A systematic review and meta-analysis on controlled treatment trials of metacognitive therapy for anxiety disorders

BACKGROUND: To conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis on controlled treatment trials of meta-cognitive therapy for anxiety disorders. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Studies were included if they employed controlled methodology and treated people above 18 years with anxiety disorders. Case studies (with less than 4 cases) and single case designed studies were excluded. A comprehensive literature search identified 15 trials for systematic review. RESULTS: All included studies showed better treatment results in the MCT arms compared to the control groups. We also statistically pooled the results across studies (when possible). The meta-analyses also showed that MCT had statistically significant better results compared to the control groups in GAD (both immediately post-treatment and 12 months post-therapy results), OCD, and PTSD (p-values ranged <0.0001-0.025). CONCLUSION: Based on the results of our systematic review, MCT seems to be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders and can effectively control their psychological problems.