Online parent education to help manage anxiety in 2–7-year-old children
Official title: Evaluating the Effects of Self-Guided Interventions for Parents of Young Children With Anxiety
Run by Massachusetts General Hospital · NCT07153250 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This trial will test whether brief, self-guided online education for parents of children aged 2–7 helps them better manage their child's anxiety.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 90 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Massachusetts General Hospital Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Boston, Massachusetts) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | September 1, 2025 |
| Main results expected | August 2027 |
| Study ends | August 2027 |
| Registry record updated | October 6, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07153250 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Parents 18 or older who speak English and whose child is 2–7 years old and screens in the elevated range for anxiety, without primary severe mood/behavior disorder, psychosis, or active suicidal/homicidal ideation, are ideal candidates.
✕Probably not a fit
Children who need immediate treatment for severe mood or behavior disorders, psychosis, or suicidal/homicidal ideation, and families without reliable internet access or who prefer clinician-led care may not benefit from these self-guided programs.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This randomized, three-arm trial compares two brief, self-guided online parent education programs and an educational control for parents of children aged 2–7 who screen in the elevated range for anxiety. One arm is a three-session program with videos and a workbook and the other two arms are single-session programs with activities; parents are randomized and remain blind to the control condition until the 4-month follow-up when they may be reassigned. The primary outcome is reduction in parental accommodation of anxiety measured at 1, 4, and 8 months, with secondary outcomes examining child anxiety symptoms over the same follow-ups. Eligibility requires parents be English-speaking adults with a child 2–7 who scores high on an anxiety screener, and excludes children with suicidal or homicidal ideation, psychosis, or a primary severe mood or behavior disorder.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, these programs could give parents easy, low-cost tools to reduce accommodating behaviors and help prevent worsening anxiety in young children.
How similar studies have gone: Clinic-based parent-training programs have shown benefit for child anxiety, and some online parent interventions have shown promising but mixed results, so fully self-guided formats are still relatively untested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: Parents will be eligible to participate if: 1. Their child is between the age of 2 and 7 years-old 2. Their child scores in the elevated range on an age-approrpiate anxiety screening measure 3. Parents are English-speaking 4. Parents are over the age of 18 years old Exclusion Criteria: Parents will be excluded if: (1) Their child shows symptoms of suicidal or homicidal ideation, psychosis, or primary severe mood or behavior disorder (i.e., if treatment for another disorder other than anxiety is indicate prior to treatment for anxiety)
Where it's running
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Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, Massachusetts, United States Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Madelaine R Abel, PhD
- Email: MGHResilienceStudy@partners.org
- Phone: 617-643-9435
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.