Low Intensity GAD Intervention: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Developing a low intensity CBT intervention for GAD in IAPT: A Feasibility and Acceptability Study
IRAS ID
121623
Contact name
Stephen Pilling
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
UCLH/UCL/Royal Free Joint Research Office, UCL
Research summary
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is one of the most common anxiety disorders in primary care. People with GAD have a diminished quality of life; impaired functioning and symptoms are unlikely to remit without treatment.
Current Low Intensity (LI) interventions for GAD such as those used within the NHS Increasing Access to Psychological Therapies program (IAPT) are based on generic approaches to anxiety and current research evidence is of poor quality and there is a need to improve the evidence-base.
The main aim of the feasibility study is to determine whether it is feasibly to deliver a specific LI GAD intervention, which is informed by existing GAD cognitive behavioural theory (CBT) models in routine IAPT practice. The study also seeks to determine if such an intervention is effective in reducing the symptoms of GAD and if a LI treatment for GAD is regarded as an acceptable treatment by service users.
Service-users whose main problem is excessive and uncontrollable worry are referred to IAPT they will be invited to participate in the study, and if they agree, the intervention will be offered by a Psychological Wellbeing Practitioner (PWP). The study will also monitor patient flow, attrition (how many patients drop out the study) and treatment dropout. It will explore the feasibility of delivering a LI GAD intervention within IAPT services.
We will measure participants reported levels or worry, depression, anxiety and functioning at three time points pre-treatment, mid-point treatment and post-treatment to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. At the end of treatment participants will complete a client satisfaction questionnaire. The measures used form part of the routine outcome data collected by IAPT workers at every session and have been extensively validated. This will allow us to find out whether the intervention reduces symptoms and is acceptable to service-users.
REC name
London - Brent Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
13/LO/1206
Date of REC Opinion
28 Aug 2013
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion