Improving homework compliance in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder.

Overview

Generalized anxiety disorder is a chronic condition characterized by beliefs that worry prepares and protects, but that excessive worry is out of control. In this article, I review the cognitive-behavioral model of generalized anxiety, focusing specifically on problems related to excessive worrying. Noncompliance in self-help homework is reflected in the patient's excessive focus on negative feelings, difficulty identifying automatic thoughts, demand for immediate results, and the belief that worries are realistic. Interventions for these problems are illustrated in the case of the treatment of a patient characterized by persistent worries, low self-confidence, procrastination, and avoidance.