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Yaygın Anksiyete Bozukluğunun Tedavisinde Üstbilişsel Terapinin Etkililiği: Sistematik Bir Gözden Geçirme

Year 2026, Volume: 18 Issue: 1, 332 - 353, 31.03.2026
https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.1621073

Abstract

Üstbilişsel terapi, yaygın anksiyete bozukluğunun tedavisinde giderek artan bir ilgi görmekte ve alan yazında daha sık ele alınmaktadır. Bu araştırmanın amacı yaygın anksiyete bozukluğunun tedavisinde üstbilişsel (metakognitif) terapinin etkililiğini gözden geçirmektir. Bu doğrultuda ScienceDirect, PubMed, Web of Science ve EBSCOHost veri tabanlarında yapılan tarama sonucunda, belirlenen dahil etme ve dışlama kriterlerini karşılayan 11 araştırma olduğu görülmüştür. Çalışmaya dahil edilen araştırmalar örneklem, yöntem ve sonuçlar gibi çeşitli yönlerden değerlendirilmiştir. Gözden geçirme sonuçları, üstbilişsel terapi alan yaygın anksiyete bozukluğu tanısı olan hastaların endişe ve anksiyete düzeylerinin önemli ölçüde azaldığını ve bu hastaların büyük çoğunluğunun klinik düzeyde iyileşme gösterdiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Üstbilişsel terapi sonrasında yaygın anksiyete bozukluğu tanı kriterlerini artık karşılamayarak tamamen iyileşen hastaların oranının ise oldukça yüksek olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Araştırma sonuçları ayrıca üstbilişsel terapinin gevşeme uygulaması, bilişsel davranışçı terapi ve belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlük terapisiyle karşılaştırıldığında daha yüksek iyileşme oranları sağladığını ve hem kısa hem de uzun vadede daha etkili bir tedavi seçeneği olarak öne çıktığını göstermektedir. Üstbilişsel terapi, yaygın anksiyete bozukluğunun gelişiminde ve sürmesinde kritik rol oynayan olumlu ve olumsuz üstbilişsel inançları etkili bir şekilde azaltmaktadır. Ayrıca üstbilişsel terapinin, bireysel veya grup formatında uygulanmasından bağımsız olarak, yaygın anksiyete bozukluğunun tedavisinde etkili olduğu belirlenmiştir.

References

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Effectiveness of Metacognitive Therapy in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Systematic Review

Year 2026, Volume: 18 Issue: 1, 332 - 353, 31.03.2026
https://doi.org/10.18863/pgy.1621073

Abstract

Metacognitive therapy has become a field of increasing interest in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and has increasingly been discussed in literature. This study aimed to review the effectiveness of metacognitive therapy in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder. Accordingly, a review of ScienceDirect, PubMed, Web of Science, and EBSCOHost databases revealed that 11 studies met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The included studies were evaluated in various aspects such as sample, methodology and results. The results of the review revealed that patients diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder who receive metacognitive therapy have significantly reduced levels of worry and anxiety and that the majority of these patients demonstrate clinical recovery. Following metacognitive therapy, it was determined that the proportion of patients who no longer met the diagnostic criteria for generalized anxiety disorder and completely recovered was relatively high. The results also demonstrate that metacognitive therapy yields higher recovery rates than applied relaxation, cognitive behavioral therapy and intolerance of uncertainty therapy and stands out as a more effective treatment option in the short and long term. Metacognitive therapy significantly reduces both positive and negative metacognitive beliefs, which play critical role in the development and maintenance of generalized anxiety disorder. Furthermore, metacognitive therapy is an effective intervention in the treatment of generalized anxiety disorder, regardless of whether it is applied in an individual or group format.

References

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  • Anderson RA, Campbell BNC (2011) Working with Worry and Rumination: A Cognitive Behavioural Group Treatment Programme for Repetitive Negative Thinking. Perth, Centre for Clinical Interventions.
  • Aydın O, Balıkçı K, Çökmüş FP, Ünal-Aydın P (2019) The evaluation of metacognitive beliefs and emotion recognition in panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorder: effects on symptoms and comparison with healthy control. Nord J Psychiatry, 73:293-301.
  • Bacow TL, Pincus DB, Ehrenreich JT, Brody LR (2009) The metacognitions questionnaire for children: development and validation in a clinical sample of children and adolescents with anxiety disorders. J Anxiety Disord, 23:727-736.
  • Bandelow B, Sagebiel A, Belz M, Görlich Y, Michaelis S, Wedekind D (2018) Enduring effects of psychological treatments for anxiety disorders: meta-analysis of follow-up studies. Br J Psychiatry, 212:333-338.
  • Barışkın E (2009) Panik ve anksiyete bozukluklarında bilişsel-davranışçı tedaviler. In Bilişsel Davranışçı Terapiler. (Eds I Savaşır, G Soygüt-Pekak, E Barışkın):125-148. Ankara, Türk Psikologlar Derneği.
  • Beck AT, Epstein N, Brown G, Steer RA (1988) An inventory for measuring clinical anxiety: psychometric properties. J Consult Clin Psychol, 56:893-897.
  • Borkovec TD (1994) The nature, functions and origins of worry. In Worrying: Perspectives on Theory, Assessment, and Treatment. (Eds GCL Davey, F Tallis):5-33. Sussex, Wiley.
  • Brown TA, Di Nardo PA, Barlow DH (1994) Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV (ADIS-IV). New York, Graywind Publications.
  • Burstein M, Beesdo-Baum K, He JP, Merikangas KR (2014) Threshold and subthreshold generalized anxiety disorder among US adolescents: prevalence, sociodemographic, and clinical characteristics. Psychol Med, 44:2351-2362.
  • Cartwright‐Hatton S, Roberts C, Chitsabesan P, Fothergill C, Harrington R (2004) Systematic review of the efficacy of cognitive behaviour therapies for childhood and adolescent anxiety disorders. Br J Clin Psychol, 43:421-436.
  • Cartwright-Hatton S, Wells A (1997) Beliefs about worry and intrusions: the metacognitions questionnaire and its correlates. J Anxiety Disord, 11:279-296.
  • Chorpita BF, Tracey SA, Brown TA, Collica TJ, Barlow DH (1997) Assessment of worry in children and adolescents: an adaptation of the penn state worry questionnaire. Behav Res Ther, 35:569-581.
  • Chorpita BF, Yim L, Moffitt C, Umemoto LA, Francis SE (2000) Assessment of symptoms of DSM-IV anxiety and depression in children: a revised child anxiety and depression scale. Behav Res Ther, 38:835-855.
  • Clark DA, Beck AT (2010) Cognitive Therapy of Anxiety Disorders: Science and Practice. New York, Guilford Press.
  • Cohen J (1992) Quantitative methods in psychology: a power primer. Psychol Bull, 112:1155-1159.
  • Davis TE, Valentiner DP (2000) Does metacognition predict worry in generalized anxiety disorder? J Anxiety Disord, 14:389-402.
  • Dechartres A, Trinquart L, Boutron I, Ravaud P (2013) Influence of trial sample size on treatment effect estimates: meta-epidemiological study. BMJ, 346:f2304.
  • Donovan CL, Holmes MC, Farrell LJ (2016) Investigation of the cognitive variables associated with worry in children with generalised anxiety disorder and their parents. J Affect Disord, 192:1-7.
  • Dugas MJ, Gagnon F, Ladouceur R, Freeston MH (1998) Generalized anxiety disorder: a preliminary test of a conceptual model. Behav Res Ther, 36:215-226.
  • Dugas MJ, Ladouceur R (2000) Treatment of generalized anxiety disorder: targeting intolerance of uncertainty in two types of worry. Behav Modif, 24:635-657.
  • Elkin I (1999) A major dilemma in psychotherapy outcome research: disentangling therapists from therapies. Clin Psychol Sci Pract, 6:10-32.
  • Ellis DM, Hudson JL (2010) The metacognitive model of generalized anxiety disorder in children and adolescents. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev, 13:151-163.
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There are 103 citations in total.

Details

Primary Language English
Subjects Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy Practise and Research
Journal Section Review
Authors

Duygu Uzun 0000-0003-4816-0639

Adviye Esin Yılmaz 0000-0002-1372-2438

Submission Date January 17, 2025
Acceptance Date June 3, 2025
Early Pub Date November 27, 2025
Publication Date March 31, 2026
Published in Issue Year 2026 Volume: 18 Issue: 1

Cite

JAMA Uzun D, Yılmaz AE. Effectiveness of Metacognitive Therapy in the Treatment of Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Systematic Review. Psikiyatride Güncel Yaklaşımlar - Current Approaches in Psychiatry. 2026;18:332–353.

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