Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adolescents: Which Treatments are More Effective?

Abstract

This paper reviewed 10 published axticles that explored the importance of combining Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and phaxmacotherapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in adolescents. The research results were obtained through a meta-analysis of the extant literature on the treatment of adolescent GAO. The evidence reviewed suggests that the recommended treatment of choice for GAO is the combination of medications Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRJs) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). The combination of CBT and pharmacothcrapy was superior to monotherapy in treating CAD (Caporino et al., 2017; Melvin ct al., 2016; Peris et al., 2017; Ost ct al., 2016; Wang et al., 2017). This leads us to conclude that practitioners ought to add Cl3T to pharmacolherapy when treating adolescents with CAD. The research found a sign ificantly large effect (96% CI) and clinical significance that favored the use of combined treatment compared to the exclusive use of a monotherapy, in treating this population. Adolescents who received the combined treatment for CAD, remained in rem ission two years after their treatment (Ost et al., 2016; Peris et al., 2017). Generally, the efficacy of SSRIs is observed after two to six weeks. The individual must be on the medication for six to twelve months for it to be effective. This initial delay further emphasizes why it is imperative to combine this therapy with CBT (Caporino et al., 2017; Melvin et al., 2016; Ost ct al., 2016; Peris et al., 2017). This leads us to conclude that practitioners ought to take lime to educate the adolescents about the phannacodynamics of the medications and encourage them through their healing process (Piacentini, 2014; Wang et al., 2017; Walkup et al., 2008).