The efficacy of a group-based, disorder-specific treatment program for childhood GAD – A randomized controlled trial

• A disorder-specific treatment program for children with GAD was developed.
• At post, 52.9% of children in the treatment group no longer met criteria for GAD.
• At 3-month follow-up, 100% of children in the treatment group were GAD-free.
• At 3-month follow-up, 50% of children in the treatment group were diagnosis free.

The aim of this study was to provide a preliminary examination of a disorder-specific treatment program for children with generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) that employed strategies targeting underlying cognitive factors. Forty-two children with a primary diagnosis of GAD, aged between 7 and 12 years, were randomly assigned to either a treatment (TX) or waitlist (WLC) condition. Clinical diagnostic interviews as well as parent and child questionnaires were completed at pre- and post-assessment for both conditions, and at 3-month follow-up for the TX group. For the completer analyses at post-treatment, 52.9 % of children in the TX group (0% in the WLC group) were free of their primary GAD diagnosis. By 3-month follow-up, 100% of children in the TX group were free of their GAD diagnosis, 50% were free of all diagnoses. Overall, there is preliminary evidence that a disorder-specific treatment program for children with GAD is effective in treating this chronic and disabling disorder.