Kristin D Martinsen1,2, Lene-Mari P Rasmussen3, Tore Wentzel-Larsen4, Solveig Holen4, Anne Mari Sund5,6, Marit Løtveit Pedersen5, Mona Elisabeth S Løvaas7, Joshua Patras3, Frode Adolfsen3, Simon-Peter Neumer4. 1. Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, RBUP, region East and South, Oslo, Norway. kristin.martinsen@r-bup.no. 2. Department of Psychology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. kristin.martinsen@r-bup.no. 3. The Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare - North, Faculty of Health Sciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway. 4. Regional Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, RBUP, region East and South, Oslo, Norway. 5. Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare, Medical Faculty, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway. 6. Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry. St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. 7. Institute of Psychology, NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway.
Abstract
BACKGROUND:Quality of life and self-esteem are functional domains that may suffer when having mental problems. In this study, we examined the change in quality of life and self-esteem when targeting anxious and depressive symptoms in school children (8-12 years) using a CBT-based transdiagnostic intervention called EMOTION, Kids Coping with anxiety and depression. The aim of this study was to investigate quality of life and self-esteem in children with elevated levels of anxious and depressive symptoms, and further if the EMOTION intervention could influence these important functional domains. METHODS: The study had a clustered randomized design (cRCT), where N = 795 children recruited from 36 schools participated. The children were included based on self-reports of anxious and depressive symptoms. Schools were the unit of randomization and were assigned to intervention or control condition. Children in the intervention condition received the 10-week EMOTION intervention. Mixed effects models were used to take account of the possible clustering of data. Separate models were estimated for the dependent variables. RESULTS:Children with elevated levels of anxious and depressive symptoms reported lower levels of quality of life and self-esteem compared to normative samples, with girls and older children reporting the lowest levels. For both genders and older children, a large and significant increase in quality of life and self-esteem was found among the children who received the intervention compared to the children in the control condition. Children in the intervention group reporting both anxious and depressive symptoms showed a significantly larger increase in both quality of life and self-esteem compared to the controls. Reductions in quality of life and self-esteem were partially mediated by reductions in symptoms of anxiety and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Participating in an intervention targeting emotional symptoms may have a positive effect on quality of life and self-esteem in addition to reducing anxious and depressive symptoms. Improved quality of life may increase the child's satisfaction and subjective perception of wellbeing. As low self-esteem may lead to anxious and depressive symptoms, improving this functional domain in children may make them more robust dealing with future emotional challenges. Trial registration NCT02340637, retrospectively registered.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: Quality of life and self-esteem are functional domains that may suffer when having mental problems. In this study, we examined the change in quality of life and self-esteem when targeting anxious and depressive symptoms in school children (8-12 years) using a CBT-based transdiagnostic intervention called EMOTION, Kids Coping with anxiety and depression. The aim of this study was to investigate quality of life and self-esteem in children with elevated levels of anxious and depressive symptoms, and further if the EMOTION intervention could influence these important functional domains. METHODS: The study had a clustered randomized design (cRCT), where N = 795 children recruited from 36 schools participated. The children were included based on self-reports of anxious and depressive symptoms. Schools were the unit of randomization and were assigned to intervention or control condition. Children in the intervention condition received the 10-week EMOTION intervention. Mixed effects models were used to take account of the possible clustering of data. Separate models were estimated for the dependent variables. RESULTS:Children with elevated levels of anxious and depressive symptoms reported lower levels of quality of life and self-esteem compared to normative samples, with girls and older children reporting the lowest levels. For both genders and older children, a large and significant increase in quality of life and self-esteem was found among the children who received the intervention compared to the children in the control condition. Children in the intervention group reporting both anxious and depressive symptoms showed a significantly larger increase in both quality of life and self-esteem compared to the controls. Reductions in quality of life and self-esteem were partially mediated by reductions in symptoms of anxiety and depression. CONCLUSIONS: Participating in an intervention targeting emotional symptoms may have a positive effect on quality of life and self-esteem in addition to reducing anxious and depressive symptoms. Improved quality of life may increase the child's satisfaction and subjective perception of wellbeing. As low self-esteem may lead to anxious and depressive symptoms, improving this functional domain in children may make them more robust dealing with future emotional challenges. Trial registration NCT02340637, retrospectively registered.
Entities:
Keywords:
Adolescent; Anxiety; CBT; Children; Depression; Quality of life; Self-esteem
Authors: Kristin D Martinsen; Lene Mari P Rasmussen; Tore Wentzel-Larsen; Solveig Holen; Anne Mari Sund; Mona Elisabeth S Løvaas; Joshua Patras; Philip C Kendall; Trine Waaktaar; Simon-Peter Neumer Journal: J Consult Clin Psychol Date: 2018-12-13
Authors: Thomas Jozefiak; Bo Larsson; Lars Wichstrøm; Fritz Mattejat; Ulrike Ravens-Sieberer Journal: Health Qual Life Outcomes Date: 2008-05-19 Impact factor: 3.186