Examination of the uptake and effectiveness of an ‘e’ therapy for anxiety in children and adolescents in primary care.

Not Applicable

Completed

• Conditions: Anxiety in children aged 7-15 years after a natural disaster; Mental Health - Anxiety

• Registration Number: ACTRN12612000063819
• Lead Sponsor: niversity of Otago, Christchurch

Brief Summary

Background Following a major natural disaster in NZ, an online therapist assisted CBT programme for children with anxiety, (BRAVE_TA ) was made available in primary care. Methods Uptake and feasibility of BRAVE_TA delivery was assessed by examining referral patterns, non-engagement rates and programme progression within a geographic region of NZ (Canterbury population of around 500,000). Effectiveness of BRAVE_TA was measured by the extent of change in the primary outcome measure of anxiety, the CAS8, between baseline and last completed session. Results There were 1361 referrals to BRAVE_TA over 2014-2018, mostly from primary care doctors and nurses in primary schools. After attrition due to triage and family withdrawal, 75 % (N=1026) were enrolled. Around half of children/adolescents completed 4 sessions. Children/adolescents who completed more sessions, had lower anxiety after their last session, with most of the improvement occurring within the first three to four sessions. Interpretation BRAVE_TA has shown to be an acceptable and effective ‘e’ therapy tool in a ‘real world’ primary care setting for children/adolescents with anxiety.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Results First Posted: 1900-01-01
• Study Start: 2012-01-12
• Study Completion: 2018-10-01
• Last Update Posted: 13 January 2020

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 1361

Inclusion Criteria

1. Young people between ages 7 and 15 (on the day of consent)
2. 4.Clinical diagnosis made by referrer of a function impairing anxiety disorder
3. Can read and write English
4. Have access to internet and computer capable of running BRAVE at home

Exclusion Criteria

1. Serious mental health disorder requiring other therapy e.g. post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), moderate or severe depression
2. Current suicidal ideation or self-harming behaviour
3. Current or past (12 months) CBT treatment
4. Poor English language comprehension (note: BRAVE is available in English only; the child version has readability aimed for 7 year olds but it is anticipated that the children are assisted by their parents/caregivers. The adolescent version has estimated literacy level estimated for 12 year olds).
5. Intellectual or physical impairment that would prevent use of the computer

Study & Design

• Study Type: Interventional
• Study Design: Not specified