A Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Short-Term Psychoanalytic Therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Status: Recruiting
Location: See location...
Intervention Type: Behavioral
Study Type: Interventional
Study Phase: Not Applicable
SUMMARY

This study is a randomized controlled trial designed to compare the effectiveness of two types of short-term psychotherapy-psychoanalytic therapy and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)-in treating Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). A total of 60 adult participants with a confirmed diagnosis of GAD will be enrolled and randomly assigned to one of three groups: one group will receive psychoanalytic therapy, a second group will receive CBT, and a third group will serve as a control (waiting list) group. Each treatment group will participate in 12 weekly sessions, with each session lasting 50 minutes. In the psychoanalytic therapy group, therapy will follow a standardized framework based on core psychoanalytic principles such as exploring unconscious conflicts, transference, and resistance. While this approach is flexible, all therapists will be trained and calibrated to apply these core principles consistently. In contrast, the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) group will receive a structured, manualized intervention specifically designed for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). The control group will not receive any active psychotherapy during the study period but will continue to receive any standard care they are already using. The primary outcome of the study will be the change in anxiety symptoms measured by the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) from before treatment to after the 12 sessions. Secondary outcomes will include measures of quality of life (using the World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument \[WHOQOL-BREF\]), depressive symptoms (using the Beck Depression Inventory-II \[BDI-II\]), functional impairment (using the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule II \[WHODAS II\]), the quality of the therapeutic relationship (using the Working Alliance Inventory \[WAI\]), and overall treatment satisfaction. The study is designed to be completed within a six-month period: one month for recruitment, one month for baseline assessments and clinical checks, and three months for the intervention. Data will be collected at baseline and immediately after the intervention, with the goal of analyzing and publishing the results as soon as possible following treatment completion. This study has received ethical approval from the Üsküdar University Ethics Committee and is intended to inform future research on effective treatments for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

Eligibility
Participation Requirements
Sex: All
Minimum Age: 18
Maximum Age: 65
Healthy Volunteers: f
View:

• Age between 18 and 65 years.

• A confirmed diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) according to DSM-5 criteria, with the diagnosis made within the past 2 years.

• No participation in any form of psychotherapy during the past 6 months.

• Ability and willingness to attend 12 weekly therapy sessions (50 minutes each) over the 3-month intervention period.

• For participants receiving online sessions: access to a stable internet connection and the necessary technology.

• Ability to understand and provide written informed consent.

Locations
Other Locations
Turkey
Beykoz University
RECRUITING
Istanbul
Contact Information
Primary
Eda Yılmazer, Phd
edayilmazer@beykoz.edu.tr
+90532-257-58-80
Backup
Metin Çınaroğlu, Phd
metin.cinaroglu@nisantasi.edu.tr
+90532-473-20-70
Time Frame
Start Date: 2025-02-01
Estimated Completion Date: 2025-09-01
Participants
Target number of participants: 60
Treatments
Experimental: Psychoanalytic Therapy
Participants in this arm will receive short-term psychoanalytic therapy delivered via a standardized framework. Although the approach is not strictly manualized, a set of core principles (including exploration of unconscious conflicts, transference, and resistance) will guide therapy. The therapy will be administered in 12 weekly sessions, each lasting 50 minutes, by two of the study authors trained in this approach.
Experimental: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
Participants in this arm will receive a structured, manualized cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) intervention specifically designed for the treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Therapy will consist of 12 weekly sessions, each 50 minutes in duration, delivered by two of the study authors with specialized CBT training.
No_intervention: Control (Waiting List)
Participants in this arm will be placed on a waiting list for treatment. They will not receive any active psychotherapeutic intervention during the study period but may continue any standard care they are already receiving.
Related Therapeutic Areas
Sponsors
Collaborators: Uskudar University, Istanbul Nisantasi University
Leads: Beykoz University

This content was sourced from clinicaltrials.gov