Background: Social anxiety disorder (SAnD) is a highly prevalent condition, characterised by an intense fear of social or performance situations where individuals worry about being negatively evaluated by others. An up to date systematic review of the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapies for SAnD is required to guide practice. Objectives: To assess the efficacy and acceptability of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) compared with treatment as usual/waiting list (TAU/WL) for individuals with SAnD. Search methods: We searched the Cochrane Depression, Anxiety and Neurosis Group (CCDAN) Controlled Trials Register and conducted supplementary searches of MEDLINE, PsycInfo, EMBASE, and international trial registers (ICTRP; ClinicalTrials.gov) in October 2011 and CINAHL in October 2012. We also searched reference lists of retrieved articles, and contacted trial authors for information on ongoing/completed trials. Selection criteria: Randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials undertaken in out-patient settings, involving adults aged 18-75 years with a primary diagnosis of SAnD, assigned either to CBT or TAU/WL. Data collection and analysis Data on patients, interventions and outcomes were extracted by two review authors independently, and the Risk of bias in each study was assessed. The primary outcomes were social anxiety reduction (based on relative risk (RR) of clinical response and mean difference in symptom reduction), and treatment acceptability (based on RR of attrition). Results: Thirteen studies (715 participants) were included in the review, of which 11 studies (599 participants) contributed data to meta-analyses. Based on four studies, CBT was more effective than TAU/WL in achieving clinical response at post-treatment (RR 3.60, 95% CI 1.35 to 9.57), and on eleven studies (599 participants) it was more effective than TAU/WL in reducing symptoms of social anxiety. No significant difference was found between CBT and TAU/WL for attrition. No significant difference was demonstrated for social anxiety at follow-up and no studies examined follow-up data for clinical response or attrition. Authors' conclusions: The available evidence suggests that cognitive behavioural therapy might be effective in reducing anxiety symptoms for the short-term treatment of SAnD. However, the body of evidence comparing CBT with TAU/WL is small and heterogeneous.

Objectives: This thesis aims to explore evidence for the effectiveness of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for non-cardiac chest pain (NCCP). Design: The systematic review aimed to evaluate evidence for CBT as an effective intervention for anxiety in the NCCP population. Study one describes the chest pain characteristics, illness beliefs and prevalence of anxiety in a NCCP sample in a cross-sectional design. Study two explores the acceptability and clinical effectiveness of a CBT-based self-help intervention for NCCP patients, using a between subjects, repeated measures design. Methods: A systematic review was completed via a comprehensive literature search for comparative studies examining CBT-based interventions for NCCP including a measure of anxiety. In the empirical study, participants completed measures of anxiety, illness beliefs and indices of chest pain (self-reported frequency, severity and impact on activities) at baseline. Comparisons between illness beliefs and anxiety were undertaken using descriptive statistics and Pearson correlations. Participants were randomised to receive a CBT-based self-help intervention booklet or treatment as usual, with questionnaires re-administered at three-month follow-up. ANOVAs were used to evaluate whether the intervention led to improvements in anxiety levels, or increased belief in participants’ personal control of symptoms. Results: Ten studies met inclusion criteria for the systematic review, with four studies showing evidence regarding the effectiveness of CBT for anxiety. Approximately two thirds of the thesis research sample reported on-going pain following clinic attendance, for the majority this was ‘very mild’ or ‘mild’ pain. Almost half (47%) reported experiencing clinically significant anxiety. Stress was the most common causal attribution advocated by the sample to explain their chest pain. Anxiety scores were significantly associated with psychological attribution scores, but not with personal control or illness coherence beliefs. In study two, 87 participants completed the study and ITT analyses were completed on 119. There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of reduced anxiety or self-reported belief in personal control of symptoms. The intervention booklet was evaluated largely positively by those who reported reading it. Conclusions: CBT-based self-help appears an acceptable intervention for those diagnosed with NCCP. Further research is needed to identify those who are most likely to benefit from such self-help intervention.

Objectives: Computer-guided CBT could help to increase much needed access to lowintensity psychological interventions. Evidence for effectiveness has led to the inclusion of certain packages in NICE guidelines but application in clinical settings is unclear. Low uptake and high dropout suggest problems with acceptability and barriers to uptake. Studies neglect to report on acceptability to clinicians despite indications that clinicianrelated variables and attitudes could influence their use of CCBT. This study investigates clinicians‟ views of CCBT and factors related to referring to it, following experience of low referrals to a CCBT pilot, with the aim of learning more about barriers to access and how this might be improved. Method: A mixed quantitative and qualitative design was used. An online survey was developed to gather views on CCBT, its implementation and demographic information. This was sent to a sample of clinicians in the clinical psychology department, mental health nurses and general practitioners, some of whom were involved in the CCBT pilot project and some not. Descriptive statistics, non-parametric correlations, chi-squared analyses and framework thematic analysis was carried out on 72 completed surveys. Results: Most clinicians identified both benefits and concerns of CCBT. Most approved of CCBT but likelihood to refer varied and many preferred to offer other interventions. Clinician-related variables associated with likelihood to refer were whether clinicians saw mild to moderate cases, approval of CCBT and perceived patient uptake. Views regarding the effectiveness of CCBT influenced choices to offer it, with negative beliefs about effectiveness including a perceived need for human contact. There was moderate interest in receiving CCBT training. Most thought it should be accessed widely, with some concern raised about access in public settings. Although GPs were not involved in the CCBT pilot, many expressed interest in receiving training and referring. Conclusions: Clinicians‟ views of CCBT are mixed and some believe it is ineffective and unacceptable to patients, which influences their decisions to offer it. This includes perceptions about key aspects of therapy, such as human contact. Therefore some clinicians need more convincing of the CCBT evidence-base before they are likely to refer to it. Nevertheless there is moderate interest in using CCBT and more so in those seeing mild to moderate cases. CCBT may have a position in stepped care services but views of referrers should be considered and training offered. More research is needed on implementing CCBT, barriers to access and its role alongside other interventions.

Sleep is essential for survival but a significant minority of the adult population are dissatisfied with their sleep, and 6-10% meet the criteria for insomnia disorder, characterised by difficulties falling asleep at bedtime, waking up in the middle of the night or too early in the morning, and daytime symptoms. Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), an evidence-based sleep-focused intervention, has been suggested as the treatment of choice for chronic insomnia. However, access to specialised sleep therapists is sparse, and a service delivery model based on the principles of ‘stepped care’ has been proposed. Even though CBT-I is shown to be effective, there is a need to continue the development of cognitive behavioural treatments for insomnia. As a complement to traditional interventions, the potential value of acceptance, that is, to make an active choice of openness towards psychological experiences, has been recognized. However, it has not yet been systematically investigated, and specific instruments for studying acceptance in insomnia are lacking. The present thesis is based on three studies: Study I showed that manual-guided CBT for insomnia delivered by ordinary primary care personnel has a significant effect on perceived insomnia severity, sleep onset latency and wake time after sleep onset. Study II demonstrated that non-responders in Study I reported shorter sleep time at baseline than did responders, a notion that may help select patients for this type of low-end intervention in a stepped care treatment approach. Study III aimed to develop a new assessment instrument for studying acceptance of insomnia, the Sleep Problem Acceptance Questionnaire (SPAQ), resulting in an eight-item questionnaire with two factors; the first being Activity Engagement, persisting with normal activities even when sleep is unsatisfactory, and the second involving Willingness, avoiding fighting and trying to control sleep problems. In conclusion, the present thesis demonstrates that it is feasible to treat patients with insomnia using CBT-I administrated by ordinary primary care personnel in general practice, and that those with relatively longer initial sleep duration benefit most from treatment, enabling allocation to relevant treatment intensity. In addition, acceptance of sleep difficulties may be quantified using the SPAQ.

<p>Tinnitus is common, and some individuals with tinnitus display high levels of distress. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is effective in reducing tinnitus distress, but is rarely available. CBT-based self-help, with or without guidance, has yielded positive results in other problem areas, and one initial randomized controlled trial (RCT) has shown promising results for tinnitus.</p><p>This thesis is based on four studies;</p><p>Study I showed that Internet-based self-help treatment with e-mail guidance alleviated tinnitus distress among consecutive patients and was rated as credible as traditional treatments. Active participation in treatment predicted outcome.</p><p>Study II, an RCT, showed that an extended and more interactive version of the Internet-based self-help treatment with e-mail therapist support appeared to be equally effective as a group treatment. In study III, another RCT, a self-help book with weekly telephone support was superior to a wait-list control group. No strong evidence for the importance of telephone contact on outcome was found. In both study II and III, the positive outcome remained after one year and self-help approaches appeared more therapist time-effective compared to group treatment. Also, the received treatment-dose for patients in guided self-help was not lower than in the group treatment.</p><p>Study IV found that the ‘Stages of Change’, from the transtheoretical model, are probably not the right theoretical framework to use with tinnitus patients. Predictors of outcome were found, but they were not in line with the theory behind the Stages of Change. The predictors were better understood when conceptualized as coping, showing that helplessness and less coping before treatment correlated with better outcome.</p><p>In sum, guided cognitive behavioural self-help can decrease tinnitus distress. It appears to be therapist time-effective and shows effects comparable to or slightly below traditional CBT for tinnitus. Effects remain one year after treatment and generalize to a routine clinical setting.</p>

Cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) is the most effective treatment for insomnia. Studies show that auricular acupuncture (AA) may alleviate insomnia symptoms. The overall aim of the thesis was to compare treatment effects of auricular acupuncture (AA) with cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-i) on symptoms of insomnia, anxiety, depression, hypnotic drugs consumption and quality of life from short- and long-term perspectives. Paper I had a qualitative approach with a descriptive design. 16 participants received group-treatment with AA during their protracted withdrawal phase and were interviewed about their experiences. They participants experienced a reduction in protracted withdrawal symptoms, improved subjective sleep quality, a strong sensation of peacefulness and increased wellbeing. Paper II, III and IV present results from a randomised controlled trial in where the effects of group-treatment with AA and CBT-i were compared in short- and long-term using subjective (questionnaires and sleep diary) and objective (actigraphy) measurements. The results showed that CBT-i was superior to AA in reducing insomnia symptoms in both the short and long run. Both groups experienced significant long-term reduction of depressive symptoms. Further, both groups managed to maintain a decreased intake of hypnotic drugs at the end of the treatment when compared to baseline measurement. Short-term reduction of symptoms of anxiety and depression improved only in the AA group. The results from the objective actigraph recordings showed that the AA group slept more and the CBT-i group less after the treatment and that sleep patterns in both groups reverted to pre-treatment levels after 6 months. Conclusively: AA, as administered in this study, was not as good as CBT-i in treating insomnia symptoms, and should not be used as a stand-alone treatment for insomnia. Our results also demonstrate that prolonged sleep time does not necessarily yield better sleep, and that the perception of insomnia symptoms is not inevitably affected by sleep duration. AA was as effective as CBT-i in ending hypnotic drugs consumption. Moreover, AA was more successful than CBT-i in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression in the short run. Further studies investigating AA for anxiety and depression are motivated.

The need to provide effective Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) treatments in routine clinical practice necessitates effective methods of CBT training, which are scalable and can be disseminated in populations without ready access to specialist trainers or large scale funding. This thesis seeks to add theoretical and empirical guidance to the development of evidence-based CBT training. The first chapter reviews the current literature on effective CBT training, and suggests theoretical and methodological guidance for future research on evidence-based training practices. Cohort studies (Chapters 2 – 4) examine data from former trainees for guidance on accurate CBT competence measurement and effective CBT training components. The fifth and sixth chapters report randomised-controlled trials examining the effects of internet-based training (IBT) on therapists’ competence and patient outcomes (Chapter 6). Findings from the literature review (Chapter 1) and Chapter 2 suggested the need for training effectiveness trials using treatment trial methodology, which includes ‘blind’ observer ratings of therapist behaviour as the measure of competence. Chapter 3 found that extensive training led to significant improvement in competence for trainees with a range of individual baseline characteristics. Since such extensive training is not accessible to the majority of practicing therapists, Chapter 4 examined which elements of extensive training were perceived by trainees as having the greatest positive effect on competence; thus providing empirical guidance in planning more scalable forms of training, such as IBT. Findings from the first four chapters provided guidance in planning the two randomised controlled trials outlined in Chapters 5 and 6, resulting in rigorous empirical data showing significant positive effects of IBT on therapists’ competence and on their patients’ clinical outcomes. Finally, the results of this thesis are related to the framework for developing evidence-based training, which was suggested in Chapter 1 and suggestions for future research are made.

Young people with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are more prone to experience anxiety disorders at a greater level compared to their neurotypical developing counterparts, causing lifelong impairments in family, social, academic and adaptive functioning. Early interventions in childhood have been designed to minimize these stressful events and to optimize children’s developmental outcomes. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is considered a first-line intervention of anxiety. The review aimed to synthesize empirical literature on modified CBT interventions from 2009 until 2019 focusing on reducing anxiety in children and adolescents with ASD. A systematic review of the literature was conducted in five databases. As a result, 10 articles were included to review. Modifications found were: a) audiovisual support and written materials, b) parental partic-ipation, c) sessions length, d) language, e) sensory and motor accommodations, f) emphasis into the behav-ioural component, g) enhancement of individual’s attention and participation, h) facilitating materials to access the content of CBT, and i) participants’ specific interests and worries. The interventions showed significant reductions in youth anxiety levels. Future research should focus on addressing which specific modifications contribute to anxiety reduction since to date, there is no evidence comparing standard CBT to modified CBT interventions. Moreover, there is a lack of anxiety-assessment instruments specially designed for individuals with ASD. In addition, considering the longstanding prevalence of male autistic rates, ASD diagnostic instru-ments should be revised to reduce bias that can mislead to an inattentive ascertainment of females with ASD.

Estudos em serviços-escola de psicologia questionam o quanto o modelo vigente atende adequadamente à clientela infantojuvenil, uma vez que é alta a evasão destes pacientes antes e durante o atendimento. Apesar de sugerirem propostas de mudanças no atendimento oferecido, pouco se comenta sobre a necessidade de treino de terapeutas e a baixa procura de crianças com problemas internalizantes, citados na literatura como os de maior incidência nesta população. Este trabalho teve como objetivo diminuir essa lacuna ao propor, elaborar e avaliar uma proposta de treinamento de estagiários no atendimento de crianças ansiosas, inscritas em serviços-escola, com o uso de um protocolo reconhecido internacionalmente para o atendimento dessas crianças (Gato Corajoso), adaptado para a realidade brasileira. Foram escolhidos dois serviços-escola vinculados ao serviço público de saúde, que atendem crianças ansiosas em duas capitais brasileiras, São Paulo e Brasília; treze terapeutas, alunos de graduação de psicologia, foram selecionados para receber o treinamento em duas etapas. Na primeira fase, foi realizado o levantamento da clientela atendida por serviços de saúde mental (n=112), na segunda, foram atendidas 20 crianças com idade entre 9 e 13 anos, enquanto outras 11 crianças com características similares constituíram o grupo controle. Os resultados sugerem que as crianças dos serviços-escola estudados apresentavam características similares às das crianças atendidas pelas clínicas-escolas de psicologia tradicionais, em relação a aspectos como idade, gênero, escolaridade, renda familiar e classe social. Apresentavam, ainda, outras características similares às verificadas nos serviços-escola de saúde, como forma de encaminhamento e queixas. Os resultados também indicam que o desempenho dos terapeutas, por meio de autoavaliação, avaliação por seus pares e por juízes, foi acima da média e a percepção do protocolo pelos próprios terapeutas foi favorável a seu uso. Além disso, os resultados apontam que as crianças ansiosas que participaram da intervenção obtiveram resultados clínicos nas escalas do CBCL indicativos de melhora, quando as crianças foram avaliadas antes e depois da intervenção e com os dados do grupo controle, após o tempo da intervenção. Com essas informações, conclui-se que o treinamento oferecido aos alunos com base em um protocolo de atendimento para ansiedade infantil mostrou-se útil para o atendimento clínico de crianças ansiosas, para ensinar aos alunos sobre terapia cognitivo-comportamental e para orientá-los sobre o que fazer ao longo das sessões de intervenção, diminuindo o impacto da falta de experiência em atendimento infantil e em atendimento grupal. Sugere-se, assim, que o uso de protocolos em treinamentos de terapeutas pode ser uma boa forma de difundir um conhecimento clínico com base em evidências / Studies on teaching clinics question how adequately the current model provides for children and teenage clients, since the evasion of these patients is high before and during treatment. Although suggestions are made for changes in the offered treatments, little is commented about the need for training therapists and the low demand of children with internalized problems, cited in literature as the problem with the highest incidence in this population. This study has the objective of decreasing this gap by proposing, elaborating and evaluating a proposal for training interns in the treatment of anxious children, enrolled in teaching clinics, with the use of an internationally recognized protocol for the treatment of these children (Coping Cat), adapted for the Brazilian reality. Two teaching clinics linked to public health services that treat anxious children in two Brazilian capitals, São Paulo and Brasilia, were chosen; thirteen therapists, which were undergraduate psychology students, were selected to receive training in two stages. During the first stage, we conducted a survey of the clients that used the mental health services (n=112); in the second stage, 20 children with ages varying between 9 and 13 were treated, while 11 other children with similar characteristics constituted the control group. The results suggest that the children from the studied teaching clinics present similar characteristics to children treated in traditional teaching psychology clinics, in aspects such as age, gender, schooling, family income and social class. They also present other similar characteristics to those verified in teaching clinics, such as the referral methods and complaints. The results also indicate that the performance of the therapists, evaluated by themselves, their colleagues and judges, was above average and that the therapists perception of the protocol was in favor of its use. Also, results show that when the children were evaluated before and after the intervention and with the data of the control group, anxious children who participated in the intervention obtained clinical results in the CBCL scales that indicated improvement. Based on this information, one may conclude that the training offered to students based on a treatment protocol for childrens anxiety was useful for the clinical treatment of anxious children, to teach the students about cognitive-behavioral therapy and to guide them on what they should do during the intervention, which decreased the impact of the lack of experience on childrens therapy and on group therapy. It is thus suggested that the use of protocols for training therapists may be a good way of spreading evidence based clinical knowledge

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