Metacognitive Therapy for Anxiety and Depression

This groundbreaking book explains the "whats" and "how-tos" of metacognitive therapy (MCT), a cutting-edge form of cognitive-behavioral therapy with a growing empirical evidence base. MCT developer Adrian Wells shows that much psychological distress results from how a person responds to negative thoughts and beliefs -for example, by ruminating or worrying -rather than the content of those thoughts. He presents innovative, practical techniques and specific protocols for addressing metacognitive processes to effectively treat generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and major depression. Special features include reproducible treatment plans and assessment and case formulation tools, plus a wealth of illustrative case material.

Adrian Wells, PhD, is Professor of Clinical and Experimental Psychopathology at the University of Manchester, United Kingdom, and Professor II in Clinical Psychology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. He is internationally known for his contributions to understanding psychopathological mechanisms and advancing cognitive-behavioral therapy, particularly for anxiety disorders. The originator of metacognitive therapy, Dr. Wells has published over 130 scientific papers, chapters, and books. He is Associate Editor of the journals Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy and Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and is a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. Dr. Wells is a founder and director of the Metacognitive Therapy Institute and a patron of the charity Anxiety UK.

1. Theory and Nature of Metacognitive Therapy 2. Assessment 3. Foundation Metacognitive Therapy Skills 4. Attention Training Techniques 5. Detached Mindfulness Techniques 6. Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder 8. Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder 9. Major Depressive Disorder 10. The Evidence for Metacognitive Theory and Therapy 11. Concluding Thoughts Appendices 1. Metacognitions Questionnaire 30 (MCQ-30) 2. Meta-Worry Questionnaire (MWQ) 3. Thought Fusion Instrument (TFI) 4. Attention Training Technique Summary Sheet 5. Self-Attention Rating Scale 6. CAS-1 7. Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale—Revised (GADS-R) 8. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Scale (PTSD-S) 9. Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder Scale (OCD-S) 10. Major Depressive Disorder Scale (MDD-S) 11. GAD Case Formulation Interview 12. PTSD Case Formulation Interview 13. OCD Case Formulation Interview 14. Depression Case Formulation Interview 15. GAD Treatment Plan 16. PTSD Treatment Plan 17. OCD Treatment Plan 18. Depression Treatment Plan 19. New Plan Summary Sheet