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Case series: brief parent-child group therapy for childhood anxiety disorders using a manual-based
P Toren1, L Wolmer, B Rosental
1Tel Aviv-Brull Community Mental Health Center, Israel.
Objective:
To report on a brief parent-child group therapy program for children with anxiety disorders.
Method:
Twenty-four children with an anxiety disorder and their parents participated in a 10-session treatment. Children were evaluated at pretreatment (T1), posttreatment (T2), 12-month follow-up (T3), and 36-month follow-up (T4). Ten children were also assessed on entering a waiting period (T0).
Results:
There were no significant symptomatic changes between T0 and T1. Anxiety symptoms decreased significantly during the treatment and follow-up periods. Depressive symptoms changed only during the follow-up period. The percentage of children with no current anxiety disorder was 71% at T2 and 91% at T4. Children of mothers with an anxiety disorder improved more than children of nonanxious mothers, whereas the anxiety level of anxious mothers remained stable.
Conclusions:
Brief parent-child group psychotherapy may serve as a time-limited, cost-effective, and efficient intervention.