Emotion-focused cognitive-behavioral therapy for anxious youth: A multiple-baseline evaluation

Examined the efficacy of an Emotion-focused Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (ECBT) for six anxious youths ages 7-13 years. All participants had a principal anxiety disorder (generalized anxiety disorder, separation anxiety disorder, or social phobia) based on the Anxiety Disorder Interview Schedule for Children-Child and Parent versions. Children and parents reported on anxious symptomatology using the Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC). To assess emotion-related competencies, children were administered the Kusche Affective Interview-Revised and children and parents completed the Emotion Expression Scale for Children (EESC) and Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC), respectively. Cases began treatment after baselines of 0, 2, or 3 weeks. At posttreatment, the majority of children demonstrated improvements in anxious symptomatology, emotion understanding and regulation skills, and overall functioning. Such improvements in emotion-related skills, in addition to anxiety, are significant given that emotional competence is a crucial component in children's adaptive social functioning and psychological adjustment. These findings provide initial support for ECBT. © Springer Science+Business Media, Inc. 2006.