Helping parents with anxiety support their children
Transgenerational Prevention of Anxiety in Children at Ultra-high Risk
NA · Nova Scotia Health Authority · NCT03224845
This study is testing whether teaching parents with anxiety how to manage their feelings can help prevent anxiety in their young children.
Quick facts
| Phase | NA |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 88 (estimated) |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Nova Scotia Health Authority (other) |
| Locations | 1 site (Halifax, Nova Scotia) |
| Trial ID | NCT03224845 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This study aims to prevent anxiety disorders in children by training parents with anxiety disorders to manage their own anxiety and to parent in a way that reduces anxiety in their children. The intervention involves cognitive behavioral skills training for parents, enabling them to share these skills with their children aged two to eight years. By addressing parental anxiety, the study seeks to create a supportive environment that fosters resilience and emotional well-being in children. The goal is to intervene early to help children avoid developing anxiety disorders.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates for this study are parents with a current anxiety disorder who have children aged two to eight years.
Not a fit: Patients who may not benefit include those with primary mood disorders or severe mental health issues that interfere with treatment delivery.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this program could significantly reduce the incidence of anxiety disorders in children at risk due to parental anxiety.
How similar studies have performed: Other studies have shown promise in using parental interventions to mitigate anxiety in children, suggesting that this approach could be effective.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Parents: Inclusion criteria: Parents will be included if they have a current diagnosis of at least one anxiety disorder, one or more children between the ages two and eight years in their own care, capacity to provide informed consent, and ability to speak English well enough to benefit from the intervention. Exclusion criteria: Exclusion criteria for parents are receipt of an adequate course (6 or more sessions) of structured psychological therapy in the past 12 months, or plans to move out of Nova Scotia within the next three years. We will include parents with co-morbid mood disorders. However, those whose mood disorder is the primary complaint will be referred for treatment for their mood before being re-assessed. We will exclude parents with disorders that would interfere with the standard treatment protocol delivery; these include lifetime schizophrenia, autism, intellectual disability and current drug and alcohol use disorder. Offspring: Inclusion criteria: Children are eligible if they are aged two to eight and if they have a score of inhibited temperament (negative emotionality) one standard deviation or more above the mean of an age-matched normative sample on the Laboratory Assessment of Temperament. Exclusion criteria: Those with lifetime schizophrenia, autism, general intellectual disability, and current drug and alcohol addiction will be excluded, as these conditions would impact on the standard delivery of the parenting intervention. We will exclude children currently receiving treatment for anxiety.
Where this trial is running
Halifax, Nova Scotia
- Nova Scotia Health — Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada (RECRUITING)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Barbara Pavlova, PhD DClinPsy RPsych
- Email: barbara.pavlova@dal.ca
- Phone: 902 473 2585
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.
Conditions: Anxiety Disorder