Five­year trajectory of individuals with anxiety disorders following cognitive-­behavioral therapy

The short-­term effectiveness of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is well documented in the treatment of anxiety disorders. However the longer­term outcomes are less well studied. This study investigated the 5­year trajectory of individuals with anxiety and related conditions treated with CBT at the Anxiety Disorders Center, Institute of Living. 225 participants (mean age 24.08, 58% female) were assessed at pre­treatment, post­treatment and across a 5­year follow up period using the Global Clinical Impression (GCI) and Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS). Data was analyzed using mixed linear models for repeated measures. The results indicated that participants improved significantly from pre­treatment to post­treatment on both the CGI (mean difference 1.36, p = <.01) and SDS (mean difference = 6.92, p = <.01). Participants’ scores remained significantly different from baseline on both measures across each of the follow-­up periods. On the CGI participants’ scores reduced significantly from post­treatment to 1­year follow­-up (mean difference .55, p = <.01), 2 year follow­up (mean difference = .73, p = <.01), 4 year follow up (mean difference .52, p = <.01), and 5­year follow­up (mean difference .47, p = .05). However on the SDS scores did not change significantly from post­treatment during the follow-­up period. The results of this study highlight the short term and long term effectiveness of CBT for anxiety and related disorders. Based on the results from this study it appears that patients not only maintain their post­-treatment gains, but may continue to improve after treatment termination, potentially due to continued practice of CBT skills.