Outcome studies of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention Essay

Outcome studies of a Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention - Essay Example population, in any given year and women are twice as likely to be affected. Learning how to deal with anxiety requires management of the mind to handle things in proper order, and this is the emphasis of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT treatment had been popularly used by many healthcare professionals, psychotherapists, and counselors in managing GAD and its efficiency had been proven in many clinical-based studies conducted by reliable researchers. To begin with, anxiety, according to the National Institute of Mental Health or NIMH (2011), is a normal reaction to stress. It helps the person cope with the different situations in life but once it becomes an excessive, irrational dread of everyday situations, it has become a disabling disorder (NIMH, 2011). Among the five major types of anxiety disorders [Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Social Phobia (or Social Anxiety Disorder)] , GAD is the most common. GAD is a pattern of frequent, constant worry and anxiety over many different activities and events (Berger & Zieve, 2010). The main symptom, according to Berger and Zieve (2010), is the almost constant presence of worry or tension that lasts at least six months, disrupting daily activities even when there is little or no cause. Worries seem to float from one problem to another, such as family or relationship problems, work issues, money, health, and other problems. Other symptoms are difficulty concentrating, fatigue, irritability, problems falling or staying asleep, and sleep that is often restless and unsatisfying, and restlessness or feeling keyed up or "on the edge," often becoming startled very easily. Physical manifestations are muscle tension, shakiness, and headache (Berger & Zieve, 2010). Risk factors for GAD include gender, family history, genetic factor, substance abuse, medical conditions, socioeconomic and ethnic factors, depression, cultural f actors, and stressful events in susceptible people (Scholten, 2011). Moreover, treating anxiety disorders is an individualized approach but several standard approaches have proved effective. Treatment modalities include therapy [e.g. cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), interpersonal therapy (IPT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)], medication [e.g. selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors (SNRIs), benzodiazepines, and tricyclic antidepressants] and complementary and alternative treatment (e.g. kava, acupuncture, and yoga) (Anxiety Disorders Association of America, 2011b). For the treatment of GAD, cognitive-behavioral therapy is claimed by many psychotherapists, counselors, and healthcare professionals as the most effective therapy. According to Bingaman (2007, p. 11), this is the clear treatment of choice with anxiety disorder becau se it meets the criteria that empirically supports the treatment for GAD. CBT is very useful in treating anxiety disorders because the cognitive part helps people change the thinking patterns that support their fears, and the behavioral part helps people change the way they react to anxiety-provoking situations (National Institute of Mental Disorders,