Indicated Prevention for Children At Risk for Anxiety

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed research is aimed at evaluating an indicated prevention strategy for children at risk for anxiety disorders with the long-term goal of helping to identify prevention strategies, which reduce the incidence of anxiety disorders in childhood, adolescence, and adulthood. The present application involves a randomized controlled evaluation of the effectiveness of a group cognitive-behavioral intervention (GCBI) for children deemed at-risk for an anxiety disorder(s). 98 children/adolescents, age 8-13, identified as "at risk" by a screening procedure involving the use of the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC, March, Parker, Sullivan, Stallings, & Conners, 1997), will be randomly assigned to either a GCBI or a group smoking education control condition (SEC). Groups will consist of 5-6 children. The intervention study will be a 7-week between-subjects comparison of GCBI and SEC with evaluation of outcome at post-intervention and durability of intervention effects at a 6-month follow-up. Our specific aims are as follows: 1) to compare the efficacy and durability of GCBI and SEC in reducing anxiety and associated symptoms (e.g., depression) at post-intervention and 6-month follow-up; 2) to compare the efficacy and durability of GCBI and SEC in increasing child functioning (e.g., academic performance, general functioning) at post-intervention and 6- month follow-up; and 3) to identify predictors of the remediating effects of the intervention. Characteristics of the child, family structure, nature and number of life events, and pre-intervention symptomatology will be evaluated as predictors of intervention outcome. These variables will also be examined as potential risk factors for and protective factors against the development of an anxiety disorder.