title: Delivering solid treatments on shaky ground: Feasibility study of an online therapy for child anxiety in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
abstract: To assess feasibility of online cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for children and adolescents with anxiety in the aftermath of a natural disaster.
  
  
  
  42 children and adolescents with clinical anxiety referred from primary care were invited to complete an internet CBT program (BRAVE-ONLINE). Outcome measures and assessment timelines were chosen to allow a comparison of the results with the program developers' randomised controlled trials.
  
  
  
  At 6-month post intervention, more than half (55%) of the 33 participants assessed, no longer met criteria for their primary anxiety disorder. The mean number of anxiety diagnoses dropped from 2.76 (SD = 0.85) at baseline to 1.06 (SD = 1.25) at follow-up (z = -4.51, p < .001). Participants' anxiety and mood symptoms reduced and health-related quality of life improved significantly by follow-up. Satisfaction ratings were moderate to high. On average, by 6-month follow-up, children and adolescents had completed 6 of 10 sessions and parents had completed 5/6 (child parent program) and 3/5 sessions (adolescent parent program).
  
  
  
  Following a natural disaster (the Canterbury earthquakes), children and adolescents showed clinically significant improvement in anxiety and mood when they used BRAVE-ONLINE. This approach was both feasible and acceptable to families and offered a solution when mental health services were under pressure.
authors: a Department of Psychological Medicine, The Werry Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors: K
authors: K
authors: Stasiak
authors: a Department of Psychological Medicine, The Werry Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences , University of Auckland , Auckland , New Zealand.
authors: S N
authors: SN
authors: Merry
authors: b Department of Psychological Medicine , University of Otago , Christchurch , New Zealand.
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Frampton
authors: b Department of Psychological Medicine , University of Otago , Christchurch , New Zealand.
authors: S
authors: S
authors: Moor
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001008:Anxiety Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D002648:Child; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D000077587:Natural Disasters; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D017216:Telemedicine / Q000379:methods*
keywords: anxiety; cognitive behaviour therapy; computerised cognitive behaviour therapy; natural disaster; technology in psychotherapy research & training