Combination treatment of child and adolescent anxiety disorders

INTERVENTION: Condition 1: 10 sessions of CBT over 12 weeks + 12 week trial of Sertraline Hydrochloride concurrently Condition 2: 10 session of CBT over 12 weeks + 12 week trial of placebo medication concurrently CBT sessions include psychoeducation about anxiety, and skills to manage anxiety. Skills focus on thinking styles and behavioural responses to anxiety. Sessions include both children and parents (less parental involvement for adolescents) and are delivered individually (to each family). 10 sessions are delivered weekly, except for week 9 and 11 where there is a break from CBT sessions. Sessions are approximately 50 minutes in duration. Sertraline Hydrochloride is administered at dosages ranging from 25 ‐ 200mg ‐ starting with small dosage and being titrated up to a level for maximum tolerance and treatment effects. Administration is via oral capsule and adherence will be monitored via medication diary and pill counts. CONDITION: Anxiety PRIMARY OUTCOME: Remission of any anxiety diagnosis assessed via the ADIS‐IV C/P Remission of primary anxiety diagnosis assessed via the ADIS‐IV C/P SECONDARY OUTCOME: Change on CGI Changes on child self‐report measures: Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (Angold et al., 1995) Changes on child self‐report measures: Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (Spence, 1998) Changes on child self‐report measures: Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997) Changes on child self‐report measures: The Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (Varni, Seid, & Kurtin, 2001) Changes on child self‐report measures: The, Child Anxiety Life Interference Scale (CALIS, Lyneham, Abbott & Rapee, in prep) Changes on child self‐report measures: “How I Feel About Things” (Ollendick & Davis, 2001) Changes on parent report measures: Child Anxiety Life Interference Scale (CALIS, Lyneham, et al., in prep) Changes on parent report measures: Short Mood and Feelings Questionnaire (Angold et al., 1995) Changes on parent report measures: Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (Spence, 1998) ; ; Changes on parent report measures: The Paediatric Quality of Life Inventory 4.0 (Varni et al., 2001) Changes on parent report measures: The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997) Reductions in Clinician Severity Ratings INCLUSION CRITERIA: Primary anxiety diagnosis