Sustainability of Treatment Success 5 Years after Exposure-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders

Publikation: Beitrag in Fachzeitschrift › Forschungsartikel › Beigetragen › Begutachtung

Beitragende

  • Andre Pittig - , Georg-August-Universität Göttingen (Autor:in)
  • Ingmar Heinig - , Professur für Klinische Psychologie und Behaviorale Neurowissenschaft (Autor:in)
  • Volker Arolt - , Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (Autor:in)
  • Christina Bartnick - , Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Autor:in)
  • Udo Dannlowski - , Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster (Autor:in)
  • Jürgen Deckert - , Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (Autor:in)
  • Katharina Domschke - , Universitätsklinikum Freiburg, Deutsches Zentrum für Psychische Gesundheit (DZPG) (Autor:in)
  • Thomas Fydrich - , Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Autor:in)
  • Stephan Goerigk - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Hochschule Fresenius gGmbH Idstein (Autor:in)
  • Alfons O. Hamm - , Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald (Autor:in)
  • Maike Hollandt - , Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald (Autor:in)
  • Tilo Kircher - , Philipps-Universität Marburg (Autor:in)
  • Katja Koelkebeck - , Universität Bielefeld (Autor:in)
  • Ulrike Lueken - , Deutsches Zentrum für Psychische Gesundheit (DZPG) , Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (Autor:in)
  • Jürgen Margraf - , Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Autor:in)
  • Peter Neudeck - , Prof. Dr. Peter Neudeck - Praxis am Volksgarten, Technische Universität Chemnitz (Autor:in)
  • Paul Pauli - , Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (Autor:in)
  • Jan Richter - , Hochschule Fresenius gGmbH Idstein, Stiftung Universität Hildesheim (Autor:in)
  • Isabelle Ridderbusch - , Philipps-Universität Marburg, Universität Bielefeld (Autor:in)
  • Winfried Rief - , Philipps-Universität Marburg (Autor:in)
  • Silvia Schneider - , Ruhr-Universität Bochum (Autor:in)
  • Benjamin Straube - , Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-Universität Greifswald (Autor:in)
  • Andreas Ströhle - , Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin (Autor:in)
  • Yunbo Yang - , Stiftung Universität Hildesheim (Autor:in)
  • Hans Ulrich Wittchen - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • Jürgen Hoyer - , Professur für Behaviorale Psychotherapie (Autor:in)

Abstract

Abstract – Introduction: Achieving sustainable success in the treatment of anxiety disorders remains a central objective in mental health care. Although research has demonstrated the short-term efficacy of psychotherapy, evidence regarding long-term sustainability is limited. This study examined treatment outcomes 5 years after prediction-error-based exposure therapy. Methods: For 355 patients (616 eligible; 58% follow-up rate), newly collected follow-up data on anxiety symptoms and psychosocial functioning were compared to pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up data from a multicenter clinical trial characterized by high treatment fidelity. Results: Improvements in anxiety symptoms and psychosocial functioning that were evident at posttreatment and 6-month follow-up were largely preserved after 5 years. No significant differences emerged between randomized groups of temporally intensified and non-intensified exposure. From 6 months to 5 years, overall remission rates remained stable, with the majority of patients exhibiting no reliable change in symptom severity. Reliable relapse occurred in 4.9% and reliable new remission in 6.5%. Most patients (63.4%) did not seek additional treatment. Among those who did, depression (64.2%) and anxiety (60.5%) were the most frequently cited reasons, although only a minority (6.0%) sought further treatment exclusively for anxiety. Additional treatment during the follow-up period was associated with higher symptom severity throughout assessments. Conclusion: These findings highlight the sustainability and long-term public health benefits of exposure-based CBT for anxiety disorders. Most patients do not need additional treatments for mental disorders even 5 years after treatment. Nevertheless, further efforts are needed to optimize interventions for those patients who do not achieve remission or experience relapse.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seitenumfang12
FachzeitschriftPsychotherapy and psychosomatics
PublikationsstatusElektronische Veröffentlichung vor Drucklegung - 24 Nov. 2025
Peer-Review-StatusJa

Externe IDs

PubMed 41284592
ORCID /0000-0002-1697-6732/work/219975251
ORCID /0000-0002-7762-4327/work/219976099

Schlagworte

Ziele für nachhaltige Entwicklung

ASJC Scopus Sachgebiete

Schlagwörter

  • Anxiety disorders, Exposure therapy, Long-term treatment outcome