Amy T Y Chan, Amanda C M Li, Alan C Y Tong, Daniel Freeman, Yi Mien Koh, Winnie W S Mak
{"title":"An Automated Virtual Reality Cognitive-Behavioural Preventive Intervention for Adults with Agoraphobic Symptoms: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Adapted gameChange in Hong Kong.","authors":"Amy T Y Chan, Amanda C M Li, Alan C Y Tong, Daniel Freeman, Yi Mien Koh, Winnie W S Mak","doi":"10.1159/000549113","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000549113","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><p>Introduction: Agoraphobic avoidance, fear of situations that seem hard to escape, is common across mental disorders and often remains untreated due to stigma and limited service access. Automated virtual reality (VR) exposure therapy offers a scalable alternative by enabling safe, guided simulations of feared situations. This randomized controlled trial evaluated the efficacy of a culturally adapted version of gameChange VR for reducing agoraphobic avoidance among adults in Hong Kong without psychiatric diagnoses.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>272 participants were randomly assigned to either a three-session VR intervention (n = 146) or a waitlist control condition (n = 126). Assessments were conducted at baseline, 3-week, and 1-month follow-ups. Compared to the control condition, participants in the VR intervention condition showed significant reductions in the primary outcome of agoraphobic avoidance (Cohen's d = 0.89), and all the secondary outcomes of agoraphobic distress (d = 1.0), social anxiety (d = 0.91), fear of negative evaluation (d = 0.68), generalized anxiety (d = 0.50), depressive symptoms (d = 0.67), and functional impairment (d = 0.85) at 3 weeks.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Significant group differences for all outcomes remained at the 1-month follow-up. Higher baseline levels of agoraphobic symptoms were associated with larger improvements in agoraphobic avoidance.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings suggest that the automated VR intervention is effective in reducing agoraphobic symptoms in non-clinical populations and appears to be a scalable treatment in Asia where stigma is strong. Future studies could include longer follow-ups and address pandemic-related confounds on avoidance behaviours. </p>.</p>","PeriodicalId":20744,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics","volume":" ","pages":"255-267"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12707874/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145655571","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qinyao Yu, Fanyu Xue, Sofia Laila Wik, Mingjun Gao, Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi, Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno Iii, Claire Chenwen Zhong, Martin C S Wong, Junjie Huang
{"title":"Mapping Disease Burden of Major Depressive Disorder and Its Risk Factors in Low- and Middle-Income Countries.","authors":"Qinyao Yu, Fanyu Xue, Sofia Laila Wik, Mingjun Gao, Yusuff Adebayo Adebisi, Don Eliseo Lucero-Prisno Iii, Claire Chenwen Zhong, Martin C S Wong, Junjie Huang","doi":"10.1159/000547927","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000547927","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><p>Introduction: Major depressive disorder (MDD) is currently the second leading cause of life expectancy due to disability globally. This study aimed to examine the disease burden, risk factors, and temporal trends of MDD in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) from 1990 to 2021.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) data for 135 LMICs were obtained from the 2021 Global Burden of Disease (GBD) database. To assess trends in the burden of MDD over the past 3 decades, segmented regression analysis was applied to calculate the estimated annual percentage change. Spearman correlation analysis was conducted to examine the association between gross national income (GNI) and gender disparities in age-standardized DALY rates (ASDR) for MDD. We also explored how key risk factors - intimate partner violence, bullying victimization, and childhood sexual abuse - contributed to observed disparities.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In 2021, LMICs accounted for 80.19% of the global burden of MDD. Age and gender disparities were significant, with DALY rates increasing markedly from adolescence and peaking around age 75. Gender disparities showed a higher burden among females, particularly in countries with higher GNI per capita. Analysis of risk factors revealed that intimate partner violence, bullying victimization, and childhood sexual assault were major contributors to the MDD burden, with notable variations across income levels and age groups. Temporal trends showed a marked increase in MDD burden across all income groups after 2019.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>MDD continues to impose a significant health burden in LMICs, disproportionately affecting females, youth, and elderly populations. The significant increase in MDD burden across all income groups after 2019 likely reflects the intensifying effects of global disruptions, with the COVID-19 pandemic being a key contributing factor. Populations with the highest burden also showed greater exposure to key risk factors. </p>.</p>","PeriodicalId":20744,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics","volume":" ","pages":"153-163"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12503812/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144966336","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Abstracts ICPM World Congress 2026.","authors":"","doi":"10.1159/pps/aemag003","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/pps/aemag003","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20744,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics","volume":"95 Suppl. 1","pages":"1-162"},"PeriodicalIF":9.0,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149064174","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sabine C Herpertz,Corinne Neukel,Katharina Williams,Anna Georg,Judith von Schönfeld,Nikola Schoofs,Catherine Hindi Attar,Dorota Buczylowska,Katja Boedeker,Theresa Dankowski,Michael Kalab,Marc Wenigmann,Jaqueline Scharf,Tabea von der Lühe,Michael Kaess,Steffen Luntz,Astrid Dempfle,Felix Bermpohl,Svenja Taubner
{"title":"Breaking the Intergenerational Cycle of Abuse - a Randomized Controlled Prevention Trial in Parents with Serious Mental Illness.","authors":"Sabine C Herpertz,Corinne Neukel,Katharina Williams,Anna Georg,Judith von Schönfeld,Nikola Schoofs,Catherine Hindi Attar,Dorota Buczylowska,Katja Boedeker,Theresa Dankowski,Michael Kalab,Marc Wenigmann,Jaqueline Scharf,Tabea von der Lühe,Michael Kaess,Steffen Luntz,Astrid Dempfle,Felix Bermpohl,Svenja Taubner","doi":"10.1159/000549647","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000549647","url":null,"abstract":"INTRODUCTIONAlthough children of parents with mental illness (MI) are at increased risk of adverse childhood experiences and parental maltreatment, prevention trials targeting parents with MI are scarce. In addition, meta-analyses highlight significant methodological shortcomings in the current research.TRIAL DESIGNTo investigate real-world efficacy of a 12-hours mentalization-based parenting counselling program (MB-PC) compared to a psychoeducation workshop (SCC+) as supplements to standard clinical care (SCC).METHODSThis large-scale, cluster-randomized, open-label (partially observer-blind), active-controlled bicentre superiority trial was conducted at German psychiatric hospitals. It included 252 patients undergoing psychiatric treatment for various serious MIs. MB-PC subsumed five individual sessions including video feedback, five group sessions that guided parents to better understand and respond to their child's mental states, and two sessions of social counselling, all provided by an interprofessional hospital team of non-psychothera¬pists.RESULTSPatients in the MB-PC arm reported improved parenting practices - measured by the Alabama Parenting Questionnaire (APQ) total score as primary outcome - at post-intervention compared to those from the SSC+ arm (effect size (ES) = 0.43, 95% CI (0.13, 0.73), p=0.004), but group difference decreased at 3-months follow-up (ES = 0.25, 95% CI (-0.04, 0.53), p=0.085). All secondary outcomes were in favour of the MB-PC intervention, such as parental stress, child abuse potential, and child emotional well-being.CONCLUSIONImplementing a mentalisation-based parenting programme in routine psychiatric hospital care may represent an important step forward in reducing the risk of child maltreatment and neglect among offspring of parents affected by severe mental disorders.","PeriodicalId":20744,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics","volume":"155 1","pages":"1-20"},"PeriodicalIF":22.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145777419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Craig J Bryan,James Lynch,AnnaBelle O Bryan,Sean Mulvaney,Noah Treangen,Kirsi Concelmo,Emily Rooney,Justin C Baker,Lauren Khazem,Ennio Ammendola,Christina Rose Bauder,Samantha E Daruwala,Jacek Kolacz,Ashley Arens,Darrin M Aase,Jose Moreno,Nagy A Youssef,Jaryd Hiser
{"title":"Effectiveness of combined cognitive processing therapy with stellate ganglion block: an open-label randomized wait-list clinical trial.","authors":"Craig J Bryan,James Lynch,AnnaBelle O Bryan,Sean Mulvaney,Noah Treangen,Kirsi Concelmo,Emily Rooney,Justin C Baker,Lauren Khazem,Ennio Ammendola,Christina Rose Bauder,Samantha E Daruwala,Jacek Kolacz,Ashley Arens,Darrin M Aase,Jose Moreno,Nagy A Youssef,Jaryd Hiser","doi":"10.1159/000550014","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000550014","url":null,"abstract":"INTRODUCTIONPosttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is common among military personnel and veterans and is associated with numerous psychological problems and negative outcomes. First-line cognitive-behavioral treatments like cognitive processing therapy (CPT) are effective in treating PTSD, especially when delivered in a massed (i.e., daily) format. However, many patients, especially military personnel and veterans, continue to struggle with PTSD symptoms after CPT, which warrants further research to augment CPT's effects. Stellate ganglion block (SGB), which is a long-acting anesthetic injection that is proposed to \"reset\" sympathetic arousal and physical reactivity, is a promising adjunctive intervention, with previous research demonstrating reduced PTSD symptoms. The effectiveness of CPT combined with SGB remains understudied.METHODSIn this open-label randomized wait-list trial, 86 military personnel and veterans were assigned to receive SGB before or after massed CPT. PTSD symptoms were assessed using the PTSD Checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5).RESULTSRelative to baseline, PCL-5 scores decreased in both groups (SGB-before-CPT: F(12,724)=23.4, p<.001; SGB-after-CPT: F(12,724)=21.1, p<.001), but reductions in PTSD symptoms were faster in SGB-before-CPT. Among the SGB-after-CPT participants who had not yet reached good end-state functioning by week 8, PCL-5 scores significantly decreased after they received the SGB procedure in week 12.CONCLUSIONResults support SGB increasing CPT's effectiveness when received prior to CPT. Additionally, military personnel and veterans who do not benefit from an initial course of massed CPT have significant reductions in PTSD symptoms when SGB was performed after CPT. SGB before CPT appears especially useful for patients looking for faster treatment response.","PeriodicalId":20744,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics","volume":"66 1","pages":"1-21"},"PeriodicalIF":22.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145760085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Effectiveness of psychotherapeutic consultation at work compared to care as usual for employees with common mental disorders or subthreshold symptoms: A randomized controlled multicenter trial in Germany.","authors":"Eva Rothermund-Nassir,Nicole Rosalinde Hander,Kristin Herrmann,Manuel Feißt,Alexandra Balzer,Yesim Erim,Regina Herold,Sinja Hondong,Christoph Kröger,Marieke Hansmann,Uta Wegewitz,Ute Beate Schröder,Tamara Waldmann,Nadine Mulfinger,Volker Köllner,Lorena Brenner,Fiona Kohl,Meike Heming,Harald Gündel,Jeannette Weber,Peter Angerer","doi":"10.1159/000549531","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000549531","url":null,"abstract":"Introduction Common mental disorders (CMD) are often work-related, impact work ability and are undertreated. This trial investigates whether psychotherapeutic consultation at work (PT-A) is more effective than care as usual (CAU) in reducing days of sickness absence (DOSA) among affected employees. Methods A randomized controlled trial (RCT) in five German study centers included employees with CMD or global assessment of functioning (GAF) <81, working ≥15 hours/week, recruited via companies and media. After baseline, participants were randomized 1:1 to intervention (IG: up to 16 individual psychotherapy sessions over nine months) or control (CG: diagnostic session + follow-up call) group. The primary outcome was self-reported DOSA in the last six months at 15 months post-baseline (T2). Analyses used intention-to-treat. Results From 09/2021 to 01/2023, 550 participants, 246 male, 301 female, and 1 diverse, were randomized to IG (n=279) and CG (n=270). 403 participants (74%) were first-time users of mental health care. DOSA at T2 were 21 days (SD=39) in the IG (n=206) versus 22 days (SD=39) in the CG (n=161), no significant treatment effect was observed ([0.65; 1.32], p=0.679). Conclusion PT-A did not significantly reduce DOSA compared to CAU. However, secondary outcomes showed considerable improvement of clinical symptoms such as depression and anxiety and return-to-work self-efficacy. Therefore, longer observation periods may be needed to assess the effects on DOSA. Moreover, compared to clinical experiences, the high number of men and first-time users indicate an improved accessibility for underserved groups of employees.","PeriodicalId":20744,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics","volume":"38 1","pages":"1-26"},"PeriodicalIF":22.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145728382","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lea M Schaubruch,Christian G Schäfer,Clara F Burmeister,Klaus Lieb,Sarah K Schäfer
{"title":"The World Health Organization's Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions: A systematic review on current evidence regarding effectiveness and implementation.","authors":"Lea M Schaubruch,Christian G Schäfer,Clara F Burmeister,Klaus Lieb,Sarah K Schäfer","doi":"10.1159/000549240","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000549240","url":null,"abstract":"INTRODUCTIONAdolescents in many low- and middle-income countries are frequently exposed to adversities such as armed conflicts and economic hardship. These stressors occur during a critical developmental period marked by profound physical, social, and psychological changes, increasing vulnerability to mental disorders. To address this mental health care need, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF developed Early Adolescent Skills for Emotions (EASE), a 10-session group intervention for adolescents and their caregivers. This systematic review summarizes current evidence regarding the effectiveness and implementation of EASE.METHODSWe searched five electronic databases up to July 26, 2025, for trials evaluating the effects of EASE on adolescents' mental distress and caregivers' parenting behaviors. Random-effects multilevel meta-analyses were conducted using standardized mean differences (SMDs) at post-intervention and 3-month follow-up, complemented by a qualitative synthesis of implementation outcomes. Preregistration-ID: CRD42023488490.RESULTSNo evidence was found for superiority of EASE over a 1-session psychoeducation control on overall mental distress or caregiver outcomes. However, for the primary outcome internalizing symptoms, there was strong evidence of a very small to small favorable effect at post-intervention, SMD=-0.17, 95% CI [-0.31, -0.04], which was maintained at follow-up. Implementation studies indicated that EASE is acceptable, feasible, and delivered with good fidelity; yet low caregiver engagement and contextual challenges hindered implementation.CONCLUSIONObserved effects were smaller than those reported for a comparable WHO intervention for adults, highlighting substantial scope for optimization. Additional high-quality trials are warranted to improve the effectiveness of EASE and maximize its potential public health impact.","PeriodicalId":20744,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics","volume":"126 1","pages":"1-31"},"PeriodicalIF":22.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145613198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Trait-like and State-like Oxytocin: A Biomarker of Alliance in Patients with Depression and Borderline Personality Disorder.","authors":"Galit Peysachov,Amit Tchizick,Jaime Delgadillo,Simone Shamay-Tsoory,Sigal Zilcha-Mano","doi":"10.1159/000549729","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000549729","url":null,"abstract":"INTRODUCTIONPatients with Major depressive disorder (MDD) and Borderline personality disorder (BPD) show a poorer prognosis compared to patients without BPD. A potential contributor is the complexity of establishing a therapeutic alliance with patients with BPD. A potential underlying biological mechanism is Oxytocin (OT), a hormone associated with social bonding and trust. The aim of this study was to assess whether the interaction between OT pre-session (session-level trait-like) and change in OT throughout session (state-like) in both patients and therapists predicts the therapeutic alliance in patients with MDD and varying severity of BPD. We hypothesized that patients with higher BPD severity would show a compensatory pattern, where increase in state-like OT would compensate for low session-level trait-like OT, resulting in a stronger alliance. We also explored this interplay in the therapists' OT.METHODEighty-four patients from a randomized control trial were assessed for BPD severity prior to beginning 16 sessions of short-term psychotherapy. Both patients and therapists provided saliva samples pre- and post- sessions 4, 8, 12 and 16 for OT analysis. Alliance was measured post-session. A series of linear mixed-effects models was used to test the hypothesis.RESULTSOur hypothesis was partially confirmed. In patients with higher BPD severity, when therapists had low session-level trait-like OT, the more they increased in state-like OT, patients rated their alliance as stronger. However, this compensatory pattern did not emerge in patients.CONCLUSIONThese findings demonstrate the potential importance of OT as a biomarker of therapeutic processes in patients with MDD and BPD.","PeriodicalId":20744,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics","volume":"17 1","pages":"1-17"},"PeriodicalIF":22.8,"publicationDate":"2025-11-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145599826","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Andre Pittig, Ingmar Heinig, Volker Arolt, Christina Bartnick, Udo Dannlowski, Jürgen Deckert, Katharina Domschke, Thomas Fydrich, Stephan Goerigk, Alfons O Hamm, Maike Hollandt, Tilo Kircher, Katja Koelkebeck, Ulrike Lueken, Jürgen Margraf, Peter Neudeck, Paul Pauli, Jan Richter, Isabelle Ridderbusch, Winfried Rief, Silvia Schneider, Benjamin Straube, Andreas Ströhle, Yunbo Yang, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, Jürgen Hoyer
{"title":"Sustainability of Treatment Success 5 Years after Exposure-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders.","authors":"Andre Pittig, Ingmar Heinig, Volker Arolt, Christina Bartnick, Udo Dannlowski, Jürgen Deckert, Katharina Domschke, Thomas Fydrich, Stephan Goerigk, Alfons O Hamm, Maike Hollandt, Tilo Kircher, Katja Koelkebeck, Ulrike Lueken, Jürgen Margraf, Peter Neudeck, Paul Pauli, Jan Richter, Isabelle Ridderbusch, Winfried Rief, Silvia Schneider, Benjamin Straube, Andreas Ströhle, Yunbo Yang, Hans-Ulrich Wittchen, Jürgen Hoyer","doi":"10.1159/000549073","DOIUrl":"10.1159/000549073","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Achieving sustainable success in the treatment of anxiety disorders remains a central objective in mental health care. Although research has demonstrated the short-term efficacy of psychotherapy, evidence regarding long-term sustainability is limited. This study examined treatment outcomes 5 years after prediction-error-based exposure therapy.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>For 355 patients (616 eligible; 58% follow-up rate), newly collected follow-up data on anxiety symptoms and psychosocial functioning were compared to pretreatment, posttreatment, and 6-month follow-up data from a multicenter clinical trial characterized by high treatment fidelity.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Improvements in anxiety symptoms and psychosocial functioning that were evident at posttreatment and 6-month follow-up were largely preserved after 5 years. No significant differences emerged between randomized groups of temporally intensified and non-intensified exposure. From 6 months to 5 years, overall remission rates remained stable, with the majority of patients exhibiting no reliable change in symptom severity. Reliable relapse occurred in 4.9% and reliable new remission in 6.5%. Most patients (63.4%) did not seek additional treatment. Among those who did, depression (64.2%) and anxiety (60.5%) were the most frequently cited reasons, although only a minority (6.0%) sought further treatment exclusively for anxiety. Additional treatment during the follow-up period was associated with higher symptom severity throughout assessments.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>These findings highlight the sustainability and long-term public health benefits of exposure-based CBT for anxiety disorders. Most patients do not need additional treatments for mental disorders even 5 years after treatment. Nevertheless, further efforts are needed to optimize interventions for those patients who do not achieve remission or experience relapse.</p>","PeriodicalId":20744,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":17.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12705079/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145597053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Acknowledgement to Reviewers.","authors":"","doi":"10.1159/000549200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1159/000549200","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":20744,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics","volume":" ","pages":"1-2"},"PeriodicalIF":17.4,"publicationDate":"2025-11-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145565156","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}