This is a non-medication treatment option," she noted. "This kind of treatment (CBT) can be useful for people who have anxiety, and it can help them learn how to manage it better," said the study's lead author, Ranee Stanley, a professor in the Menninger department of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston.

Ma , they're already on medications for chronic health conditions, and they may be afraid of side effects. "Many older adults are not always thrilled with the use of medications for anxiety. The findings were published in the issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The prevalence of generalized anxiety disorder is estimated to be more than 7% in older people living in the community. Researchers found that people over age 60 who were treated with cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) had less worry, fewer depressive symptoms and improved general mental health at the end of the study compared to people who received biweekly telephone calls from their health-care provider.

People who are more anxious later in life have a higher risk of physical disabilities, memory problems, a lower quality of life, increased use of health-care services and.