Cognitive-behavioral family therapy for anxiety-disordered children: A multiple-baseline evaluation

Abstract

Six children (aged 9 to 13) diagnosed with a childhood anxiety disorder were treated with an 18-session, family-based cognitive-behavioral therapy that was evaluated using assessments from multiple sources and a multiple-baseline (2, 4, and 6 weeks) across-cases design. Diagnoses, parent and teacher reports, and child self-reports assessed outcome. Changes in diagnostic status, standardized parent- and teacher-report measures, and parent and child reports on specific measures of coping indicated meaningful treatment-related gains. Gains were considered clinically significant and were, in general, maintained at 4-month follow-up. Although measured features of the family were of limited use, the results suggested the utility of a family-based treatment for childhood anxiety disorders.