Chapter 1 - Introduction: An overview of transdiagnostic, modular approaches to youth psychotherapy

Abstract

Modular youth psychotherapies contain multiple distinct treatment elements (e.g., exposure, relaxation, rewards), which may be flexibly arranged in different combinations and permutations to suit the needs of various families. This flexibility often appeals to community clinicians, who typically have heterogeneous and complex caseloads, and must respond to shifts in client needs and problems throughout treatment. In the last 20 years, several modular youth psychotherapies have been developed and tested, with research generally supporting their effectiveness for many common principal and comorbid mental disorders in youth such as anxiety, depression, autism, trauma, and conduct problems, among others. Using modular youth psychotherapies can also be challenging for clinicians, particularly because their flexibility necessitates frequent clinical decision making, and optimal decisions are often not obvious. We review potential areas for future research and resources for clinicians related to modular youth psychotherapies.