Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy for children and adolescents: A systematic review and meta-analysis

•A systematic review of internet-delivered CBT for youth was conducted.•Twenty-five studies, targeting 11 different disorders, were found.•Quality ratings and ICBT characteristics varied largely across the studies.•ICBT yielded moderate effect sizes compared to waitlist control.•Results indicate that ICBT could be an effective treatment format for children.

Internet-delivered cognitive behavior therapy (ICBT) is a relatively novel treatment format with the potential to increase accessibility of evidence-based care. However, little is known about the feasibility and efficacy of ICBT in children and adolescents. We conducted a comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis of ICBT for children and adolescents to provide an overview of the field and assess the efficacy of these interventions. A systematic literature search of six electronic databases was performed to identify ICBT intervention studies for children with a psychiatric condition, such as social anxiety disorder, or a somatic condition, such as chronic pain. Two reviewers independently rated study quality. Twenty-five studies, targeting 11 different disorders, were included in the review. Study quality and presentation of treatment variables, such as therapist time and treatment adherence, varied largely. Twenty-four studies (N = 1882) were included in the meta-analysis and ICBT yielded moderate between-group effect sizes when compared with waitlist, g = 0.62, 95% CI [0.41, 0.84]. The results suggest that CBT for psychiatric and somatic conditions in children and adolescents can be successfully adapted to an internet-delivered format.