Personalized digital treatment for adolescent anxiety using the Sidekick app
Evaluation of a Personalised Digital Treatment for Adolescents With Anxiety Disorders - A Feasibility Trial in Routine Care
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
| Phase | Not applicable |
|---|---|
| Study type | Interventional |
| Enrollment | 46 (estimated) |
| Ages | 13 Years to 18 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | Helse Stavanger HF Government |
| Locations | 2 sites (Stavanger and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT07145307 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
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.
Who should consider this trial
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.
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.
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 performed: 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.
Eligibility criteria
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 this trial is running
Stavanger and 1 other locations
- 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
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.