Users remain overlooked: Shared decision-making processes for people with anxiety disorders.
Amelia Villena, María M Hurtado, Clara Gómez and 3 others
PMID 39161272WHAT IT FOUND
Patients with anxiety disorders often said they lacked a clear diagnosis and information.
Shared treatment choices could then feel confusing. Many preferred therapy first, while some found active coping such as exposure and breathing helpful.
Key findings
01Except for participants with obsessive-compulsive disorder, most participants did not mention a specific diagnosis or explanation of their condition.
02Participants generally preferred psychological interventions, but reported that medication was sometimes offered before therapy and that therapy was not always provided.
03Many participants described active coping as necessary, especially staying active, breathing or relaxation, and gradual exposure, while some avoided anxiety-provoking situations.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The study included 51 patients from two public mental health units in Spain, so the findings may not transfer to other health systems or settings. People who declined to participate may have had different illness and care experiences. Participants were recruited from clinic lists, and symptoms or satisfaction may have influenced who agreed to take part. Interview transcripts were not returned to participants for correction. Participants did not receive feedback on the results. The study reports perceptions and experiences, not measured treatment effects or outcomes. Obsessive-compulsive disorder was included although current classification systems do not treat it as an anxiety disorder.
Declared interests
Open access publishing was facilitated by the University of Málaga. The supplied text gives no other funding or author conflict-of-interest declaration.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that shared decision-making or exposure therapy improves anxiety outcomes. The study reports the experiences of 51 patients in two Spanish mental health services, not measured clinical effects.