Individual and Family Therapy for Children With Anxiety Disorders

Child and Family Therapy for Anxiety-Disordered Youth

The purpose of this study is to compare three treatments to determine which is most effective in reducing anxiety in children.

Children and their parents will complete a comprehensive diagnostic assessment to determine eligibility. The assessment will include an individual diagnostic interview with the child, interviews with the parents, and written observations of the child from family members and teachers. Participants will then be randomly assigned to receive individual cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT), family CBT (FCBT), or education/support/attention (ESA) for 5 months. Children in the ICBT group will meet individually with a therapist. In the FCBT and ESA treatment groups, children and their parents will meet weekly with a therapist.

At the end of treatment and 1 year following treatment completion, families will complete another assessment to determine the effectiveness of each treatment at reducing short- and long-term anxiety symptoms in their children.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Child with DSM-IV criteria for separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, or generalized anxiety disorder

Exclusion Criteria for Child Participants:

• IQ less than 80
• Current use of anti-anxiety or antidepressant medications
• Psychotic symptoms
• Child and/or parent is non-English speaking