Reduced anxiety and depression predict improved health-related quality of life in school-based CBT

Health-related quality of life (HRQOL) adds important information about the quality and usefulness of interventions. It has not previously been examined in school-based indicated prevention for anxiety in adolescents. Using secondary analyses of data from a randomized controlled trial of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) interventions for anxious adolescents (N = 302; mean age 14), we examined whether HRQOL increased during and after treatment. Additionally, we examined whether changes and pre-treatment levels in anxiety and depression symptoms predicted changes in and final levels of HRQOL. This was done using latent growth curve modeling. Results showed that the interventions increased levels of HRQOL and that the levels of HRQOL were sustained at 1-year follow-up, independent of the timing of change. Pre-treatment levels and changes in symptoms of anxiety and depression predicted the changes and final levels in HRQOL. The results indicate that the school-based indicated-preventive interventions may have benefits on HRQOL in addition to reduction in symptoms of anxiety and depression and that these benefits are associated with changes in symptoms.