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Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in a Psychology Clinic

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 October 2015

Francisco J. Labrador
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
Francisco J. Estupiñá*
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
Mónica Bernaldo-de-Quirós
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
Ignacio Fernández-Arias
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
Pablo Alonso
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
Francisco Ballesteros
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
Carmen Blanco
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
Laura Gómez
Affiliation:
Universidad Complutense (Spain)
*
*Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Francisco J. Estupiñá. Facultad de Psicología. Campus de Somosaguas. Universidad Complutense de Madrid. CP 28223. Pozuelo de Alarcón. Madrid. (Spain). Phone: +34–913942832. E-mail: fjepuig@ucm.es

Abstract

People with anxiety disorders demand psychological attention most often. Therefore, it seems important to identify both the characteristics of the patients who demand help and the clinical variables related to that demand and its treatment. A cohort of 292 patients who requested help at a university clinical facility was studied. The typical profile of the patient was: being female, young, unmarried, with some college education, and having previously received treatment, especially pharmacological one. The three most frequent diagnoses of anxiety, which include 50% of the cases, were: Anxiety Disorder not otherwise specified, Social Phobia, and Panic Disorder with Agoraphobia. Regarding the characteristics of the intervention, the average duration of the assessment was 3.5 sessions (SD = 1.2), and the duration of the treatment was 14 sessions (SD = 11.2). The percentage of discharges was 70.2%. The average cost of treatment was around €840. The results are discussed, underlining the value of empirically supported treatments for anxiety disorders.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Universidad Complutense de Madrid and Colegio Oficial de Psicólogos de Madrid 2015 

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