Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents

Abstract

Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents: Workbook (UP-A) provides evidence-based treatment strategies to assist adolescent clients to function better in their lives. This treatment is designed for adolescents who are experiencing feelings of sadness, anxiety, worry, anger, or other emotions that get in the way of their ability to enjoy their lives and feel successful. The workbook is written for adolescents and guides them through each week of the program with education, activities, and examples that will help them to understand the role that emotions play in their behaviors every day. Adolescents are taught helpful strategies for dealing with uncomfortable emotions and will receive support in making choices that will move them closer to their long-term goals. The evidence-based treatment skills presented in the accompanying Therapist Guide may be applied by the therapist to adolescents with a wide variety of emotional disorders. The UP-A takes a transdiagnostic approach to the treatment of the emotional disorders. Some of the disorders that may be targeted include anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, specific phobias, panic disorder, illness anxiety disorder, agoraphobia) and depressive disorders (e.g., persistent depressive disorder, major depressive disorder). This treatment is flexible enough for use with some trauma and stress-related disorders (including adjustment disorders), somatic symptom disorders, tic disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The transdiagnostic presentation of evidence-based intervention techniques within these treatments may be particularly useful for adolescents presenting with multiple emotional disorders or mixed/subclinical symptoms of several emotional disorders.