Primary Care Intervention Strategy for Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent, distressing, and disabling. Most patients with anxiety disorders who do receive mental health treatment receive it in primary care settings, where the quality of care is generally insufficient. This intervention is geared towards testing the clinical effectiveness of a care-manager assisted chronic disease management program for four common anxiety disorders (post-traumatic stress disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and social anxiety disorder) in the primary care setting. This approach has been shown to be effective for the treatment of depression.

Participants in this randomized, controlled trial will either be assigned to the control group: treatment-as-usual (TAU) from their primary care provider (PCP); or to the intervention group: CALM (Coordinated Anxiety Learning and Management). Intervention subjects will choose to receive CBT, medication, or both for the treatment of their anxiety. Those who choose CBT will receive it from a study-trained Anxiety Clinical Specialist (ACS) in their respective clinic. For those who choose medication, the ACS will facilitate the delivery of, and adherence to, anti-anxiety medication which will be prescribed by the participant's PCP. In this stepped-care design, subject progress will be formally re-evaluated at 8-12 week intervals. If treatment progress is not satisfactory, options include: additional or modified treatment with current modality, switching to the other treatment modality, or adding the other modality. When remission is attained, the ACS will follow-up with participants on a monthly basis to review progress and practice anxiety-reduction strategies. Treatment will continue for up to 12 months. Participants in both study arms will undergo formal baseline and outcome assessment interviews conducted at the 6, 12, and 18 month follow-up time-points.