Book Description

Abstract : Anxiety disorders are amongst the most common psychological concerns of childhood and adolescence (Cartwright-Hatton et al., 2004). Whilst cognitive-behavioural therapy has been established as an efficacious treatment, only a small proportion of children with anxiety disorders receive help from mental health professionals (Essau et al., 2000). In recent years, there has been growing interest in using the Internet as a mechanism for delivering psychological services. Although initial investigations of online treatment for child anxiety disorders have produced similar results to that of clinic-based treatment, there remains a proportion of children who do show recovery following treatment. By identifying predictors of child response to treatment, it is possible that treatment could be tailored to suit the needs of children who may be a risk for poor treatment outcomes. A large body of research exists regarding the role of family factors in the development and maintenance of child anxiety disorders (see McLeod et al., 2007; Wood et al., 2003). If left unchanged following treatment, it is likely that family factors involved in the maintenance of child anxiety will have an adverse effect on child outcome following treatment. Additionally, the absence of direct contact with a therapist in online treatment presents a greater requirement for self-direction on the part of the client. In the case of children, this is likely to signal the need for greater encouragement and involvement from parents, which may be problematic when dysfunctional dynamics exist within the family. As such, compliance with the online treatment may also be an important predictor of child outcome, when treatment is completed in an online format. The aim of the current study was to examine the role of family factors, compliance with treatment, and child characteristics (specifically, age and gender), as predictors of treatment outcome for children receiving online CBT for anxiety disorders. Participants were 156 children, ranging from 7 to 18 years of age (M = 11.92, SD = 2.47), and at least one of their parents. Children were required to present with a primary anxiety diagnosis of either separation anxiety disorder, social phobia, generalised anxiety disorder, or specific phobia, based on a clinical interview, administered by a trained clinician. Children and parents also completed a battery of questionnaires to assess child anxiety symptoms, parent psychopathology, family functioning, parenting behaviours, and parent relationship quality.