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Cognitive Behavioral TherapyNCT05284435

Internet-Based, Parent-Led Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety in Youth With ASD

A study testing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email (iCBT-E) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email and Videoconferencing (iCBT-EV) in people with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by Baylor College of Medicine at 1 site in United States.

Completed

Finished. The study has ended and is not enrolling. Results may be posted on the official record.

Official record
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Trial summary

This study compares the effectiveness of two levels of therapist support for an internet-based, parent-led cognitive behavioral therapy for youth with anxiety and ASD. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 7 to 15 years
What is being tested?
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email (iCBT-E) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email and Videoconferencing (iCBT-EV)
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
114 participants
Where
1 siteUnited States
Study dates
28 Mar 2022to 17 Dec 2023
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
None posted in the registry

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 7 to 15 years
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Child

Who may be able to join

  • Child is between the ages 7-15 years at consent/assent.
  • The child meets criteria for ASD.
  • The child meets criteria for an anxiety and/or obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) as determined by the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents
  • Anxiety and/or OCD is the primary presenting problem as determined by the Mini Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents
  • One parent/guardian is able and willing to participate.
  • The child has a Full Scale and Verbal Comprehension Intelligence Quotient >70.
  • The child is able to communicate verbally.
  • Participants must reside in Texas and must be in the state of Texas when taking calls.

Who cannot join

  • The child has a diagnosis of lifetime DSM-5 bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, and/or intellectual disability.
  • The child has severe current suicidal/homicidal ideation and/or self-injury requiring medical intervention.
  • The child is receiving concurrent psychotherapy for anxiety.
  • Initiation of a psychotropic medication less than 4 weeks prior to study enrollment or a stimulant/psychoactive medication less than 2 weeks prior to study enrollment.

Trial locations and contacts

1 site in 1 country.

United States1 site
  • Baylor College of Medicine

    Houston, Texas, 77030

Other trials in United States

About this study

This study compares the effectiveness of two levels of therapist support for an internet-based, parent-led cognitive behavioral therapy for youth with anxiety and ASD.

Read the detailed description

Autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders, affecting up to 1 out of 59 youth in the United States. Anxiety disorders affect 50-80% of children with ASD and are associated with significant life impairment and worsening trajectory without treatment. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for anxiety, yet access to CBT is very limited for most families due to the cost, practicalities of attending in-person treatment sessions and limited availability of trained therapists. Access to CBT is particularly limited for Hispanic or Spanish-speaking families due to lack of services provided in Spanish. Web-based or internet-based delivery of services is a promising method to improve access to care for youth with ASD and their families, given its reachability to a wider range of areas (e.g., rural/underserved) and its ability to minimize practical barriers (e.g., treatment could be delivered to home without need for travel), and reduce stigma (e.g., parents do not need to visit mental health clinics). Thus, the goal of this project is to increase access to care for families of children with ASD and anxiety through an internet-based treatment intervention model. This intervention, developed by the study team, consists of an interactive website with treatment materials that parents can work through with their child, both in English and Spanish.

Specifically, this project will examine the effectiveness of an internet-based, parent-led cognitive-behavioral therapy (iCBT) for anxiety in children with two levels of therapist support: 1) iCBT-E (therapist support is delivered via email) and 2) iCBT-EV (therapist support is delivered via email and videoconferencing sessions).

This study will also involve two phases: 1) pilot intervention phase and 2) randomized controlled phase.

Being tested
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email (iCBT-E), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email and Videoconferencing (iCBT-EV)
Medical subject headings
Autism Spectrum Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Phobia, Social, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Phobia, Specific

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email (iCBT-E)Behavioural

    Participating families will receive an access to the website that contains treatment materials for both parent and child.

    During each of the weekly emails, therapists will serve to provide encouragement and support as the parent works through the program independently.

  • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email and Videoconferencing (iCBT-EV)Behavioural

    Participating families will receive an access to the website that contains treatment materials for both parent and child.

    During each of the weekly emails and six videoconferencing sessions, therapists will serve to provide encouragement and support as the parent works through the program independently. Therapists will also assist the parent with any problem-solving as needed.

Study groups in NCT05284435
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
iCBT-Email (iCBT-E)ExperimentalParents will receive a weekly email from a therapist over the 12 weeks of treatment.
Receives: Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email (iCBT-E)
iCBT-Email and Videoconferencing (iCBT-EV)Active comparatorParents will receive a weekly email and six 30-minute supportive video calls with a therapist over the 12 weeks of treatment.
Receives: Behavioral: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email and Videoconferencing (iCBT-EV)

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. 5-item Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale - Autism Spectrum Disorder

    Clinician rated child anxiety severity throughout the past week. Each item is scored on a 0 to 5 scale (higher scores correspond to greater severity), yielding a total between 0 and 30.

    Measured: 7 days

  2. Clinical Global Impression-Improvement

    Clinician rated child psychopathology improvement since initial rating. A single item is scored 0-6 (0 = very much worse; 6= very much improved).

    Measured: 7 days

Secondary outcomes (4)
  1. Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale- Parent-Report- Anxiety Subscale

    Parent rated child anxiety severity. It is a 37-item scale and each item is scored on a 0 ("never") to 3 ("always") scale (higher scores correspond to greater severity), yielding a total between 0 to 111.

    Measured: 7 days

  2. Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale- Self-Report- Anxiety Subscale

    Child rated anxiety severity. It is a 37-item scale and each item is scored on a 0 ("never") to 3 ("always") scale (higher scores correspond to greater severity), yielding a total between 0 to 111.

    Measured: 7 days

  3. Social Responsiveness Scale, Second Edition

    Parent rated child impairment in social behaviors. It is a 65-item scale and each item is scored on a 1 ("not true") to 4 ("almost always true") scale (higher scores correspond to greater impairment), yielding a total raw score between 65 and 260.

    Measured: 7 days

  4. Sheehan Disability Scale

    Parent rated child functional impairment. It is a 5-item scale and each item is scored on a 0 ("not at all") to 10 ("extremely") scale (higher scores correspond to greater impairment), yielding a total between 0 and 50.

    Measured: 7 days

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Mar 2022
  2. Study start28 Mar 2022
  3. Primary completion21 Aug 2023
  4. Study completion17 Dec 2023

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Masking
Single blind
Who is masked
Outcomes assessor
Enrolment
114 participants (actual)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT05284435
Sponsor's protocol ID
H-51359
Status last verified
Dec 2023
First submitted
9 Mar 2022
Last updated
19 Dec 2023
Results posted
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No

Publications

  • Guzick AG, Schneider SC, Kook M, Greenberg R, Perozo-Garcia A, Lee MP, Garcia J, Onyeka OC, Riddle DB, Storch EA. Internet-based, parent-led cognitive behavioral therapy for autistic youth with anxiety-related disorders: A randomized trial comparing email vs. telehealth support. Behav Res Ther. 2024 Dec;183:104639. doi: 10.1016/j.brat.2024.104639. Epub 2024 Sep 29.

    PubMed 39368459

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email (iCBT-E) and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy-Email and Videoconferencing (iCBT-EV) in people with Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Autism Spectrum Disorder, run by Baylor College of Medicine at 1 site in United States.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 8 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 19 Dec 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

5-item Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale - Autism Spectrum Disorder (time frame: 7 days). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?

On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05284435, which also lists 1 linked publication.

Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 19 Dec 2023.

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