COGNITIVE-BEHAVIORAL TREATMENT OF SCHOOL PHOBIA

Objective: To conduct a controlled group outcome investigation of the efficacy of cognitive-behavioral treatment for school phobia. Method: Fifty-six children with school phobia were randomly assigned to 12 wee ks of cognitive-behavioral therapy or an attention-placebo control con dition. Pre-and posttreatment school attendance, self-reported anxiety and depression, and diagnostic status were compared. Results: Both th e experimental and control treatments were equally effective at return ing children to school. Both treatments also were effective in reducin g children's anxiety and depressive symptoms. Follow-up revealed no di fferences between groups when the children reentered school the next s chool year. Conclusions: Overall, results suggest that psychosocial tr eatments are effective at returning school-phobic children to school a nd that the highly structured cognitive-behavioral approach may not be superior to more traditional educational and supportive treatment met hods.