Hostname: page-component-74656f9884-rdgjk Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2026-11-07T20:49:30.235Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Case-Series Evaluating a Transdiagnostic Cognitive-Behavioural Treatment for Co-occurring Anxiety Disorders

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 November 2014

Freda McManus*
Affiliation:
University of Stirling, Scotland
Gavin Clark
Affiliation:
University of New England, Australia
Kate Muse
Affiliation:
University of Worcester, UK
Roz Shafran
Affiliation:
UCL Institute of Child Health, London
*
Reprint requests to Freda McManus, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, Scotland. E-mail: f.v.mcmanus@stir.ac.uk
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Background: Patients with anxiety disorder diagnoses commonly have more than one anxiety diagnosis. While cognitive-behavioural interventions have proven efficacy in treating single anxiety disorder diagnoses, there has been little investigation of their efficacy in treating co-occurring anxiety disorders. Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of a transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioural intervention for treating co-occurring anxiety disorders. Method: An A-B single case study design (N = 6) was used to evaluate the efficacy of a 12 to 13-session modular transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioural intervention for treating co-occurring anxiety disorders across patients with at least two of the following diagnoses: GAD, Social Phobia, Panic Disorder and/or OCD. Results: Five of the six participants completed treatment. At posttreatment assessment the five treatment completers achieved diagnostic and symptomatic change, with three participants being diagnosis free. All participants who completed treatment no longer met criteria for any DSM-IV-TR Axis-I diagnosis at the 3-month follow-up assessment, and demonstrated reliable and clinically-significant improvements in symptoms. Across the participants, statistically significant improvements from pre to postintervention were found on measures of anxiety, depression and general well-being, and all improvements were maintained at 3-month follow-up. Conclusions: Results suggest that transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural interventions can be of benefit to patients with co-occurring anxiety disorders.

Information

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2014 
Figure 0

Figure 1. Transdiagnostic cognitive behavioural model of anxiety disorders

Figure 1

Table 1. Participants’ DSM-IV Axis I diagnoses at preintervention, postintervention and 3-month follow-up

Figure 2

Figure 2. Participants’ scores on BAI, BDI & CORE during baseline, intervention and follow-up Notes: The horizontal lines represent the clinical cut-off scores. Scores on the CORE questionnaire are represented on the right-hand Y-Axis.B1-B4 = Baseline measurement 1–4; EOT = End of treatment assessment; F/U = Follow-up assessment; BAI = Beck Anxiety Inventory; BDI = Beck Depression Inventory; CORE = The Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation– Outcome Measure

Figure 3

Figure 3. Participants’ scores on diagnosis-specific measure during baseline, intervention and at follow-up Notes: The horizontal lines represent the clinical cut-off scores. Scores on the SPAI questionnaire are represented on the right-hand Y-Axis. B1-B4 = Baseline measurement 1–4; EOT = End of treatment assessment; F/U = Follow-up assessment. SPAI = Social Phobia and Anxiety Inventory; PSWQ = Penn State Worry Questionnaire; PDSS-SR = Panic Disorder Severity Index; OCI = Obsessive Compulsive Inventory.

Figure 4

Table 2. Participants’ self-report questionnaire scores at preintervention, postintervention and follow-up with clinically significant change (Criterion C)1 and reliable change

Submit a response

Comments

No Comments have been published for this article.