Working mechanisms in cognitive behaviour therapy for child anxiety disorders

INTERVENTION: Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT): modular version of individual CBT: Discussing + Doing = Daring (Bögels, 2008). Therapy consists of 8 modules and the therapist is free to choose which modules he or she will apply. An exception is made for the first session, this has to be psychoeducation, and the last session of therapy has to be a summary and prevention of relapse. Main ingredients of the modules are: psycho‐education, cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, exposure, coping, behavior experiments, prevention of relapse, and parent guidance. Feedback informed treatment All children receive CBT as described above. When therapy starts, children are divided into two groups: feedback or non‐feedback. In the feedback group, therapists receive feedback from the measures that parents and children fill out after every session: treatment satisfaction, daily functioning, and anxiety symptoms. Therapists are asked to discuss this feedback with the child in the next session. Children in the non‐feedback group also fill out these measures, but their answers are not send to the therapist. CONDITION: Anxiety disorders in youth, Cognitive behavior therapy ; ; PRIMARY OUTCOME: To examine effectiveness, primary outcomes are:; ; 1. Decrease in anxiety disorders (SCID junior); ; 2. Decrease in anxiety symptoms (SCARED‐71); ; ; ; To investigate whether feedback improves child therapist alliance, the primary outcome is:; ; 3. Therapist child alliance (WAI, WAI‐O); ; SECONDARY OUTCOME: 1. Parents internalizing symptoms (ASR) ; ; 2. Child behavioural problems (Brief Problem Monitor) INCLUSION CRITERIA: Children, aged 8‐18, with anxiety problems and who are in need for treatment (all anxiety disorders are included)