Strongest Families (Formerly Family Help Program): Pediatric Anxiety

The purpose of the Strongest Families (formerly Family Help Program)is to deliver, primary care mental health services to children and their families in the comfort and privacy of their own home. Approximately 128 children (6-12 years of age)suffering from mild to moderate (but clinically significant) symptoms of pediatric anxiety will be randomized.

The intervention is delivered from a distance, using educational materials (manuals, video-tapes, audio-tapes) and telephone consultation with a trained paraprofessional "coach" who is supervised by a licensed health care professional. The telephone coach delivers consistent care based on written protocols, with on-going evaluation by a professional team.

Fifty percent of the eligible participants will receive Strongest Families (formerly Family Help Program) telephone-based treatment and 50% will be referred back to their family physician to receive standard care as determined by that physician. Those receiving standard care will be evaluated for outcome results and then compared to the Family Help treated participants. It is anticipated that Family Help treatment will be proven to be as or more effective than standard care.

Inclusion criteria

• child 6 to 12 years of age
• child had Anxiety symptoms for 6 months or longer
• access to a telephone in the home
• speak and write english
• mild to moderate anxiety symptomology

Exclusion criteria

• severe anxiety symptomology
• received similar intervention within past 6 months
• excessive anxiety following a significant traumatic event