Event Title
A Pilot Study of a School-Based CBT Group Intervention for Inner-City Middle School Students
Location
Philadelphia Campus
Start Date
7-5-2014 1:00 PM
Description
Anxiety is a common problem among children, with prevalence rates averaging between 10-20% (Costello, Mustillo, Keeler & Angold, 2004). Children with difficulties managing stress and worry, have been shown to have difficulties with academic achievement (King & Ollendick, 1989; Van Ameringen, Manicini & Farvolden, 2003), peer relationships (Greco & Morris, 2005), and later emotional adjustment in adolescence and adulthood (Feehan, McGee, & Williams, 1993). Tomb and Hunter (2004) argue that since many anxiety disorders begin during childhood and adolescence, schools are the optimal place for prevention programs to be administered. Prevention programs would help children learn effective ways of coping with their stress and worry before it becomes severe enough to cause significant impairment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been identified as an efficacious treatment for anxiety in children (Silverman, Pina, & Viswesvaran, 2008). Although CBT has been found to be successful in helping youth cope with worry, there is limited literature to support its use in a group format in a school setting (Tomb and Hunter, 2004). Nevertheless, the research that currently exists demonstrates promising results (Bernstein, Layne, Egan, & Tennison, 2005; Masia-Warner, Fisher, Shrout, Rathor & Klein, 2007). Group treatments are beneficial as they are cost effective and allow more children access to treatment (Flannery-Schroeder, Choudhury, & Kendall, 2005). Furthermore, group treatment can be beneficial for treating worry in particular, as the group setting promotes peer modeling, normalization of stress and worry, and an opportunity to practice skills in a social setting (Liber, et al., 2008). Although school-based group treatment can offer many benefits, inner- city schools often lack the financial resources, staff support, and training necessary to provide evidenced-based psychological services to their many students (Ascher, 1991; Tharinger & Palomares, 2004). This study piloted a school-based CBT group intervention focusing on coping skills for inner-city middle school students having difficulty managing stress and worry. Children reported less worries and better coping skills after completing the brief group treatment. Furthermore, this study provided an opportunity for collaboration between an inner city school serving a primarily Hispanic population and a CBT-oriented doctoral training program housed in an osteopathic medical school. It is hoped that this collaborative approach will serve as a first step in creating an ongoing relationship across disciplines, while facilitating the dissemination of evidence-based treatments in multiple settings.
A Pilot Study of a School-Based CBT Group Intervention for Inner-City Middle School Students
Philadelphia Campus
Anxiety is a common problem among children, with prevalence rates averaging between 10-20% (Costello, Mustillo, Keeler & Angold, 2004). Children with difficulties managing stress and worry, have been shown to have difficulties with academic achievement (King & Ollendick, 1989; Van Ameringen, Manicini & Farvolden, 2003), peer relationships (Greco & Morris, 2005), and later emotional adjustment in adolescence and adulthood (Feehan, McGee, & Williams, 1993). Tomb and Hunter (2004) argue that since many anxiety disorders begin during childhood and adolescence, schools are the optimal place for prevention programs to be administered. Prevention programs would help children learn effective ways of coping with their stress and worry before it becomes severe enough to cause significant impairment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been identified as an efficacious treatment for anxiety in children (Silverman, Pina, & Viswesvaran, 2008). Although CBT has been found to be successful in helping youth cope with worry, there is limited literature to support its use in a group format in a school setting (Tomb and Hunter, 2004). Nevertheless, the research that currently exists demonstrates promising results (Bernstein, Layne, Egan, & Tennison, 2005; Masia-Warner, Fisher, Shrout, Rathor & Klein, 2007). Group treatments are beneficial as they are cost effective and allow more children access to treatment (Flannery-Schroeder, Choudhury, & Kendall, 2005). Furthermore, group treatment can be beneficial for treating worry in particular, as the group setting promotes peer modeling, normalization of stress and worry, and an opportunity to practice skills in a social setting (Liber, et al., 2008). Although school-based group treatment can offer many benefits, inner- city schools often lack the financial resources, staff support, and training necessary to provide evidenced-based psychological services to their many students (Ascher, 1991; Tharinger & Palomares, 2004). This study piloted a school-based CBT group intervention focusing on coping skills for inner-city middle school students having difficulty managing stress and worry. Children reported less worries and better coping skills after completing the brief group treatment. Furthermore, this study provided an opportunity for collaboration between an inner city school serving a primarily Hispanic population and a CBT-oriented doctoral training program housed in an osteopathic medical school. It is hoped that this collaborative approach will serve as a first step in creating an ongoing relationship across disciplines, while facilitating the dissemination of evidence-based treatments in multiple settings.