Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy (iCBT) can promote lasting reductions in anxiety symptoms among early adolescents, according to a study published today in JAMA Network Open.Why It’s Relevant
Amid a critical shortage of qualified mental health professionals, previous research has pointed to iCBT as an effective tool to address childhood anxiety. Yet the long-term benefits of this digital intervention remain uncertain.
By the Numbers
- A total of 465 Finnish children ages 10 to 13 (71% female) with anxiety symptoms and their parents were randomized into two groups: Families in the intervention group (n=234) received 10 weeks of iCBT with weekly telephone coaching, while control group families (n=231) received online psychoeducation about anxiety.
- Both groups showed reductions in anxiety after two years, as measured by the Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders–Child and –Parent tools (SCARED-C and SCARED-P). However, children in the iCBT group had greater reductions in both SCARED-C and SCARED-P scores (4.4 points and 2.3 points greater than control group, respectively).
- Scores measuring domains like panic disorder, social anxiety, and school phobia also decreased more for the iCBT group compared with the control group.
The Other Side
The control group received more services than is typical for many children with anxiety. Additionally, more than a quarter of participants dropped out of the study or were unavailable for follow-up.
Takeaway Message
Up until the six-month follow-up, the differences in symptom changes between the two groups were minimal, indicating that “early identification of childhood anxiety, screening, assessment, and psychoeducation already serve as an effective intervention,” the researchers wrote. The delayed clinical response to iCBT may be related to delayed brain alterations: “The neural alterations induced by CBT appear to have long-lasting potential, even continuing after the intervention has ended.”
Related Information
Source
Andre Sourander, et al. Internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy and telephone coaching for anxiety in children. JAMA Network Open. Published August 14, 2026. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2026.29195
(Image: Getty Images/iStock/bymuratdeniz)
