Transdiagnostic CBT for anxiety disorder: Efficacy, acceptability, and beyond

Abstract

Interest in transdiagnostic approaches to the cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) ofemotional disorders has been increasing over the past decade. The purpose of this paper was toreview the rationale behind transdiagnostic treatment models, describe one such group-based treatmentprotocol in detail, and report on the building evidence base to date. The evidence suggests thattransdiagnostic CBT for anxiety is associated with symptom improvement, performs better thanwaitlist controls, is associated with improvements in comorbid disorders, and performs equivalentlyto established diagnosis-specific treatments. Transdiagnostic protocols are also associatedwith good client satisfaction, high levels of therapeutic alliance and group cohesion, and positivetreatment perceptions during and following treatment. Limitations and directions for future researchare discussed.