The Complexity of Treating Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders can pose complex issues that stay with individuals throughout their entire lives. Finding effective treatment plans can be just as complicated. Yet a recent a study looks at the effects of certain treatments and how they can help. More specifically, this research examines the effects of acute treatment with one of three options, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), sertraline medication and the combination of the two. Researchers found that adolescents with moderate to severe anxiety could benefit from these types of treatment options.

Lead study author Dr. John Piacentini from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human behavior recruited 412 children between the ages of seven and 17. For their research, all participants were asked to complete 12 weeks of acute treatment along with one of three options, following six months of additional treatments. Afterward, all were evaluated at the 12th week, third month and sixth month mark.

Findings showed that those who received acute treatment with medication continued to take them during additional sessions. During the six-month follow-up periods, 27 percent of the children had also received outside psychotherapy with or without medication due to certain mental health issues. 

Eighty percent of the children responded positively to one of the three treatment options at week 12. Five percent of the children receiving CBT combined with sertraline, however, did not improve, while 15 to 16 percent of the children who had CBT alone failed to respond positively.

"The results of this study provide further evidence of the benefits of cognitive behavioral therapy and SSRI medication, alone or in combination, for treating clinically significant anxiety in children and adolescents," said Dr. Piacentini, via Medical Xpress. "A separate project by the CAMS researchers is now gathering information on how study participants are doing up to 10 years after study participation."

What do you think?

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.