Brief Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety and Depression in Youth

Abstract

Abstract The Brief Behavioral Therapy (BBT) program is designed to help kids and teens with “internalizing problems”—by this we mean feeling stressed, sad, bad, nervous, worried, moody, irritable, or scared. Feelings like these are the most common mental health problems that kids, teens, and even adults experience throughout their lives. Although these issues are quite common, internalizing problems can lead to serious consequences if they are not treated. Without treatment, anxiety and depression tend to become chronic, long-lasting issues. They also make it hard for kids to do the things they need and want to do in life: do well in school, participate in and enjoy out-of-school activities, make and keep friends, and have warm and supportive family relationships. The purpose of the BBT program is to tackle this directly and to help youth and families keep doing, or start doing, the important tasks of life even when bad feelings happen. The program provides provide tools and skills for reducing stress and solving problems and a step-by-step guide for approaching difficult situations while managing negative feelings. This volume is the youth and family workbook, designed to be used in combination with the BBT Therapist Guide. Each chapter in this workbook builds on the prior chapter, and each chapter has a matching lesson in the Therapist Guide. When used together with the support of a mental health provider, the BBT program has been found to significantly reduce symptoms and improve kids’ functioning in daily life.