Exposure Therapy for Child Anxiety

(IMPACT Trial)

Overseen By Jennifer Freeman, PhD

Age: < 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: Bradley Hospital

Must not be taking: Psychotropic medication

Disqualifiers: Thought disorder, Psychotic symptoms, Conduct disorder, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Approved in 1 Jurisdiction This treatment is already approved in other countries

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 4

Duration: 24 weeks

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial explores different ways to deliver exposure therapy for children with anxiety or OCD. It tests whether therapy conducted at home or through telehealth is as effective and efficient as traditional in-office therapy. The goal is to determine if these new methods make it easier for families to access and engage in treatment. Children aged 5–18 who have experienced anxiety or OCD symptoms for at least three months and require outpatient care might be suitable candidates, especially if they have a stable parent or guardian to assist with treatment. As an unphased trial, this study offers families the opportunity to contribute to innovative treatment approaches that could improve access to care.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications for the trial?

The trial does not specify if you must stop taking your current medications. However, if you are on psychotropic medication, it must be stable to participate.

Is there any evidence suggesting that this trial's treatments are likely to be safe?

Research shows that exposure therapy, a key component of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), is generally safe for children with anxiety. Studies have found that this therapy can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms in young people.

One study found that family-based CBT delivered over the internet for anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder in children led to a significant drop in anxiety symptoms. This suggests that exposure therapy, whether conducted in person or online, is effective and well-tolerated.

While exposure therapy works well for adults with PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), researchers continue to study its safety and effectiveness for children. However, no major safety issues have been identified for its use in young people.

Overall, current research supports exposure therapy as a safe and effective treatment for anxiety in children. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about these treatments for child anxiety because they introduce a flexible approach to exposure therapy. Unlike traditional methods that usually involve in-person sessions with a therapist, the patient-centered home CBT and telehealth CBT offer a mix of office-based and community or telehealth sessions. This model allows for treatment in the child's natural environment, potentially making it more accessible and less intimidating. The mobile exposure coach adds another layer of support, helping kids face their fears in real-world settings or through virtual means, which could enhance the therapy's effectiveness. These innovative delivery methods could make therapy more adaptable to individual needs and schedules, offering a fresh option for families seeking effective anxiety treatment for their children.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for child anxiety?

Studies have shown that exposure therapy effectively treats anxiety disorders in children. Research indicates that this therapy can significantly reduce anxiety symptoms over time. It gradually and safely introduces children to their fears, helping them manage their anxiety. In this trial, participants may receive patient-centered home CBT, which combines office-based exposure therapy with community-based CBT, or they may receive provider-centered therapy, consisting of regular office-based exposure therapy sessions. Another study found that exposure therapy led to significant improvements in anxiety, especially when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Overall, exposure therapy is considered one of the best methods to reduce anxiety in young people. ^{1 2 3 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Jennifer Freeman, PhD

Principal Investigator

Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for children and teens aged 5-18 with anxiety or OCD, who need outpatient care. They must have had symptoms for at least 3 months and a stable parent or guardian to participate in treatment. It's not for those with certain psychiatric disorders, unstable medication use, acute suicidality, or other concurrent psychotherapy.

Inclusion Criteria

You have a responsible and stable parent or guardian who can be involved in your treatment.

I have been diagnosed with anxiety or OCD as my main health issue.

Presence of a stable parent, or guardian, who can participate in treatment

Exclusion Criteria

You have symptoms of severe confusion or seeing or hearing things that aren't real.

You have a conduct disorder.

You are currently having strong thoughts of hurting yourself.

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Treatment

Participants receive cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety and OCD through different delivery models: patient-centered home-based, patient-centered telehealth, and provider-centered office-based.

24 weeks

4 visits per month (combination of in-person and telehealth)

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for safety and effectiveness after treatment

6 months

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Exposure Therapy

Trial Overview The study tests how well cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) with exposure works when done at home or via telehealth compared to the traditional office-based approach. The goal is to see which method helps youth with anxiety more effectively and makes treatment easier to access.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: patient-centered telehealth CBT Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

60 minute telehealth exposure therapy with a PhD psychologist once per month and a 90 minute telehealth CBT with a mobile exposure coach three times per month for a total of four visits per month (once per week). Patient-centered telehealth was closed when the recruitment goal was met in May 2021.

Group II: patient-centered home CBT Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

60 minute office-based exposure therapy with a PhD psychologist once per month and a 90 minute community-based CBT with a mobile exposure coach three times per month for a total of four visits per month (once per week)

Group III: Provider-centered Active Control 1 Intervention

60 minute office-based exposure therapy with a PhD psychologist four times per month (once per week)

Exposure Therapy is already approved in United States for the following indications:

Approved in United States as Prolonged Exposure Therapy for:

• Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

Bradley Hospital

Lead Sponsor

Trials

22

Recruited

1,900+

Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute

Collaborator

Trials

592

Recruited

27,110,000+

Brown University

Collaborator

Trials

480

Recruited

724,000+

Published Research Related to This Trial

Prolonged exposure therapy (PE) is recognized as the most scientifically validated treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), outperforming various pharmacological and psychotherapeutic options.

The therapy includes both imaginal and in vivo exposure techniques, and the paper discusses its effectiveness and dissemination specifically in Japan, highlighting its importance in treating chronic PTSD.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Prolonged Exposure Therapy for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder]. Asukai, N.[2018]

A study involving 160 active-duty military personnel with PTSD found that 60-minute prolonged exposure (PE) therapy sessions are just as effective as the standard 90-minute sessions, making treatment more accessible in settings that typically use shorter appointment times.

Both the Clinician Administered PTSD Scale (CAPS-5) and the PTSD Checklist (PCL-5) showed that the efficacy of 60-minute sessions was noninferior to 90-minute sessions, suggesting that shorter sessions can be effectively implemented without compromising treatment outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The efficacy of 90-min versus 60-min sessions of prolonged exposure for PTSD: A randomized controlled trial in active-duty military personnel. Foa, EB., Bredemeier, K., Acierno, R., et al.[2022]

The READY online toolkit for exposure therapy was accessed by 1,731 unique users and had 13,543 page views in its first three years, indicating some level of interest among clinicians.

Despite the initial usage, the impact of READY was limited due to low return visits by users, suggesting that while online resources can support exposure therapy, further refinements are needed to enhance their effectiveness and utility for clinicians.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Preliminary Implementation Outcomes of a Free Online Toolkit to Support Exposure Therapy Implementation for Youth. Becker-Haimes, EM., Wislocki, K., Schriger, SH., et al.[2023]

Participants in a study of web-based prolonged exposure therapy (Web-PE) for PTSD reported positive experiences, highlighting the flexibility of online therapy as a significant benefit, despite initial skepticism about its effectiveness.

The study, involving 29 active duty military personnel and veterans, indicated that while self-motivation was crucial for engagement, participants appreciated the support from therapists and suggested improvements for the program, pointing to favorable perceptions of Web-PE overall.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Perceptions and experiences of web-prolonged exposure for posttraumatic stress disorder: A mixed-methods study. McLean, CP., Miller, ML., Dondanville, KA., et al.[2022]

Providers who received post-workshop consultation after a 4-day prolonged exposure therapy (PE) training reported significantly higher self-efficacy and used more components of PE, leading to better treatment delivery.

Patients treated by providers with post-workshop consultation experienced faster reductions in PTSD symptoms and lower severity at follow-up assessments, indicating that ongoing support for providers can enhance patient outcomes.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The effects of a prolonged exposure workshop with and without consultation on provider and patient outcomes: a randomized implementation trial. Foa, EB., McLean, CP., Brown, LA., et al.[2022]

Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy is a safe and effective treatment for PTSD, with a study of 361 female assault survivors showing no reliable worsening of PTSD symptoms and low rates of depression worsening among those who received PE.

Participants receiving PE and other active treatments demonstrated significant improvements in PTSD and depression compared to those on a waitlist, highlighting the importance of treatment in preventing symptom deterioration.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Primum non nocere (first do no harm): symptom worsening and improvement in female assault victims after prolonged exposure for PTSD. Jayawickreme, N., Cahill, SP., Riggs, DS., et al.[2014]

A brief training using the Anxiety Coach application helped 17 community therapists become more open to and use exposure therapy techniques with 32 youth aged 8-18, indicating that technology-assisted training can enhance therapists' willingness to adopt evidence-based practices.

Despite the increased use of exposure therapy, the study found no significant improvement in patient symptoms, suggesting that simply increasing the quantity of exposure is not enough; the quality and intensity of the exposure techniques used also need to be addressed.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Using Technology to Promote Therapist Use of Exposure Therapy for Childhood Anxiety Disorders: A Randomized Pilot Study. Whiteside, SPH., Biggs, BK., Ollendick, TH., et al.[2023]

In a study involving 86 children and adolescents undergoing psychoanalytic psychotherapy, moderate improvements in anxiety symptoms were reported at the end of treatment, with effects becoming more pronounced at a 1-year follow-up.

Long-term psychoanalytic therapy was found to be effective in reducing anxiety pathology and enhancing quality of life, showing that the benefits of treatment are stable over time, even when compared to a wait-list control group.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

[Effectiveness of Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy for Children and Adolescents with Severe Anxiety Psychopathology in a Naturalistic Treatment Setting]. Weitkamp, K., Daniels, JK., Baumeister-Duru, A., et al.[2019]

The SmartCAT mobile health platform, designed to support brief cognitive behavioral therapy (BCBT) for child anxiety, was found to be feasible and well-received by both therapists and youth participants in a pilot study involving nine children aged 9-14.

Participants rated the SmartCAT app as highly usable, completing an average of 5.36 skills coach entries per session, suggesting that integrating mobile technology can enhance engagement and practice of CBT skills in real-life situations.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The SmartCAT: an m-health platform for ecological momentary intervention in child anxiety treatment. Pramana, G., Parmanto, B., Kendall, PC., et al.[2022]

Long-term follow-up (8 to 13 years post-treatment) of 67 participants showed that exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for phobic and anxiety disorders in children and adolescents resulted in sustained remission of targeted anxiety symptoms into young adulthood.

The study found that both group and individual treatment approaches yielded similar long-term benefits, indicating that the effectiveness of exposure-based CBT extends beyond initial treatment, helping to maintain mental health during critical developmental years.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Cognitive behavioral treatment for childhood anxiety disorders: long-term effects on anxiety and secondary disorders in young adulthood. Saavedra, LM., Silverman, WK., Morgan-Lopez, AA., et al.[2021]

In a preliminary trial with 14 children aged 7 to 14, both cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and parent-coached exposure therapy were found to be safe and effective for treating childhood anxiety disorders, with significant improvements observed in both groups.

Parent-coached exposure therapy showed greater effectiveness than traditional CBT, with moderate to large effect sizes for most measures, and it required fewer appointments while maintaining its benefits over a three-month follow-up.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The feasibility of improving CBT for childhood anxiety disorders through a dismantling study. Whiteside, SP., Ale, CM., Young, B., et al.[2018]

Citations

1. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0005791624000016

Effectiveness of exposure-based treatment for childhood ... From pre-treatment to follow-up, there was a large-sized reduction of anxiety symptoms, small-sized decrease of subjective anxiety and a large-sized increase in ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7187487/

The role of exposure in the treatment of anxiety in children and ... This systematic review and meta-analysis will examine the role of exposure in reducing symptoms of anxiety among youth.

3. bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-025-07227-y

Effects of different interventions on anxiety disorders in ... This study found that psychotherapy interventions, particularly ACT, are the most effective treatments for anxiety disorders in children and ...

4. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6925638/

The Impact of Treatment Expectations on Exposure ... This study examined the relationship between caregivers' and youths' treatment expectations and characteristics of exposure tasks (quantity, mastery, compliance) ...

5. link.springer.com link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10578-025-01902-7

Therapeutic Processes that Impact Child Outcomes ... This study investigates the relationship between therapeutic process variables and child outcomes following exposure therapy for specific ...

6. clinicaltrials.gov clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT07024758?draw=2&rank=1

Comparative Effectiveness of Internet-based Versus Parent ... Previous research has shown that family-based, internet-delivered CBT (iCBT) for anxiety and OCD in youth has shown a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms.

7. bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com bmcpsychiatry.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12888-022-03867-6

The efficacy and acceptability of exposure therapy for the ... Exposure therapy (ET) has been shown to be effective in treating PTSD in adults. However, its efficacy remains uncertain in children and ...