Beyond the constraints of an RCT: Naturalistic treatment outcomes for anxiety-related disorders

Abstract Despite considerable data from randomized controlled trials supporting use of behavioral therapies for anxiety disorders and anxiety-related disorders, there is a relative scarcity of data demonstrating that such findings are generalizable to patients in non-research settings, and a lack of standardized repeated outcome measurement in such settings. Using one of the largest examinations of naturalistic outcomes of behavioral therapies in treatment-seeking patients (N = 489), we examined the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of patients seeking treatment for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders in the past three years. Patients seeking treatment at a clinic specializing in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) completed self-report questionnaires via an electronic data capture system and diagnostic interview at baseline, and were re-assessed at mid-treatment and post-treatment. Patients with anxiety and related disorders were assessed for changes in symptom severity and secondary outcomes (impairment/functioning, quality of life, and depression) over the course of therapy. Patients showed clinically significant and statistically reliable improvement in anxiety symptom severity scores over treatment (p