An Investigation Into Providing a Best Fit Solution for Generalized Anxiety Treatment for the Masses
Advisor: Ms. Jennifer Reyes and Ms. Molly House
Internship Location: Small Brooklyn Psychology
Onsite Mentor: Dr. Mandi White-Ajmani
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is a condition that individuals who struggle with symptoms of worry, trouble concentrating, and restlessness may exhibit. However, there is the potential for change—a journey allowing people to see that GAD doesn’t have to dictate a person's story but instead can be used as a source of strength. I will be working at Small Brooklyn Psychology, a place that will help me gain a better understanding of GAD. Through this project, I plan to ascertain, based on data collected through questionnaires, how various psychological professionals feel about GAD, its diagnosis, and its treatments. Current GAD treatment ranges from highly clinical, including pharmaceuticals and other interventions, to more wellness- and mindfulness-centered home practices. With this in mind, I plan to also analyze systematic reviews or meta-analyses to establish a concrete definition of various forms of treatment, to discuss the topic on a set basis, and to give a better understanding to my audience. By the end of this project, I hope to not only understand what these varying treatments are but also how best they can be used to treat GAD in differing groups of individuals. Reconciling these data sets (types of treatment, optimal course of treatment, and accessibility) will lead to addressing the overarching theme of my research: I want to show that GAD doesn't have to be completely debilitating and can instead become a motivating tool for individuals to become better versions of themselves and provide greater access to empathy for the human experience.
Project Blog
Week 0: Senior Project Introduction
Hello! My name is Avi Lockner and I have attended Basis Independent Brooklyn since 5th grade. For my senior project, I will be exploring various forms of treatment, such as Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and how best they can be used to treat Generalized Anxiety Disorder among those aged 14–17. I was initially drawn to this topic due to the pressing nature of GAD. This is underscored by the National Institute of Health, which reported that an estimated 2.2% of adolescents suffer from this mental illness. Having also struggled with GAD, I hope to bring awareness and diminish associated stigmas. Moreover, I have supported others in their struggles, whether among peers or on professional platforms, yet the desire to conduct research has always been a passion of mine. The question remains: what can be used to help someone struggling with GAD? I hope that by the end of this project, I will have a wide variety of answers that all can use, no matter their social, economic, or ethnic background. For more information on my Senior Project, you can view details here! Thank you for taking the time to read my first blog post. Be on the lookout for updates!
Week 1: Getting down to the basics
Welcome back to my senior project blog! While I am still attempting to acquire an on-site advisor, I began doing some independent research. I began by analyzing initial information on Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). I did so to gain a clear definition of what GAD is and base my findings and discussion on the said definition. I achieved a concrete definition by sifting through various reputable articles, such as those from the Mayo Clinic and the National Institute of Health. After I found a definition, I began researching two things: what separates GAD from other anxiety disorders, and what are the most common symptoms of GAD. I believe that this has increased my understanding and knowledge of the matter, influencing my further research.
After I analyzed GAD itself, I began reading the research article titled “Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults: Management.” This article includes an abundance of resources, including various articles that delve deeper into GAD’s relationship with other disorders as well as treatment solutions, specifically pharmacotherapy and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). So far, I have found insightful ideas surrounding when to use pharmacology, specifically SSRIs, and when to use CBT. There is an important distinction, as it primarily depends on the patient and their preferences.
In the coming weeks, I will finalize my on-site placement, begin interviewing mental health professionals, draft a questionnaire for public opinions, and finish reading "Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults: Management." Thank you for reading my blog, and stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks!
Source:
Craske, M., & Bystritsky, A. (2023, July 5). UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/generalized-anxiety-disorder-in-adults-management
Week 2: Enhancing my Understanding
Hello again! This week was a huge step in the right direction for my research. I finalized my questionnaire, which I plan to roll out in the coming days. This questionnaire will be published on social media, where I hope to gain a more adequate understanding of the general public’s opinions. In the questionnaire, I cover a multitude of different topics, ranging from opinions on mental health and therapy to understanding what one’s opinions are on the current limitations of therapy. I hope to learn more about what those my age and older think about the current status of mental health in the world. This will allow me to better understand what potential shortcomings I can research to hopefully provide adequate solutions to said issues.
Along with finishing the questionnaire, I also finished reading the article “Generalized Anxiety Disorder in Adults: Management.” Last week, I learned about the basics of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and selective selective selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This week, I learned more details about those therapeutic techniques. Some of the information I found most interesting and useful were the specific ways to begin treatment; however, it is important to understand that it depends on the individual. Some individuals may begin with SRIs (serotonin reuptake inhibitors), while others may decide to try CBT first. It is important to note that the primary objective when treating GAD is to reduce the symptoms, thereby improving functioning. This means that those with mild GAD, where symptoms don’t necessarily prevent or interfere with daily functioning, may initially forgo treatment. Also, it is important to know that both CBT and pharmacotherapy are viable options for treatment, so it is primarily up to the patient to decide which to try first.
In the coming weeks, I plan to investigate currently implemented and developing diagnostic tests in GAD, such as GAD-7, which will consist of noting the context of the test (clinical setting). Hospital? Sample? etc.), defining the study population employed in the articles, examining varying populations that exhibit or are covered in the study, and sending out the questionnaire to the public! Thank you so much for reading my blog, and stay tuned for more updates in the coming weeks!
Source:
Craske, M., & Bystritsky, A. (2023, July 5). UpToDate. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/generalized-anxiety-disorder-in-adults-management
Week 3: Learning the Methodology
Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog! My third week was a huge success! I am happy to finally say that I will be doing my onsite section of the project at Small Brooklyn Psychology. This has taken a long time, so I am glad to have finally secured this placement. I have also made significant progress in my independent research.
First off, I read the article “The GAD-7 Questionnaire” along with “Psychometric Properties of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) in Outpatients with Anxiety and Mood Disorders.” Both of these documents enhanced my understanding of the GAD-7. The most important topics covered were what the GAD-7 is, which I can explain as a self-report questionnaire designed to assess a patient's mental health status based on the previous 2 weeks. Below is an image of the questionnaire:
As you can see, when taking the questionnaire, you give each category a number from 0 to 3. Your scores are then totaled and presented from 0 to 21. Scores of 5, 10, and 15 represent individual cut-off points for mild, moderate, and severe anxiety. Further evaluation is recommended for scores of 10 or greater when screening for the disorder. 1
It is proven to be quite reliable as a resource to evaluate if someone is struggling with GAD or even with other anxiety disorders. Along with enhancing my learning about the GAD-7, I learned about the ICD-10 as well. Essentially, the ICD-10 provides diagnostic criteria for mental illnesses and is often used with the DSM-V to characterize what someone is struggling with.
Lastly, I have begun rolling out my questionnaire to the general public. I am happy to report that I have already gotten a variety of responses, ranging from individuals who are well-versed in the field to even those who are hearing about words like cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for the first time. As I wait for more people to answer the questionnaire, I will begin aggregating the responses to find a common idea thus far.
Over the next week, I will investigate the statistics for test accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, false positive rates, false negative rates, test accuracy rate) among the GAD-7 questionnaire and the ICD-10, finish reading “Current theoretical models of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): Conceptual Review and Treatment Implications,” and I will hopefully begin my onsite placement. Thank you for reading my blog, and I will update you all next week!
Citations:
1: Nerys Williams, The GAD-7 Questionnaire, Occupational Medicine, Volume 64, Issue 3, April 2014, Page 224, https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqt161
2: Rutter, L. A., & Brown, T. A. (2017). Psychometric Properties of the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) in Outpatients with Anxiety and Mood Disorders. Journal of psychopathology and behavioral assessment, 39(1), 140–146. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10862-016-9571-9 Nerys Williams, The GAD-7 Questionnaire, Occupational Medicine, Volume 64, Issue 3, April 2014, Page 224, https://doi.org/10.1093/occmed/kqt161.
Link for photo: https://therapymeetsnumbers.com/made-to-measure-gad-7/
Week 4: Public Opinions
Welcome back to my blog! This past week was hectic with college-related travel. I didn’t have as much time to work on my project as I would have liked. With this said, I still made significant progress. As I stated last week, I planned to investigate the statistics for test accuracy (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, false positive rates, false negative rates, test accuracy rate) of the GAD-7. I also began to aggregate the information I found on my Google Form, which I sent out to the public.
I started by defining key test accuracy metrics. Through the article “Foundational Statistical Principles in Medical Research: Sensitivity, Specificity, Positive Predictive Value, and Negative Predictive Value,” I was able to find a definition for sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, FPR, FNR, and general test accuracy rates. With this information, I am now able to evaluate the effectiveness of the GAD-7 scale, compare the test accuracy of the GAD-7 with other assessment tools used for diagnosing anxiety disorders, and further expand my understanding of test accuracy metrics.
As stated last week, I began rolling out my questionnaire to the general public. I did so through multiple social media sources, as I believed this would give me a better sense of the general public. So far, I have conjured up roughly 20 responses, with the general age range being 14–21 and the gender ratio slightly more male than female. Overall, my findings were quite insightful, as I was able to gain a better understanding of what the average person knows about mental health. In this questionnaire, I ask questions such as, “What are some common misconceptions you believe people have about mental health?” and “What are some limitations you might think therapy has?” There were quite a variety of responses, as a few individuals discussed a possible limitation being that the patient could lie or simply not feel comfortable sharing everything. Responses like these allow me to understand how I can specifically tailor my conclusions to the general public.
Over the next week, I plan on beginning to read “Current Theoretical Models of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Conceptual Review and Treatment Implications,” start interviewing individuals, and garner more responses on my questionnaire. Thank you all for reading my blog, and I will update you all next week!
Week 5: Theoretical Models of GAD
This week I read the article “Current Theoretical Models of Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Conceptual Review and Treatment Implications.” This article goes in-depth about the five models of GAD, which are the Avoidance Model of Worry and GAD, the Intolerance of Uncertainty Model, the Metacognitive Model, the Emotion Dysregulation Model, and the Acceptance-Based Model of Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Each of these models provides differing perspectives on understanding and treating GAD. Each of the models provides further insight into the differing aspects of GAD.
The avoidance model suggests that people with GAD tend to worry about avoiding vivid mental images and the emotional responses that come from the images. By blocking these reactions, people further prevent themselves from fully processing their feelings and overcoming their fears. Treatment based on this model includes relaxation techniques and self-monitoring.
The Intolerance of Uncertainty model suggests that individuals with GAD tend to find uncertain situations stressful. This tends to lead these individuals to experience chronic worry in response. These individuals tend to believe that worrying will help them cope with or prevent those events from occurring in the first place. The key to treating based on this model is evaluating worry beliefs and processing core fears.
The metacognitive model is about two types of worry: type 1 worry is about non-cognitive events, and type 2 worry is about the process of worrying itself, so essentially worrying about worry. Treatments based on the model include discussing the fear behind the worry.
The Emotion Dysregulation Model comes from the role of regulating emotional states. This model consists of four central components: emotional hyperarousal, poor understanding of emotions, negative attitudes about emotions more than others, and maladaptive emotion regulation. Treatment can include emotional regulation therapy (ERT) combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) techniques and methods to enhance one’s emotional awareness.
The acceptance-based model focuses on problematic relationships with internal experiences, experiential avoidance, and behavioral restriction. Treatment includes acceptance-based behavioral therapy (ABBT), which contains psychoeducation, mindfulness, and behavior change exercises.
All five of these models help provide insight into understanding GAD. Each model can be used to delve deeper into understanding a singular symptom of GAD. It is also important to note that these models can complement each other, and an integrated approach can offer a more effective treatment.
Next week, I plan to start my on-site placement at Small Brooklyn Psychology with Dr. White-Ajmani. I will also begin reading “Meditative Therapies for Reducing Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials." Next week, I plan on interviewing more individuals, such as psychiatrists, which will hopefully improve my understanding of therapeutic techniques used to treat GAD. Finally, I will hopefully garner more responses to my questionnaire. Thank you for reading my blog, and I will update you all next week!
Citation:
Behar, E., DiMarco, I. D., Hekler, E. B., Mohlman, J., & Staples, A. M. (2009). Current theoretical models of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): conceptual review and treatment implications. Journal of anxiety disorders, 23(8), 1011–1023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.janxdis.2009.07.006
Week 6: Understanding Meditation
Hello everyone! This week I was able to finally start my on-site placement at Small Brooklyn Psychology with Dr. Mandi White-Ajmani. I was also able to read the article “Meditative Therapies for Reducing Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials” and garner more responses to my questionnaire.
First off, my experience with Dr. White-Ajmani was wonderful! I met her at her office, where I met some of the lovely team. Then I was introduced to what each of the staff does and what my future there might look like. Then I was lucky enough to travel to Basis Independent Brooklyn, where Dr. White-Ajmani gave a talk to the AP Psychology students about neuropsychology. I learned quite a lot during this, and if this is a prelude to the knowledge I will gain interning for her, I am certain I will gain a vast array of knowledge by the end.
As I said, I also read the article “Meditative Therapies for Reducing Anxiety: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” This article was quite insightful on the practice of meditation. I was initially interested in practices such as meditation due to its being a therapeutic practice that requires little to no outside help or monetary investment. Meditation is hopefully a resource that those who don’t have the means to access a therapist or simply don’t have the support of their peers can use to help control their anxiety. Through reading the article, I learned that meditation is to help an individual achieve inner peace. Some studies have shown the positive effects of meditation on one's physical and psychological health. Meditation can be used to replace a fear-based response with one that is less anxiety-inducing, hopefully reducing anxiety over time. Lastly, the article provided that meditative therapies were found to be as effective as other alternative therapies such as exercise and music therapy.
In regards to my questionnaire, I have gained a few more responses, with the findings being quite similar to the weeks prior.
Next week, I plan to learn more at Small Brooklyn Psychology with Dr. White-Ajmani and begin interviewing the staff on their varying beliefs on therapeutic techniques such as DBT and CBT. I will also begin researching the potential downsides of various GAD treatments and read the article “Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as an Unsuccessful Search for Safety." Finally, I will hopefully garner more responses to my questionnaire. Thank you for reading my blog, and I will update you all next week!
Citation:
Chen, K. W., Berger, C. C., Manheimer, E., Forde, D., Magidson, J., Dachman, L., & Lejuez, C. W. (2012). Meditative therapies for reducing anxiety: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Depression and anxiety, 29(7), 545–562. https://doi.org/10.1002/da.21964
Week 7: Beginning my Onsight Placement
Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog! This week was one of my most successful and productive thus far. I began conducting my interviews with professionals in the space, watched videos that Small Brooklyn Psychology provided, watched a TED Talk giving more in-depth information on parent involvement in anxiety, and learned how to grade certain tests given out by neuropsychologists.
I want to highlight the insightful conversations that I was able to have with the mental health professionals. This past week, I interviewed four therapists and one neuropsychologist. For some context, each of the mental health professionals has a very strong background and tends to work with those ages 7–18. Each therapist communicated their differing approaches, with some focusing more on DBT, others focusing more on CBT, and some working with a combination of the two. In terms of treatment for GAD, CBT is more of the primary focus, but DBT is still used in conjunction. While interviewing, I also learned of other treatment methods, such as ACT (acceptance-based therapy). It is also common practice to keep the parents involved, as it allows the therapist to make sure that the client is both using their skills at home and that the parents are creating a healthy living environment for the patient.
As I stated, I also watched two videos, each an hour long, that were provided by my onsite placement at Small Brooklyn Psychology. The videos, “The ABCs of Evidence-Based Therapy (EBT)” and “Managing Kids' Distress... and Yours,” each cover different forms of therapy. As I learned, EBT can be categorized as focusing on varying psychological approaches and techniques that are supported by scientific research. The second video goes more in-depth on DBT. It dives into the parent’s role, such as overprotection, where the parent may reinforce a child’s avoidance of uncomfortable situations, which leads to the inhibition of age-appropriate independence. This is an issue as it causes the child to never feel the need to overcome the anxiety. The video also delves into the different distress tolerance skills in DBT, such as the TIPP (Temperature, Intense Exercise, Paced Breathing, Progressive Muscle Relaxation) skills, which help to manage anxiety and distraction with ACCEPTS (Activities, Contributing, Comparisons, Emotions, Pushing Away, Thoughts, and Sensations), which help the individuals distract themselves if they are in a moment of crisis.
The TED Talk that I watched, titled “Rethinking Treatment for Child Anxiety and OCD” by Dr. Eli Lebowitz, covered the parent’s impact on the child's anxiety. He discusses how, even though parents are hardwired to respond to their children when they are in distress, it is important that the parents tell their children they understand that they are struggling but are sure they can overcome it on their own. This allows the parent to become a supporter instead of a rescuer. Dr. Lebowitz then discusses the SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) treatment. It is important as it allows the child to manage and learn to cope with their anxious emotions on their own, which gives them a sense of independence, which is vital for kids.
Lastly, I began learning the process of grading the ASRS treatment assessment. This will simply allow me to be more involved in the practice and gain an understanding of what neuropsychologists do for their job.
Next week, I plan to continue interviewing the staff, following the questionnaire I used last week. I will also begin researching the potential downsides of various GAD treatments and read the article “Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as an Unsuccessful Search for Safety." Finally, I will hopefully garner more responses to my questionnaire. Thank you for reading my blog, and I will update you all next week!
Week 8: An Unsuccessful Search for Safety
Hello, and welcome back to my blog! This week I continued my on-site work at Small Brooklyn Psychology, interviewing more therapists and neuropsychologists. I was also able to read “Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as an Unsuccessful Search for Safety," which gave me a better understanding of treatment for GAD. Lastly, I researched the causes of GAD while also gathering information on the potential downsides of treatments such as dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT).
Firstly, I want to give a summary of the numerous conversations that I was able to have with mental health professionals. This past week, I interviewed two therapists and one neuropsychologist. As I stated in my last blog, each of the mental health professionals has a very strong background and tends to work with those ages 7–18. When interviewing the neuropsychologist, I learned a lot about the process of diagnosing GAD, which is essentially centered around a 250-question assessment and an interview with both the patient and their parents. This then allows the neuropsychologist to diagnose if the patient is struggling with GAD, and if they are, they will be referred to either a therapist or a psychiatrist, depending on the severity of the diagnosis and the associated symptoms. Interviewing the therapists also gave me a lot of insightful information. Both therapists, similar to those last week, stated that using a combination of DBT and CBT is suggested when treating GAD. With this said one of the therapists primarily uses DBT, as his training was primarily DBT, but still works in CBT with nearly all his patients. I also learned the importance of parental involvement. Both therapists schedule monthly meetings with parents to make sure that the environment at home changes along with the skills the patient learns to ensure that the child is changing positively. Lastly, I asked the therapists about their ideas on having more accessibility for those who can’t afford private practice therapy, and they stated that there should be more accessibility in schools, free workshops for parents, especially for immigrant families, and DBT workbooks.
Secondly, I read the article “Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) as an Unsuccessful Search for Safety." This article provided insight into the complexity of GAD, as it demonstrates how people unsuccessfully try to cope with the symptoms of GAD. People with GAD are highly sensitive, particularly to potential threats, and experience a range of issues, largely due to an insufficiency of safety signals. This lack of safety leads to one’s anxiety persisting over time, causing the individual to remain in a state of worry. The article emphasizes that without reliable safety signals, those with GAD tend to overestimate potential threats and struggle with maintaining a sense of safety. As a result, they engage in avoidance behaviors and frantic searching, often without relief. While the safety perspective provides valuable insights into managing GAD, it also acknowledges certain limitations within the safety signal model itself.
I also researched the causes of GAD. There is no clear-cut answer to what primarily causes GAD. Some will say it is more environmental-based, meaning how one is brought up in a home. If a child is surrounded by anxious parents, they will likely develop anxiety. Some will also say it's more genetic-based, so if someone's parent has GAD, then the child will likely have GAD. In my opinion, and that of other neuropsychologists, it is a combination of both. I believe this to be the case because if a child has a stressful upbringing, like child abuse or bullying, they are going to be more susceptible to developing an anxiety disorder. On the other hand, individuals may inherit a predisposition to anxiety from close relatives. The combination of genetics and environment suggests that each person's experience with GAD is unique, and this remains the same for treatment approaches that address both inherited predispositions and learned behaviors.
Lastly, I researched the potential downsides of treatments such as dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Some of the most common downsides I found were cost, race, age, and parent-child cooperation. The cost of receiving these treatments, especially in private practice, requires a decent amount of money. This is due to high demand as well as the fact that the fact that insurance is not always allowed in private practices. In terms of race, these evidence-based treatments were not utilized on individuals such as black individuals, and there is a noticeable cultural difference in understanding or believing in therapy. For age, some younger individuals find it harder to comprehend practices in both CBT and DBT, and this requires the therapist to adapt quite frequently. Lastly, cooperation can be an issue, as some parents give in to their kids too easily. This causes the kids to not get better, as the accommodation is rewarding the behavior.
Next week, I plan to finish interviewing the staff. I will also begin to write my final paper for the project. Finally, I will hopefully garner more responses to my questionnaire. Thank you for reading my blog, and I will update you all next week!
Sources:
Butler, G., Carroll, J. S., Craske, M., Jacobs, W. J., Rachman, S., Rapee, R., Salkovskis, P., Sartory, G., Steketee, G. S., Association, A. P., Barlow, D., & Beck, A. T. (2002, May 29). Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) as an unsuccessful search for safety. Clinical Psychology Review. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/027273589490040X
Week 9: Wrapping up
Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog! Week 9 was not as eventful as most, as I spent some of the week traveling. With this said, when I was able to go to my onsite, I finished up my interviews and began writing my final paper for the project.
Firstly, I want to give a summary of the two conversations that I was able to have with mental health professionals. This past week, I interviewed two therapists. As I stated in my last blog, each of the mental health professionals has a solid background and tends to work with those ages 7–18. The first person I interviewed was Ben Johnides, a licensed clinical psychologist. From our conversation, I gathered that he prefers DBT over CBT, finding it more versatile and applicable across various issues. He believes GAD is both environmentally and genetically influenced and sees similarities between GAD and OCD regarding beliefs about controlling outcomes through behaviors. In his therapy, he tries to incorporate family involvement and emphasizes the importance of creative approaches for treatment-resistant patients. The next individual I interviewed was Maddy Lawler, a licensed clinical social worker. She specializes in treating children with anxiety, ADHD, and disruptive behaviors, using primarily CBT but incorporating DBT as needed. Lawler favors a short-term, skills-based approach and believes GAD has both environmental and genetic causes. She often works directly with parents of younger children and identifies patient non-compliance with skill practice as a major challenge. Lawler recommends supplementary resources like the Calm and Headspace apps, as well as mindfulness videos on YouTube, to enhance treatment accessibility.
As I also stated, I began working on my final paper for this project. I have begun writing about the various approaches to treating generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and have delved deeply into the various therapeutic options available. By examining dialectical-behavioral therapy (DBT), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), and psychopharmacological treatments such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs), I aim to provide a comprehensive overview of the most effective strategies for alleviating GAD symptoms. In my research, I have found that combining multiple therapeutic models, including acceptance-based and emotion-regulation techniques, can significantly enhance treatment outcomes. Furthermore, I discuss the importance of personalized treatment plans, as the complexity of GAD often requires tailored interventions that consider the unique experiences and needs of each individual. Through this paper, I hope to contribute to the broader conversation about mental health treatment and advocate for more inclusive and accessible care options for adolescents struggling with anxiety.
Next week, I plan to continue writing my final paper for the project and continue to garner more responses to my questionnaire. Thank you for reading my blog, and I will update you all next week!
Week 10: Wrapping up
Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog post! This past week, I have continued my onsite placement, continued working on my deliverable, and began working on the final presentation that I will present to the Basis Independent Brooklyn community.
Compiling all the data I have gotten thus far has been my only major challenge when writing my final paper. Combining the 35 individuals who completed my online questionnaire, the eight interviews with clinical psychologists and neuropsychologists, and the extensive research from articles, literature reviews, and psychological texts has been quite the doozy. However, rereading all the material has made me feel fulfilled, as I truly believe I have gotten an adequate amount of information. I hope this information will allow me to attempt to answer my research question of what the best sources of treatment for generalized anxiety disorder are.
Working on the presentation has been much easier, as I am pulling the information and outline from my paper. Through my presentation, I want to make sure that my audience can adequately understand all the topics I am covering. I have also begun working on a brochure that contains the GAD-7 questionnaire, a cheat sheet with a bunch of definitions and simplified wording that I will be discussing, along ways people can receive treatment no matter their situation.
Thank you all to those who have been following this long journey, and I look forward to sharing my information with my community. See you all for my last blog post soon!
Post 12: Concluding Blog Post
Hello everyone, and welcome back to my blog! My senior project is slowly coming to a close, so I spent this week wrapping up my internship, deliverable, and presentation.
I had to say goodbye to my on-site internship this week, which was bittersweet. My internship threw a going away party for an LCSW who works there, another individual who works there, and me. We did a potluck-type lunch and ended it by seeing some songs. The LCSW who was leaving is a singer who plays guitar well. I truly appreciate everyone involved in getting me the placement in the first place and everyone who works there, especially my on-site advisor, Dr. Mandi White-Ajmani. I will forever be grateful for this invaluable experience. I learned the level of care that therapists bring to each patient. I learned how therapists adapt to differing situations when distributing treatments to their patients. Most of all, I learned that therapists are some of the nicest, most empathetic, and most caring individuals you and I will ever meet. I could see myself working in this environment, so thank you to everyone at Small Brooklyn Psychology!
My deliverable has been finalized, and I have submitted it to my excellent advisors, Ms. Jennifer Reyes and Ms. Molly House. I want to thank these two outstanding individuals for their continued support!
Lastly, my presentation went seamlessly. I presented to a kind crowd that was genuinely interested in what I had to say. So thank you to all who came!
Thank you all for going on this ten-week journey with me. I have attached my final presentation slides and deliverable below! This is Avi, signing off.
Link to deliverable: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fl2bgEgdoyJSGFPCW5850hgcBiv2HQdDs0L-JU1lAOU/edit?usp=sharing
Link to final presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1DxOSmW7maiIG7kjWnk-FAavqSXpBTaUKzWe8R-aUuiM/edit?usp=sharing