comparing the effectiveness of modular cognitive-‎behavioral therapy, ‎‏‏pharmacotherapy (paroxetine), and their combination in intolerance of uncertainty and meta-worry‎ among female university students with generalized anxiety disorder

Background: this study aimed to compare the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy and modular cognitive-behavioral therapy, ‎‏‏as well as their combination, in intolerance of uncertainty and meta-worry‎ among female university students with generalized anxiety disorder. objectives: paying attention to psychological, cognitive-behavioral and biological dimensions in patients with generalization anxiety disorder causes continuity of therapeutic effects. methods: the present study was a ‎semi-experimental ‎research. the statistical population comprised all female students of the islamic azad university of mashhad, of which 60 people were selected by a convenience sampling method and were randomly assigned to three experimental groups and one control group. all groups were initially pretested; afterward, the first experimental group received modular cognitive-behavioral therapy during ten 90-minute sessions; the second experimental group received pharmacotherapy and one daily dose of paroxetine; and the third experimental group received combination therapy; however, the control group was placed on the waiting list. at the end of the treatment period and three months thereafter, the participants were given a post-test and a follow-up test. the required data were collected through questionnaires, namely freeston intolerance of uncertainty scale and wells anxious thoughts inventory. the data were analyzed in spss-24 software using the repeated measures analysis of variance. results: the results demonstrated that all three therapeutic approaches compared to the control group were effective in reducing intolerance of uncertainty and meta-worry. however, the combination therapy was significantly superior to any of the two treatment approaches alone (p<0.05). conclusion: considering the biological and psychological underpinnings of generalized anxiety disorder, the combination of psychological and drug therapies seems to be a more effective approach to improving anxiety states.