Effectiveness of Neurofeedback Training in Reducing the Signs and Symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Military Staff

Aims: The aim of this research was to determine the effectiveness of neurofeedback training in decreasing the signs and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in military staff.
This research was a randomized controlled clinical trial study. They were initially screened according to the results of the general anxiety inventory, and then 30 participants who met the exclusion-inclusion criteria were selected and randomly assigned to two groups of neurofeedback training and control group (15 in each group). The population of the study was comprised of pretest, posttest by a month follow up design and a control group by GAD scale and meta-cognitive questionnaire. The experimental groups received 12 sessions of neurofeedback training while the control group did not receive any intervention. The data were analyzed by the SPSS Ver. 18, repeated measurement, paired t-test, and the independent t-test.
A significant efficacy was observed in reducing GAD (time after treatment and follow up respectively P=0.001 and P=0.001) and meta-cognitive scale (time after treatment and follow up respectively P=0.001 and P=0.001) and also significant effect size (ES) observed in among neurofeedback training. Also the level of effectiveness in neurofeedback training was significant. The effect size of the recovery for GAD and metacognitive questionnaire was (ES=1.56) and (ES=1.71) respectively.
Neurofeedback training has been considered to be one of the treatments for generalized anxiety disorder in comparison to control group due to its significant efficacy.