Comparison of cognitive-behavioral therapy and yoga for the treatment of late-life worry: A randomized preference trial.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and yoga on late-life worry, anxiety, and sleep; and examine preference and selection effects on these outcomes. METHODS: A randomized preference trial of CBT and yoga was conducted in community-dwelling adults 60 years or older, who scored 26 or above on the Penn State Worry Questionnaire-Abbreviated (PSWQ-A). CBT consisted of 10 weekly telephone sessions. Yoga consisted of 20 biweekly group yoga classes. The primary outcome was worry (PSWQ-A); the secondary outcomes were anxiety (PROMIS-Anxiety) and sleep (Insomnia Severity Index [ISI]). We examined both preference effects (average effect for those who received their preferred intervention [regardless of whether it was CBT or yoga] minus the average for those who did not receive their preferred intervention [regardless of the intervention]) and selection effect (which addresses the question of whether there is a benefit to getting to select one intervention over the other, and measures the effect on outcomes of self-selection to a specific intervention). RESULTS: Five hundred older adults were randomized to the randomized trial (125 each in CBT and yoga) or the preference trial (120 chose CBT; 130 chose yoga). In the randomized trial, the intervention effect of yoga compared with CBT adjusted for baseline psychotropic medication use, gender, and race was 1.6 (-0.2, 3.3), p = .08 for the PSWQ-A. Similar results were observed with PROMIS-Anxiety (adjusted intervention effect: 0.3 [-1.5, 2.2], p = .71). Participants randomized to CBT experienced a greater reduction in the ISI compared with yoga (adjusted intervention effect: 2.4 [1.2, 3.7], p < .01]). Estimated in the combined data set (N = 500), the preference and selection effects were not significant for the PSWQ-A, PROMIS-Anxiety, and ISI. Of the 52 adverse events, only two were possibly related to the intervention. None of the 26 serious adverse events were related to the study interventions. CONCLUSIONS: CBT and yoga were both effective at reducing late-life worry and anxiety. However, a greater impact was seen for CBT compared with yoga for improving sleep. Neither preference nor selection effects was found.