The Coping with Unusual Experiences for Children Study ( <scp>CUES</scp> ): A pilot randomized controlled evaluation of the acceptability and potential clinical utility of a cognitive behavioural intervention package for young people aged 8–14 years with unusual experiences and emotional symptoms

Objectives Health care guidelines recommend psychological interventions for childhood unusual experiences that are associated with distress or adverse functional impact (UEDs), based on adult, rather than child-specific, evidence. We report the first randomized controlled evaluation of the acceptability and potential clinical utility of cognitive behavioural therapy for childhood UEDs (CBT-UED). Design Pilot randomized controlled trial. Methods Participants aged 8–14 years were recruited from referrals to community services for children with emotional/behavioural problems and screened for self-reported UEDs. Results Of around 1,000 referrals over 36 months, 304 (30%) were identified to the research team, 174 (57%) were successfully contacted, 110 (63%) consented to screening, 96 (87%) attended a screening assessment, and 51 (53%) reported UEDs. Forty-nine (96%) consented to randomization to either CBT-UED (9–12 weekly sessions of 40–50 min, adjunctive to usual care, n = 24) or treatment-as-usual/waitlist control (TAU/WL, n = 25). Childhood internalizing emotional symptoms (e.g., feeling ‘nervous’/&#39;scared’/’tearful’/’worried’/&#39;sick’; proposed primary outcome), UEDs, depression, anxiety, and childhood psychopathology (secondary outcomes) were measured at baseline, at 12 weeks, and, where therapy was ongoing but incomplete (