Special Article

Psychotherapy of Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Meta-Analysis
Tina In-Albon, Silvia Schneider

Department of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland

Address of Corresponding Author

Psychother Psychosom 2007;76:15-24 (DOI: 10.1159/000096361)

  Key Words

• Child psychotherapy evaluation
• Childhood anxiety disorders
• Treatment evaluation

  Abstract

Background: The present study compared the efficacy of psychotherapy for childhood anxiety disorders (excluding trials solely treating post-traumatic stress disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder). Methods: The meta-analysis included studies that met the basic CONSORT (consolidated standards of reporting trials) criteria. Several outcome variables (e.g. effect sizes, percentage of recovery) were analyzed using completer and intent-to-treat analyses during post-treatment and follow-up assessment. Twenty-four studies published by March 2005 were included in this meta-analysis. Results: In all the included studies, the active treatment condition was cognitive-behavioral. The overall mean effect of treatment was 0.86. No differences in outcome were found between individual and group treatments or child- and family-focused treatments. Follow-up data demonstrated that treatment gains were maintained up to several years after treatment. Conclusions: These findings provide evidence that anxiety disorders in children can be treated efficaciously. The gathered data support the clinical utility of cognitive-behavioral therapy in this regard. Randomized controlled trial studies investigating treatments other than cognitive-behavioral therapy are missing.

Copyright © 2007 S. Karger AG, Basel

  Author Contacts

Silvia Schneider, PhD
Universität Basel, Institut für Psychologie
Abteilung Klinische Kinder- und Jugendpsychologie
Missionsstrasse 60/62, CH-4055 Basel (Switzerland)
Tel. +41 61 267 06 50, Fax +41 61 267 06 48, E-Mail silvia.schneider@unibas.ch

  Article Information

Number of Print Pages : 10
Number of Figures : 0, Number of Tables : 2, Number of References : 71