School-Based Interventions for Anxious Children

• NCJ Number: 212071
• Journal: Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 44 Issue: 11 Dated: November 2005 Pages: 1118-1127
• Author(s): Gail A. Bernstein M.D.; Ann E. Layne Ph.D.; Elizabeth A. Egan Ph.D.; Dana M. Tennison M.A.
• Date Published: November 2005
• Length: 10 pages
• Grant Number(s): MH065369
• Sponsoring Agency: National Institute of Mental Health; Minnesota Medical Foundation; University of Minnesota Academic Health Ctr
• Publication Format: Article
• Publication Type: Report (Study/Research)
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This study compared the effectiveness of two school-based interventions for children with anxiety symptoms ("anxious children") with a no-treatment group.

Abstract

One intervention provided cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxious children, and another intervention conducted a parent training group in addition to a CBT group for children. A no-treatment control group was also included in the study. Students 7-11 years old (n=453) were screened with the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children and teacher assessment. Subsequently, 101 children identified with anxiety symptoms, along with their parents, completed the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV, Child Version. Children with symptoms or DSM-IV diagnoses of separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and/or social phobia (n=61) were randomly assigned by school to 1 of the 3 conditions. Active treatments were nine weekly sessions of either group CBT or group CBT plus simultaneous parent training. To test the primary hypothesis that participants receiving CBT would be significantly improved at posttreatment compared with children in the control group, participants in the two treatment groups were collapsed into one group and compared with the controls. When results indicated that the outcome for CBT participants was significantly better than outcomes for controls, treatment outcomes for the separate CBT groups were compared with the control group. Several instruments showed significantly greater improvements in child anxiety symptoms for the CBT group plus parent training compared with the group that had CBT alone. Longitudinal follow-up will determine whether the active interventions prevent the onset of new anxiety disorders in subthreshold participants. If this proves to be the case, then the interventions could be effectively used to prevent the onset of full-blown anxiety disorders. 3 tables and 31 references