Click 4 help – The impact of a unique online cognitive behavioural group intervention to support young people with anxiety

The literature review explored the effectiveness of group cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) in reducing anxiety in young people, specifically generalised and social anxiety disorders.

A systematic search identified ten studies involving participants aged 7 to 17 years with clinically elevated levels of anxiety.

Manualised group CBT (GCBT) interventions were compared against a range of comparison groups (including wait list control, alternative intervention, parent involved modifications and individual CBT).

It was found that group interventions demonstrated positive outcomes on participant anxiety when compared against wait list control. However, there were mixed results for GCBT against alternative interventions and individual CBT.

The empirical paper explored the impact of an online intervention involving access to a computerised CBT (cCBT) based website and a weekly social network chat room.

Four research questions were examined exploring the impact of the intervention on self-report anxiety ratings, resilience and the perceived enhancing factors and barriers of the intervention.

Six participants were included in a concurrent mixed methods design (involving a single case series A-B design and follow up qualitative analysis of participant interviews).

Visual analysis, PEM effect sizes and Tau-U statistics demonstrated a significant decrease in anxiety for one participant.

Reliable Change Index statistics demonstrated a reduction in anxiety for five of the six participants, but no increase in resilience (two participants demonstrated a statistically significant decrease in resilience).

A number of enhancing factors to the intervention were identified through content analysis, including cognitive behavioural mediators of change, specific topics of discussion, the chat room (e.g. anonymity, reciprocal support) and website (e.g. ease of access, reliable information).

The key benefits to participation were enjoyment, confidence, decreased loneliness and change in attitudes / behaviour.

There were also some key barriers to change identified by participants including existing support networks and knowledge, logistical difficulties and some concerns around anonymity.