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Exposure-Focused CBT Outperforms Relaxation-Based Control in an RCT of Treatment for Child and Adolescent Anxiety.
- Source :
-
Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology : the official journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53 [J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol] 2022 Jul-Aug; Vol. 51 (4), pp. 410-418. Date of Electronic Publication: 2021 Apr 27. - Publication Year :
- 2022
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Abstract
- Objective: The relative contribution of individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) components to treatment outcomes for child anxiety disorders (CADs) is unclear. Recent meta-analyses suggest that exposure may be the primary active ingredient in CBT for CADs, and that relaxation may be relatively less effective. This brief report tests the hypothesis that exposure-focused CBT (EF-CBT) would outperform a relaxation-based active therapy control (Relaxation Mentorship Training; RMT) for the treatment of CADs.<br />Method: Participants were 102 youth with CADs (mean age = 11.91, 26 males; 76.4% White, 14.7% Multiracial, 3.9% Black, 3.9% Asian, 0.9% other/do not wish to identify) as part of an ongoing neuroimaging randomized controlled trial. Participants were randomly assigned (ratio 2:1) to receive 12 sessions of EF-CBT (n = 70) or RMT (n = 32). Clinical improvement was measured at Week 12 (Clinical Global Impression - Improvement scale; CGI-I); treatment response was defined as receiving a rating of "very much" or "much improved" on the CGI-I. Anxiety severity was measured at Weeks 1, 6, 9, 12 (Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale; PARS). Outcome measures were completed by an independent evaluator unaware of condition.<br />Results: EF-CBT exhibited 2.98 times higher odds of treatment completion than RMT; 13 treatment non-completers were included in analyses. Estimated treatment response rates were higher for EF-CBT (57.3%) than for RMT (19.2%). Longitudinal analyses indicated that EF-CBT was associated with faster and more pronounced anxiety reductions than RMT on the PARS (Hedges' g = .77).<br />Conclusions: Results suggest that EF-CBT without relaxation is effective for CADs, and more effective than a relaxation-based intervention.
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1537-4424
- Volume :
- 51
- Issue :
- 4
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Journal of clinical child and adolescent psychology : the official journal for the Society of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, American Psychological Association, Division 53
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 33905281
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1080/15374416.2021.1901230