Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is recognized as an evidenced-based psychological treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Despite proven efficacy of CBT (i.e., large effect sizes), not everyone responds. One promising alternative approach is Mindfulness-based therapy, which has been shown to be effective in preliminary research in GAD. The purpose of this study was to directly compare a brief (1 hour) Mindfulness to CBT intervention to determine efficacy in reducing excessive worry and associated anxiety symptoms in a GAD population. Forty-five participants with a principal diagnosis of GAD were assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID-IV) and randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Mindfulness, CBT, or Information (control condition). Following the intervention, all participants completed daily practice for one week. Assessment consisted of self-report measures of worry and factors associated with GAD symptoms pre-and post-intervention. Overall findings did not support the main hypothesis that the brief interventions (Mindfulness and CBT) would be associated with a significant reduction in worry compared to the control group. However, group differences on factors associated with GAD were found. Individuals in the CBT condition reported a significant reduction in current level of general anxiety symptoms compared to the Mindfulness and Information conditions. Individuals in both CBT and Mindfulness conditions reported a significant reduction in current stress symptoms compared to the Information condition. In addition the CBT condition also demonstrated a trend for reduction in symptoms of depression compared to both Mindfulness and Information conditions. In summary, although a more intensive intervention may be needed to affect chronic worry, the CBT intervention was associated with greater benefit then the mindfulness intervention and may be useful as a brief pre-treatment intervention for individuals on a waitlist for standard treatment.
","abstract_html":"<p>Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is recognized as an evidenced-based psychological treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Despite proven efficacy of CBT (i.e., large effect sizes), not everyone responds. One promising alternative approach is Mindfulness-based therapy, which has been shown to be effective in preliminary research in GAD. The purpose of this study was to directly compare a brief (1 hour) Mindfulness to CBT intervention to determine efficacy in reducing excessive worry and associated anxiety symptoms in a GAD population. Forty-five participants with a principal diagnosis of GAD were assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID-IV) and randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Mindfulness, CBT, or Information (control condition). Following the intervention, all participants completed daily practice for one week. Assessment consisted of self-report measures of worry and factors associated with GAD symptoms pre-and post-intervention. Overall findings did not support the main hypothesis that the brief interventions (Mindfulness and CBT) would be associated with a significant reduction in worry compared to the control group. However, group differences on factors associated with GAD were found. Individuals in the CBT condition reported a significant reduction in current level of general anxiety symptoms compared to the Mindfulness and Information conditions. Individuals in both CBT and Mindfulness conditions reported a significant reduction in current stress symptoms compared to the Information condition. In addition the CBT condition also demonstrated a trend for reduction in symptoms of depression compared to both Mindfulness and Information conditions. In summary, although a more intensive intervention may be needed to affect chronic worry, the CBT intervention was associated with greater benefit then the mindfulness intervention and may be useful as a brief pre-treatment intervention for individuals on a waitlist for standard treatment.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Drvaric, Lauren"],"institution":null,"degree_name":null,"degree_level":null,"degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":"Psychology","school":null,"contributors":[],"advisors":["McCabe, Randi","Key, Brenda"],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2013,"date_issued":"2013-10","date_published":"2013-10","updated_at":"2026-08-21T16:46:30Z","subjects":["Anxiety","Mindfulness","Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","Clinical Psychology"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["opendissertations/8241","9314","4603165"],"render_values":[{"text":"opendissertations/8241","href":null,"code":true},{"text":"9314","href":null,"code":true},{"text":"4603165","href":null,"code":true}]}]},"links":{"outbound_url":"http://hdl.handle.net/11375/13421","outbound_label":"Handle","outbound_source":"dc:identifier.uri"},"source_record":{"url":"https://macsphere.mcmaster.ca/server/oai/request?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=dim&identifier=oai%3Amacsphere.mcmaster.ca%3A11375%2F13421","prefix":"dim"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor.advisor","label":"Advisor","values":["McCabe, Randi","Key, Brenda"]},{"key":"dc:contributor.department","label":"Department","values":["Psychology"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Drvaric, Lauren"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.accessioned","label":"Dc Date Accessioned","values":["2014-06-18T17:03:52Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2014-06-18T17:03:52Z"]},{"key":"dc:date.issued","label":"Date","values":["2013-10"]},{"key":"dc:type","label":"Dc Type","values":["thesis"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Anxiety","Mindfulness","Cognitive Behavioral Therapy","Clinical Psychology"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier.other","label":"Dc Identifier Other","values":["opendissertations/8241","9314","4603165"]},{"key":"dc:identifier.uri","label":"Identifier URI","values":["http://hdl.handle.net/11375/13421"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is recognized as an evidenced-based psychological treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Despite proven efficacy of CBT (i.e., large effect sizes), not everyone responds. One promising alternative approach is Mindfulness-based therapy, which has been shown to be effective in preliminary research in GAD. The purpose of this study was to directly compare a brief (1 hour) Mindfulness to CBT intervention to determine efficacy in reducing excessive worry and associated anxiety symptoms in a GAD population. Forty-five participants with a principal diagnosis of GAD were assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID-IV) and randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Mindfulness, CBT, or Information (control condition). Following the intervention, all participants completed daily practice for one week. Assessment consisted of self-report measures of worry and factors associated with GAD symptoms pre-and post-intervention. Overall findings did not support the main hypothesis that the brief interventions (Mindfulness and CBT) would be associated with a significant reduction in worry compared to the control group. However, group differences on factors associated with GAD were found. Individuals in the CBT condition reported a significant reduction in current level of general anxiety symptoms compared to the Mindfulness and Information conditions. Individuals in both CBT and Mindfulness conditions reported a significant reduction in current stress symptoms compared to the Information condition. In addition the CBT condition also demonstrated a trend for reduction in symptoms of depression compared to both Mindfulness and Information conditions. In summary, although a more intensive intervention may be needed to affect chronic worry, the CBT intervention was associated with greater benefit then the mindfulness intervention and may be useful as a brief pre-treatment intervention for individuals on a waitlist for standard treatment.
"]},{"key":"dc:description.degree","label":"Dc Description Degree","values":["Master of Science (MSc)"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Impact of One Session of Mindfulness vs. Cognitive Restructuring Skills on Worry and Associated Symptoms in Generalized Anxiety Disorder"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor.advisor":["McCabe, Randi","Key, Brenda"],"dc:contributor.department":["Psychology"],"dc:creator":["Drvaric, Lauren"],"dc:date.accessioned":["2014-06-18T17:03:52Z"],"dc:date.available":["2014-06-18T17:03:52Z"],"dc:date.issued":["2013-10"],"dc:description.abstract":["Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is recognized as an evidenced-based psychological treatment for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). Despite proven efficacy of CBT (i.e., large effect sizes), not everyone responds. One promising alternative approach is Mindfulness-based therapy, which has been shown to be effective in preliminary research in GAD. The purpose of this study was to directly compare a brief (1 hour) Mindfulness to CBT intervention to determine efficacy in reducing excessive worry and associated anxiety symptoms in a GAD population. Forty-five participants with a principal diagnosis of GAD were assessed by the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM Disorders (SCID-IV) and randomly assigned to one of three conditions: Mindfulness, CBT, or Information (control condition). Following the intervention, all participants completed daily practice for one week. Assessment consisted of self-report measures of worry and factors associated with GAD symptoms pre-and post-intervention. Overall findings did not support the main hypothesis that the brief interventions (Mindfulness and CBT) would be associated with a significant reduction in worry compared to the control group. However, group differences on factors associated with GAD were found. Individuals in the CBT condition reported a significant reduction in current level of general anxiety symptoms compared to the Mindfulness and Information conditions. Individuals in both CBT and Mindfulness conditions reported a significant reduction in current stress symptoms compared to the Information condition. In addition the CBT condition also demonstrated a trend for reduction in symptoms of depression compared to both Mindfulness and Information conditions. In summary, although a more intensive intervention may be needed to affect chronic worry, the CBT intervention was associated with greater benefit then the mindfulness intervention and may be useful as a brief pre-treatment intervention for individuals on a waitlist for standard treatment.
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