Personalized digital treatment for adolescent anxiety using the Sidekick app
Official title: Evaluation of a Personalised Digital Treatment for Adolescents With Anxiety Disorders - A Feasibility Trial in Routine Care
Run by Helse Stavanger HF · NCT07145307 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will test whether adding the Sidekick smartphone app to regular outpatient therapy helps adolescents (13–18) with anxiety carry out exposure exercises and find the blended approach acceptable.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 13 Years to 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 46 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Helse Stavanger HF Government |
| Locations | 2 sites (Stavanger and 1 other locations) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | October 20, 2025 |
| Main results expected | October 2026 |
| Study ends | March 2027 |
| Registry record updated | April 28, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07145307 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are Norwegian-speaking adolescents aged 13–18 with a diagnosed anxiety disorder who are receiving outpatient treatment that includes exposure therapy, have a smartphone and internet access, and have stable psychiatric medication if applicable.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with serious mental illness, active suicidality, very poor general functioning, lack of smartphone/internet access, or insufficient Norwegian language skills are unlikely to benefit or may be excluded for safety.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is a single-arm, open feasibility trial of Sidekick, a personalized app used as an add-on to outpatient exposure therapy for adolescents with anxiety disorders. Adolescents (13–18) and their clinicians will use the app to plan, perform, and evaluate exposure homework between therapy sessions while completing questionnaires before, during, after, and three months after app use. The trial will collect data on recruitment, data-collection procedures, usability, acceptability to patients and clinicians, and study management feasibility. Findings will be used to refine the intervention and procedures and to plan a larger randomized controlled trial if the approach appears promising.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the app could make exposure homework easier to complete and help clinicians deliver more personalized and scalable support between sessions.
How similar studies have gone: Digital cognitive behavioral therapy and blended treatments have shown promise in youth and adults, but this specific app-facilitated, personalized exposure approach in adolescents is relatively novel and not yet tested at scale.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * 13 to 18 years old * Adequate Norwegian reading, writing and speaking skills * Access to the internett and a smart-phone * Diagnosed anxiety disorder * Receiving outpatient treatment for their anxiety disorder * Exposure therapy included in therapy during the study period * Therapist agrees to incorporate the app as an ad-on to therapy * For patients receiving medication, inclusion requires a stable dose of medication for a psychiatric disorder for six weeks Exclusion Criteria: * Participants with serious mental illness, such as suicidality or poor general functioning may be excluded if participation is considered unfeasible or potentially harmful. Decision will be based on collaborative evaluation by the participants therapist and the research-team.
Where it's running
-
Children and Adolescent Mental Health Outpatient Clinics
Stavanger, Norway Recruiting -
Stavanger Universitetssykehus
Stavanger, Norway Not yet recruiting
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Pia R Hauge, Master — Helse Stavanger HF
- Study coordinator: Pia R Hauge, Master
- Email: pia.rygg.hauge@sus.no
- Phone: +47 92877830
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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.