Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Youths With Anxiety Disorders

Summary

The goal of this study is to develop a new internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) intervention for youths with anxiety disorders based on the best current knowledge about effective cognitive behavioral therapy for the target group, refine the intervention in collaboration with patient and public representatives, and conduct a preliminary evaluation of the treatment effects in an open clinical trial.

The primary objective of the study is:

1\. To evaluate the preliminary efficacy of a newly developed ICBT intervention for children and adolescents with anxiety disorders in reducing anxiety severity, as measured by the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS).

Secondary objectives of the study are:

1. To examine the preliminary efficacy (PARS) of the ICBT intervention at 3 months post-treatment.
2. To examine how youths with anxiety disorders, their caregivers, therapists, and healthcare leadership experience the ICBT intervention.
3. To examine factors (e.g., age, type of anxiety disorder, presence of depressive symptoms, experiences of ICBT) that predict treatment outcome.
4. To examine how the ICBT intervention can be improved (e.g., treatment content and technical delivery) for future use.

Participants will:

* Undergo ICBT treatment for anxiety disorders during 12 weeks
* Complete questionnaires at multiple time points throughout the study
* Participate in follow-ups post-treatment and 3 months post-treatment
* A selection of participants will also be invited to focus group interviews with the aim to generate ideas on how the intervention may be improved for future use

Conditions

• ANXIETY DISORDERS (or Anxiety and Phobic Neuroses)
• Specific Phobia
• Social Anxiety Disorder
• Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder
• Panic Disorder
• Agoraphobia

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Internet-Delivered Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

The intervention is a therapist-guided, internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) program primarily based on exposure therapy, involving the gradual confrontation of feared situations and/or stimuli. Treatment is accessed through a smartphone, tablet or laptop/desktop device. The 12-week intervention is available in two different versions depending on the participant's age: one for 8-12-year-olds and one for 13-17-year-olds. Each version consists of separate logins to 12 modules (chapters) for the child/adolescent and 12 modules for the caregivers. Both the child/adolescent and caregiver have individual contact with a trained therapist over the internet platform. The therapist provides feedback, responds to questions and sends reminders to complete the next module if required. Communication is carried out via text messages in the platform, via telephone (if deemed justified) and through a scheduled telephone or videoconference call approximately 4-5 weeks into treatment.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Lund University

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Per Andrén, PhD · Department of Clinical Sciences, Lund, Lund University

Study Design

Allocation

NA

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age

8 Years

Max Age

17 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2025-12-12

Primary Completion

2027-03-01

Completion

2027-06-01

Countries

• Sweden

Study Locations