Applying Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders in Community Settings: Retention, Outcome, and Clinical Considerations
Abstract
The efficacy, and to a lesser extent, effectiveness, of individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety disorders has been demonstrated, but whether manualized treatments work in a group format in community settings is less established. We investigated the predictors of retention and outcome in 26 groups (11 Generalized Anxiety Disorder, 11 Panic, 4 Social Phobia groups), conducted for more than 10 years in a semirural community mental health center by 19 therapists. Members of the Anxiety Disorders Treatment Team delivered manualized group CBT treatments. Analysis of standard symptom measures at pre- and posttreatment and archival data revealed significant pre-post decreases in anxiety, retention rates comparable to past findings on group retention, and several significant predictors of retention and outcome. Manualized group CBT for anxiety appears to be a viable treatment in community settings. Limitations of the study as well as related practice-research implications of the findings are discussed.
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There is just one paper in the literature on group ABBT using a protocol based on Roemer and Orsillo's GAD model.
“However, there is just one paper in the literature on group ABBT using a protocol based on Roemer and Orsillo's GAD model”
From Efficacy of an acceptance-based group behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. (2020) · cites this paper as Heatherington et al., 2014
The existing paper on group ABBT does not report efficacy data.
“and it does not report efficacy data (Heatherington et al., 2014).”
From Efficacy of an acceptance-based group behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety disorder. (2020) · cites this paper as Heatherington et al., 2014
Cites
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A meta-analysis of treatment outcome for panic disorder
Gould, R. A., Ott, M. W., & Pollack, M. H. (1995) · Clinical Psychology Review · doi:10.1016/0272-7358(95)00048-8 · Cited by 520 · see citing works
Practitioner’s Guide to Empirically Based Measures of Anxiety
(2001) · AABT Clinical Assessment Series · doi:10.1007/b108176 · Cited by 513 · cited 5× · see citing works
“It has good construct validity and is sensitive to change following treatment for PD (Antony et al., 2001). Internal consistency in this sample was .75. Penn State Worry Questionnaire. The Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ; Meyer, Miller, Metzger, & Borkovec, 1990) is a 16-item self-report questionnaire that assess…”
BackgroundInfluentialStewart, R. E., & Chambless, D. L. (2009) · Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology · doi:10.1037/a0016032 · Cited by 483 · see citing works
An Open Trial of an Acceptance-Based Behavior Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Roemer, L., & Orsillo, S. M. (2007) · Behavior Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.beth.2006.04.004 · Cited by 282 · cited 2× · see citing works
“…Roberge, Primiano, & Germain, 2009), with up to an 80% recovery rate for panic disorder (Craske & Barlow, 2001), a 78% recovery rate for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD; Roemer & Orsillo, 2007), and a 74% recovery rate for social phobia (Gould, Buckminster, Pollack, Otto, & Massachusetts, 1997).”
BackgroundWestbrook, D., & Kirk, J. (2005) · Behaviour Research and Therapy · doi:10.1016/j.brat.2004.09.006 · Cited by 183 · see citing works
Tucker, M., & Oei, T. P. S. (2007) · Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy · doi:10.1017/s1352465806003134 · Cited by 154 · cited 1× · see citing works
“A meta-analysis (Tucker & Oei, 2007) of 36 studies comparing the cost-effectiveness of group versus individual CBT indicated that, for anxiety disorders, either the two modalities had equivalent outcomes or that individual treatment was relatively more effective, but group treatment was less costly…”
Pretreatment attrition and dropout in an outpatient clinic for anxiety disorders
Issakidis, C., & Andrews, G. (2004) · Acta Psychiatrica Scandinavica · doi:10.1111/j.1600-0047.2004.00264.x · Cited by 149 · see citing works
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Efficacy of an acceptance-based group behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety disorder.
Almeida Sampaio, T. P., Jorge, R. C., Martins, D. S., Gandarela, L. M., Hayes‐Skelton, S., Bernik, M. A., & Lotufo‐Neto, F. (2020) · Depression and Anxiety · doi:10.1002/da.23021 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
Serowik, K. L., Roemer, L., Suvak, M., Liverant, G., & Orsillo, S. M. (2020) · Cognitive Behaviour Therapy · doi:10.1080/16506073.2020.1765858 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
- Authors
- Heatherington, L., Harrington, N. T., Harrington, J., Niemeyer, K. F., Weinberg, S. C., & Friedlander, M. L.
- Affiliations
- Williams College (US)
- Berkshire Medical Center (US)
- University at Albany, State University of New York (US)
- Venue
- Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy
- Publisher
- Springer Publishing Company
- Published
- 2014
- Volume
- 28
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 117-133
- ISSN
- 0889-8391 (ISSN-L)
- 1938-887X
- OpenAlex
- W1992773182
- Cited by
- 14
- References
- 8
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 2 · 2022: 3 · 2020: 5 · 2019: 1 · 2017: 2
- FWCI
- 0.93
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Psychological Treatments and Assessments
- Keywords
- group cognitive behavioral therapy, anxiety disorders, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, social anxiety disorder, treatment retention, predictors of treatment outcome, community mental health services, manualized treatment, community-based treatment
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