Table 3.
Psychosocial treatment descriptions and evaluation findings
| Programme (diagnoses) |
Sample size (country) |
Ages/Grades | Programme elements | Session number and duration | Follow-up period* |
Child anxiety outcomes (diagnostic rates)† |
| Home-based | ||||||
| Strongest Families (GAD, SpAD, SAD, SP)37 |
91 (Canada) |
6–12 years | Self-directed family CBT with coaching | 13 sessions over 6.5 months | 5.5 months | ↓ Any AD diagnoses (25% vs 50%)‡ |
| Clinic-based | ||||||
| Cool Little Kids Plus Social Skills (SAD, GAD, SpAD, SP)38 |
72 (Australia) |
2–5 years | Parent group CBT training + child group SST | 6 parent + 6 child sessions over 2.5 months | 3 months | ↓ Any AD diagnoses (66% vs 100%) ↓ # of AD diagnoses ↓ 3 of 5 symptoms |
| Parent Education Program (SoP, SP, SpAD, GAD)§39 |
146 (Australia) |
3–4 years | Parent group CBT training | 6 sessions over 2.5 months | 3 years | ↓ Any AD diagnoses (40% vs 69%) ↓ 2 of 3 symptoms |
| Timid to Tiger (SpAD, SAD, SP, PD, GAD)40 |
74 (England) |
2–9 years | Parent group CBT training | 10 sessions over 2.5 months | 1 year | ↓ Primary AD diagnoses (46% vs 76%) ↓ Any AD diagnoses (54% vs 91%) • 3 of 3 symptoms |
| Attention Bias Modification Treatment (SAD)41 |
67 (Israel) |
6–18 years | Child individual attention bias training via computer | 8 sessions over 1 month | 3 months | • 2 of 2 symptoms |
| Coping Cat Individual | 161 (USA) |
7–14 years | Child individual CBT¶ | 16 sessions over 4 months | 1 year | • Primary AD diagnoses (39% vs 56%) ↓ 1 of 8 symptoms |
| Coping Cat Family (GAD, SoP, SpAD)42 |
Family CBT | • Primary AD diagnoses (42% vs 56%) • 8 of 8 symptoms |
||||
| Cool Kids (GAD, SoP, SpAD, PD, SP)43 |
112 (Australia) |
7–16 years | Child group CBT + parent group CBT training | 10 sessions over 2.5 months | 3 months | ↓ Primary AD diagnoses (31% vs 55%) ↓ Any AD diagnoses (51% vs 70%) ↓ 3 of 6 symptoms |
| One-Session Treatment (SP)44 |
196 (Sweden + USA) |
7–16 years | Child individual CBT | 1 session over 3 hours | 6 months | ↓ SP diagnoses (51% vs 65%) ↓ 1 of 6 symptoms |
| Coping Cat (GAD, SpAD, SAD)45 |
133 (USA) |
9–14 years | Child individual CBT¶ | 14 sessions over unnamed period | 1 year | ↓ Any AD diagnoses (18% vs 35%) ↓ 1 of 3 symptoms |
| Generic CBT (SAD)46 |
73 (USA) |
12–17 years | Child individual or group CBT | 12 sessions over 3 months | 6 months | • 5 of 5 symptoms |
| School-based | ||||||
| Friends (with or without parent involvement)∗∗
(SAD, GAD, SoP)†† 47 48 |
61 (USA) |
Grades 2–5 | Child group CBT ± parent group CBT training | 11 child + 9 parent sessions over 5 months | 2.75 years | ↓ 1 of 5 symptoms |
| 3 months | • Primary AD diagnoses (14%–25% vs 40%) • New AD diagnoses (15%–29% vs 29%) |
|||||
| Coping Koala (SoP, SP, GAD, SpAD)†† 49 |
128 (Australia) |
Grades 3–7 | Child group CBT + parent group CBT training | 10 child + 3 parent sessions over 2.5 months | 2 years | ↓ Any AD diagnoses (20% vs 39%) ↓ 2 of 6 symptoms |
| Skills for Academic and Social Success (SASS) (SAD)50 |
36 (USA) |
Grades 9–11 | Child group CBT + parent + teacher education | 20 child + 2 parent/teacher sessions over 5 months | 4 months | ↓ SAD diagnoses (27% vs 93%) ↓ 2 of 5 symptoms |
| SASS Psychologist-Delivered | 138 (USA) |
Grades 9–11 | Child group CBT + parent + teacher education | 20 child + 2 parent/teacher sessions over 5 months | 3 months | • SAD diagnoses (72% vs 88%) ↓ 4 of 5 symptoms |
| SASS Counsellor-Delivered (SAD)w51 |
↓ SAD diagnoses (61% vs 88%) ↓ 3 of 5 symptoms |
|||||
↓ Denotes statistically-significant reductions in diagnoses/symptoms favouring treatment over comparison group.
• Denotes no significant differences between treatment and comparison groups.
* Follow-up period counted from end of treatment including booster sessions, where applicable.
† Diagnostic rates for intervention versus comparison.
‡ Rates are approximate.
§ Approximately 93% met criteria for anxiety disorder; remainder had temperamental inhibition.
¶ Parent involvement in 2 sessions including psychoeducation and coaching on responding to anxious behaviours.
** Because there was no difference in outcomes for Friends with and without parent involvement combined results from 2 treatment groups are reported.
†† Approximately 75% met criteria for anxiety disorder; remainder were symptomatic.
AD, anxiety disorder; CBT, cognitive behavioural therapy; GAD, generalised anxiety disorder; PD, panic disorder; SAD, social anxiety disorder; SoP, social phobia; SP, specific phobia; SpAD, separation anxiety disorder; SST, social skills training.