Indicated Prevention for Children At Risk for Anxiety

描述（由申请人提供）：拟议的研究旨在评估具有焦虑障碍风险的儿童的指示性预防策略，其长期目标是帮助确定预防策略，从而减少儿童，青少年和成年期焦虑障碍的发病率。目前的应用涉及随机对照评估群体认知行为干预（GCBI）对被认为有焦虑障碍风险的儿童的有效性。98名年龄在8-13岁的儿童/青少年，通过使用儿童多重焦虑量表（MASC, March, Parker, Sullivan, Stallings, & Conners, 1997）的筛查程序确定为“有风险”，将被随机分配到GCBI或群体吸烟教育控制条件（SEC）。每组5-6名儿童。干预研究将是为期7周的GCBI和SEC的受试者间比较，并评估干预后的结果和6个月随访时干预效果的持久性。我们的具体目的如下：1)比较GCBI和SEC在干预后和6个月随访时减轻焦虑和相关症状（如抑郁）的疗效和持久性；2)比较GCBI和SEC在干预后和6个月随访中提高儿童功能（如学业成绩、一般功能）的疗效和持久性；3)确定干预措施补救效果的预测因子。儿童的特征、家庭结构、生活事件的性质和数量以及干预前的症状学将被评估为干预结果的预测因素。这些变量也将作为潜在的风险因素和防止焦虑障碍发展的保护因素进行检查。

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). Ninety-eight 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.