Research project
ISA - Intervention for Social Anxiety in children and youth
Social anxiety disorder is one of the most common disorders in children and young people. Social anxiety is characterized by excessive fear and avoidance of social situations. The primary fear in children with social anxiety is that they will be negatively judged by others. To date, the most frequently used treatment for children is cognitive behavioral therapy. However, recent theoretical models hive highlighted that it is not only child processes that are important in the treatment of social anxiety disorder, but also parent processes.
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- Anke Klein
The ISA project is a multiple baseline, single case experimental study investigating whether the effectiveness of the treatment of social anxiety in children can be significantly increased by combining the cognitive behavioral therapy 'Denken + Doen = Durven’ (DDD, Thinking + Doing = Daring) for children with the parent program 'Supportive Parenting for Anxious Emotions in Children' (SPACE).
In this study, 9 children (8-16 years old) and their parent(s), will separately but simultaneously, follow these evidence-based treatment programs. Children will receive DDD for 12 weeks, where they will learn about how anxiety arises and the difference between normal and excessive anxiety. In addition, they will learn to alter unhelpful thoughts to become more helpful thoughts as they are taught to manage and face their fears in a step-by-step manner. Parent(s) will receive SPACE for 12 weeks, a treatment program based on reducing parental accommodation by learning new skills that will help them adequately support their children. The Knowledge Center Anxiety and Youth works together with the LUBEC, where the program will run.
Various measurements are taken before the start, halfway through and after the treatment program. The primary outcome measure, the severity of social anxiety, will be measured with a short, reliable and structured diagnostic interview. In addition, questionnaires will be completed by the parent(s), child and therapist about social anxiety, parental accommodation and parental stress. Furthermore, children and parents are asked to complete a very short questionnaire (1 minute) every day on their phone. The main goal of the ISA project is to investigate the combination of the two treatments (DDD and SPACE), which can increase the treatment success for social anxiety.
For more information about the ISA project and registration, visit the website of KAS: https://kasjeugd.nl/projects/isa