Applying metacognitive therapy for generalized anxiety disorder to adolescents: results from an open trial with 3- and 6-months follow-up - Takeaways - MDSpire

Applying metacognitive therapy for generalized anxiety disorder to adolescents: results from an open trial with 3- and 6-months follow-up

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  • 1

    Metacognitive therapy (MCT) effectively treats adolescents with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), with nine out of ten patients no longer meeting diagnostic criteria post-treatment.

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    The study utilized a pre-post design with follow-ups at 3 and 6 months to assess the efficacy of MCT in a naturalistic mental health setting.

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    Large effect sizes were observed in symptom measures and dysfunctional metacognitive beliefs from pre- to post-treatment, maintained at follow-up.

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    Session-to-session data indicated a linear decrease in distress and improvements in metacognitive strategies and beliefs during treatment.

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    These findings support the need for larger-scale evaluations of MCT as a treatment option for adolescents with GAD.

Original Source(s)

Applying metacognitive therapy for generalized anxiety disorder to adolescents: results from an open trial with 3- and 6-months follow-up

  • by Hanne Undheim Hoff, Odin Hjemdal, Henrik Nordahl

  • May 5, 2026

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