Big Feelings: A Study on Children's Emotions in Therapy

Conditions studied

Anxiety Disorders, Depressive Disorder, Mood Disorders, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Regulation, Emotion, Child Behavior Disorders, Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders

About this study

The goal of this clinical trial is to learn about how psychotherapy works for children and adolescents aged 8 - 15 with anxiety, depression, trauma, or disruptive behaviour. The main question it aims to answer is: • Is the biobehavioural regulation of negative emotion a transdiagnostic mechanism of treatment response in psychotherapy for children with anxiety, depression, trauma and/or disruptive behaviour? Children and their parents will be randomly assigned to an evidence-based, transdiagnostic treatment (the Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and Conduct Problems; MATCH-ADTC) or a waitlist control condition. Participants in both groups will complete a baseline assessment, weekly measures consisting of brief symptom scales and medication tracking, and quarterly assessments every 3 months. Following the intervention/waitlist period, our team will conduct post-test assessments. All assessments, except for the weekly surveys, will consist of symptom scales, clinical interviews, experimental tasks and physiological measures.

Interventions

• Behavioral: Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma or Conduct Problems — The intervention arm will consist of a transdiagnostic psychotherapy program: The Modular Approach to Therapy for Children with Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, or Conduct Problems (MATCH-ADTC). MATCH draws from various domains of evidence-based treatment and consists of 33 treatment modules. There are several core module sequences for problem areas such as depression, anxiety, trauma, and disruptive behavior, and a clinician can utilize these sequences based on the primary concern of the presenting child. If an individual reports additional stressors or comorbid conditions, the clinician can modify the sequence of the modules to address these comorbidities. MATCH treatment is flexible and is tailored for each individual client.

Primary outcomes

• Change in parent-rated child psychopathology symptoms (Change at quarterly (3 month intervals after pre-test), change at post-test (after completion of the waitlist or intervention treatment; an average range 4 - 6 months))
• Change in child self-reported psychopathology symptoms (Change at quarterly (3 month intervals after pre-test), change at post-test (after completion of the waitlist or intervention treatment; an average range 4 - 6 months))
• Change in child psychopathology symptoms (past week) (Change at post-test (after completion of the waitlist or intervention treatment; an average range 4 - 6 months))
• Change in child emotional-behavioural problems (Change at quarterly (3 month intervals after pre-test), change at post-test (after completion of the waitlist or intervention treatment; an average range 4 - 6 months))
• Change in child impairment (Change at post-test (after completion of the waitlist or intervention treatment; an average range 4 - 6 months))
• Change in ratings of child emotion regulation (Change at post-test (after completion of the waitlist or intervention treatment; an average range 4 - 6 months))
• Change in child physiological emotion regulation (heart rate variability) (Change at quarterly (3 month intervals after pre-test), change at post-test (after completion of the waitlist or intervention treatment; an average range 4 - 6 months))
• Change in child physiological emotion regulation (skin conductance) (Change at quarterly (3 month intervals after pre-test), change at post-test (after completion of the waitlist or intervention treatment; an average range 4 - 6 months))

Eligibility information

Study locations

• Maplewoods Centre for Family Therapy and Child Psychology, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1 Canada
• The Centre for Addition and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario Canada