The Transdiagnostic Processes handout helps clinicians and clients understand core processes that contribute to prolonged distress.
Offers theory, guidance, and prompts for mental health professionals. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
Includes client-friendly guidance. Downloads are in Fillable PDF format where appropriate.
An editable Microsoft PowerPoint version of the resource.
A ‘transdiagnostic process’ refers to a mechanism that is observable across various psychological disorders. These processes can include cognitive or behavioral patterns. The Transdiagnostic Processes handout is specifically designed to assist clinicians and their clients in identifying and understanding these core psychological mechanisms that may be perpetuating distress. By utilizing this worksheet, both parties can collaboratively explore the underlying factors that contribute to the client’s experience, which can often lead to more effective therapeutic strategies.
Understanding transdiagnostic processes can help therapists and clients:
Addresses overgeneralized memory and rumination.
Highlights the impact of biased attention and avoidance behaviors.
Explores distorted thinking and self-criticism.
Introduce the concept of transdiagnostic processes.
Highlight transdiagnostic processes that might be relevant to the client.
Use the resource to explain these processes to clients.
Explore how the client experiences each process.
Implement interventions targeting these processes to facilitate change.
Rather than thinking of mental health diagnoses as separate ‘disease entities’ there is increasing awareness that common ‘processes’ or ‘mechanisms’, which underpin or act to maintain client problems, operate across disorders (Harvey et al, 2004). A ‘transdiagnostic process’ is the label given to a mechanism which is present across disorders, and which is either a risk factor or a maintaining factor for the disorder. Transdiagnostic processes are found in the domains of attention, memory/imagery, thinking, reasoning, and behavior. They can helpfully be thought of as the ‘building blocks’ which underpin disorders. Examples of transdiagnostic processes include: the experience of ‘intrusive memories’ which are common to diverse conditions including depression, anxiety, PTSD, and eating disorders (Brewin et al, 2010); or ‘repetitive negative thinking’ which is a feature of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) in the form of worry and depression in the form of ruminative thinking.
Empirically supported therapies all include interventions which target the processes maintaining a disorder: for example treatment for panic targets catastrophic misinterpretations of body sensations, and treatment for PTSD targets the experience of involuntary memory. However, there there is a recognized need for clinicians to better understand the processes underlying dysfunction, and treatment strategies that target these processes (Hayes & Hoffman, 2018).
The Transdiagnostic Processes resource is designed to help clinicians and their clients to understand core processes which are operating to prolong distress.
