Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment and Interpretation Modification Training for Adults With Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Summary

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a condition characterized by chronic and excessive worry and anxiety. Our group has developed a cognitive-behavioural treatment (CBT) for GAD that has been tested in four previous clinical trials. The findings show that 60 to 70% of affected individuals attain GAD remission and that 50 to 55% achieve high endstate functioning following the treatment. Although these numbers are encouraging, there remain a considerable proportion of individuals who do not fully benefit from treatment. In our most recent CIHR-funded treatment study, we assessed the impact of information processing on the efficacy of CBT for GAD. Our findings show: a) that the tendency to negatively interpret ambiguous information at pre-treatment was associated with greater GAD symptoms at post-treatment; and b) that patients who were less successful at changing their negative interpretation style were also less responsive to CBT. Given that computerized interpretation modification training has been shown to be effective for decreasing the negative interpretation style of anxious individuals, the goal of the current proposal is to determine whether such training can augment the efficacy of CBT for adults with GAD. A total of 138 individuals with a primary diagnosis of GAD will be randomly allocated to one of two conditions: a) CBT plus interpretation modification training or b) CBT plus non-active training. CBT will consist of 14 weekly sessions, with interpretation modification training (or non-active training) administered prior to each session. Measures of GAD symptoms, psychopathology, cognitive vulnerability, and interpretation style will be administered at pre-, mid-, and post-treatment, as well as at 6- and 12-month follow-ups. The proposed study will provide information about the efficacy, clinical usefulness, and mechanisms of interpretation modification training in combination with CBT.

Conditions

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Cognitive-behavioral therapy addressing intolerance of uncertainty, positive beliefs about worry, negative problem orientation, and cognitive avoidance

OTHER

Interpretation training

Computerized interpretation training using Word-Sentence Association Paradigm

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Centre Integre Universitaire de Sante et Services Sociaux du Nord de l'ile de Montreal

  collaborator OTHER

• Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

  collaborator OTHER

• Université de Sherbrooke

  collaborator OTHER

• Toronto Metropolitan University

  collaborator OTHER

• Brown University

  collaborator OTHER

• Concordia University, Montreal

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Michel J. Dugas, Ph.D. · Concordia University, Montreal

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

QUADRUPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2012-09-30

Primary Completion

2018-06-30

Completion

2018-06-30

Countries

• Canada

Study Locations