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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy for adults with Generalised Anxiety Disorder

Michel Dugas

21 May 2024

Introduction

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry and anxiety about various life domains such as family, work, and health. GAD is a common anxiety disorder, with a one-year prevalence of 3 to 4% and a lifetime prevalence of 6%. The costs of GAD include higher frequencies of unemployment, the disproportionate use of the health care system, and an increased risk of coronary heart disease, independent of comorbidity with depression. Despite the high prevalence and costs of GAD, it remains one of the least understood and least successfully treated of the anxiety disorders.


The event will be equivalent to 5.1/2hrs of CPD.

Content

This workshop will present cognitive-behavioural treatment options for adults with GAD. Treatment options, which are based on the intolerance of uncertainty model of GAD, include (1) behavioural experiments for intolerance of uncertainty, (2) problem-solving training, (3) imaginal exposure, and (4) motivational interviewing. Each treatment option will be tied to the scientific literature, presented in a step-by-step fashion, and illustrated using clinical material. Data from clinical trials of two different treatment protocols based on the intolerance of uncertainty model will be presented. The workshop will conclude with a discussion of how treatment options can be tailored to the needs of each person suffering from GAD.

Learning Objectives

1. To use behavioural experiments to develop new beliefs about uncertainty.
2. To incorporate uncertainty into problem-solving training.
3. To develop imaginal exposure scenarios that provoke feelings of uncertainty.
4. To address ambivalence about change in clients with GAD.

Training Modalities

1. Didactic teaching
2. Case presentations
3. Question and answer period

Key References

1. Dugas, M. J., Brillon, P., Savard, P., Turcotte, J., Gaudet, A., Ladouceur, R., Leblanc, R., & Gervais, N. J. (2010). A randomized clinical trial of cognitive-behavioral therapy and applied relaxation for adults with generalized anxiety disorder. Behavior Therapy, 41, 46-58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2008.12.004

2. Dugas, M. J., Charette, C. A., & Gervais, N. J. (2018). Generalized Anxiety Disorder. In J. Hunsley & E. J. Mash (Eds.), A Guide to Assessments that Work, Second Edition (pp. 293-310). New York: Oxford University Press.

3. Dugas, M. J., Sexton, K. A., Hebert, E. A., Bouchard, S., Gouin, J.-P., & Shafran, R. (2022). Behavioral experiments for intolerance of uncertainty: A randomized clinical trial for adults with generalized anxiety disorder. Behavior Therapy, 53, 1147–1160. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.beth.2022.05.003

4. Robichaud, M., Koerner, N., & Dugas, M. J. (2019). Cognitive-behavioral treatment for generalized anxiety disorder: From science to practice, Second edition. New York, NY: Routledge.

About the presenter

Dr. Michel Dugas is Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training at the University of Quebec in Outaouais (UQO), Quebec, Canada. Over the past 30 years, he has conducted research on the aetiology and treatment of GAD with a specific focus on intolerance of uncertainty. His research program has led to the development and validation of a cognitive-behavioural treatment for GAD that is now being used in numerous countries. He has published over 110 peer-reviewed articles, made over 300 scientific conference presentations, and given numerous clinical workshops around the world. Dr. Dugas is a Fellow of the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) and the Canadian Association of Cognitive and Behavioural Therapies (CACBT). In 2017, he received the CPA Donald O. Hebb Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychology as a Science.

Who should attend

CBT therapists, clinical psychologists and other health professionals who work with individuals presenting with GAD or who wish to become proficient in the use of behavioural experiments, problem-solving training, imaginal exposure, and motivational interviewing.

Low Intensity clinical contact hours survey - BABCP Low Intensity Special Interest Group

Please click below if you are interested in contributing to the survey.

 

The BACP Low Intensity SIG are interested in the impact of clinical contact hours on Low Intensity/Wellbeing Practitioner wellbeing. This questionnaire contains six multi-choice questions and a free text box for you to share your experiences. The answers to these questions will help the BABCP SIG plan how to meet CPD topics and other developments within the SIG.  The SIG hope to produce a write up of the answers to this questionnaire to be shared with SIG members and to be used in training.

View Survey

This FREE conference is for Psychological Wellbeing Practitioners working in Talking Therapies for Anxiety and Depression services and is brought to you by Bespoke Mental Health in collaboration with the NHS National PWP Leads Network.

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