Brief Behavioral Treatment for Anxiety in Young Children
| Status: | Active, not recruiting |
|---|---|
| Conditions: | Anxiety, Healthy Studies, Psychiatric, Psychiatric, Psychiatric |
| Therapuetic Areas: | Psychiatry / Psychology, Other |
| Healthy: | No |
| Age Range: | 3 - 7 |
| Updated: | 4/21/2016 |
| Start Date: | January 2014 |
| End Date: | August 2016 |
A Brief Behavioral Treatment for Anxiety in Young Children
Behaviorally and cognitive-behaviorally based therapeutic techniques (BT; CBT) that
incorporate exposure therapy useful for treatment of anxiety disorders among typically
developing children. Although a large amount of data demonstrate the effectiveness of of BT
and CBT approaches for treating anxious youth, there is a gap in the literature for the
effectiveness of these approaches for children under the age of seven. Evidence increasingly
suggests that family factors such as accommodation and parenting style contribute
significantly to the presence of anxiety symptoms as well as treatment outcomes,
particularly in young children. These findings stress the importance of using a treatment
approach in which parents are directly involved in education, parent training, and
generalization of treatment effects. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate a new treatment
program, parent-led behavioral treatment, for children ages 3 to 7 years of age who have a
principal anxiety disorder diagnosis.
incorporate exposure therapy useful for treatment of anxiety disorders among typically
developing children. Although a large amount of data demonstrate the effectiveness of of BT
and CBT approaches for treating anxious youth, there is a gap in the literature for the
effectiveness of these approaches for children under the age of seven. Evidence increasingly
suggests that family factors such as accommodation and parenting style contribute
significantly to the presence of anxiety symptoms as well as treatment outcomes,
particularly in young children. These findings stress the importance of using a treatment
approach in which parents are directly involved in education, parent training, and
generalization of treatment effects. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate a new treatment
program, parent-led behavioral treatment, for children ages 3 to 7 years of age who have a
principal anxiety disorder diagnosis.
Inclusion Criteria:
- Outpatient children between the ages 3-7 years.
- Meets DSM-IV criteria for a primary diagnosis of an anxiety disorder or achieves a
minimum score of 12 Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS)
- Child has a PPVT IV SS > 80.
- Patients with co-morbid depression, ADHD, tic disorder or disruptive behavior
disorders will be included as long as anxiety is primary (i.e., most
impairing/distressing).
Exclusion Criteria:
- • (a) Current clinically significant suicidality or (b) individuals who have engaged
in suicidal behaviors within 6 months will be excluded and referred for appropriate
clinical intervention.
- Receiving concurrent psychotherapy, social skills training, or behavioral
interventions (e.g., applied behavior analysis). Families will have the option
of discontinuing such services to enroll in the study. Those randomized
treatment as usual (TAU) will be able to continue or initiate psychosocial
interventions (psychotherapy, social skills training, applied behavior analysis,
or family therapy) whereas those randomized to PLET will not receive these
interventions concurrent with PLET.
- Any change in established psychotropic medication (e.g., antidepressants,
anxioloytics, antipsychotics, stimulants) within 10 weeks before study. Those
randomized to TAU may make medication changes following randomization, including
starting a medication; those randomized to PLET will remain stable on
medications during the study.
- Absence of language.
- A formal diagnosis of mental retardation or autism spectrum disorder.
- Unwillingness of parents to make the commitment to accompany their child for
multiple study visits, unwillingness to take part in randomization, inability to
attend sessions twice weekly as therapist availability allows, inability to
attend assessment visits.
- Presence of a significant and/or unstable medical illness which might lead to
hospitalization during the study.
We found this trial at
1
site
St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
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