A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy and Disorder-Specific Psychotherapies in...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry and Behavioral Health
• Clinical Psychology
• Evidence-Based Practice

Background:

• Transdiagnostic psychotherapies offer a unified approach for multiple emotional disorders.
• Previous research has primarily focused on anxiety disorders or mixed samples, limiting broader application.
• There is a need to evaluate transdiagnostic treatments in specific diagnostic groups like major depressive disorder (MDD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and panic disorder.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) against disorder-specific therapies (DSTs).
• To assess treatment outcomes for veterans with principal diagnoses of MDD, PTSD, or panic disorder.
• To evaluate disorder-specific symptom changes and overall impairment over time.

Main Methods:

• A randomized clinical trial involving 304 veterans.
• Comparison of TBT with matching DSTs for MDD, PTSD, and panic disorder.
• Assessment of disorder-specific symptoms and overall impairment at baseline, mid-treatment, and posttreatment.
• Structural equation modeling using latent growth curve models to analyze changes.

Main Results:

• TBT demonstrated noninferiority to DSTs for PTSD and panic disorder symptom scales and overall impairment.
• Similar effect sizes were observed for MDD, though noninferiority confidence intervals were wide.
• Patient satisfaction and treatment completion rates were comparable between TBT and DSTs.

Conclusions:

• Transdiagnostic Behavior Therapy (TBT) is comparably effective to established disorder-specific therapies for MDD, PTSD, and panic disorder.
• TBT's efficacy supports its broader dissemination and implementation across a wider range of diagnoses.
• Implementing TBT can simplify provider training and expand treatment accessibility in clinical settings.