Anxiety management with schizophrenic outpatients

Area of Science:

• Clinical Psychology
• Psychiatry
• Behavioral Therapy

Background:

• Elevated anxiety and poor coping skills are implicated in schizophrenia.
• Behavioral stress management is effective for nonpsychotic individuals, but research in schizophrenia is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of Anxiety Management Training (AMT) and Applied Relaxation (R) for schizophrenic outpatients.
• To assess the impact of these interventions on generalized anxiety and related behaviors.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial comparing AMT and R groups with a Wait-List (WL) control group.
• Outpatients with schizophrenia received 6 weeks of either AMT or R.
• Standardized measures assessed generalized anxiety levels; therapists reported on non-targeted behaviors.

Main Results:

• Both AMT and R groups showed significant reductions in generalized anxiety compared to the WL group.
• Therapists reported significant positive changes in non-targeted behaviors for participants in the intervention groups.
• The findings suggest these anxiety management techniques are effective in this population.

Conclusions:

• Short-term anxiety management interventions, such as AMT and R, are beneficial for schizophrenic patients.
• These techniques can improve anxiety coping skills and related behaviors in individuals with schizophrenia.
• Further research is warranted to explore the long-term effects and broader applications of these interventions.