A Little Bit of Therapy Goes a Long Way

In children aged 8 to 17 with anxiety and depressive disorders, a brief primary care intervention resulted in greater improvement than referrals for specialty care.

Because children regularly visit primary care clinicians (e.g., for vaccinations), these settings are ideal for identifying and intervening in childhood psychiatric disorders. Investigators randomized 185 children and adolescents (age range, 8–17 years; mean age, 11; 21% Hispanic; 78% white), to a brief behavioral therapy (BBT) or to referral for specialty care (REF); both were provided by master's-level personnel in primary care settings.

Participants had one or more established or probable anxiety or depressive diagnoses; those who were suicidal, psychotic, or intellectually impaired were excluded. BBT (8–12 sessions lasting 45 minutes over 16 weeks) incorporated elements of exposure, behavioral activation, relaxation, problem solving, and…

Reviewing Author

Barbara Geller, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

Barbara Geller, MD

Disclosures

Nothing to disclose

A Little Bit of Therapy Goes a Long Way

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Reviewing Author