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Single Session Parenting Intervention for Child Anxiety

N/A
Recruiting
Research Sponsored by Massachusetts General Hospital
Eligibility Criteria Checklist
Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial
Must have
Be older than 18 years old
Must not have
Their child shows symptoms of suicidal or homicidal ideation, psychosis, or primary severe mood or behavior disorder (i.e., if treatment for another disorder other than anxiety is indicate prior to treatment for anxiety)
Timeline
Screening 3 weeks
Treatment Varies
Follow Up baseline to 2-week follow up; change over first 6 months of cbt (intake to 3- and 6-month follow-up)
Awards & highlights
No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial will examine whether a brief, online self-guided intervention can reduce parent accommodation of child anxiety to reduce symptoms while waiting for CBT.

Who is the study for?
This trial is for parents over 18 whose children, aged 5-12, have anxiety or OCD but aren't currently receiving CBT. Parents must speak English and their child shouldn't have severe mood disorders, psychosis, or suicidal thoughts.
What is being tested?
The EMPOWER Program's single-session intervention (SSI) is being tested to see if it can reduce how much parents change their behavior to accommodate their child's anxiety while waiting for outpatient therapy.
What are the potential side effects?
Since the intervention involves a web-based self-guided session without medication, no direct physical side effects are expected. However, there may be emotional or psychological responses related to discussing and addressing anxiety.

Eligibility Criteria

Exclusion Criteria

You may be eligible for the trial if you check “No” for criteria below:
Select...
My child has severe mood or behavior issues, not just anxiety.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks
Treatment ~ Varies
Follow Up ~baseline to 2-week follow up; change over first 6 months of cbt (intake to 3- and 6-month follow-up)
This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and baseline to 2-week follow up; change over first 6 months of cbt (intake to 3- and 6-month follow-up) for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.
Primary study objectives
Change in Pediatric Accommodation Scale, Parent-Report
Secondary study objectives
Change in Spence Child Anxiety Scale, Parent-Report Total score

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group
All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Active Control
Group I: The EMPOWER ProgramExperimental Treatment1 Intervention
The EMPOWER Program (Sung et al., 2021) is a web-based, self-administered SSI for parents that takes about 30 minutes to complete. The SSI includes 5 elements based on the components of CBT.
Group II: Waitlist as UsualActive Control1 Intervention
Participants in the control group will have their children remain on the waitlist until they are assigned to a therapist in the clinic.

Find a Location

Who is running the clinical trial?

Massachusetts General HospitalLead Sponsor
3,026 Previous Clinical Trials
13,413,745 Total Patients Enrolled
12 Trials studying Generalized Anxiety Disorder
1,121 Patients Enrolled for Generalized Anxiety Disorder
AIM Youth Mental HealthUNKNOWN
~24 spots leftby Dec 2025