Applied Relaxation versus Cognitive Behavioral Therapy in Patients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Review

Abstract Objective: In this study, we intended to compare the efficacy of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) with applied relaxation (AR) in treating patients with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). Methods: We gathered the data of published articles of randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews, and meta-analyses on the topic of efficacy comparison between CBT and AR. Results: Of 5 studies, 3 experimental and 2 meta-analyses, two studies were found to have equivalent short-term outcomes between CBT and AR. But one of these studies showed that at 12-month follow-up, more study participants achieved significant improvements in CBT comparing to AR (57.9% vs. 37.5%, p < 0.01.). Another study was also found equivalent post-treatment effects, but with slightly greater continued improvement in CBT than AR during follow-up. A recent meta-analyses study showed that compared to that of AR, the efficacy of CBT was significantly better in the GAD group ( p < 0.05). Conclusion: Both CBT and AR are effective treatments in treating GAD. But the superiority of both is still unclear.