Effectiveness of Group CBT in Children With Mixed Psychiatric Disorders

This study aims to examine the immediate and longer-term effectiveness of a group cognitive behavioral therapy intervention (GCBT) in reducing internalizing and externalizing symptoms in children treated for mixed psychiatric disorders in naturalistic clinical settings. Further, the effectiveness of GCBT is compared to a treatment-as-usual condition (TAU). Within this study, it is hypothesized that children with mixed psychiatric disorders will exhibit improvements in parent-rated internalizing problem behavior and parent- and teacher-rated externalizing problem behavior following GCBT.

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Key information

Conditions

Child Behavior Problem

Age range

6 year–13 year

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Interventional

Phase

Not applicable

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

Helsinki University Hospital child psychiatric outpatient clinic patients with symptoms of anxiety or depression, deficiencies in emotional and behavioral skills impairing functioning, and sufficient social and cognitive skills to participate in group work.

Exclusion criteria

Helsinki University Hospital child psychiatric outpatient clinic patients with excessive physical aggression, excessive physical restlessness to enable skill training, or whose severity of psychiatric symptoms required individual psychotherapy (e.g., acute suicidality or psychosis).

Treatment and study plan

The Friends program

Behavioral

A GCBT intervention comprising ten weekly 60-minute sessions followed by two booster sessions

TAU condition

Behavioral

A TAU waitlist condition during which participants received routine care services tailored to each child individually.

Primary outcomes

Change in parent- and teacher rated internalizing and externalizing symptoms

Time frame: From referral to GCBT to 6-month follow-up

The Child Behavior Check List (CBCL) and the Teacher´s Report Form (TRF)

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Helsinki University Central Hospital

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Effectiveness of Group CBT on Internalizing and Externalizing Symptoms in Children With Mixed Psychiatric Disorders

Important dates

Study start: 2016
Primary completion: 2019
Study completion: 2021
First posted: Aug 29, 2022
Registry last updated: Aug 30, 2022

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.

Completed