title: The multidimensional evaluation and treatment of anxiety in children and adolescents: rationale, design, methods and preliminary findings.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aims to describe the design, methods and sample characteristics of the Multidimensional Evaluation and Treatment of Anxiety in Children and Adolescents - the PROTAIA Project.
  
  
  METHODS
  Students between 10 and 17 years old from all six schools belonging to the catchment area of the Primary Care Unit of Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre were included in the project. It comprises five phases: (1) a community screening phase; (2) a psychiatric diagnostic phase; (3) a multidimensional assessment phase evaluating environmental, neuropsychological, nutritional, and biological factors; (4) a treatment phase, and (5) a translational phase.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 2,457 subjects from the community were screened for anxiety disorders. From those who attended the diagnostic interview, we identified 138 individuals with at least one anxiety disorder (apart from specific phobia) and 102 individuals without any anxiety disorder. Among the anxiety cases, generalized anxiety disorder (n = 95; 68.8%), social anxiety disorder (n = 57; 41.3%) and separation anxiety disorder (n = 49; 35.5%) were the most frequent disorders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The PROTAIA Project is a promising research project that can contribute to the knowledge of the relationship between anxiety disorders and anxiety-related phenotypes with several genetic and environmental risk factors.
authors.affiliation: Anxiety Disorders Program for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
authors.forename: Giovanni Abrahão
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Salum
authors.forename: Luciano Rassier
authors.initials: LR
authors.lastname: Isolan
authors.forename: Vera Lúcia
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Bosa
authors.forename: Andrea Goya
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Tocchetto
authors.forename: Stefania Pigatto
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Teche
authors.forename: Ilaine
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Schuch
authors.forename: Jandira Rahmeier
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Marianna de Abreu
authors.initials: Mde A
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Rafaela Behs
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Jarros
authors.forename: Maria Augusta
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mansur
authors.forename: Daniela
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Knijnik
authors.forename: Estácio Amaro
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kieling
authors.forename: Maria Helena
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Elza
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Medeiros
authors.forename: Andressa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bortoluzzi
authors.forename: Rudineia
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Toazza
authors.forename: Carolina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blaya
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Leistner-Segal
authors.forename: Jerusa Fumagalli de
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Salles
authors.forename: Patrícia Pelufo
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Silveira
authors.forename: Marcelo Zubaran
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Goldani
authors.forename: Elizeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heldt
authors.forename: Gisele Gus
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Manfro
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy*; D001938:Brazil / Q000453:epidemiology; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods; D008605:Mental Health Services; D011320:Primary Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales