Unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of emotional disorders: a randomized controlled trial

Todd J Farchione, Christopher P Fairholme, Kristen K Ellard, Christina L Boisseau, Johanna Thompson-Hollands, Jenna R Carl, Matthew W Gallagher, David H Barlow, Todd J Farchione, Christopher P Fairholme, Kristen K Ellard, Christina L Boisseau, Johanna Thompson-Hollands, Jenna R Carl, Matthew W Gallagher, David H Barlow

Abstract

This study further evaluates the efficacy of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP). A diagnostically heterogeneous clinical sample of 37 patients with a principal anxiety disorder diagnosis was enrolled in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving up to 18 sessions of treatment and a 6-month follow-up period. Patients were randomly assigned to receive either immediate treatment with the UP (n=26) or delayed treatment, following a 16-week wait-list control period (WLC; n=11). The UP resulted in significant improvement on measures of clinical severity, general symptoms of depression and anxiety, levels of negative and positive affect, and a measure of symptom interference in daily functioning across diagnoses. In comparison, participants in the WLC condition exhibited little to no change following the 16-week wait-list period. The effects of UP treatment were maintained over the 6-month follow-up period. Results from this RCT provide additional evidence for the efficacy of the UP in the treatment of anxiety and comorbid depressive disorders, and provide additional support for a transdiagnostic approach to the treatment of emotional disorders.

Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
CONSORT diagram illustrating participant flow during Phase 3 of the study. Participants were tracked during enrollment, allocation, and analysis.

Source: PubMed

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