Substance use outcomes from the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Extended Long-term Study (CAMELS).

BACKGROUND: Substance use problems and anxiety disorders are both highly prevalent and frequently cooccur in youth. The present study examined the benefits of successful anxiety treatment at 3-12 years after treatment completion on substance use outcomes (i.e. diagnoses and lifetime expected use). METHODS: The sample was from the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Extended Long-term Study (CAMELS), a naturalistic follow-up study to the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study (CAMS) which randomized youth to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT; Coping cat), medication (sertraline), their combination, or pill placebo. The first CAMELS visit occurred an average of 6.5 years following CAMS randomization. Participants were 319 youth (65.4% of the CAMS sample), aged 7-17 years at CAMS baseline assessment with a mean age of 17.6 years (range: 11-26 years) at the time of the first CAMELS follow-up. Substance use outcomes included diagnoses as well as lifetime substance use (i.e. alcohol and tobacco use). RESULTS: Eleven of 319 (3.4%) CAMELS participants were diagnosed with a substance use disorder at the initial follow-up visit. When compared to the population lifetime rate of 11.4%, the rate of diagnoses in the posttreated sample was significantly lower. Additionally, rates of lifetime alcohol use were lower than population rates at the initial and final follow-up visits. Rates of lifetime tobacco use were similarly lower than lifetime population rates at the initial visit (driven by significantly lower rates in the CBT treatment condition), but higher by the final visit. Furthermore, treatment remission (but not treatment response) was associated with a lower rate of substance use diagnoses at the initial follow-up visit, although rates of lifetime alcohol and tobacco use did not differ by treatment outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Anxiety treatments confer a beneficial impact on problematic substance use (i.e. diagnoses) as well as on expected substance use (i.e. alcohol and tobacco use) for on average, a period of 6.5 years.

A culturally adapted unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment of anxiety disorders in adolescents (UP-A): a randomized waitlist-controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent and debilitating conditions that show high comorbidity rates in adolescence. The present article illustrates how Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents (UP-A) was adapted for Iranian adolescents with anxiety disorders. METHODS: A total of 54 adolescents with comorbid anxiety disorders participated in a randomized, waitlist-controlled trial of group weekly sessions of either UP-A or waitlist control (WLC). Primary and process of change outcomes were assessed at baseline, posttreatment, and 1-month follow-up. RESULTS: Significant changes were observed over time on major DSM-5 anxiety disorder symptoms (F(2, 51) = 117.09, p < 0.001), phobia type symptoms (F(2, 51) = 100.67, p < 0.001), and overall anxiety symptoms (F(2, 51) = 196.29, p < 0.001), as well as on emotion regulation strategies of reappraisal (F(2, 51) = 17.03, p < 0.001), and suppression (F(2, 51) = 21.13, p < 0.001), as well as on intolerance of uncertainty dimensions including prospective (F(2, 51) = 74.49, p < 0.001), inhibitory (F(2, 51) = 45.94, p < 0.001), and total intolerance of uncertainty (F(2, 51) = 84.42, p < 0.001), in favor of UP-A over WLC. CONCLUSION: Overall, results provide a cultural application of the UP-A and support the protocol as useful for improving anxiety disorders as well as modifying of emotion regulation strategies and intolerance of uncertainty dimensions in Iranian adolescents. Future directions and study limitations are discussed.

Asthma and anxiety in children and adolescents: characteristics and treatment outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: This study (a) examined anxious youth with and without asthma on measures of negative self-talk, parental psychopathology, worry content, physical symptoms, panic symptoms, generalized symptoms, and separation anxiety symptoms, and (b) tested if outpatient CBT or medication were differentially effective in reducing anxiety for youth with asthma and anxiety. METHODS: This secondary analysis separated youth with an anxiety disorder into asthma and non-asthma groups. Youth were also compared on response to treatments (i.e. CBT, sertraline, combined, and placebo). RESULTS: A total of 488 participants participated in the original study, with an average age of 10 years (SD 2.87). Youth with comorbid asthma and anxiety demonstrated higher rates of negative self-talk. Youth with comorbid asthma and anxiety did not differ from the non-asthma group on measures of physical symptoms, anxiety disorder specific symptoms, parental psychopathology, or worry content. Youth with asthma and anxiety responded similarly to the non-asthma group to treatment across treatment conditions. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment was comparably effective for youth with comorbid asthma and anxiety and youth with anxiety. Future research could examine the effects of psychopharmaceuticals on asthma and anxiety comorbidity.

Anxiety disorders in children and adolescents: A summary and overview of the literature.

Considerable work has advanced understanding of the nature, causes, management, and prevention of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents over the past 30 years. Prior to this time the primary focus was on school refusal and specific phobias. It is now recognised that children and adolescents experience the full gamut of anxiety disorders in very similar ways to adults and that anxiety disorders in the paediatric years can predict a lifelong mental-health struggle. Given the vast array of specific studies in this field, the current review summarises current knowledge about these high prevalence disorders, points to overarching limitations, and suggests potentially important future directions. Following a brief historical overview, the review summarises knowledge about demographic and epidemiological characteristics, distal and proximal risk factors, current treatment directions, and prevention. There is still a great deal to learn about the causes and treatments of child and adolescent anxiety disorders. By amalgamating our current knowledge, this review provides a window to the research directions that are likely to lead to future advances.

Impact of youth and caregiver worries about treatment on therapeutic process factors and posttreatment outcomes.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the impact of youth- and caregiver-reported pretreatment worries about treatment (i.e., concerns about the effect of, perceptions of, or aspects involved in treatment) before cognitive behavioral therapy for anxiety on (1) clinician-rated therapeutic process factors (i.e., client engagement, client-therapist alliance, content mastery, and homework completion) and symptom change (i.e., improvement, anxiety severity) assessed throughout treatment and (2) independent evaluator-rated posttreatment outcomes (i.e., response, remission, and functional impairment). METHODS: Participants were 128 youth, aged 7-17 years, who sought treatment for a principal anxiety disorder, and their primary caregiver. Multilevel models were estimated to examine the relationship between worries about treatment and the set of therapeutic factors. Regression models examined the relationship between worries about treatment and posttreatment outcomes. RESULTS: Results indicated that greater youth-reported worries about treatment flattened/lessened improvement trajectories throughout treatment and had a positive association with higher anxiety severity and lower content mastery. Greater caregiver-reported worries about treatment were associated with greater homework completion, client engagement, and content mastery throughout treatment. Youth- and caregiver-reports of worries about treatment did not impact independent evaluator-rated posttreatment outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Findings support the notion that worries about treatment do not prevent youth from achieving favorable posttreatment outcomes, but do impact various therapeutic factors differentially across youth and caregiver report (e.g., content mastery, client engagement, and homework completion). The value of addressing worries about treatment at the start of therapy is discussed.

What caregivers like the most (and least) about cognitive behavioral therapy for youth anxiety: A mixed methods approach.

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an efficacious therapy for youth anxiety disorders. Caregivers are key stakeholders in youth therapy, and their feedback on treatment can help to inform intervention personalization. This mixed-methods study applied a systematic inductive thematic analysis to identify themes among most- and least-liked CBT features reported by caregivers using open-ended responses on the Client Satisfaction Questionnaire (CSQ-8). The sample included 139 caregivers of youth ages 7-17 (M = 12.21, SD = 3.05; 59% female; 79.1% Caucasian, 5.8% Black, 2.9% Asian, 2.2% Hispanic, 7.9% Multiracial, 2.2% Other) with principal anxiety diagnoses who completed 16-sessions of CBT. CSQ-8 quantitative satisfaction scores (M = 29.18, SD = 3.30; range: 16-32) and survey-based treatment response rates (responders n = 93, 67%) were high. Most-liked treatment features included: coping skills (i.e., exposure, understanding/identifying anxiety, rewards, homework), therapist factors (interpersonal style/skill, relationship, accessibility), caregiver involvement, one-on-one time with a therapist, structure, consistency, and personally tailored treatment. Least-liked treatment features included: questionnaires, logistical barriers, telehealth, need for more sessions, non-anxiety concerns not addressed, insufficient caregiver involvement, and aspects of exposure tasks. Proportional frequencies of most- and least-liked themes differed by treatment responder status (e.g., responders cited exposure and homework as most-liked more frequently).

The role of implementation organizations in scaling evidence-based psychosocial interventions.

BACKGROUND: To bring evidence-based interventions (EBIs) to individuals with behavioral health needs, psychosocial interventions must be delivered at scale. Despite an increasing effort to implement effective treatments in communities, most individuals with mental health and behavioral problems do not receive EBIs. We posit that organizations that commercialize EBIs play an important role in disseminating EBIs, particularly in the USA. The behavioral health and implementation industry is growing, bringing the implementation field to an important inflection point: how to scale interventions to improve access while maintaining EBI effectiveness and minimizing inequities in access to psychosocial intervention. MAIN BODY: We offer a first-hand examination of five illustrative organizations specializing in EBI implementation: Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Incredible Years, Inc.; the PAXIS Institute; PracticeWise, LLC; and Triple P International. We use the Five Stages of Small Business Growth framework to organize themes. We discuss practical structures (e.g., corporate structures, intellectual property agreements, and business models) and considerations that arise when trying to scale EBIs including balancing fidelity and reach of the intervention. Business models consider who will pay for EBI implementation and allow organizations to scale EBIs. CONCLUSION: We propose research questions to guide scaling: understanding the level of fidelity needed to maintain efficacy, optimizing training outcomes, and researching business models to enable organizations to scale EBIs.

Anxiety symptom trajectories from treatment to 5- to 12-year follow-up across childhood and adolescence.

OBJECTIVE: The current study examined trajectories of anxiety during (a) acute treatment and (b) extended follow-up to better characterize the long-term symptom trajectories of youth who received evidence-based intervention for anxiety disorders using a person-centered approach. METHOD: Participants were 319 youth (age 7-17 years at enrollment), who participated in a multicenter randomized controlled trial for the treatment of pediatric anxiety disorders, Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study, and a 4-year naturalistic follow-up, Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Extended Long-term Study, an average of 6.5 years later. Using growth mixture modeling, the study identified distinct trajectories of anxiety across acute treatment (Weeks 0-12), posttreatment (Weeks 12-36), and the 4-year-long follow-up, and identified baseline predictors of these trajectories. RESULTS: Three nonlinear anxiety trajectories emerged: "short-term responders" who showed rapid treatment response but had higher levels of anxiety during the extended follow-up; "durable responders" who sustained treatment gains; and "delayed remitters" who did not show an initial response to treatment, but showed low levels of anxiety during the maintenance and extended follow-up periods. Worse anxiety severity and better family functioning at baseline predicted membership in the delayed remitters group. Caregiver strain differentiated short-term responders from durable responders. CONCLUSIONS: Findings suggest that initial response to treatment does not guarantee sustained treatment gains over time for some youth. Future follow-up studies that track treated youth across key developmental transitions and in the context of changing social environments are needed to inform best practices for the long-term management of anxiety.

Do youth anxiety measures assess the same construct consistently throughout treatment? Results are...complicated.

Interventionists interpret changes in symptoms as reflecting response to treatment. However, changes in symptom functioning and the measurement of the underlying constructs may be reflected in reported change. Longitudinal measurement invariance (LMI) is a statistical approach that assesses the degree to which measures consistently capture the same construct over time. We examined LMI in measures of anxiety severity/symptoms [i.e., Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS), Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC), Screen for Child Anxiety and Related Disorders (SCARED)] in anxious youth at baseline and posttreatment. Initial fit was inadequate for 27 of 38 baseline and posttreatment models, but model modifications resulted in acceptable fit. Tests of LMI supported scalar invariance for the PARS and many, but not all, MASC and SCARED subscales. Findings suggest that the PARS, and many MASC and SCARED subscales can accurately be used to measure change over time, however, others may reflect changes in measurement properties.

Adapting CBT for youth anxiety: Flexibility, within fidelity, in different settings.

Anxiety disorders are common in youth, associated with impairments in daily functioning, and often persist into adulthood when untreated. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth anxiety is a well-established intervention and has been modified to fit several treatment settings. Despite decades of results supporting the efficacy of CBT, there is a large gap in access to this treatment and a need to consider how it can best be administered flexibly to increase uptake and personalization. We first discuss the core components of treatment for CBT through the lens of the Coping Cat treatment. Next, we review the empirical findings regarding adjustments made for CBT for youth anxiety delivered (a) in schools, (b) in community settings, (c) through telehealth, (d) through online computer programs, and (e) by caregivers at home. In each setting, we provide specific suggestions for how to implement CBT with flexibility while maintaining fidelity.

Examining the Relationship Between Anxiety Severity and Autism-Related Challenges During Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children with Autism.

PURPOSE: Using data from a randomized clinical trial evaluating cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for children with autism and co-occurring anxiety, this study examined the relationship between autism features and anxiety symptoms throughout CBT. METHODS: Two multilevel mediation analyses were run which examined the mediating role of changes in anxiety for changes in two core features of autism, (a) repetitive and restrictive behaviors (RRBs) and (b) social communication/interaction impairments, between pre- and post-treatment. RESULTS: Indirect effects between time and autism characteristics were significant for both models, indicating that as anxiety changes, so do RRBs and social communication/interaction as the outcomes respectively. CONCLUSION: Findings suggest a bidirectional relationship between anxiety and autism features. Implications of these findings are discussed.

Therapist perceptions of experiential training for exposure therapy.

BACKGROUND: Despite evidence for its efficacy, exposure therapy for anxiety is rarely used in routine care settings. Efforts to address one major barrier to its use - therapists' negative beliefs about exposure - have included therapist-level implementation strategies, such as training and consultation. Experiential training, in which therapists themselves undergo exposures, has recently demonstrated feasibility, acceptability and preliminary effectiveness for increasing exposure use. AIMS: This study aimed to assess: (1) therapists' perceptions of experiential training and (2) barriers and facilitators to implementing exposure following training. METHOD: Therapists who underwent experiential training (n=12) completed qualitative interviews and quantitative questionnaires. Interviews were coded using an integrated approach, combining both inductive and deductive approaches. Mixed methods analyses examined how themes varied by practice setting (community mental health versus private practice) and exposure use. RESULTS: Results highlight how therapist-level factors, such as clinician self-efficacy, interact with inner- and outer-setting factors. Participants reported positive perceptions of exposure after training; they noted that directly addressing myths about exposure and experiencing exposures themselves improved their attitudes toward exposure. Consistent with prior literature, issues such as insufficient supervisory support, organizational constraints, and client characteristics made it challenging to implement exposures. DISCUSSION: Results highlight the benefits of experiential training, while also highlighting the need to consider contextual determinants. Differences in responses across practice settings highlight areas for intervention and the importance of tailoring implementation strategies. Barriers that were specific to therapists who did not use exposure (e.g. hesitancy about its appropriateness for most clients) point to directions for future implementation efforts.

CBT for Youth Anxiety: How Does It Fit Within Community Mental Health?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: We review (1) the empirical literature for cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth anxiety delivered in community settings, (2) the use of online delivery methods in this process, and (3) identified barriers and facilitators to implementation of CBT for youth anxiety in community mental health clinics (CMHCs). We provide suggestions for future work. RECENT FINDINGS: Meta-analytic reviews of effectiveness studies suggest that outcomes comparable to those of efficacy studies can be achieved in community settings, particularly when in-session exposures occur. Several online programs support delivery of these services, with an evidence base that is promising. The notable barrier to the implementation of services is the cost of implementation and sustainability. Organizational factors such as leadership, culture, and climate are consistently identified as barriers and facilitators depending on their valence and appear to be related to implementation outcomes (e.g., on provider attitudes). The current findings need to be integrated into future studies, with a focus on further identifying facilitators (e.g., champions and online programs) of implementation. There is also the need for efforts to address organizational and individual barriers and to compare ways to reduce costs.

Idiographic Coping Outcomes in Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Co-Occurring Anxiety: Results from the TAASD Study.

Versions of cognitive behavioral therapy (Coping Cat, CC; Behavioral Interventions for Anxiety in Children with Autism, BIACA) have shown efficacy in treating anxiety among youth with autism spectrum disorder. Measures of efficacy have been primarily nomothetic symptom severity assessments. The current study examined idiographic coping outcomes in the Treatment of Anxiety in Autism Spectrum Disorder study (N = 167). Longitudinal changes in coping with situations individualized to youth fears (Coping Questionnaire) were examined across CC, BIACA and treatment as usual (TAU) in a series of multilevel models. CC and BIACA produced significantly greater improvements than TAU in caregiver-reported coping. Youth report did not reflect significant differences. Results show the efficacy of CC and BIACA in improving idiographic caregiver-, but not youth-, reported youth coping.

Empirically-identified subgroups of children with autism spectrum disorder and their response to two types of cognitive behavioral therapy.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is heterogeneous and likely entails distinct phenotypes with varying etiologies. Identifying these subgroups may contribute to hypotheses about differential treatment responses. The present study aimed to discern subgroups among children with ASD and anxiety in context of the five-factor model of personality (FFM) and evaluate treatment response differences to two cognitive-behavioral therapy treatments. The present study is a secondary data analysis of children with ASD and anxiety (N=202; ages 7-13; 20.8% female) in a cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) randomized controlled trial (Wood et al., 2020). Subgroups were identified via latent profile analysis of parent-reported FFM data. Treatment groups included standard-of-practice CBT (CC), designed for children with anxiety, and adapted CBT (BIACA), designed for children with ASD and comorbid anxiety. Five subgroups with distinct profiles were extracted. Analysis of covariance revealed CBT response was contingent on subgroup membership. Two subgroups responded better to BIACA on the primary outcome measure and a third responded better to BIACA on a peer-social adaptation measure, while a fourth subgroup responded better to CC on a school-related adaptation measure. These findings suggest that the FFM may be useful in empirically identifying subgroups of children with ASD, which could inform intervention selection decisions for children with ASD and anxiety.

Reward Sensitivity Predicts the Response to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Children with Autism and Anxiety.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for anxiety in youth with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, research has yet to examine what cognitive characteristics may influence treatment response. The current study investigated decision-making ability and social cognition as potential (a) predictors of differential treatment response to two versions of CBT and (b) moderators of the effect of treatment condition. METHOD: The study included 148 children (mean age = 9.8 years) with interfering anxiety and a diagnosis of ASD who were enrolled in a randomized clinical trial comparing two versions of CBT for anxiety (standard and adapted for ASD). Participants completed pretreatment measures of decision-making ability (adapted Iowa Gambling Task) and social cognition (Strange Stories) and analyses tested whether task performance predicted treatment response across and between (moderation) treatment conditions. RESULTS: Our findings indicate that decision-making ability moderated treatment outcomes in youth with ASD and anxiety, with a better decision-making performance being associated with higher post-treatment anxiety scores for those who received standard, not adapted, CBT. CONCLUSIONS: Children with ASD and anxiety who are more sensitive to reward contingencies and reinforcement may benefit more from adapted CBT approaches that work more explicitly with reward.

Anger Outbursts in Youth with ASD and Anxiety: Phenomenology and Relationship with Family Accommodation.

Anger outbursts (AO) are associated with severe symptoms, impairment and poorer treatment outcomes for anxious children, though limited research has examined AO in youth with co-occurring autism and anxiety disorders. This study examined AO in children with autism and anxiety by evaluating clinical characteristics, family accommodation, and changes in AO following anxiety-focused treatment. The sample comprised 167 youth with autism and anxiety enrolled in a multi-site randomized clinical trial comparing standard care CBT for anxiety, CBT adapted for youth with autism, and usual care. Most participants (60%) had AO, which contributed to impairment above and beyond anxiety and autism. AO impacted functional impairment indirectly through a pathway of parental accommodation. AO reduced with anxiety-focused treatment. Findings highlight that AO are common in this population and uniquely contribute to functional impairment, indicating a need for direct targeting in treatment.

Change during cognitive and exposure phases of cognitive-behavioral therapy for autistic youth with anxiety disorders.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate improvement during the (a) cognitive and (b) exposure therapy phases of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for autistic youth with anxiety disorders. METHOD: Participants were 148 autistic youth (aged 7-13; 77% male; 64% White) with clinically significant anxiety who were randomized to standard or adapted CBT. Clinician-rated anxiety severity was recorded at each appointment. Trajectories of change during (a) the cognitive phase and (b) the exposure phase of treatment were analyzed using piecewise multilevel modeling. RESULTS: Compared to the psychoeducation and cognitive therapy phases, the exposure phase corresponded with significantly more rapid symptom reduction, b = -.11, 95% CI [-.13, -.071]. This finding was true for standard CBT, which included nine sessions prior to exposure initiation (on average), as well as for CBT personalized for autistic youth, which introduced exposure following the fifth session (on average). In contrast, compared with improvements during initial psychoeducation sessions, the introduction of cognitive skills corresponded with significantly slower symptom reduction, b = .066, 95% CI [.020, .11]. This finding was also true for both adapted and standard CBT. CONCLUSIONS: Results underscore the central role of exposure in the treatment of anxiety among autistic youth and question the utility of cognitive strategies without subsequent practice of these skills during exposure. Assuming a working relationship, therapists should consider moving through the preexposure coping phase of CBT quickly. Future research should evaluate the extent to which exposure can maintain its potency while minimizing coping skill preparation. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).