Workshop 13

 

The Nature and Treatment of Anxiety Disorders in Children and Adolescents

Ron Rapee, Macquarie University, Australia

 Ron Rapee

For some years we have been conducting the Cool Kids treatment programs for anxious children and adolescents at Macquarie University. Treatment is conducted over approximately 10 sessions and both parents and children attend all sessions for children. A similar but slightly different program, involving some parental input is run for adolescents.  The treatment components include education, cognitive restructuring, parent management strategies, approach to feared situations, and rewards. Variations to the delivery of the program have allowed it to be used in individual presentation; school early intervention presentation; self-help format; parent-only format; and distance delivery. Data from these and similar programs indicate a high degree of success with most children showing moderate to marked change and results maintaining for several years. In this workshop we will discuss the identification, nature, and treatment of child and adolescent anxiety disorders.  Discussion will cover diagnostic criteria, demographic information, interview and psychometric assessment, psychopathology, and treatment.  In discussing treatment, we will go over each component of our program.
 
Key Objectives: At the conclusion of the workshop, participants should be able to:
1)  Identify and diagnose anxiety disorders in children and adolescents
2)  Have a broad appreciation for the psychopathology of child anxiety disorders
3)  Have a detailed understanding of treatment programs for the management of child and adolescent anxiety (Cool Kids).

Training Modalities: A combination of didactic explanation, video material and case discussion will be used. Questions and discussion from the participants is strongly encouraged.

Ron Rapee is currently Professor in the Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia and director of the Macquarie University Centre for Emotional Health. He is a member of several international advisory boards, is on the editorial board of several international journals and is associate editor for Behaviour Research and Therapy. Prof Rapee received an Early Career award from the APS in 1990 and the Ian Mathew Campbell Prize from the Clinical College of the APS in1996. He has published extensively in the areas of child and adult anxiety.
 
References: 1) Rapee, R.M., Spence, S.H., Cobham, V., and Wignall, A. (2000). Helping your anxious child: A step by step guide for parents. New Harbinger.
2) Rapee, R.M., Wignall, A., Hudson, J.L., and Schniering, C.A. (2000). Treating anxious children and adolescents: An evidence-based approach. California: New Harbinger.
3) Mifsud, C., and Rapee, R. M. (2006). Early intervention for childhood anxiety in a school setting: Outcomes for an economically disadvantaged population. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.