Predictors and Moderators of Treatment Outcomes for Anxious Children Randomized to Computer-Assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Standard Community Care

Authors

Orri Smárason
Andrew G Guzick
Wayne K Goodman
Alison Salloum
Eric A Storch

Language

English

Publication Date

10-1-2023

Journal

Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychopharmacology

DOI

10.1089/cap.2023.0019

PMID

37861988

PMCID

PMC10616955

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

10-16-2023

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Abstract

Introduction:

Computer-assisted cognitive behavioral therapy (CCBT) for childhood anxiety disorders may aid the dissemination of CBT, while maintaining treatment fidelity. Although CCBT is an effective intervention, not everyone benefits equally from treatment. Identifying patient characteristics that predict who will benefit from treatment and to what extent can help with matching patients to suitable interventions, and allow researchers and clinicians to modify, and individualize, their treatment formats more effectively. Such predictors and moderators have not yet been examined for CCBT outcomes in anxious children and studies of more traditional treatment formats have yielded inconsistent results.

Methods:

Using data from a randomized clinical trial evaluating CCBT for children with anxiety disorders, this study examined predictors and moderators of treatment outcomes in a sample of 100 children (age: mean [M] = 9.82, standard deviation [SD] = 1.82), randomized to either CCBT (n = 49) or standard community care (n = 51). Potential predictors and moderators were identified from the literature and examined in stepwise multiple linear regression models, using posttreatment anxiety severity and global impairment as outcomes.

Results:

Parent-rated internalizing symptoms predicted posttreatment anxiety severity for both treatment groups. High pretreatment levels of anxiety severity predicted higher global impairment at posttreatment for the group receiving community care, but not for the CCBT group.

Conclusion:

Further research is needed to clarify which patient characteristics are associated with CCBT outcomes in a consistent way. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01416805.

Keywords

Humans, Child, Anxiety Disorders, Treatment Outcome, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Anxiety, Computers, Therapy, Computer-Assisted, anxiety, children, CBT, computer-assisted, predictors

Published Open-Access

yes

Recommended Citation

Smárason, Orri; Guzick, Andrew G; Goodman, Wayne K; et al., "Predictors and Moderators of Treatment Outcomes for Anxious Children Randomized to Computer-Assisted Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or Standard Community Care" (2023). Faculty and Staff Publications. 3674.
https://digitalcommons.library.tmc.edu/baylor_docs/3674