The effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity in patients with generalized anxiety disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder, is one of the destructive chronic anxiety disorders and is common in childhood and adolescence and has generated many problems in the field of health. The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy on intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity. Therefore, in a quasi-experimental research with pretest, posttest, and control group, 30 students diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder were selected from Robat Karim city’s high schools and randomly assigned to experimental (n=15) and control (n=15) groups. The experimental group received 9 sessions of group cognitive-behavioral therapy and the control group received no intervention. Subjects in both groups were evaluated for generalized anxiety, anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty before and after the intervention. The results of analysis of covariance showed that cognitive-behavioral interventions have significantly reduced the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder, anxiety sensitivity and intolerance of uncertainty. It seems that cognitive-behavioral therapy, through decreasing the level of intolerance of uncertainty and anxiety sensitivity, is an appropriate method in treatment of generalized anxiety.