Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Cognitive-Behavioural Training Programme for Children with Social Anxiety

Short- and Long-Term Effects of a Cognitive-Behavioural Training Programme for Children with Social Anxiety Background: Cognitive behaviour therapy has been shown to be effective in treating social anxiety. The cognitive-behavioural training programme for children with social anxiety ('Training mit sozial unsicheren Kindern') aims at reducing social anxiety and enhancing social competence. Thus, the present pilot study evaluates the short-and long-term effectiveness of this training programme. Patients and Methods: 19 children (10 girls, 9 boys) with social anxiety (ICD-10 criteria) aged 7 to 12 years were assigned to treatment (n = 10) or control groups (n = 9). The effectiveness of the training was tested on the basis of a pretest-posttest follow-up (wait-list) control group design. Data were collected before, immediately after and 6 months after the training. To examine the effectiveness of the training, parents' (non-self-report) and childrens' ratings (self-report) were considered. Results: According to parent report, symptoms of anxiety disorders and depressive disorders were reduced significantly at the end of the training in the treatment group compared to the control group. The positive treatment effects were maintained in the treatment group over a 6-month follow-up period. Conclusions: Overall, the present findings support the short-and long-term effectiveness of this cognitive-behavioural training programme.