[Group Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Intervention for Anxious Adolescents]

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Clinical Psychology
• Adolescent Mental Health

Background:

• Anxiety disorders affect 7% of adolescents and 6.5% of children, with many not receiving adequate psychotherapy.
• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is an established first-line treatment for anxiety disorders.
• An eight-session group CBT intervention was developed for adolescents with anxiety symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt and evaluate a brief, group CBT intervention for adolescents with anxiety.
• To reduce cognitive distortions, avoidance behaviors, and associated physical symptoms in adolescent anxiety patients.
• To assess the effectiveness of group CBT in a Hungarian adolescent population.

Main Methods:

• A group CBT intervention was administered to 51 adolescents (aged 15-20) diagnosed with anxiety and comorbid mood disorders.
• Participants were divided into groups of 8-12 patients.
• Standardized questionnaires (BDI, STAI-S, RSES-H, BHS, CERQ, FNE-8, NPTQ-C) were used for pre- and post-intervention assessments.

Main Results:

• Significant reductions were observed in anxiety (p<0.001), depressive symptoms (p<0.001), and fear of negative appraisal (p=0.001).
• Improvements included decreased unproductive thoughts (p<0.001) and hopelessness (p=0.049), alongside increased self-esteem (p=0.042).
• Comorbid mood disorders did not diminish the intervention's effectiveness.

Conclusions:

• This study represents the first examination of brief, group CBT for adolescent anxiety in Hungary.
• Group CBT effectively reduced anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and improved self-esteem in adolescents.
• The findings support the broader implementation of this group CBT model for adolescent anxiety treatment.