Clinical trial NCT00847561: Effectiveness of a Family-Based Treatment for Preventing Anxiety Disorders in At-Risk Children
Official title: Family-Based Prevention for Childhood Anxiety
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Anxiety Disorders
Keywords: Anxiety
Lead sponsor: Johns Hopkins University
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
First posted: 2009-02-19
Enrollment: 136
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 6
Maximum age (years): 13
Standard ages: CHILD
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: This study will test the effectiveness of a family-based, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)-based program for preventing anxiety disorders in at-risk children.

Detailed description: Anxiety disorders are among the most common mental disorders in children and adolescents, and they are associated with short- and long-term impairment in social, academic, familial, and psychological functioning. The children of parents with anxiety disorders are more likely to develop anxiety disorders themselves, because of genetic factors and the atmosphere in which they are raised. Previous research indicates that the risk of anxiety disorders among children can be reduced through preventive therapeutic interventions. In children with anxiety disorders whose parents also have anxiety disorders, therapy that includes their family is more successful than therapy focused only on the child. This study will test the effectiveness of a preventive, family-based therapy for children whose parents have anxiety disorders.

Participation in this study will last 1 year. First, interested participants will be asked to perform a screening assessment. This will include providing information about the symptoms, behaviors, and functioning of parent and child participants; filling out questionnaires; and videotaping the child and parent participants interacting. If, after the screening, participants are selected to continue with the study, they will be randomly assigned to receive either information monitoring or family-based cognitive behavioral therapy. Child and parent participants assigned to information monitoring will receive a booklet with information on coping with anxiety. Child and parent participants assigned to family-based cognitive behavioral therapy will meet with a study clinician for eight, weekly, 1-hour intervention visits, during which participants will learn skills to reduce anxiety. After completing the weekly visits, participants in this group will also receive three monthly booster sessions, in which coping skills will be reviewed. In addition to the screening visit, all participants will undergo identical assessments at three more time periods: 9 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months after entering the study. All participants will also receive monthly phone calls throughout the study to monitor the children's anxiety symptoms.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Parents of child participant have a current, primary anxiety disorder

Exclusion Criteria:

* Child has an anxiety disorder or is currently in treatment for anxiety

Primary outcomes:
measure: Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Psychological Disorders-IV, Child and Parent Versions (C/P-ADIS)
timeFrame: 12 months post-treatment
Secondary outcomes:
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Baltimore
country: United States
facility: The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
state: Maryland
Study officials:
affiliation: Johns Hopkins University
name: Golda S. Ginsburg, PhD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Slade EP, Ginsburg GS, Riddle MA. Cost-benefit Analysis of the Coping and Promoting Strength Program. Prev Sci. 2021 Nov;22(8):1096-1107. doi: 10.1007/s11121-021-01309-5. Epub 2021 Oct 14.
citation: Ginsburg GS, Tein JY, Riddle MA. Preventing the Onset of Anxiety Disorders in Offspring of Anxious Parents: A Six-Year Follow-up. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2021 Aug;52(4):751-760. doi: 10.1007/s10578-020-01080-8. Epub 2020 Oct 18.
citation: Schleider JL, Ginsburg GS, Drake K. Perceived Peer Victimization Predicts Anxiety Outcomes in a Prevention Program for Offspring of Anxious Parents. J Clin Child Adolesc Psychol. 2018;47(sup1):S255-S263. doi: 10.1080/15374416.2016.1270831. Epub 2017 Feb 1.
citation: Ginsburg GS, Drake KL, Tein JY, Teetsel R, Riddle MA. Preventing Onset of Anxiety Disorders in Offspring of Anxious Parents: A Randomized Controlled Trial of a Family-Based Intervention. Am J Psychiatry. 2015 Dec;172(12):1207-14. doi: 10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.14091178. Epub 2015 Sep 25.