NCJ Number
212680
Journal
Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry Volume: 45 Issue: 1 Dated: January 2006 Pages: 37-46
Date Published
January 2006
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study was the first test of a group cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxious children that used only parents as lay therapists.
Abstract
Research has indicated that CBT can reduce anxiety symptoms in children, yet many children who would benefit from CBT cannot access this type of treatment. The authors hypothesized that a CBT intervention using parents as lay therapists could be effective in treating anxiety in children. Participants were 24 children aged 7 to 16 years recruited by community and clinical announcements who met the diagnostic criteria for anxiety disorder and whose families met enrollment criteria. Child participants were evaluated at intake and post-treatment and parents completed assessments about themselves and their children at intake, post-treatment, and weekly. Results of statistical analyses indicated that treatment administered through the mothers as lay therapists was associated with significant reductions in anxiety severity and impairment in their children. Anxiety disorders decreased by 25 percent for primary diagnosis and 55 percent for all anxiety diagnoses. Overall, the findings suggest that parent-only group intervention can alleviate anxiety symptoms among some samples of children. Future research should explore how maternal anxiety affects child anxiety. Tables, figures, references