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Parent- and Teacher-Rated Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Children and Adolescents Under Usual Care Conditions in a University Outpatient Clinic

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Abstract

Compared to randomized controlled trials, studies examining the effectiveness of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) in children and adolescents with mental disorders are rare, and a teacher perspective is scarce. The present study investigated the effectiveness of routine CBT in 519 patients aged 6–18 years with mental disorders. Changes in mental health problems were assessed in teacher (Teacher Report Form, TRF) and parent rating (Child Behavior Checklist, CBCL) and were analyzed within the total sample, yielding statistically significant, small to medium effect sizes (teacher rating: d = .74–2.39; parent rating: d = .65–1.18). Changes in a subgroup of patients with elevated symptom scores at treatment start were compared to a historical control group receiving weekly academic tutoring. Net total score effect sizes lay between d = 0.98 and d = 1.29 for teacher rating (parent rating: d = 0.84 to d = 1.01). Nevertheless, a substantial number of patients remained in the clinical range. Symptom changes during family- and patient-based CBT interventions did not differ from treatments including additional school-based interventions, as was also the case for the comparison of treatments with and without additional pharmacotherapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Robert-Koch-Str. 10, 50931, Cologne, Germany

    Daniel Walter, Christiane Rademacher, Stephanie Schuermann, Tanja Wolff Metternich-Kaizman & Manfred Doepfner

  2. School of Child and Adolescent Cognitive Behavior Therapy (AKiP) at the University Hospital Cologne, Pohligstr. 9, 50969, Cologne, Germany

    Daniel Walter, Lydia Dachs, Johanna Farwick zum Hagen, Hildegard Goletz, Anja Goertz-Dorten, Claudia Kinnen, Paula Viefhaus & Manfred Doepfner

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  1. Daniel Walter
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Correspondence to Daniel Walter.

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Walter, D., Dachs, L., Farwick zum Hagen, J. et al. Parent- and Teacher-Rated Effectiveness of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Children and Adolescents Under Usual Care Conditions in a University Outpatient Clinic. Child Psychiatry Hum Dev 50, 533–545 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10578-018-0860-2

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