[Empirical validation of theoretical models and cognitive behavioral treatments for Generalized Anxiety Disorder].

The present article reviews cognitive-behavioral treatments efficacy studies for Generalized Anxiety Disorder, as well as theoretical suppositions that underlie such treatment models. Efficacy studies, carried out during the last ten years, are analyzed. They have been grouped according to theoretical models. Finally, the investigations that test this theoretical hypothesis are analyzed. The search was carried out in MedLine, EBSCO, PubMed and PsycLIT databases. The efficacy reported showed a great variability of outcomes, which varied from 45 to 77%. The degree of theoretical validation also varies thoroughly among different intervention models. Findings implications regarding therapeutic recommendations are discussed, as well as theoretical hypotheses that, hardly investigated, could improve our understanding of the disorder.