PRESCRIPTIVE TREATMENT FOR GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER IN CHILDREN

This investigation compared the preliminary efficacy of prescriptive a nd nonprescriptive cognitive-behavioral interventions (i.e., cognitive therapy/exposure or relaxation training/exposure) for problematic res ponse classes (cognitive or somatic symptoms) of 4 overanxious childre n (8 to 12 years) using a multiple baseline design across subjects. Pa rticipants also met DSM-IV criteria for generalized anxiety disorder. All children improved on pre-post child and parent self-report measure s, independent clinician ratings, and physiologic recordings. Treatmen t gains were generally maintained at 6-month follow-up. Although both treatments were effective, only prescriptive treatments produced suffi cient improvement for participants to meet positive end-state criteria . Implications for the prescriptive treatment of anxiety disorders in children are discussed.