Internet-Based, Parent-Led Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Youth With ASD
Condition: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Anxiety Disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Social Anxiety Disorder; Generalized Anxiety Disorder; Specific Phobia
MeSH terms: Anxiety Disorders; Autism Spectrum Disorder; Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; Phobia, Social
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This study compares the effectiveness of two levels of therapist support for an
      internet-based, parent-led cognitive behavioral therapy for youth with anxiety and ASD.
    

Detailed description: 
      Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders,
      affecting up to 1 out of 59 youth in the United States. Anxiety disorders affect 50-80% of
      children with ASD and are associated with significant life impairment and worsening
      trajectory without treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment
      for anxiety, yet access to CBT is very limited for most families due to the cost,
      practicalities of attending in-person treatment sessions and limited availability of trained
      therapists. Access to CBT is particularly limited for Hispanic or Spanish-speaking families
      due to lack of services provided in Spanish. Web-based or internet-based delivery of services
      is a promising method to improve access to care for youth with ASD and their families, given
      its reachability to a wider range of areas (e.g., rural/underserved) and its ability to
      minimize practical barriers (e.g., treatment could be delivered to home without need for
      travel), and reduce stigma (e.g., parents do not need to visit mental health clinics). Thus,
      the goal of this project is to increase access to care for families of children with ASD and
      anxiety through an internet-based treatment intervention model. This intervention, developed
      by the study team, consists of an interactive website with treatment materials that parents
      can work through with their child, both in English and Spanish.

      Specifically, this project will examine the effectiveness of an internet-based, parent-led
      cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) for anxiety in children with two levels of therapist
      support: 1) iCBT-E (therapist support is delivered via email) and 2) iCBT-EV (therapist
      support is delivered via email and videoconferencing sessions).

      This study will also involve two phases: 1) pilot intervention phase and 2) randomized
      controlled phase.
    

Intervention name(s): Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email (iCBT-E); Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email and Videoconferencing (iCBT-EV)
Intervention type(s): Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): Participating families will receive an access to the website that contains treatment materials for both parent and child.
During each of the weekly emails, therapists will serve to provide encouragement and support as the parent works through the program independently.; Participating families will receive an access to the website that contains treatment materials for both parent and child.
During each of the weekly emails and six videoconferencing sessions, therapists will serve to provide encouragement and support as the parent works through the program independently. Therapists will also assist the parent with any problem-solving as needed.
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Primary purpose: Treatment