Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety Disorders

418 TREATMENT OF SPECIFIC ANXIETY DISORDERS

Case Formulation

Cognitive therapy for GAD focuses on the faulty elaborative processing that contributes
to the persistence of anxious thinking and pathological worry (see Figure 10.1) as well
as the dysfunctional schemas responsible for the state of generalized anxiety. Thus the
cognitive case formulation centers on a clear specification of the idiosyncratic schemas
and faulty metacognitive processes of worry. Figure 10.2 illustrates the main compo-
nents of a cognitive case conceptualization for GAD.

figure 10.2. Cognitive case conceptualization of generalized anxiety disorder.

List worry-related current

concerns, goals, and

personal strivings

Specify internal

(intrusive) and external

worry triggers

LIST THE PRIMARY WORRY CONTENT AND

ASSOCIATED ANXIOUS SYMPTOMS

Describe the

metacognitive

appraisals profile

Specify the prominent

mental (worry) control

strategies

Determine presence of

negative problem

orientation and failed

safety search

MALADAPTIVE GAD

SCHEMAS OF THREAT, PERSONAL

VULNERABILITY, UNCERTAINTY, AND

METACOGNITION