. (Eds.), Worry and its psychological disorder. New York: Wiley. 356-77.
Hamidpour, H. (2008). Examination of efficacy and effectiveness of mindfulness - based cognitive
therapy in treatment and presentation of relapse and recurrence of dysthymia. Journal of Research
on Psychological Health, 1(1), 25-36 [In Persian].
Hoyer, J., Beesdo, K., Gloster, A. T., Runge, J., H?fler, M., & Becker, E. S. (2009). Worry exposure
versus applied relaxation in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Psychotherapy and
Psychosomatics, 78(2), 106-115.
Kessler, R. C., Chiu, W. T., Demler, O., & Walters, E. E. (2005). Prevalence, severity, and
comorbidity of 12-month DSM-IV disorders in the National Comorbidity Survey
Replication. Archives of general psychiatry, 62(6), 617.
Linden, M., Zubraegel, D., Baer, T., Franke, U., & Schlattmann, P. (2004). Efficacy of cognitive
behaviour therapy in generalized anxiety disorders. Psychotherapy and psychosomatics, 74(1), 36-
42.
Liss, M., Timmel, L., Baxley, K., & Killingsworth, P. (2005). Sensory processing sensitivity and its
relation to parental bonding, anxiety, and depression. Personality and Individual
Differences, 39(8), 1429-1439.
Mitte, K. (2005). Meta-analysis of cognitive-behavioral treatments for generalized anxiety disorder: a
comparison with pharmacotherapy. Psychological Bulletin, 131(5), 785.
Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2002). Expanding our conceptualization of and treatment for
generalized anxiety disorder: Integrating mindfulness/acceptance?based approaches with existing
cognitive?behavioral models. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 9(1), 54-68.
Tyrer, P. (1999). Anxiety: A multidisciplinary review. London: Imperial College Press.
Warner, C. M., Reigada, L. C., Fisher, P. H., Saborsky, A. L., & Benkov, K. J. (2009). CBT for
anxiety and associated somatic complaints in pediatric medical settings: an open pilot
study. Journal of clinical psychology in medical settings,16(2), 169-177.
Wells, A., & King, P. (2006). Metacognitive therapy for generalized anxiety disorder: An open
trial. Journal of Behavior Therapy and Experimental Psychiatry, 37(3), 206-212.
Wolitzky-Taylor, K. B., & Telch, M. J. (2010). Efficacy of self-administered treatments for
pathological academic worry: A randomized controlled trial. Behaviour research and
therapy, 48(9), 840-850.