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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2020 Mar 14;8(1):25.
doi: 10.1186/s40359-020-0393-x.

A randomized controlled trial of a six-session cognitive behavioral treatment of emotional disorders in adolescents 14-17 years old in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

Veronica Lorentzen  1   2 , Kenneth Fagermo  3 , Bjørn Helge Handegård  4 , Ingunn Skre  5   6 , Simon-Peter Neumer  4   7
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

A randomized controlled trial of a six-session cognitive behavioral treatment of emotional disorders in adolescents 14-17 years old in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS)

Veronica Lorentzen et al. BMC Psychol. .

Abstract

Background: This study aims to investigate effectiveness of a 6-week, transdiagnostic cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and depression in adolescents, the Structured Material for Therapy (SMART), in naturalistic settings of child and adolescent mental health outpatient services (CAMHS).

Methods: A randomized controlled trial with waiting list control (WLC) was performed at three community CAMHS in Norway. Referred adolescents (N = 163, age = 15.72, 90.3% girls) scoring 6 or more on the emotional disorders subscale of the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) were randomly assigned to SMART or to WLC.

Results: In the treatment group (CBT), 32.9% improved in the main outcome measure (SDQ), compared to 11.6% in the WLC. Clinically significant and reliable change was experienced by 17.7% in the CBT condition, compared to 5.8% in the WLC. No patients deteriorated. Statistically significant treatment effects were achieved for internalization symptoms, anxiety symptoms and general functioning.

Conclusions: These promising findings indicate that SMART may be considered as a first step in a stepped care model for anxiety and/or depression treatment in CAMHS. The recovery rates imply that further investigations into the effectiveness of brief treatments should be made. Furthermore, there is a need for more comprehensive second-stage treatments for some of these patients.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02150265. First registered May 292,014.

Keywords: Adolescence; Cognitive behavioural therapy; Effectiveness; Emotional disorders; Transdiagnostic; Treatment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The last author received royalties from the publisher of the manual.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Consort flow diagram
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