The Use of Computers to Facilitate Effective Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Children and Adolescents with Anxiety

Abstract

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health issue for children and adolescents. The issue is important for teachers and schools as anxiety disorders can cause significant learning difficulties as well as problems with social and emotional development. Cognitive behavioural therapy is currently the best available treatment for anxiety disorders. However, it is not readily accessible for many children and adolescents. The purpose of this review is to investigate an area of development in the treatment of anxiety for children and adolescents by answering the question: Can cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) provide successful treatment outcomes for school-aged children and adolescents with anxiety if delivered using a technology-based platform (cCBT), as opposed to traditional face-to-face delivery? The research shows cCBT treatment results in effective post-treatment and follow-up outcomes for children and adolescents with anxiety when compared to no-treatment controls. The review concludes that CBT delivery using a technology-based platform results in similar treatment outcomes to traditional face-to-face delivery, while at the same time increasing the accessibility of CBT for children and adolescents with anxiety.