Anxiety Disorders Programme

The Anxiety Disorders Programme provides a clinical intervention programme for service users with primary anxiety disorders. The Anxiety Programme provides group and individual intervention and support based on the cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) model. CBT has been found to be efficacious for adult anxiety disorders (Butler, Chapman, Forman & Beck, 2006; Hofmann & Smits, 2008; Olantunji, Cisler & Deacon, 2010). All programme facilitators have received training in both CBT and Mindfulness.

The programme is structured into two levels. Level 1 is a 5-week programme and includes group-based psycho-education and CBT treatment to assist service users to understand their anxiety disorders. Level 1 also provides group-based therapy, through behaviour workshops, which aid experiential goal work, fine tune therapeutic goals and identify possible obstacles, in order to address an individual’s specific anxiety difficulties (Anderson & Rees, 2007).

Service users with more complex clinical presentations of anxiety are referred to Level 2 of the programme, a closed group which builds on therapeutic work carried out during Level 1. Level 2 provides a structured 8-week programme which is also based on a CBT approach focusing on shifting core beliefs, emotional processing and regulation, and increased exposure work. Service users typically attend Level 2 following discharge from hospital as an inpatient.

A separate Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) strand of the Anxiety Programme provides a tailored and focussed service for those with OCD. This incorporates tasks such as challenging the meanings of obsessions and more tailored goal work.