Anxiety Disorders Clinical Trial
Official title:
Short-term, Intensive Psychodynamic Group Therapy Versus Cognitive-behavioral Group Therapy in the Day Treatment of Anxiety Disorders and Comorbid Depressive or Personality Disorders
Background: Psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral group therapies are frequently applied in
day hospitals in the treatment of anxiety disorders, and comorbid depressive or personality
disorders in Poland. There is not enough evidence for its effectiveness in this environment.
This study addresses this gap. The aim is to determine the effectiveness of the two kinds of
day treatments consisting of intensive, short-term group therapy: psychodynamic and
cognitive-behavioral for patients with anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive or
personality disorders. Our objectives are: 1) Demonstrating effectiveness of each treatment
in a day care setting relative to wait-list control; 2) Demonstrating the relative short-
and long-term effectiveness of the two active treatments; 3) Preliminary examination of
predictors and moderators of treatment response; and 4) Preliminary examination of mediators
of therapeutic change; 5) Detailed comparison of impact of both methods of treatment on the
outcome of used measures.
Methods/design: In this randomized controlled trial, a total of 123 patients with anxiety
disorders and comorbid depressive or personality disorders will be assigned to one of three
conditions: 1) psychodynamic group therapy; 2) cognitive-behavioral group therapy; 3)
waiting list (control group). Therapy will last 12 weeks. Both treatments will be manualized
(manuals will address comorbidity). Primary outcome measures are include self-report
symptoms of anxiety, observer rated symptoms of anxiety, global improvement and dichotomized
diagnosis of anxiety disorder. Secondary outcome measures include personality, depression,
self-esteem, defense mechanisms, beliefs about self and others, interpersonal problems,
object relations, parental bonding, meta-cognition, mindfulness and quality of life:
symptoms of anxiety, depression, personality, self-esteem and defense mechanisms. Measures
are taken at baseline, post-treatment and 3 months following the end of the therapy.
Discussion: The randomized controlled trial format is used to compare effectiveness of
intensive group cognitive-behavior therapy and intensive group psychodynamic therapy for
anxiety disorders and comorbid depressive or personality disorders. The rationale is to
investigate how effectively anxiety disorders and comorbid personality disorders can be
treated in a day hospital typical for Polish healthcare system in 3 months treatment.
Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental disorders, with lifetime prevalence of
30% in US (Kessler et al., 2005) and only 9,9% in Poland (Moskalewicz, Wciórka, Kiejna,
Wojtyniak, 2012), the study of the similar methodology, like in the U.S. Many studies
suggest their strong comorbidity with personality disorders in some countries. Recent
meta-analysis of 125 studies conducted by Friborg, Martinussen, Kaiser, Overgård and
Rosenvinge (2013) has shown that a risk of comorbid anxiety disorders and personality
disorders varies from 35% to 52%. Alongside anxiety disorders, the most frequently
co-occurring are cluster C personality disorders. Epidemiologic studies also show high
comorbidity rates for anxiety and depressive disorders, ranging from 40%-80% (Jacobi et al.,
2004; Lamers et al., 2011). The data on relationships between comorbid mental disorders and
treatment outcome is inconsistent. Reviews by Reich and Green (1991) and Reich and Vasile
(1993) including 38 studies have shown that comorbid anxiety disorders and personality
disorders are negatively related to treatment outcome. However, Dressen and Arntz (1997)
after analyzing 15 studies do not share these conclusions.
Day treatment care is directed precisely to the patients who need treatment of a greater
intensity and cannot be treated in outpatient care. Group psychotherapy (often used together
with pharmacotherapy) is employed in day care since the 1940s (cf. Cameron 1947; Goldman,
1989). This form of therapy is chosen on economic basis. The treatment usually takes place a
few days a week and lasts for several months. Different types of psychotherapy or different
treatment methods (e.g. therapeutic community, psychodrama, art therapy, psycho-drawing,
movie therapy, social skills training) are often applied together. In Poland, group
psychotherapy is widely used in day care. Nowadays 300 such wards exist in Poland.
Psychotherapy for anxiety disorders and personality disorders lasting for few months (most
often three months) is provided for approximately 8000 patients a year (IPIN, 2009).
The effectiveness of day care is investigated to a very small degree, compared to its
frequent usage (cf. Marshall et al 2001). However, difficulties in identifying the basic
effective components of the treatment and a large diversity of treatment programs make it
difficult to generalize the results.
Among a scarce number of published studies, only four were randomized controlled trials
(RCT). Three of these studies compared psychotherapy in day care units to outpatient
psychotherapy (Tyler et al., 1987; Dick et al., 1991; Arnevik et al., 2009) and one study
used a waiting list control group (Piper, Rosie, Azim, & Joyce, 1993). Tyler et al. (1987)
found no significant differences between day care and outpatient care for anxiety disorders.
Dick et al. (1991) found a significant difference in the improvement of personality disorder
pathology, in favor of day care. In the first study psychotherapy modality was not
mentioned, in the second an eclectic psychotherapy was applied. In another study Arnevik et
al. (2009), day care (18 week group psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy)
was compared to individual psychotherapy in patients with personality disorders and no
significant differences in improvement were observed between the two groups. Piper et al.
(1993) found that day care patients suffering from affective disorders and personality
disorders experienced a significant improvement that continued in follow-up after 8 months
(18 week group psychodynamic psychotherapy), compared to patients in a waiting list control
group. Authors of a Cochrane review of day care versus outpatient care notice that because
of a small number of existing studies: "there is only limited evidence to justify the
provision of day treatment programs and transitional day hospital care, and no evidence to
support the provision of day care centers" (Marshall et al. 2001). Existing data is
therefore not sufficient to justify the use of group psychotherapy in day care, and more
high quality research is needed. The question of which treatment of the two most widely
used, psychodynamic or CBT, is more effective also awaits an answer. These questions are
relevant in light of the large expenditures incurred by the national health funds financing
the treatment. They are also important for the health care in Poland, where this type of
treatment is very common.
Objectives
The main objective of the planned research is to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of
intensive, short-term, psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral group psychotherapy for an
anxiety disorders with comorbid depressive or personality disorders in day care conditions.
More specific objectives are: 1) Demonstrating effectiveness of each treatment in a day care
setting relative to wait-list control; 2) Demonstrating the relative short- and long-term
effectiveness of the two active treatments; 3) Preliminary examination of predictors and
moderators of treatment response; and 4) Preliminary examination of mediators of therapeutic
change; 5) Detailed comparison of impact of both methods of treatment on the outcome of used
measures.
Study design
This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) in which participants will be allocated to
one of the three conditions: 1) psychodynamic group therapy; 2) cognitive-behavioral group
therapy; 3) or a waiting-list control group (WL). Participants allocated to the waiting list
condition start their treatment after 12-week waiting period. The total duration of the
study will be three years. Figure 1 shows the trial design. The study protocol, information
brochure and informed consent were approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Warsaw
Medical University.
Study center
The protocol and the design is part of the research grant given to the II Department of
Psychiatry Medical University of Warsaw. The study will be carried out at the day unit Wola
Center of Mental Health at Hospital of Wola in Warsaw that is used as clinical setting of
the II Department of Psychiatry Medical University of Warsaw.
Participants (recruitment, inclusion and exclusion criteria, randomization)
Participants with anxiety disorders and comorbid personality disorders will be recruited in
outpatient clinic. Subjects who meet all the inclusion criteria will be randomized to two
modalities of treatments and the waiting list. Inclusion and exclusion criteria are listed
in Table 1. The number of excluded patients and reasons for exclusion will be recorded. The
diagnostic criteria are based on the DSM-V system. Independent researchers not involved in
the treatment will make diagnosis of personality with with the Structured Clinical Interview
for DSM-IV Axis II Disorders (SCID-II; First, Gibbon, Spitzer, Williams, Benjamin, 1997,
2010) and of clinical disorders with International Neuropsychiatric Interview 5 (M.I.N.I.;
Sheehan et al., 1998; Masiak & Przychoda, 1998). Diagnosis and qualification to treatment
modality is carried out during ambulatory sessions. Up to 6 individual sessions will be
required for the recruitment procedure including 3 sessions with a certified clinical
psychologist, 2 sessions with a psychiatrist, and one for outcome measures. Pharmacological
consultation take place before randomization. Waiting time before admission is planned to be
between 4 and 8 weeks. Participants will be randomized using random numbers tables. Baseline
measurement will occur a day before the beginning of therapy. A recruitment flow chart is
presented in Figure 1. Patients are planned to be enrolled in the study over a period of
three years. Before participating in the study, each patient will be provided with written
information about the study and invited to give written consent for inclusion. Participants
who will not meet the inclusion criteria will be offered suitable alternative treatment
options. The focus of the treatment is on psychotherapy, but a medication is continued or
initiated if necessary during the screening procedure at least 4 weeks before the beginning
of a group psychotherapy (stable medical treatments with SSRI or SNRI without dose changes
during psychotherapy). Due to high comorbidity of anxiety and depressive disorders,
depressive disorders patients with mild depression disorders were not excluded, however
patients with main depressive pathology were not included.
Assessments
Patients are subjected to 4 assessments: 1) at screening; 2) baseline after randomization;
3) in the end of the 12 weeks treatment; 4) six months after the end of the therapy, in
order to evaluate longer-term effects of the treatments. Information from the screening is
used to perform stratified randomization and to validate inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Patients are assessed by independent and trained clinicians, who are blind to treatment
conditions and who will not be involved in the direct clinical care of any of them. Primary
outcome measures and secondary outcome measures can be distinguished in this study. Primary
outcome measures include self-report symptoms of anxiety, observer rated symptoms of
anxiety, global improvement and dichotomized diagnosis of anxiety disorder. Secondary
outcome measures include personality, depression, self-esteem, defense mechanisms, beliefs
about self and others, interpersonal problems, object relations, parental bonding,
meta-cognition, mindfulness and quality of life. The following socio-demographic data will
be collected: sex, age, marital status, education, past treatments, symptom history,
medication. We also examine patients' expectancy for change and treatment. Some of the
variables (e.g. presence or absence of a personality disorder) will be treated in
exploratory analyses as predictors and moderators of treatment response.
;
Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment
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