EVALUATING THE EFFICACY OF A BIOFEEDBACK INTERVENTION TO REDUCE CHILDRENS ANXIETY

This study explored the reduction of anxiety with children using a com bination of electromyograph and thermal biofeedback techniques. One hu ndred and fifty children (7th and gth graders) were identified by teac hers as anxious and randomly assigned to biofeedback intervention and no-intervention groups. Biofeedback intervention subjects received 6 s essions of thermal training and 6 sessions of electromyographic traini ng over a 6 week period. A post-test anxiety scale demonstrated a sign ificant reduction in both state and trait anxiety. This study suggeste d biofeedback as a viable intervention which might be coordinated and provided by psychologists to reduce anxiety in children. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.