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An Uncontrolled Investigation of the Feasibility of Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy for Youth with Anxiety Disorders

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Abstract

While exposure therapy has long been recognized as the gold-standard treatment for anxiety disorders in youth, access to exposure-focused treatment remains limited for many families. A parent-coached exposure therapy (PCET) protocol was designed to ameliorate this deficit, as previously discussed within the framework of individual therapy and a 5-day intensive treatment. The present study describes the application of PCET within a weekly group-based protocol and presents outcomes associated with this treatment model as implemented within an outpatient clinic setting. Preliminary uncontrolled data support potential effectiveness through statistically significant improvement in symptoms and functioning from baseline evaluation to post-treatment, while demonstrating the feasibility of providing exposure-focused treatment in an efficient and scalable format. These results further emphasize the flexible nature of this treatment protocol. Limitations and future directions are discussed which promote continued dissemination of and research on exposure-focused treatment protocols, such as PCET, for childhood anxiety disorders.

Highlights

  • Parent-coached exposure therapy was implemented within an outpatient clinic.

  • Parent-coached exposure therapy was effectively executed in weekly group format.

  • Uncontrolled data demonstrated parent-coached exposure therapy to reduce anxiety.

  • Group parent-coached exposure therapy has potential to be efficient and scalable.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic, 200 1st Street SW, Rochester, MN, 55905, USA

    Elle Brennan, Kim J. Bailey, Bridget K. Biggs, Megan L. Cunningham, Julie E. Dammann, Stephanie T. Reneson-Feeder, Michael S. Tiede & Stephen P. H. Whiteside

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  1. Elle Brennan
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  2. Kim J. Bailey
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  3. Bridget K. Biggs
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  4. Megan L. Cunningham
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  5. Julie E. Dammann
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  8. Stephen P. H. Whiteside
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Correspondence to Stephen P. H. Whiteside.

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The authors declare no competing interests. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board. State law requires patients to have the opportunity to withhold permission for their medical records to be used for research purposes and records lacking research authorization were not analyzed.

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Brennan, E., Bailey, K.J., Biggs, B.K. et al. An Uncontrolled Investigation of the Feasibility of Parent-Coached Exposure Therapy for Youth with Anxiety Disorders. J Child Fam Stud 32, 1681–1693 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10826-022-02396-w

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