Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Positive Psychotherapy (PPT) for the treatment of anxiety disorders in an online group setting: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective The goal of this randomized controlled trial is to evaluate the efficacy of PPT compared to CBT and to test whether PPT is as effective or even more effective than CBT in reducing anxiety symptoms and improving the patients’ quality of life. The interventions last ten weeks and takes place in an online group setting. Methods A total of 110 patients were divided into two intervention groups (PPT: n = 53; CBT: n = 57). The measurements were conducted using online questionnaires to evaluate the anxiety, subjective happiness and quality of life (primary outcomes), and the levels of psychological distress (secondary outcome). These measures were obtained at three time points: the beginning of the study (T0), the end of the study (T1), and the follow-up three months later (T2). Results The results for the main effect group were not significant, with one exception for the Fear Questionnaire (FQ). The time × groups interaction were not significant. The time factor consistently showed medium to high effects sizes. The levels of anxiety, subjective experience of happiness, and psychological distress improved significantly from pre- to post-treatment in both intervention groups, with effects persisting until the three-month follow-up. Conclusion Our study could show that the positive psychology intervention yields the same effects as the standardized CBT for the treatment of anxiety disorders, as there were no significant differences between the two treatment groups in terms of reduction of anxiety symptoms and improvement in satisfaction and quality of life over time.