Revista de Psicología (Sep 2019)
Cognitive-behavioral models of Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Abstract
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is frequently chronic, considerable prevalence, high comorbidity, significant costs for the patients, its family, the health system, and poor response to existing treatments. Given the importance of the clinical problem, it is considered necessary to bring clinicians and researchers to the current perspectives on it. With that aim, the main characteristics of the following cognitive behavioral models are presented for their understanding and therapeutic approach: worry as avoidance model, emotion dysregulation model, acceptance-based behavioral therapy, intolerance of uncertainty’s model, metacognitive model, contrast avoidance model and the cognitive model. Their similarities and differences are briefly compared and discussed, and the need for collaborative development of psychopathological models of understanding as well as clinical strategies and tools to alleviate the suffering of affected people is concluded.