The Practical Clinical Guidebooks Series provides clinicians, students, and trainees with clear descriptions of practical, empirically supported treatments for specific disorders and their sequelae.
Recent studies have shown that generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is a common dis-order, affecting between 2% and 4% of the population at a given time. And, contrarary to previously held assumptions, if not properly diagnosed and treated, GAD can lead to considerable distress and impairment, which often develop into substantial personal,social, and financial costs.
Fortunately, medical understanding of the nature and treatment of GAD has dramatically increased over the past 15 years. Cognitive-Behavioral Treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder presents a comprehensive analysis of the etiology, assessment, and treatment of GAD, focusing on an evidence-based cognitive model developed by the authors’ clinical research team. In this guidebook, Dugas and Robichaud first discuss the empirical support for this tailored cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) approach, providing the groundwork for the complete overview and detailed step-by-step treatment guide which follow. The volume concludes with sections on treatment efficacy in both individual and group therapy and clinical strategies for addressing common complicating factors in diagnosis and treatment, such as comorbidity, low client motivation, and issues with medication and managed care. This guidebook provides the practitioner or clinician-in-training with a practical, evidence-based approach for the successful assessment, diagnosis, treatment, and management of generalized anxiety disorder.
Michel J. Dugas, Ph.D.,is Associate Professor and Director of the Anxiety Disorders Laboratory in the Department of Psychology at Concordia University. He also works as a clinical psychologist at the Anxiety Disorders Clinic of Sacre’-Coeur Hospital in Montreal and is past-Chair of the Clinical Section of the Canadian Psychological Association. Over the past 15 years, Dr. Dugas has conducted research on the etiology and treatment of GAD and other anxiety disorders.
Melisa Robichaud, Ph.D.,works as a psychologist in the Anxiety Disorders Clinic of UBC Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia. She specializes in cognitive-behavioral research and treatment for anxiety disorders, with an emphasis on generalized anxiety disorder and obsessive-compulsive disorder. She has published in the areas of anxiety, worry and problem solving, and serves on the board of directors for the Anxiety Disorders Association of British Columbia.