The Matrix

A Guide to Delivering Evidence Based Psychological Therapies and Interventions in Scotland

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At a glance summary of Matrix topics

The topics are arranged into four categories. The traditional focus of the Matrix has been mental health difficulties, and this will remain the primary focus in the initial review.

  1. Mental Health Difficulties Across the Lifespan
  2. Populations requiring special considerations and adjustments
  3. Prevention and Early Intervention
  4. Psychological mechanisms
Mental health difficulties across the lifespan

Anxiety or fear related:

  • Generalised anxiety (GAD)
  • Panic (with or without agoraphobia)
  • Separation anxiety (SepAD)
  • Social anxiety
  • Specific phobia

Difficulties specifically associated with stress and trauma:

  • Adjustment disorder
  • Complex post traumatic Stress disorder (C-PTSD)
  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
  • Prolonged grief

Eating disorders:

  • Anorexia nervosa (AN)
  • Binge eating disorder (BED)
  • Bulimia nervosa (BN)

Mood disorders:

  • Bipolar disorder
  • Depression

Obsessive-compulsive or related disorders:

  • Body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)
  • Health anxiety

Personality disorders and related traits:

  • Borderline pattern 

Schizophrenia or Other Primary Psychotic Disorders:

  • Acute transient psychotic difficulties
  • Schizophrenia 

Sleep difficulties:

  • Insomnia 

Substance use:

  • Addictive behaviours including gambling and gaming
  • Alcohol, illegal and prescribed drugs
 

 

 
Psychological mechanisms

Anger:

 

Coping skills:

 

Emotional regulation:

 

Interpersonal difficulties:

 

Intolerance of uncertainty:

 

Perfectionism:

 

Self-esteem:

 

Shame:

 

Prevention and early intervention

Early intervention:

Exposure to traumatic Events:

Infant mental health:

Prevention of suicide:

Psychosis-acute and transient psychotic disorder:

 

 

 

Populations requiring special considerations and adjustments

Anger:

  • Anger related aggression
  • Anger in Intellectual disabilities

Autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people across the lifespan:

  • Delivering effective psychological therapies and interventions to autistic and otherwise neurodivergent people

Conditions specific to childhood:

  • Delivering effective psychological therapies and interventions to children and young people
  • Elimination disorders
  • Separation anxiety

Forensic populations:

  • Delivering effective psychological therapies and interventions to people with forensic difficulties
  • Impulsive behaviour
  • Serious violence
  • Sexual offending

Intellectual/Learning Disabilities:

  • Delivering effective psychological therapies and interventions to people with intellectual/Learning disabilities
  • Behaviours that challenge

Mental health difficulties in the Perinatal period:

  • Delivering effective psychological therapies and interventions to people in the perinatal period
  • Common mental health difficulties in the perinatal period

Neurocognitive disorders:

  • Delivering effective psychological therapies and interventions to people with neurocognitive difficulties
  • Acquired brain injury (ABI)
  • Dementia
  • Epilepsy
  • Mild neurocognitive disorder
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Stroke

Physical health:

  • Delivering effective psychological therapies and interventions to people with physical health difficulties
  • Cancer
  • Cardiovascular disease
  • Chronic pain
  • Diabetes
  • Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
  • Obesity
  • Respiratory conditions including asthma

 

The topic summaries for mental health difficulties take a lifespan approach and follow the diagnostic categories in ICD-11. They are not exhaustive but represent the most common diagnoses presenting to services.