The study will evaluate two group CBT interventions delivered by school health nurses, in cooperation with community psychologist and mental health care personnel, to adolescents with mild to moderate levels of anxiety symptoms. The two interventions have different intensity (5 versus 10 group meetings). The two group interventions will be compared to a waitlist control group.
Anxiety disorders are among the major mental health problems in children and adolescents, with regard to prevalence and long-term consequences. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) has proven to be effective as treatment, early intervention and prevention of youth anxiety disorders. The majority of youth with anxiety problems, however, is not in contact with mental health services and do not receive effective help. This is due to shortage of personnel, resources and time among mental health-personal delivering treatment, as well as health services not being easily accessable for adolescents. School-based, low-intensity early intervention programs (indicated prevention) may improve access to effective treatment for youth with internalizing problems, and also promote more effective use of health services. The present study is a multi-site randomized controlled study with early intervention to be conducted within the primary health care service in three parts of Norway; including nine municipalities from west, east and south of Norway. A brief CBT program will be compared to a longer CBT program, and a wait-list control group. The effects will be evaluated with regard to decrease in youth internalizing symptoms. The CBT interventions are given to adolescents with mild to moderate levels of anxiety symptoms. Interventions are delivered by trained school-health nurses in collaboration with and/or supervised by experienced CBT therapists. The study involves researchers from three research environments in Norway, and collaboration with prominent international researchers from USA and Australia.The study has potential impact on how to deliver effective low-threshold interventions to anxious youth.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
313
Municipality of Modum
Oslo, East Norway, Norway
Municipality of Fjell, Sund and Askoy
Fjell, Norway
Sorlandet Hospital HF
Kristiansand, Norway
Spence Children's Anxiety Scale
Self-reported (child and parent version) child anxiety symptoms, 38 items questionnaire, rated at a 4-point scale.
Time frame: Changes from baseline to 4 weeks, 10 weeks, and 1 year
Children Anxiety Life Interference Scale
Self-reported (child and parent version) of degree of life interference of child anxiety symptoms
Time frame: Changes from baseline to 4 weeks,10 weeks, and 1 year
Short Mood and Feeling Questionnaire
Questionnaire measuring symptoms of depression (child and parent version)
Time frame: Changes from baseline to 4 weeks,10 weeks,and 1 year
Questionnaire for Measuring Health-Related Quality of Life Children and Adolescents (KINDL-R)
Questionnaire (child and parents version) measuring quality of life in youth
Time frame: Changes from baseline to 10 weeks, and 1 year
Clinical Global Impression Scale, severity/improvement (CGI-S/I)
The clinician's (i.e. the school health nurse) global assessment of level of youth anxiety
Time frame: Changes from baseline to 10 weeks, and 1 year
Sleep problems
Questionnaire (youth) on variables related to sleep (sleep duration, insomnia etc.)
Time frame: Changes from baseline, up to 10 weeks, and after 1 year
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