A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Cognitive Behavior Therapy Program for Children with Clinical Anxiety Symptoms

Abstract

High anxiety and anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent mental health problems in children and lead to significant interference with children’s daily functioning. Most empirical evaluations of treatment come from English-language countries. The aim of the present study was to evaluate and replicate the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral intervention program to manage anxiety in children among children from Greece. Forty-one children–parent(s) dyads participated in the study. Children were 9–12 years old, with clinically elevated symptoms of anxiety, and they were assigned to either the standard group treatment (cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)) or to a waitlist group (WL). Both children and their parents in the CBT group reported statistically significant reductions in children’s anxiety symptoms at post-intervention and at the 6-month follow-up. A significant reduction was also found in life interference due to anxiety according to both child and parent reports. In contrast, no significant changes in anxiety symptoms or life interference were reported among the WL. The current results support the effectiveness of a CBT program for anxious children from a non-clinic, non-school setting in Greece.

The Cool Kids as a School-Based Universal Prevention and Early Intervention Program for Anxiety: Results of a Pilot Study

“…Its main components include psychoeducation, cognitive restructuring, child management strategies and graded exposure with additional optional modules addressing social skills, teasing and assertiveness. The efficacy of the Cool Kids program has been consistently demonstrated both within Australia and internationally [ 38 , 39 , 40 , 41 , 42 ]. The program has also been evaluated in a school setting within a low socio-economic population [ 43 ].…”