A Comparison between Effectiveness of Pharmacotherapy and Pharmacotherapy-Oriented- Psychotherapy in Patients with Anxiety Disorders

A substantial amount of research has been conducted on the efficacy and effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and pharmacotherapy for anxiety disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, illness anxiety disorder, agoraphobia and specific phobia. The current article’s goal is to offer a comparison between the effectiveness of two methods for treating anxiety disorders (pharmacotherapy and cognitive-behavioral therapy), as well as to describe and discuss current empirical studies on their effectiveness when applied together. In addition, we describe the challenges that emerge when using active CBT therapies and make recommendations for future study. Overall, pharmacotherapy when prescribed along with CBT appears to be useful and helpful in the treatment of anxiety disorders, but more research is needed to understand which individual therapy components contribute to positive outcomes and which patients are most likely to benefit from these treatment components.