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ALBERT ELLIS INSTITUTE COMMISSIONS clinical triAl
for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) TREATMENT
(September, 2008—New York, NY) New light is expected to be shed on the best treatment methods for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), a condition that afflicts as many as 6.8 Americans a year, in a major new study commissioned and funded by the Albert Ellis Institute.
The clinical study will compare three commonly used approaches in therapy for GAD: Cognitive Therapy, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Acceptance & Commitment Therapy. It will attempt to gain insights into the three methods’ outcomes and cost-effectiveness.
Albert Ellis Institute, the world’s premier psychotherapy institute for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), is an in-part funder of the trial, which will take place at the International Institute for the Advanced Studies of Psychotherapy and Applied Mental Health (The Institute) at the Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The study will be led by Dr. Daniel David, President of The Institute, author of six books and 70 articles, and editor of the Journal of Cognitive and Behavioral Psychotherapies.
“Generalized anxiety disorder is an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, uncontrollable and often irrational worry about everyday things, which is disproportionate to the actual source of worry,” said Dr. David. “This randomized clinical trial will for the first time give therapists an insight into the most effective method of treating GAD, and a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in it. It will enable them to create new cost-effective clinical protocols and guidelines for evidence-based assessment and therapy of GAD.”
The study’s 14-week clinical trial period will enable researchers to evaluate how patients have progressed in such areas as feelings of loneliness and hopelessness, anxiety, difficulty sleeping and depression.
The excessive worry characteristic of GAD often interferes with daily functioning, as individuals suffering GAD typically anticipate disaster, conjure catastrophes, and are overly concerned about everyday matters. People with it may suffer from such physical symptoms as fatigue, headaches, muscle tension and aches, trembling, irritability and twitching.
The study’s design will follow the model used in a previous study of major depressive disorder (MDD) conducted by The Institute and published in major clinical journals. All the methodological components including integrity of the treatments, allegiance effect, missing data analysis, and attrition/power calculation of this trial relating GAD will be implemented similarly with that for MDD. Each treatment will have about 20 sessions during 14 weeks. Results are expected to be announced in 2010/2011.
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The Albert Ellis Institute is a world-renowned psychotherapy institute and non-profit organization committed to enhancing emotional growth and well-being through the application of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). In addition to offering mental health education to professionals and providing clinical services to the public, the Albert Ellis Institute conducts research and maintains a strong network of REBT trainers and therapists. The Institute is a committed to advancing emotional well-being through the study and application of effective, short-term therapy with long-term results.