Individual versus group family-focused cognitive-behaviour therapy for childhood anxiety: pilot randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Objective: The aim of the present study was to compare the relative effectiveness of group and individual formats of a family-focused cognitive-behavioural intervention, for the treatment of childhood anxiety disorders.

Method: Twenty-nine clinically anxious children aged between 7 and 12 years were randomly allocated to either individual cognitive-behaviour therapy (ICBT) or group cognitive-behaviour therapy (GCBT).

Results: At post-treatment assessment 57% of children in the ICBT condition no longer met criteria for any anxiety disorder, compared to 47% of children in the GCBT condition. At 3 month follow up these improvements were retained with some weakening. By the 6 month follow up 50% of children in the ICBT compared to 53% of children in the GCBT condition were anxiety diagnosis free. In terms of questionnaire data, no significant differences were detected between the ICBT and GCBT conditions at any of the follow-up points. However, a significant treatment effect for time was found, with both self-reports and parent reports indicating a significant reduction over time in anxiety symptoms.

Conclusion: Overall, results suggest that children with anxiety disorders appear to improve following a family-focused cognitive behavioural intervention, regardless of individual or group administration. The interpretation and potential clinical implications of these findings are discussed, together with the limitations of this study and suggestions for future research.