Effectiveness of Solution-Focused Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Emerging Adults

Anxiety disorders are common worldwide, and anxiety and stress symptoms are particularly prevalent among university students in Pakistan. Emerging adulthood is a critical developmental period characterized by significant transitions, identity exploration, and heightened stress, during which Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) can emerge. GAD is characterized by excessive and persistent anxiety and worry related to different areas of life, including work, family, health, or finances. Although conventional psychological therapies are available for such mental health problems, they can be time-consuming and costly. Therefore, shorter and effective psychological interventions are needed. Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) has been supported by research as an approach in which fewer sessions may be sufficient for improving psychological symptoms. However, there is limited literature on the effectiveness of SFT for emerging adults with anxiety disorders in Pakistan, and the intervention has not been culturally validated for Pakistani emerging adults with GAD. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of Solution-Focused Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder in emerging adults in Pakistan. The study will use a randomized controlled trial design. Emerging adults aged 18-29 years will first be screened using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item (GAD-7) Scale to identify participants with mild to moderate levels of GAD. Eligible participants will then be randomly assigned to a treatment group receiving SFT or a waitlist control group. The SFT intervention will be applied to participants with GAD to examine its effectiveness in reducing their anxiety symptoms. The study will assess changes in GAD symptoms before and after the intervention to determine the effectiveness of SFT among emerging adults with GAD in Pakistan. It is expected that participants receiving SFT will show a decline in GAD symptoms compared with the waitlist control group. The study will provide evidence regarding the effectiveness of a brief and culturally relevant SFT intervention for emerging adults with GAD in the Pakistani context.

Inclusion Criteria: Participants with mild to moderate scores of generalized anxiety disorder upon baseline assessment will be included in the study. Exclusion Criteria: Individuals will be excluded if they reported a diagnosis of psychotic disorder, and those receiving psychotherapy or counseling for anxiety.