Prescriptive treatment for generalized anxiety disorder in children

This investigation compared the preliminary efficacy of prescriptive and nonprescriptive cognitive-behavioral interventions (i.e., cognitive therapy/exposure or relaxation training/exposure) for problematic response classes (cognitive or somatic symptoms) of 4 overanxious children (8 to 12 years) using a multiple baseline design across subjects. Participants also met DSM-IV criteria for generalized anxiety disorder. All children improved on pre-post child and parent self-report measures, independent clinician ratings, and physiologic recordings. Treatment gains were generally maintained at 6-month follow-up. Although both treatments were effective, only prescriptive treatments produced sufficient improvement for participants to meet positive end-state criteria. Implications for the prescriptive treatment of anxiety disorders in children are discussed.