Generalized Anxiety Disorder 

Treatments

Spiritual Behavior Intervention  

Treatment Summary: The Spiritual Behavior Intervention (SBI) was a way to approach Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) from a new angle. There are many people that live religious based lives and many that lean towards religion to find resolution. This plan applied the benefit of religion and spiritual beliefs to reduce stress from traumatic events, fast psychological healing, and an increase in quality of life. The plan was structured with 12 themed sessions and after each lesson the individuals had homework. The exercises were comprised of multifaiths: Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Taoism, Hinduism, and Confucianism, thus making the plan applicable to different individuals. The study showed that people who prefer religious psychotherapy responded best to the treatment and continued to improve with remission. The first session was focused on psychoeducation of GAD, discuss the basis for religious approach, and create goals of treatment. The second session introduced concentration focus towards calm and meditation. The remaining sessions continued to focused on spiritual-based themes encouraging the individual’s to express their experiences within the spiritual practices, and the overall well-being effected by the practices. The study showed that people who prefer religious psychotherapy responded well to the treatment and continued to improve after treatment. The value to using religion based therapy is that there are always services at a church for one to pray and find their calm, therefore making remission a higher success rate. 

• Reference: Koszycki, D., Bilodeau, C., Raab-Mayo, K., & Bradwejn, J. (2014). A multifaith spiritually based intervention versus supportive therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Journal of clinical psychology, 70, 489-504. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22052 

• Submitter: N/A 

Sandplay Therapy 

Summary of Treatment: Jungian sandplay therapy (SPT) is a method that can be used to treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) in both children and adults.  SPT is intended to be used as a nonverbal and expressive form of therapy which utilizes sand and miniature figures to create images.  This form of therapy has shown success in accessing client’s conscious and subconscious processes through hands-on-creative activities.  The therapist acts as an empathic witness providing very little verbal interaction.  Studies have shown that this treatment triggers connections between multiple brain regions in both hemispheres, which can positively impact the retrieval and reprocessing of memories.  Clients diagnosed with GAD that participate in SPT for approximately 18 sessions have demonstrated significantly reduced anxiety and improvement in the thalamus region of the brain.   

• Reference: Foo, M., Freedle, L. R., Sani, R., & Fonda, G. (2020). The effect of sandplay therapy on the thalamus in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: A case report. International Journal of Play Therapy, 29(4), 191-200. 

• Submitted by: Sean Moore 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Pharmacotherapy 

Summary of Treatment: Anxiety disorders are caused by both psychological and biological factors. Both factors can be addressed simultaneously through the combination of CBT and medication. The first-choice medicines for anxiety disorders are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) and Serotonin-Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitors (SNRIs). Patients/clients should be informed of all potential side effects associated with pharmacotherapy. If the individual receiving treatment avoids specific situations out of fear, then it would benefit them if exposure techniques are utilized. This should be completed over an extended period, with the individual slowly confronting situations they are fearful of to reduce their anxiety eventually. One to five sessions of gradual exposure should suffice for this specific type of anxiety. Patients who experience anxiety disorders require support and judgment-free spaces to express their thoughts, feelings, and emotions.  

• Reference: Bandelow, B., Michaelis, S., & Wedekind, D. (2017). Treatment of anxiety disorders. Dialogues in Clinical Neuroscience, 19(2), 93–107. https://doi.org/10.31887/DCNS.2017.19.2/bbandelow 

• Submitted by: Kerricia Haynes