SIG Eabct

PSYCHOSIS

CHAIR: dr.ANTONIO PINTO and dr. MASSIMILIANO ABBATECOLA

Psychosis and schizophrenia are certainly in a position of prominence among highly complex pathologies. One of the most important success of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is the change regarding intervention possibility in patients with Psychosis. The study of dysfunctional models, information processing, cognitive biases, deficit of the theory of mind, third generation therapy, just for mentioning some of them, are revolutionizing the way of thinking about psychosis. Psychosis research therapy is in a very dynamic and important moment. Our purpose for the Specialized Interest Group on Psychosis is to increase collaboration and discussion on theoretical and scientific issues.

OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDERS

Chair: dr. BARBARA BARCACCIA and dr. ANTONIO PINTO

It is of common knowledge that Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is one of the most disabling psychiatric disorders, generally very resistant to change. The price people pay if they are affected by OCD, or even if they are family members of an OC patient, are enormous. Therefore, scholars, researchers and clinicians need to join their efforts in order to deepen their understanding of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and to find more effective ways of helping patients who are affected by this highly disabling disorder. The goals of the scientific interest groups within EABCT are to foster collaboration and discussions on scientific issues, to start up researches, to deepen theoretical issues, to exchange information on the work developed in the different countries, to organize meetings, seminars and workshops. Thus, the EABCT s.i.g. on OCD gathers yearly in the course of the Assisi’s famous meetings, designed in order to allow a panel of experts on Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder a less formal and more interactive chance of meeting than international traditional congresses generally are. Welcome to all the experts on OCD who wish to join our group!

LOW INTENSITY CBT

Chair:dr.PAUL RIJNDERS

Representative Dutch Association of CBT; author of: Kortdurende Psychologische Interventies (Brief Psychological Interventions for the First Line)About 7% of the population in Europe suffers from serious mental health problems (DSM-classification) of long duration, leading to their experiencing difficulties engaging in work or other meaningful activities, personal relationships, social roles or education.Although people in general express a desire for treatment, less than half of this group accesses mental health services. The majority do not get treatment appropriate to their problem.Due to many different reasons (for example budget reductions for mental health services) this situation is expected to get worse in the future, leading to a huge impact for sufferers, their families and for society. In some countries (CBT associations) experience and evidence is accumulating that CBT can provide one potential solution to this problem. In the UK, low intensity (LI) CBT has proved to be a good tool to improve access to psychological treatment. In the Netherlands, brief CBT, implemented in partnership with the GP improves access and reduces the investment in time, needed to reach therapeutic results with more than 20 %. Under the wings of the EABCT, representatives of several associations have taken the initiative to start a special interest group on LI, or brief CBT.

WORRY, RUMINATION and REPETITIVE THINKING

Chair: dr. GIOVANNI MARIA RUGGIERO

Worry, rumination and other kind of repetitive and perseverative thinking styles contribute to both anxiety and depression (Borkovec, Robinson, Pruzinsky, & DePree, 1983; Nolen-Hoeksema, 1991). Empirical research has repeatedly demonstrated that repetitive thinking is involved in risk for anxious and depressive symptoms and episodes (Calmes & Roberts, 2007). Therefore, this group of EABCT members takes the initiative to start a Special Interest Group (SIG) on worry, rumination and repetitive thinking. The program of the SIG is: 1. Founding a LinkedIn forum and exchanging experience, knowledge, practice and research by means of this LinkedIn forum and/or direct communication between participants of the associations 2. Organising symposia for the next EABCT conferences 3. Organizing meetings for representatives / people experienced or interested in the area and submitting project plans for such meetings

TRAUMA and DISSOCIATION

chair: dr. ANTONIO ONOFRI and dr. ANNA CLAUDIA MASSOLO moderator: Sara Vitali

A special interest group through which we would be able to discuss new ideas, research proposals and projects all across Europe about trauma and dissociation. Moreover this could help us to further explore the contrast between EMDR and FTCBT in treating PTSD. The literature on the matter is still limited.The idea would be that of establishing a SIG which would not be limited to developing ideas for future studies on comparing these two tools, but which would also take on the task of analyzing whether the two may become “partners” rather than rivals, as they are still too frequently perceived. Welcome to all the experts on Trauma and dissociation who wish to join our group

PERSONALITY DISORDERS

chair: dr MICHELE PROCACCI and dr. DONATELLA FIORE

Often those who suffer from personality disorders are not conscious , but his/her personal and social relationships are dysfunctional. Anxiety, depression, worries , alcohol and substances abuse are often associated with these disorders. Some with BPD exceed in impulsiveness and self harming behaviors, which require frequent hospitalizations. The family burden in these cases is very strong. The consequences on the contexts of education, work, social groups are obvious and bring these individuals to have no well-being, but rather to remain in situations of prolonged psychological distress. Clinicians and researchers for years have been engaged in understanding the pathogenic mechanisms of these forms of mental illness and to practice forms of treatment empirically supported. The purpose of the Scientific Interest Group on Personality Disorder (SIG on PD’s) within EABCT is to promote contact between researchers and clinicians from various countries, to have them compare on key issues, to clarify the theoretical assumptions, the areas of research, to exchange information on the studies conducted in different countries, to organize meetings, seminars and workshops. So the EABCT SIG on PDs, who had a first meeting of constitution in the EABCT congress in Marrakesh, want to promote a panel of international experts on the PDs less formal and more interactive, in order to promote a larger dissemination of clinical models and treatments currently practiced on these individuals, evidence-based and oriented on the cognitive – behavioral common model.

BIPOLAR DISORDERS and ACUTE MANIA

Chair: dr. STEVEN JONES

Welcome to all the experts on Bipolar disorders and acute mania who wish to join our group!

SEX and COUPLE THERAPY

Chair: dr. MEHMET SUNGUR

Welcome to all the experts on Sex and Couple Therapy who wish to join our group!

TRAINING and SUPERVISION

chair: dr. ANDREAS VEITH

The Special Interest Group on Training, Supervision and Therapist development has been founded in September 2013 at the EABCT congress in Marrakesh. The group is a forum for discussion especially on research. It will try to offer a platform and network for all members of EABCT membership associations interested in the field of Training, Supervision and Therapist development, that is to gather and spread information about ongoing or starting research projects, maybe supporting projects by connecting researchers and planning symposia, SIG´s meetings and maybe smaller conferences on the topic. The SIG is still in it´s starting. Application for membership can be done via Linkedin. The SIG is a Subgroup of the EABCT Group. Welcome to all the experts on Training and Supervision who wish to join our group!

FORENSIC CBT

Chair: dr RUUD HORNSVELD and dr ELLY VAN LAARHOVEN

At the moment, cognitive-behavioural theory is the operative frame of reference for mental health care in forensic settings for both youth (their parents) and adults. In forensic psychiatry and psychology, it concerns offenders with a psychiatric disorder or with a psychological problem who are evaluated because of a court order and who are sometimes obliged to follow a treatment or rehabilitation program afterwards to reduce recidivism risk. Last two decades, the development and application of evidence-based risk assessment instruments has assumed large proportions. However, there is still a need of specific evidence-based assessment instruments who may give further insight in the criminogenic and protective determinants of criminal behavior. Although there is now knowledge about the conditions to which effective treatment or rehabilitation programs have to fulfill, most research on the effect of this programs has largely been performed in Canada and the United States, and not so much in Europe, with the exception of the United Kingdom. Therefore, European clinicians and researchers need to join their efforts in order to deepen the insight in the specific problems of our offenders and the interventions that are needed to reduce their recidivism risk effectively.

The aims of this Scientific Interest Group of the EABCT are to foster collaborations and discussions on scientific issues, to start up joint research projects, to exchange assessment instruments and treatment or rehabilitation scenario’s, and to organize meetings, symposia, and workshops. In addition, the SIG will investigate the viability of a new international journal for publications on cognitive-behavioral assessment and treatment in forensic settings.

Welcome to all the experts on forensic CBT who wish to join our group!

POSITIVE CBT

Chair: dr FREDRIKE BANNINK

Recent decades have witnessed the development of competency-based, collaborative approaches to working with clients. The concept of Positive CBT, aimed at improving the wellbeing of clients and their therapists, draws on research and applications from CBT, Positive Psychology and Solution-Focused Brief Therapy. These approaches are directed toward cliënt’s strengths and preferred futures instead of their deficits and past or present problems.

Positive CBT is a new approach to the practice of traditional CBT. Its focus is not (only) on pathology, on what is wrong with clients and on repairing what is worst, but first and foremost on their strengths, what is rights with them and on creating what is best. The focus is not on (merely) reducing distress, but first and foremost on building success. A FBA of exceptions to the problem and the ‘upward arrow’ instead of the ‘downward arrow’ technique are two of the many practical applications of Positive CBT.
Positive CBT captures the essential importance of building on positive feelings, motives, imagery, memories and behaviours. It changes what we focus on and how we work in helping clients change.

Bannink, F.P. (2012). Practicing Positive CBT. From Reducing Distress to Building Success. Oxford: Wiley.
Bannink, F.P. (2014). Positive CBT: From Reducing Distress to Building Success. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 44, 1-8.
Bannink, F.P. (2014). Positieve cognitieve gedragstherapie. Amsterdam: Pearson.
Bannink, F.P. (2014-2015). Japanese translation (Kitaohji Shobo)

The aim of the SIG Positive CBT, founded in 2014, is to foster collaboration and discussion on theoretical and practical issues and to promote research in the field of Positive CBT, as well as to connect via Linkedin and SIG meetings at EABCT conferences.

DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIOUR DISORDERS IN CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS

CHAIR: dr. PIA ENEBRINK and dr. PIETRO MURATORI

Disruptive Behaviour Disorders (DBDs) including Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and Conduct Disorder (CD) are a serious mental health concern because they are associated with a host of other social, emotional, and academic problems both concurrently and later in development, with high costs for communities. Anger related problems constitute the central feature of DBDs, although they are frequently associated with Attention and Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD). A set of neuro-biological, family, peer, and social risk factors appears to be involved in the etiology of aggression and rule breaking in childhood. Additional cognitive-emotional factors at the child level include difficulty coping with anger and frustration, poor problem-solving skills, and poor social skills. DBDs are among the most common reasons for referring children and adolescents to outpatient treatment in child and adolescent psychiatric in many countries and, because of this relatively high stability, DBDs constitute a major health problem. There are many evidence-based treatment programs for DBDs. Many of these are based on Cognitive Behavioral principles and almost all of these programs used Cognitive Behavior evidence-based practices for reducing externalizing behavior problems in at-risk and clinic-referred youths. In the light of these considerations, the objectives of the Specialized Interested Group on DBDs are: • to foster collaboration and discussions on scientific issues • to start up researches • to exchange information on the work developed in the different countries • to organize meetings, seminars and workshops Welcome to all the experts on Disruptive Behaviour Disorders in children and adolescents who wish to join our group!