An effectiveness study of group therapy for anxiety disorders

This work examines the transportability of group cognitive-behavioral therapy (GCBT) for a wide range of anxiety disorders to a college counseling center. Participants were 31 clients with a primary diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder with agoraphobia, social phobia, specific phobia, or obsessive-compulsive disorder who identified dysfunction in one or more of eight daily function areas. Clients were not excluded on the basis of medication use, severity or frequency of panic attacks, age, or comorbidity. Of the 31 participants, there were 17 treatment completers, defined by a minimum of 20 sessions in a flexibly bounded psychotherapy group, who achieved significant reductions in levels of anxiety-related dysfunction. The present study suggests that group cognitive behavioral therapy can be transported to a college counseling center.