Addressing Anxiety in 2-3-Year-Olds: A Pilot Intervention Study

Addressing Anxiety in 2-Year-Olds: A Pilot Screening and Intervention Study

The purpose of this study is to test the feasibility and efficacy of intervening with 2-year-old children with elevated temperamental Fear and/or Shyness or 3-year-old children with elevated anxiety and their parents, using a parent-child Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) protocol to reduce anxiety disorders and maintain reduced anxiety at one-year follow-up. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, study visits and treatment sessions were conducted in office. Now all visits and treatment sessions are conducted remotely.

Inclusion Criteria:

• The child scores >1 Standard Deviation (SD) above reported means for the Fear or Shyness scales on the Early Childhood Behavior Questionnaire (ECBQ) (if child is 21-35 months) or the child scores >1SD above reported means for the Total Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety, Social Anxiety, Physical Injury Fears, or Separation Anxiety scales on the Preschool Anxiety Scale (PAS) (if child is 36-47 months) as completed by a parent
• The parents are able to speak, understand, and read English
• The child must have a working knowledge of English.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) or global developmental delay in the child
• The child has disruptive behavior so severe as to interfere with participation in intervention sessions
• The child has a different primary disorder for which CBT for anxiety is inappropriate (e.g. severe depression, depression in the mother, significant medical disorder).