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Community Trial of an Evidence-Based Anxiety Intervention for Children and Adolescents (the FRIENDS Program): A Pilot Study

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 February 2012

Lara J. Farrell*
Affiliation:
The University of Queensland, Australia and Pathways Health and Research Centre, Brisbane, Australia. [email protected]
Paula M. Barrett
Affiliation:
The University of Queensland, Australia and Pathways Health and Research Centre, Brisbane, Australia.
Susanne Claassens
Affiliation:
Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Netherlands.
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr Lara Farrell, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland. Postal address PO Box 5699, West End QLD 4101, Australia.
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Abstract

The aim of the current pilot study was to examine the effectiveness of the FRIENDS program (a cognitive–behavioural intervention for children and adolescents with anxiety) within a community-based clinic in Brisbane, Australia. A total of 18 children participated in the study and completed the FRIENDS program at Pathways Health and Research Centre, an innovative research-based psychology clinic for children, adolescents and families. All participants either met criteria for an anxiety disorder (N = 11) or were experiencing subclinical symptoms of anxiety (N = 7) before commencing the intervention. Before and following treatment, participants were assessed using a diagnostic interview and completed a number of self-report questionnaires. Results indicated that 73% of the participants who met criteria for an anxiety disorder before the intervention were diagnosis-free following treatment. Positive treatment effects were also found for questionnaire data, indicating that there were significant reductions on self-report levels of anxiety and depression following treatment. The outcome of this research suggests that the FRIENDS program is an effective treatment for children with anxiety, and results from this community trial replicate findings from controlled treatment trials.

Type
Standard Papers
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2005

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