Anxiety clinic, first in the region, projects to open winter quarter

Research has proven that social anxiety does not discriminate. Studies estimate that at least one in 10 people experience social anxiety in their lifetime, and that six in 100 people are experiencing this type of anxiety at any given time."[Social Anxiety] is highly prevalent compared to some of the other psychological disorders, and it is actually the fourth most common disorder that is diagnosed," said Dr. Justin Weeks, assistant professor of psychology at Ohio University and founder of OU's Center for Evaluation and Treatment of Anxiety (CETA).

CETA, which is scheduled to open winter quarter, is the first of its kind in the region. Weeks said the main mission of the clinic will be to provide psychological counseling services to individuals who are experiencing difficulties with anxiety in general, but that the facility will focus on social anxieties.

"We would be open to anybody in the community who is interested to receive services," said Weeks. "And we would probably operate on a sliding-fee scale The rates for service would be comparable to what our internal department clinic, the Psychology and Social Work Clinic, offers, which is very affordable."

With many Americans unable to afford or obtain health insurance, Weeks assured that no patient will need a referral from a practitioner, and nominal fees will mainly apply to traditional practices.

"My expectation is that we will provide a mixture of treatments that have become established, which would be ones we would charge those nominal fees for," stated Weeks. "We may also offer some treatments that are more experimental in nature and more informed by our ongoing research. In those cases, we would offer those services for free because it would be in the context of a clinical trial research."

In contemporary treatments, such as exposure therapy, individuals who experience social anxiety would engage in exposures that arise in some kind of social context. Weeks stated that these situations can be simulated in the clinic, using graduate and undergraduate clinic staff to act out the intimidating situation.

However, the director noted that using his research, which takes an innovative look at both negative and positive evaluation, he will also craft treatments that alleviate social anxiety caused by both stressors.

"Historically, the focus on social anxiety has been on this fear of negative evaluation," he said. "If someone says they are socially anxious, they usually say they are going to do something wrong, or make a fool of themselves, from their own perception."

Weeks said he initiated research into the possibility that anxiety might be caused by any sort of evaluation, positive or negative.

"We started to do research on a concept called fear of positive evaluation, and that focuses specially on positive social feedback. We found that the more socially anxious you are, the more you fear positive evaluation as well as negative."

This is something of a new approach, according to Weeks. "We view it as an entire domain of fear that has not been extensively studied for social anxiety," he said.

Along with Weeks, OU clinical psychology graduate students, who are therapists and clinical researchers pursuing their doctorates, will be delivering clinical services to patients and conducting research during their assistantship.

"One of the projects I am working on is called the Physio Study, which is kind of a new way to approach the treatment of social anxiety disorder," said Andrew R. Menatti, an OU graduate student. "But my involvement in it stemmed from Dr. Weeks. He asked me to come to some meetings, and it really piqued my interest, so I decided to stay involved."

Even though graduate students may be involved in similar studies at CETA, their roles in setting treatments, conducting research, and overseeing studies varies among each individual.

"A lot of us are at different points in our training, and so based on where you are, you are able to take on different roles," said Alison R. Reilly, OU graduate student and clinician. "I'm a second-year [student], while Andrew is a first-year, so I'm able to take a more of a clinician role in some of the studies that we're running because I am seeing clients now."

However, undergraduates will also be involved in various capacities, such as role-playing or other administrative aspects. "Getting undergraduates involved in research is something that is really encouraged," said Weeks. "It is of benefit in applying to graduate programs to have research experience, so we do cater to that with our undergrads."

Weeks stated that CETA hopes to provide patients with resources to cope with their anxieties and provide them with methods to reduce symptoms and help them feel more comfortable in whatever situations they are troubled by.

"Socializing is such a core element of all our experiences, so if someone is really experiencing problems in the social domain, they are constantly faced with them and it's a highly treatable problem," added Weeks. "Research suggests that three fourths of people who experience problems with it can be treated successfully even without medication, but by taking part in the kinds of therapeutic services the clinic plans to offer."

OU's Center for Evaluation and Treatment of Anxiety can be found on the ground floor of Porter Hall in suite 054. Go to Weeks' departmental website at www.ohioupsychology.com/Faculty.php?p=47 or call 740-597-3299 if you would like to find out more information about the clinic and its mission, or want to be involved in ongoing clinical research studies.