Improving access to treatment for children with anxiety disorders
At Griffith University, we are conducting a nationwide study funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council for children (7 to 12 years of age) with anxiety disorders. The study includes a thorough assessment with a trained clinician, participation in one of two kinds of home-based treatments using computers, and further assessments after treatment is completed. We are providing this service at no cost to families. Please contact us to find out more information about the study by calling 07-3735 3351 or emailing us at cadrp@griffith.edu.au. You can also email us directly by filling in the email form below.
Why is the study being conducted?
For many children and their parents, anxiety can be highly disruptive and prevent children from doing things that other children their age can do. This project will examine two treatment conditions and determine if they are as effective as each other in alleviating children’s anxiety disorders.
Are you eligible?
Your child may be eligible to participate if:
- he/she is 7- 12 years of age
- he/she meets the criteria for an anxiety disorder
- he/she is not receiving concurrent psychotherapy (if applicable)
- he/she is able to have their medication stabilised (if applicable) at the same dose for 12 weeks prior to diagnostic assessment.
Your child will not be eligible to participate if:
- a non-anxiety diagnosis is their main problem
- he/she has a pervasive developmental disorder or intellectual impairment
- he/she has physical impairments that prevent computer use e.g. vision impairment
- he/she has completed either of the two treatments in this study before.
Expected Benefits
Results of this study may help us determine whether these treatments are effective for children with anxiety disorders. Such a development would allow us to share this information with other mental health professionals and to assist them in working with other families. Although no guarantee of treatment outcome can be provided to you, these treatments may benefit your child. Feedback will be provided after each assessment time-point and families will be contacted at the end of the study and offered the opportunity to receive a summary of the study findings in simple, easy to follow terms.
Publications
Donovan, C., & March, S. (2014). Computer-based Treatment Programs for Youth Anxiety: A Systematic Review. Psychopathology Review, 1(1), 130–156.
Donovan, C., & March, S. (2014). Online CBT for Preschool Anxiety Disorders: A Randomised Control Trial. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 58, 24–35.
Hearn, C., Donovan, C., Spence, S., & March, S. (2018). Do worry and its associated cognitive variables alter following CBT treatment in a youth population with Social Anxiety Disorder? Results from a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Anxiety Disorders, 53, 46–57.
Hill, C., Creswell, C., Vigerland, S., Nauta, M. H., March, S., Donovan, C., … Kendall, P. C. (2018). Navigating the development and dissemination of internet cognitive behavioural therapy (iCBT) for anxiety disorders in children and young people: A consensus statement with recommendations from the #iCBTLorentz Workshop Group. Internet Interventions, 12, 1–10.
March, S., Spence, S. H., Donovan, C. L. (2009). The efficacy of an internet-based cognitive-behavioural therapy intervention for child anxiety disorders. Journal of Pediatric Psychology, 34, 474-487.
Mogg, K., Waters, A. M., & Bradley, B. P. (2017). Attention bias modification (ABM): Review of effects of multisession ABM training on anxiety and threat-related attention in high-anxious individuals. Clinical Psychological Science.5, 698-717.
Spence, S., Donovan, C., March, S., Kenardy, J. A., & Hearn, C. (2017). Generic versus disorder specific cognitive behaviour therapy for social anxiety disorder in youth: A randomized controlled trial using internet delivery. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 90, 41–57.
Spence, S. H.; Donovan, C. L., March, S., Gamble, A., Anderson, R. E., Prosser. S., Kenardy, J. (2011). A randomised controlled trial of online versus clinic-based CBT for adolescent anxiety. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 79, 629-642.
Spence, S.H., Holmes J.M., March, S., & Lipp O.V. (2006). The feasibility and outcome of clinic plus internet delivery of cognitive-behaviour therapy for childhood anxiety. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 71, 614-621.
Waters, A. M., Cao, Y., Kershaw, R., Kerbler, G. M., Shum, D. H. K., Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Craske, M. G., Bradley, B. P., Mogg, K., Pine, D. S., & Cunnington, R. (2018). Changes in neural activation underlying attention processing of emotional stimuli following treatment with positive search training in anxious children. Journal of Anxiety Disorders. 55, 22-30.
Waters, A. M. & Craske, M. G. (2016). Towards a cognitive-learning formulation of anxiety disorders in youth: A narrative review of theory and evidence and implications for treatment. Clinical Psychology Review. 50, 50-66.
Waters, A. M., Farrell, L. J., Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Milliner, E., Tiralongo, E., Donovan, C. L., McConnell, H., Bradley, B. P., Mogg, K., & Ollendick, T. H. (2014). Augmenting one session treatment of children’s specific phobias with attention training towards positive stimuli. Behaviour Research and Therapy. 62, 107-119.
Waters, A.M., Mogg, K., & Bradley B.P. (2012). The direction of threat attention bias predicts treatment outcome from cognitive behavioural therapy in anxious children. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 50, 428-434.
Waters, A.M., Pittaway, M. K., Mogg, K., Bradley, B.P., & Pine, D. (2013). Attention training to positive stimuli in childhood anxiety disorders. Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience, 4, 77-84.
Waters, A. M., Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Craske, M. G., Pine, D. S., Bradley, B. P., & Mogg, K. (2016). A preliminary evaluation of a home-based, computer-delivered attention training treatment for anxious children living in regional communities. Journal of Experimental Psychopathology. 7, 511-527.
Waters, A. M., Zimmer-Gembeck, M. J., Craske, M. G., Pine, D. S., Bradley, B. P., & Mogg, K. (2015). Look for good and never give up: A novel attention training treatment for childhood anxiety disorders. Behaviour Research & Therapy. 73, 111-123.
Contact us
Please fill out the form below if you would like us to contact you with more information about our study. Alternatively, you can call us on 07 3735 3351 or send us an email on cadrp@griffith.edu.au