The "RAPID" cognitive-behavioral therapy program for inattentive children: preliminary findings

Area of Science:

• Child Psychology
• Educational Psychology
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Inattentive children often require targeted interventions.
• School settings offer a practical environment for delivering therapeutic programs.
• Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a recognized approach for behavioral and emotional challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the feasibility and acceptability of a school-based CBT group intervention (RAPID) for inattentive children.
• To evaluate the reliability of the RATE-C questionnaires for measuring outcomes.
• To determine the intervention's effectiveness in improving attention, emotion, and conduct.

Main Methods:

• Eighty-eight parent/carer-child-teacher triads completed the RATE-C questionnaires.
• Forty-eight children participated in the school-based RAPID CBT group intervention.
• Post-intervention, questionnaires were readministered, and semi-structured interviews were conducted.

Main Results:

• The RAPID intervention achieved a high completion rate (92%).
• Post-intervention interviews confirmed the acceptability of the direct intervention for young children.
• The RATE-C questionnaires demonstrated excellent reliability across parent, child, and teacher ratings.
• Significant improvements (medium to large effect sizes) were observed in attention, emotion, and conduct post-intervention.

Conclusions:

• The RATE-C scales are reliable tools for assessing outcomes in interventions for inattentive children.
• The RAPID intervention is a feasible and acceptable group program for delivery in school settings.
• The findings support the use of school-based CBT for improving attention, emotion, and conduct in children.