Optimising Exposure for Children and Adolescents with Anxiety, OCD and PTSD: A Systematic Review.

Optimising Exposure for Children and Adolescents with Anxiety, OCD and PTSD: A Systematic Review. Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev. 2021 Feb 06;: Authors: Plaisted H, Waite P, Gordon K, Creswell C Abstract Cognitive behavioural therapy is an effective treatment for anxiety disorders in children and young people; however, many do not benefit. Behavioural exposure appears to be the critical ingredient in the treatment of anxiety disorders. Research with adults has identified innovative strategies to optimise exposure-based treatments, yet it is not clear how to optimise the effects of exposure for children and young people. This review was a preliminary exploration of the association between potential optimisation strategies and treatment procedures and outcomes for the treatment of child anxiety symptoms/disorders. We searched Psych-Info and Medline databases using a systematic search strategy and identified 29 articles. We found preliminary evidence that some specific strategies may enhance the effects of exposure, such as dropping safety behaviours, parents and therapists discouraging avoidance, and the use of homework. However, not one significant finding was replicated by another study for the same timepoint using the same methodology. To a large degree, this lack of replication reflects a limited number of studies combined with a lack of consistency across studies around conceptualisations, methodological approaches, and outcome measur...
Source: Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review - Category: Psychiatry & Psychology Authors: Tags: Clin Child Fam Psychol Rev Source Type: research