Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Pediatric Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders are among the first psychiatric conditions to emerge in childhood and is the most common mental health conditions across the life span (Merikangas et al., 2010). The long-term consequences of untreated anxiety disorders include increased risk for subsequent mood disorders, substance misuse, disruptive behaviors, suicidal behavior, educational underachievement, and later adult economic disadvantage (Kendall et al., 2010; Ranøyen et al., 2018). Cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) is the psychological treatment of choice for youth with anxiety disorders (Higa-McMillan et al., 2016; Mohatt et al., 2014; Silverman et al., 2008) and is an efficacious and durable treatment approach (Seligman & Ollendick, 2011). Cognitive-Behavior Therapy for Pediatric Anxiety Disorders is a 3-hour virtual training that provides clinicians with an overview of cognitive-behavior therapy for pediatric anxiety disorders. The workshop presents a concrete framework for implementing cognitive and exposure-based interventions and includes guidelines for constructing exposure hierarchies, for implementing exposure strategies, and for managing relapse.