Cognitive-behavioral treatment of anxiety disorders in children: Long-term(6-year) follow-up

Authors evaluated the long-term effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral thera py (CBT) for childhood anxiety disorders. Fifty-two clients (aged 14 to 21 years) who had completed treatment an average of 6.17 years earlier were re assessed using diagnostic interviews, clinician ratings, and self- and pare nt-report measures. Results indicated that 85.7% no longer fulfilled the di agnostic criteria for any anxiety disorder. On a majority of other measures , gains made at,12-month follow-up were maintained. Furthermore, CBT and CB T plus family management were equally effective at long-term follow-up. The se findings support the long-term clinical utility of CBT in treating child ren and adolescents suffering from anxiety disorders.