Internet-Based CBT for Children With Anxiety Disorders: Implementation in Clinical Settings

Karolinska Institute

Status: Completed

Conditions: Anxiety Disorders

Treatments: Behavioral: Internet-based CBT

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02350257

BIPSY RCT

Details and patient eligibility

About

The primary objective of this study is to test the effectiveness of internet-delivered and therapist-guided internet-based cognitive behavior therapy (ICBT) for children with anxiety disorders (including social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder and specific phobia) in a randomized trial where participants will be allocated to either ICBT or to a supportive control condition. Non-responders (defined as those participants who still uphold their primary anxiety disorder after the ICBT treatment) will be offered traditional (face-to-face) CBT. Follow-ups are conducted at 3 and 12 months after treatment completion.

Enrollment: 131 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 8 to 12 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• A primary diagnosis of any of the following anxiety disorders, as defined by DSM-V (social anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder or specific phobia)
• Age between 8 and 12 years
• Ability to read and write Swedish
• Daily access to the internet
• A parent that is able to co-participate in the treatment
• Participants on psychotropic medication must have been on a stable dose for the last 6 weeks prior to baseline assessment

Exclusion criteria

• Diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, psychosis, bipolar disorder or severe eating disorder
• Present risk of suicide
• Ongoing substance dependence
• Completed CBT for any anxiety disorder within the last 6 months (defined as at least 5 sessions of CBT including in vivo exposure sessions)

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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131 participants in 2 patient groups

ICBT

Experimental group

Description:

Internet-based cognitive behavior therapy

Treatment:

Behavioral: Internet-based CBT

Supportive control

No Intervention group

Description:

Control participants has weekly contact with a therapist and receives internet-based training in child directed play. Participants are informed that this training will not likely reduce anxiety.