(April 7, 2009 - Insidermedicine) Cognitive behavior therapy can help reduce worry and feelings of depression in older adults with generalized anxiety disorder, according to research published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Here is some information about generalized anxiety disorder:

•    Symptoms include anxiety or exaggerated worry, even when there is little or nothing to worry about.

•    Older adults who suffer from anxiety are at increased risk for physical disability, memory problems, depression, and death.

•    While several medications are available to treat anxiety, older people generally have more difficulty tolerating them.

Researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston randomly assigned over 100 older adults with GAD to three months of cognitive behavior therapy or enhanced usual care, which consisted of biweekly phone calls from a therapist.

The investigators found that those who received cognitive behavior therapy showed improvements in worry and depression. Overall, 40% of those who received cognitive behavior therapy were classified as responders to treatment, compared with only 22% in the other group.

We had a chance to speak with Dr. Melinda Stanley, the principal investigator of this study, who offered some further insight.

Today's research suggests that cognitive behavior therapy may provide an alternative in a group of patients who often have difficulty taking anti-anxiety medication. 

For Insidermedicine in Depth, I'm Dr. Susan Sharma.