Enhancing the Capacity of School Nurses to Reduce Excessive Anxiety in Children: an Efficacy Trial of the CALM Intervention
UConn Health
Summary
Excessive anxiety among elementary students is highly prevalent and associated with impairment in academic, social, and behavioral functioning. The primary aim of this project is to evaluate the initial efficacy of a brief nurse-delivered intervention (CALM: Child Anxiety Learning Modules), relative to a credible comparison (CALM-R, relaxation skills only) and a waitlist control for reducing anxiety symptoms and improving education outcomes at post intervention and at a 1-year follow-up. In addition, the research team will assess the cost effectiveness of CALM versus CALM-R and the waitlist control and examine potential predictors, moderators, and mediators of CALM's impact on child outcomes based on the proposed theory of change.
Description
Excessive anxiety among elementary age students is common, severely impairs academic, social, and behavioral functioning, and is associated with significant educational and health care costs. Despite the high burden of anxiety, less than half of children with anxiety receive the services they need to succeed in school. School clinicians can and do support these youth, however, their caseloads are high and their time to provide individualized services is limited. Consequently, there is a critical need to expand the network of providers who can assist students with anxiety and address this malle…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 5–12 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Student Inclusion Criteria: * Be between the ages of 5-12 * Have elevated anxiety symptoms as indicated by a) a total SCARED score of 15 or higher based on parent and/or child report using the full SCARED from the baseline evaluation, and/or b) a Clinician Severity Rating of 3 or higher on any anxiety diagnosis from the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for Children DSM-V (ADIS) * Be fluent in English in order to provide informed consent and assent for their participation and to complete the study measures. * Children on a stable dose of pharmacological/psychotherapeutic treatment will be…
Interventions
- BehavioralChild Anxiety Learning Modules (CALM)
CALM is a cognitive-behavioral intervention for childhood anxiety. CALM consists of five modules. The primary components include psychoeducation, relaxation training (C), behavioral exposure (A), cognitive restructuring (L), and relapse prevention (M). There is also an optional parent psychoeducation module. Students randomized to the CALM condition will receive the 5 modules over 8 weeks.
- BehavioralChild Anxiety Learning Modules--Relaxation (CALM-R)
CALM-R serves as an active comparison condition to CALM and consists of 5 modules of relaxation skills. The key components of CALM-R include psychoeducation, deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and relapse prevention. Students randomized to the CALM-R condition will receive the 5 modules over 8 weeks.
Locations (2)
- University of Connecticut School of MedicineWest Hartford, Connecticut
- Anxiety Treatment Center of MarylandColumbia, Maryland