Borkovec, Newman, Pincus, and Lytle here cite prior reviews of outcome research as having well established CBT as an effective treatment for GAD with low drop-out rates and treatment gains that “routinely maintained or increased at long-term follow-up.” Regardless of this, CBT still fails to produce highly functional states in a large percentage of clients.
This five-year study was designed to explore potential avenues for increasing the efficacy of CBT by extending its duration, measuring the efficacy of two components—cognitive therapy (CT) and applied relaxation and self-control desensitization (SCD)—of the CBT therapy being used, and by measuring interpersonal factors contributing to the success of failure of the treatment.