School-Based Treatment for Anxiety Research Study (STARS): a Randomized Controlled Effectiveness Trial.

School-Based Treatment for Anxiety Research Study (STARS): a Randomized Controlled Effectiveness Trial. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2019 Nov 20;: Authors: Ginsburg GS, Pella JE, Pikulski PJ, Tein JY, Drake KL Abstract The current study compared the effectiveness of a school-clinician administered cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT) to treatment as usual (TAU) at post-treatment (i.e., after 12 weeks) and at a 1 year follow-up. Sixty-two school-based clinicians (37 in CBT; 25 in TAU) and 216 students (148 students in CBT; 68 in TAU) participated. Students were ages 6-18 (mean age 10.87; 64% Caucasian & 29% African American; 48.6% female) and all met DSM-IV diagnostic criteria for a primary anxiety disorder. Independent evaluators (IEs) assessed clinical improvement, global functioning, and loss of anxiety diagnoses; children and parents completed measures of anxiety symptoms. At post-treatment, no significant treatment main effects emerged on the primary outcome; 42% and 37% of youth were classified as treatment responders in CBT and TAU respectively. However, parent-report of child anxiety showed greater improvements in CBT relative to TAU (d = .29). Moderation analyses at post-treatment indicated that older youth, those with social phobia and more severe anxiety at baseline were more likely to be treatment responders in CBT compared to TAU. At the 1 year follow-up, treatment gains were maintained but no treatment group differ...
Source: Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: J Abnorm Child Psychol Source Type: research