Journal of Alcoholism & Drug Dependence
Open Access
ISSN: 2329-6488
ISSN: 2329-6488
Saleha Bibi
Army Special Education Academy, Pakistan
Scientific Tracks Abstracts: jaldd
Background: Anxiety disorders run in families; an overlap of 60-80% has been found between parental and child anxiety disorders. Next to genetic factors, “anxiety enhancing” parenting behaviours, like modelling of anxious behaviour, overprotection, and restriction of open expression of opinions and feelings, seem to contribute to this relationship. Family CBT has been found equally effective or more effective in treating child anxiety disorders, and is potentially more cost-effective because more family members are treated at the same time. The goal of family CBT is to decrease child anxiety, parental anxiety, and anxiety-enhancing parenting. The goal of the family CBT that is outlined in the present workshop consists of three components: (i) Teaching CBT skills to the anxious child and both parents, the parents being encouraged to use these skills to guide their anxious child and to cope with their own fears. (ii) Modifying dysfunctional beliefs between parents and child that block the process of change, that is, parental beliefs about their anxious child, parenting, and the safety of their child’s world –often based on their own upbringing or anxiety-, and child’s dysfunctional beliefs about the parents and about the possibility and usefulness of communication with them. (iii) Improving communication and problem solving, between spouses about their child’s anxiety, and between all family members, including siblings. Learning Objectives: Participants will acquire the following skills: 1) Conducting a family conversation in order to orient the family towards the treatment goals 2) Coaching parents in guiding their anxious child (e.g. through courageous modelling) 4) Conducting a family discussion on a “hot issue” Teaching Methods: In this workshop the three components of the treatment will be taught through instruction, modelling, and practice (role-plays).
Saleha Bibi is Child Psychologist at Army Special Education Academy Rawalpindi and a Phd Scholar at Fatima Jinnah Women University Rawalpindi.