The purpose of this study is to determine whether a specific family based cognitive behavioral treatment program is effective in the treatment of children with separation anxiety disorder.
Anxiety disorders are the most common mental disorders both in adulthood and childhood. Recent research indicates that anxiety disorders in childhood and in particular Separation Anxiety Disorder (SAD) increase the risk of mental disorders in adulthood. Despite these results research on SAD is still limited compared to the vast research activity on adult anxiety disorders. The proposed research program will close a gap of current international research: It will test the efficacy of a family based cognitive behavioral treatment program specific for SAD. The research program consists of two parts. One study is aimed at children with SAD aged 5 to 7. 40 children are randomly allocated immediately to SAD-specific family-based treatment or to a wait list. For the second study 60 children with SAD (8 to 13 years old) are randomly allocated to either SAD-specific family-based treatment ("SAD-CBT") or a well established global CBT program for childhood anxiety disorders ("global CBT"). In both studies treatment success is tested at the end of treatment as well as 4 weeks and 1, 2 and 3 years after treatment.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
64
newly developed family based cognitive behavior therapy for children with separation anxiety disorder over 5 years old
Institute of Psychology
Basel, Canton of Basel-City, Switzerland
DSM-IV criteria for Separation Anxiety Disorder
Time frame: December 2009
Global Success Rating (GSR)
Time frame: December 2009
Separation Anxiety Inventory for Children (SAI)
Time frame: December 2009
Revised Children's Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS)
Time frame: December 2009
Sheehan Disability Scale (SDS)
Time frame: December 2009
Inventory for the Assessment of Quality of Life in Children and Adolescents (IQL)
Time frame: December 2009
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