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. 2022 Mar 15:301:130-137.
doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2022.01.034. Epub 2022 Jan 12.

Brief, parent-led, transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral teletherapy for youth with emotional problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Andrew G Guzick  1 , Alicia W Leong  2 , Emily M Dickinson  3 , Sophie C Schneider  4 , Katherine Zopatti  5 , Jamie Manis  5 , Allison C Meinert  5 , Alexandra M Barth  5 , Mayra Perez  4 , Daphne M Campo  4 , Saira A Weinzimmer  4 , Sandra L Cepeda  6 , David Mathai  7 , Asim Shah  4 , Wayne K Goodman  4 , Alison Salloum  8 , Sarah Kennedy  9 , Jill Ehrenreich-May  6 , Eric A Storch  4
Affiliations

Brief, parent-led, transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral teletherapy for youth with emotional problems related to the COVID-19 pandemic

Andrew G Guzick et al. J Affect Disord. .

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to increased stress, anxiety, and depression in children. A six-session, parent-led, transdiagnostic, cognitive-behavioral teletherapy program was adapted from an established protocol to help youth aged between 5 and 13 years manage emotional problems during the pandemic.

Methods: One-hundred twenty-nine parents of youth struggling with emotional problems during the COVID-19 pandemic participated in the program. Parents reported on their children's psychosocial functioning before and after treatment using validated assessments. They also reported on treatment satisfaction. Clinician-rated global improvement was assessed at each session to determine clinically significant treatment response.

Results: Significant improvements in parent proxy-reported anxiety (d = 0.56), depression (d = 0.69), stress (d = 0.61), anger (d = 0.69), family relationships (d = 0.32), and COVID-19-related distress (d = 1.08) were found, with 62% of participants who completed the program being classified as treatment responders. Parents reported high levels of satisfaction with the program.

Limitations: This study was limited by use of primarily parent-report assessments and a lack of a control group.

Conclusions: Brief, parent-led, transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral teletherapy appeared to be an effective way to help youth cope with the pandemic and may be a scalable framework in response to large-scale mental health crises.

Keywords: Anxiety; CBT; Children; Depression; Internalizing; Unified protocol.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Clinician Global Impressions-Improvement (CGI-I) ratings from last appointment (n = 94).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Responses to item that asked parents “Please select a number between 0 and 10 indicating the degree of change since receiving treatment through Coping with COVID” (n = 101).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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