Older Adults’ Rating of the Acceptability of Treatments for Generalized Anxiety Disorder

This study examined and compared the acceptability of three treatments for generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in older adults: cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), guided self-help based on cognitive-behavioral principles (CBT-GSH), and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Participants (N = 88; M age = 74.2 years, SD = 6.9) evaluated the acceptability of each treatment for the fictional case of a 70-year-old woman presenting mild to moderate or severe GAD. Results showed that CBT was more acceptable than SSRIs. Participants who indicated that they do not know what causes an anxiety disorder rated treatments as less acceptable. Also, the more participants considered the duration of treatment as an element influencing their choice of treatment for anxiety, the more they considered such treatment acceptable.