Objectives and methods: The Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is probably the most frequent anxiety disorder, demonstrating a chronic course and severe psychosocial impairments. GAD is seldom diagnosed in practice and research on GAD has in the past been sparse. This may be linked to the less dramatic symptomatology and the diagnostic criteria which were first clearly defined by DSM-IIIR and ICD-10. This article reviews diagnostics, epidemiology and current research on psychotherapy in GAD.
Results and conclusions: Whereas cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is regarded as empirically supported treatment, controlled and manualized studies of psychodynamic therapy in GAD do not exist. However, the results obtained thus far are promising. There is a definite need for further research in this area. Finally, we present an ongoing randomized controlled trial which compares manualized psychodynamic therapy and CBT in GAD. In this trial, efficacy and mechanisms of change (fearful cognitions vs. Core Conflictual Relationship Theme) in both therapies are being evaluated.