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Sudden Gains in the Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder

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Abstract

The current study examined the phenomenon of sudden gains (i.e., rapid symptom reductions between two treatment sessions) in individuals who received cognitive-behavioral treatment for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). The sample consisted of 59 Francophone adults with a primary diagnosis of GAD who completed a 14-week evidence-based treatment. Throughout treatment, participants completed the Penn State Worry Questionnaire—Past Week on a weekly basis. They also received assessments of GAD symptoms at intake and treatment termination using the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV, the Worry and Anxiety Questionnaire (WAQ), and the Penn State Worry Questionnaire (PSWQ). Clients who experienced at least one sudden gain (20.34 % of the sample) experienced greater symptom reductions from pre-to post-treatment on the WAQ and the PSWQ than clients who did not experience a sudden gain. Our results suggest that the experience of sudden gains predicts positive treatment outcomes during cognitive-behavioral treatment for GAD.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by a research grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QB, H4B 1R6, Canada

    Sonya S. Deschênes & Michel J. Dugas

  2. Hôpital de Sacré-Coeur de Montréal, Quebec, Canada

    Michel J. Dugas

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  1. Sonya S. Deschênes
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  2. Michel J. Dugas
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Correspondence to Michel J. Dugas.

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Deschênes, S.S., Dugas, M.J. Sudden Gains in the Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Cogn Ther Res 37, 805–811 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10608-012-9504-1

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