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Updated: Sep 18, 2025
Psychophysiological Assessment of the Effectiveness of Emotion Regulation Strategies in Childhood
Published on: February 11, 2017
Is the Unified Protocol for Children Effective for the Transdiagnostic Treatment of Children's Emotional Disorders? A
Brígida Caiado1, Raquel Guiomar2, Bárbara Gomes-Pereira2
1University of Coimbra, Center for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive Behavioral Intervention; Centro Hospitalar Tondela-Viseu, Unidade Local de Saúde Viseu Dão-Lafões.
Insights
The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children (UP-C) effectively reduces childhood internalizing symptoms like anxiety and depression. This evidence-based treatment shows greater efficacy and acceptance compared to standard care.
Area of Science:
- Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
- Clinical Psychology
- Evidence-Based Interventions
Background:
- Emotional disorders in children present significant challenges, impacting individual well-being and family functioning.
- Transdiagnostic approaches offer a promising avenue for addressing the underlying mechanisms of various emotional disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children (UP-C) compared to an active control group.
- To assess UP-C's impact on internalizing symptoms, symptom severity, and interference with functioning in children.
- To examine treatment satisfaction, adherence, and dropout rates associated with UP-C.
Main Methods:
- A large-scale randomized controlled trial (RCT) involving 153 children (6-13 years) diagnosed with emotional disorders.
- Random assignment to either the UP-C condition or an active psychoeducational control group (ABC of Emotions).
- Assessment of child internalizing symptoms, symptom severity, and functional interference via self-report and clinician ratings at multiple time points.
Main Results:
- The UP-C group demonstrated significantly greater reductions in internalizing symptoms, including anxiety and depression, with a large effect size.
- UP-C led to a greater reduction in symptom severity and interference with child and family functioning compared to the control.
- Higher treatment satisfaction, better adherence, and lower dropout rates were observed in the UP-C condition.
Conclusions:
- The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children (UP-C) is a feasible, acceptable, and highly effective treatment for childhood emotional disorders.
- Findings support UP-C's status as an evidence-based intervention, offering significant clinical gains for children.
- The transdiagnostic approach of UP-C addresses core mechanisms, leading to broad symptom reduction and improved functioning.
Abstract:
The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children (UP-C) aims to reduce internalizing symptoms in children by addressing fundamental mechanisms that underlie emotional disorders through a combination of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral strategies. This study, the largest randomized controlled trial (RCT) to date of UP-C efficacy and the first one conducted outside the U.S., assesses the efficacy of UP-C compared to an active control group. A total of 153 children (6-13 years old; 58.8% girls) with at least one emotional disorder as a primary diagnosis and their parents (88.2% mothers) were randomly assigned to either the UP-C condition (n = 77) or an active control condition (n = 76; receiving a psychoeducational intervention, the ABC of Emotions). Participants completed self-report questionnaires at pretreatment, midtreatment, posttreatment, and at the 3-month follow-up, assessing children's internalizing symptoms and their interference with the child and family functioning. Clinicians assessed the severity of the child's symptoms and monitored clinical improvement throughout the study. Descriptive statistics, comparative tests and Linear Mixed Models were used. Results showed greater satisfaction, lower dropout rates, and better adherence in the UP-C condition, with a reduced need for additional interventions posttreatment compared to the control group. The UP-C demonstrated significantly greater efficacy in reducing internalizing symptoms, with a large effect size, including anxiety and depression, as well as in reducing the interference and severity of child symptoms and in improving clinical gains compared to the control group. These findings provide strong support for UP-C as a feasible, acceptable, and effective treatment for childhood emotional disorders, reinforcing its status as an evidence-based treatment.
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