Randomized Controlled Trial of False Safety Behavior Elimination Therapy: A Unified Cognitive Behavioral Treatment for Anxiety Psychopathology

We tested the efficacy of a unified cognitive-behavioral therapy protocol for anxiety disorders. This group treatment protocol, termed false safety behavior elimination therapy (F-SET), is a cognitive-behavioral approach designed for use across various anxiety disorders such as panic disorder (PD), social anxiety disorder (SAD), and generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). F-SET simplifies, as well as broadens, key therapeutic elements of empirically validated treatments for anxiety disorders to allow for easier delivery to heterogeneous groups of patients with anxiety psychopathology. Patients with a primary anxiety disorder diagnosis (N = 96) were randomly assigned to F-SET or a wait-list control. Data indicate that F-SET shows good efficacy and durability when delivered to mixed groups of patients with anxieties (i.e., PD, SAD, GAD) by relatively inexperienced clinicians. Findings are discussed in the context of balancing treatment efficacy and clinical utility.

► A novel group-administered and unified treatment protocol for anxiety psychopathology was evaluated.
► Treatment focused on the elimination of safety aids maintaining anxiety.
► Treatment was effective for patients with panic disorder, social anxiety and GAD.
► Clinical improvement was evident at posttreatment and gains were maintained during follow-up.