Coping Kids: Early Intervention for Anxiety and Depression

Summary

The purpose of this study is to provide knowledge regarding the effect of early intervention and prevention on the development of anxiety and depression in children. The focus of the intervention is to reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and help children develop skills to enhance self-esteem in order to improve life quality. Gender and ethnicity will be studied as moderating factors. Primary care givers will be trained in the use of evidence based methods for children with internalizing difficulties. Children in need will be identified and receive improved services, based on international standards. Active collaboration will be established nationally between three Centers for child and adolescent mental health (RKBU/RBUP) and internationally with Philip C. Kendall at the Temple University in Philadelphia and Kevin Stark at University of Texas at Austin.

Primary aims are to examine if an indicated group and school based program, Coping Kids, is more effective than treatment as usual (TAU) in reducing high levels of symptoms of both anxiety and depression among 8-12 year old schoolchildren, and if the the effects are stable over 12 months.

Conditions

• Anxiety
• Depression

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Coping Kids

The first half (10 sessions) of Coping Kids focuses on building skills that are common to both anxiety and depression. The children practice strategies to regulate their mood, learn problem-solving, and behavioral activation is used to break the cycle of withdrawal. The second half of Coping Kids (10 sessions) is focused on the youth's specific problem; for depressive symptoms, building a positive self-schema and behavioral activation; for anxiety problems, gradual exposure to fear-inducing situations. Cognitive restructuring directed at different maladaptive thoughts is also emphasized.

BEHAVIORAL

TAU

Treatment as usual

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The Research Council of Norway

  collaborator OTHER

• Regional kunnskapssenter for barn og unge - Midt

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Regional kunnskapssenter for barn og unge - Nord

  collaborator UNKNOWN

• Regionsenter for barn og unges psykiske helse

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Simon-Peter Neumer, Dr. phil · Regionsenter for barn og unge psykiske helse

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

8 Years

Max Age

13 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2014-03-03

Primary Completion

2017-07-31

Completion

2017-07-31

Countries

• Norway

Study Locations