Group Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Children with High-Functioning Autism Spectrum Disorders and Anxiety: A Randomized Trial

Details

• Alternative Title:
  J Child Psychol Psychiatry
• Personal Author:
  Reaven, Judy ; Blakeley-Smith, Audrey ; Culhane-Shelburne, Kathy ; Hepburn, Susan
• Description:
  Background
  
  Children with high-functioning autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are at high risk for developing significant anxiety. Anxiety can adversely impact functioning across school, home and community environments. Cognitive behavior therapies (CBT) are frequently used with success for children with anxiety symptoms. Modified CBT interventions for anxiety in children with ASD have also yielded promising results.
  
  Methods
  
  Fifty children with high-functioning ASD and anxiety were randomized to group CBT or Treatment as Usual (TAU) for 12 weeks. Independent Clinical Evaluators, blind to condition, completed structured interviews (Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule – Parent Version; ADIS-P) pre- and post-intervention condition.
  
  Results
  
  Forty-seven children completed either the CBT or TAU condition. Results indicated markedly better outcomes for the CBT group. Significant differences by group were noted in Clinician Severity Ratings, diagnostic status, and clinician ratings of global improvement. In the intent-to-treat sample, ten of 20 children (50%) in the CBT group had a clinically meaningful positive treatment response, compared to 2 of 23 children (8.7%) in the TAU group.
  
  Conclusions
  
  Initial results from this rigorously designed treatment study suggest that a group CBT intervention specifically developed for children with ASD may be effective in decreasing anxiety. Limitations of this study include small sample size, lack of an attention control group, and use of outcome measures normed with typically developing children.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Adolescent Analysis Of Variance Anxiety Anxiety Disorders Article Autism CBT Child Child Development Disorders, Pervasive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Family Therapy Female Follow-Up Studies Group Humans Interviews As Topic Male Parents Psychiatric Status Rating Scales Severity Of Illness Index

  More +
• Source:
  J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 53(4):410-419
• Pubmed ID:
  22435114
• Pubmed Central ID:
  PMC4392045
• Document Type:
  Journal Article
• Funding:
  R21 MH089291/MH/NIMH NIH HHSUnited States/ ; 90DD0561/DD/NCBDD CDC HHSUnited States/
• Volume:
  53
• Issue:
  4
• Collection(s):
  CDC Public Access
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha256:f52a0a4da27c527baf1580af7d32091521dd14d4643240f3dbcee725b08cf2b6
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/33735/cdc_33735_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 454.22 KB ]