Instructor: R.A. Kleinknecht

Office: MH 220

Phone: 650-3522

e-mail: knect@cc.wwu.edu

GOALS: The primary goal is to explore current knowledge and conceptions of the nature of fear and anxiety, its causes, forms, and treatments for it when it interferes with one’s functioning. Although this course is not designed to be a course in self-understanding or self-treatment, we can use our own personal experiences as a base for comparing and understanding these emotions in general and with research on the phenomenon.

TEXT: Mastering Anxiety: The nature and treatment of anxious conditions

Supplement: Manual
 
 

Date /                 Topics_______________________________________________

6/22     Orientation, assignments, specialized terminology and concepts.

        a. History and lexicons of the concepts

        b. Psychological, biological and socio-cultural aspects

       c. Anxiety/fear’s role in motivation and adaptation

        d. Cross cultural variations

        e. Definitions and components of the construct

6/23         Introduction to Anxiety disorders

        a. Overview of anxiety disorders

        b. Film overview of anxiety, its disorders and treatment

6/24         Assessment and measurement of anxiety

        a. Cognitive/emotional component of anxiety: tests, inventories and scales

        b. Physiologic component/autonomic nervous system (ANS) and its measurement

        c. Behavioral Avoidance Component

6/25         SPECIFIC PHOBIAS

        a. Specific Phobias, Description, diagnosis, theories and treatment principles

6/28         SOCIAL PHOBIA

        a. Social phobias, Description, diagnosis, theories, treatments

6/29-30     PANIC AND AGORAPHOBIA

        a. Panic disorder, description, diagnosis, theories, treatments – psychological and           pharmacological

        b. Agoraphobia, Description, diagnosis theories, treatments

7/1         POSTTRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER:

        a. description, diagnosis and treatments

7/2         OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

        a. description, diagnosis and treatments

            GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER,

        a.  description, diagnosis, treatment

7/6         Final Examination over text and lecture
           (50 multiple choise questions)

Grades will be based on the final exam (50%) and on the case report paper (50%).
 
 

The project for this class is to conduct and write up a case study describing an anxiety, fear, or phobic condition. In this case study you will describe, analyze, and discuss in detail the experiences of someone’s anxiety. In the case study you should incorporate as much material from this class (text and class material) as you reasonably apply. You should use the case studies in on reserve as models for ways to set and structure your case.

Who is the case?

The subject or "case" may be anyone from whom you can obtain sufficient information to fulfill the project and who gives you written permission to conduct the study with them. This person might be yourself, a family member, a friend, or someone you find in other ways. You should not identify the individual in the paper. In all cases, you must obtain the person’s permission before using their history and data. (I will provide informed consent forms for you.)
 
 

Description of the condition

Describe the nature of the condition being addressed. If it is a phobia, then tell us something about phobias in general. How defined, etc.

(Use no more than one or 2 pages, 10 points).

Description of Subject:

This section should describe important identifying characteristics of your subject such as age, gender, education, marital status, occupation and any other information that might be helpful to fully understand the person and the problem in his or her life situation.
(1 page, 5 points)

Description and Assessment of the Fear Experience:

Describe the characteristics of the fear or anxiety experience that the person has or had. Include all the symptoms, sensations, and the circumstances in which the experience occurs or occurred. Include evaluation of the experiences in each of the three modes or channels or anxiety expression: cognitive/emotional, behavioral, and psychophysiological.

Use specific assessments, tests and questionnaires or procedures described in class if possible. (If we have not discussed an assessment instrument in class that would fit your case, please see me and I might be able to find one.) Include all tests and the scores on those tests in your final report. You will not receive credit if you do not include copies of the tests and their scores.
(up to 4 pages, 10 points)

Possible Diagnosis:

Discuss whether or not a diagnosis is applicable. If it is not, why not? What additional symptoms or severity would be required for a diagnosis to be given? If a diagnosis might be appropriate, then describe what the diagnosis would be and why you think it would be appropriate. Justify how you reached your diagnosis, (i.e. defend your diagnosis). This must be done with the subject’s permission and preferably with his or her assistance.
(1 or 2 pages, 5 points)

Development/Acquisition

Describe how the condition developed. For example, if it is a phobic disorder, analyze and categorize according to whether it was due to conditioning, vicarious experiences, informational, or some other means or theory. Detail and document your information as best you can. There may be conditions or circumstances that you do not know or cannot get to fill in the necessary gaps. In such cases, discuss possibilities of what might have happened. If you do need to fill the blank holes with speculation, be sure to indicate what information is factual and what is speculation.
(1 or 2 pages, 10 points)

Treatment Program

Outline in considerable detail what treatment you would choose to help the person overcome the fear or anxiety problem and why that procedure would be chosen. Be as explicit as you can in your treatment plan and provide detailed procedures all the way through. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TREAT THE PERSON. THIS IS ONLY AN ACADEMIC EXERCISE.
(up to 5 pages, 10 points)
 

This paper should be started immediately even though we will not have covered all the appropriate information until the second week. Begin by gathering pieces of information, developing ideas and getting a format arranged into which other information can be inserted as it becomes available. You may want to read ahead in the book as well, especially for the treatment programs which we will not get into in any detail until the second week. Bring up questions in class.

Since 50 percent of your total grade is based on this paper, be sure to include as much information as possible to show me what you have learned over these two weeks. The purpose of the paper is to demonstrate your working knowledge of the topic.

PROJECT DUE: On or before July 16^th @ 4:30 pm.

LATE PAPERS: Late papers will be docked 1 letter grade each day they are late. (They must be handed in to a staff member in MH 220 or to me personally.)

OUTLINE OF OVERHEADS

    Phobias