Webinar

Early recognition, assessment and diagnosis is important for good management and contributes to speedier treatment and improvement in the lives of people with anxiety disorders. 

Psychological treatment has a key role to play in the management of anxiety disorders, and a collaborative approach between health professionals can result in increased engagement and persistence with treatment, and better outcomes for the patient.

This one-hour webinar features a panel of experts in discussion. Content covered includes:

• Recognition and assessment of anxiety symptoms, including impact and severity, to assist in appropriate management and referral.
• Evidence-based psychological treatments such as cognitive behavioural therapy, and their role for people with anxiety.
• How to engage people with anxiety in psychological treatments and discuss realistic expectations about treatment.
• When medicines may be indicated and how they may be used with psychological treatment. 

Reading & resources

• Anxiety webinar slides
• Craske & Stein. Anxiety. Lancet 2016;388:3048-59.
• RANZCP clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and generalised anxiety disorder 
• APS evidence-based psychological interventions in the treatment of mental disorders: a literature review
• NPS MedicineWise News – Psychological treatment for anxiety disorders: the elements for individualising treatment
• Orman & O’dea. E-therapy in primary care mental health. AJGP 2018; 47(4). 
• NPS MedicineWise web content for discussion with consumers
• NPS MedicineWise Patient Decision Aid – Treating anxiety disorders: what are the options?
• GPMHSC practice guide: communication between medical and mental health professionals 

Meet the panel

The management of anxiety disorders calls for a holistic and collaborative approach between the patient, their GP and other health professionals. For this webinar we have brought together a panel that includes a GP, a psychiatrist and a psychologist.

Dr Jeannie Yoo webinar facilitator
Jeannie Yoo is a GP and medical advisor who brings a real-world GP perspective to NPS MedicineWise’s educational and primary care data activities. Before joining NPS MedicineWise, she combined her clinical work with roles in the digital health and medical publishing sectors. She has a strong interest in high quality clinical care, and the potential of innovation to improve healthcare outcomes. She remains active in general practice and has postgraduate qualifications in health ethics.

Associate Professor Lisa Lampe
Lisa Lampe is a Staff Specialist Psychiatrist and a member of the team providing postgraduate training for Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists (RANZCP) psychiatry trainees in the Hunter New England Local Health District. She is the academic Lead for Psychiatry in the School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Newcastle. Lisa is a member of the RANZCP Anxiety Disorders Working group, which produced the recent clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of adults with panic disorder, social anxiety disorder and generalised anxiety disorder. She has written several texts and self-help books on anxiety.

Associate Professor Louise Stone
Louise Stone is a GP and medical educator with a clinical, research, education and policy interest in mental health. Her PhD explored the way GPs assess and manage patients with medically unexplained symptoms. Louise is Specialist Lead (Rural and Remote Practice) for mental health at HETI Higher Education, and Clinical Associate Professor at the Academic Unit of General Practice at the Australian National University medical school.

Dr Sarah Edelman
Sarah Edelman is a clinical psychologist, best-selling author and presenter currently working in private practice and providing training for the Black Dog Institute, Australian Psychological Society and Sydney University Centre for Continuing Education. Sarah has previously worked as a researcher and lecturer at the Health Psychology Unit, University of Technology Sydney, has published journal articles and books on psychological approaches for consumers, and is a frequent guest on ABC radio.

By the end of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Identify people whose symptoms and history are suggestive of anxiety disorder(s).
• Discuss the impact of anxiety and provide psychoeducation to patients with anxiety.
• Describe key components of evidence-based psychological treatment for patients with anxiety.
• Recognise when it is appropriate to prescribe medicines and identify SSRIs as first line medicines for anxiety disorders.