title: Group-based cognitive behavioural psychotherapy for children and adolescents with ASD: the randomized, multicentre, controlled SOSTA-net trial.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Group-based psychotherapy in Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) has predominantly been studied in the United States by small studies in school-aged children without long-term follow-up. We report results of a large, confirmatory, multicentre randomized-controlled phase-III trial in children and adolescents studying the ASD specific, manualized group-based cognitive behavioural SOSTA-FRA approach.
  
  
  METHODS
  High-functioning ASD individuals aged 8-19 years old were randomized to 12 sessions SOSTA-FRA or treatment as usual. Primary outcomes were change in total raw score of the parent-rated Social Responsiveness Scale (pSRS) between baseline (T2) and end of intervention (T4), and between T2 and 3 months after end of intervention (T5).
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  ISRCTN94863788.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Between 20/5/2010 and 14/2/2013, n = 320 ASD patients were screened, n = 228 patients were randomized, and N = 209 analysed. Mean pSRS difference between groups at T4 was -6.5 (95% CI -11.6 to - 1.4; p = .013), and at T5 -6.4 (-11.5 to -1.3, p = .015). Pre-treatment SRS and IQ were positively associated with stronger improvement at T4 and T5.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Short-term ASD-specific add-on group-based psychotherapy has shown postintervention efficacy with regard to parent-rated social responsiveness predominantly in male high-functioning children and adolescents with ASD. Future studies should implement blinded standardized observational measures of peer-related social interaction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Christine M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Freitag
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biometry and Informatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Katrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jensen
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Leyla
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Elsuni
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sachse
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Beate
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Herpertz-Dahlmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schulte-Rüther
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Saarland University Hospital Homburg, Saarbrücken, Germany.
authors.forename: Susann
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hänig
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Saarland University Hospital Homburg, Saarbrücken, Germany.
authors.forename: Alexander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: von Gontard
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.|Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Luise
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Poustka
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Central Institute of Mental Health, Medical Faculty Mannheim, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Tanja
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Schad-Hansjosten
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Köln, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wenzl
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Köln, Cologne, Germany.|Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, LVR Klinik Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sinzig
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Taurines
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Geißler
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Biometry and Informatics, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany.
authors.forename: Meinhard
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kieser
authors.affiliation: Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University Hospital, Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Frankfurt, Germany.
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Cholemkery
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000067877:Autism Spectrum Disorder / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000379:methods*; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Group therapy; autism spectrum disorders; randomized-controlled trial; social skills