Partners in Caring for Anxious Youth

Summary

Pediatric onset anxiety disorders (generalized anxiety, social anxiety, separation anxiety) are highly prevalent, and if untreated, are impairing into adolescence and adulthood. In the largest comparative efficacy study remission occurred in about 65% of children and adolescents treated with a combination of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). In contrast, CBT without an SSRI achieved remission in 35% of children at 3 months and 45% at 6 months-a 30% and 20% difference, respectively. Despite the difference in remission rates, CBT alone is the preferred treatment of most patients and families. Lack of awareness of the significant difference in remission rates and concerns about medication side effects may drive patient and family preference even though SSRIs have a positive safety profile. Critiques of CBT in the above study suggest that CBT was not as effective as it could be due to short treatment duration, restricted family involvement and limited exposure sessions. Would the combination of CBT and an SSRI still be superior to CBT only, if CBT was of longer duration, and included more family involvement and exposure sessions? In the Partners in Care for Anxious Youth (PCAY) study, children and adolescents with an anxiety disorder ages 7-17 years followed in pediatric primary care clinics affiliated with three institution: Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, University of California Los Angeles and University of Cincinnati will be randomized to one of two treatment arms; either CBT only or CBT combined with an SSRI (either fluoxetine, sertraline, or escitalopram). CBT in PCAY will be 6 months in duration and include more family involvement, and more exposure opportunities than past trials. The 6-month acute treatment phase will be followed by 6 months of followup. The primary outcome will be anxiety symptom remission and reduction in impairment over 6 and 12-months.

Timeline

Start

2021-02-09

Primary completion

2025-08-31

Completion

2026-12-01

Publications

• Results Walkup JT, Albano AM, Piacentini J, Birmaher B, Compton SN, Sherrill JT, Ginsburg GS, Rynn MA, McCracken J, Waslick B, Iyengar S, March JS, Kendall PC. Cognitive behavioral therapy, sertraline, or a combination in childhood anxiety. N Engl J Med. 2008 Dec 25;359(26):2753-66. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa0804633. Epub 2008 Oct 30.
• Results Piacentini J, Bennett S, Compton SN, Kendall PC, Birmaher B, Albano AM, March J, Sherrill J, Sakolsky D, Ginsburg G, Rynn M, Bergman RL, Gosch E, Waslick B, Iyengar S, McCracken J, Walkup J. 24- and 36-week outcomes for the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study (CAMS). J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014 Mar;53(3):297-310. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2013.11.010. Epub 2013 Nov 28.
• Results Peris TS, Compton SN, Kendall PC, Birmaher B, Sherrill J, March J, Gosch E, Ginsburg G, Rynn M, McCracken JT, Keeton CP, Sakolsky D, Suveg C, Aschenbrand S, Almirall D, Iyengar S, Walkup JT, Albano AM, Piacentini J. Trajectories of change in youth anxiety during cognitive-behavior therapy. J Consult Clin Psychol. 2015 Apr;83(2):239-52. doi: 10.1037/a0038402. Epub 2014 Dec 8.
• Results Strawn JR, Dobson ET, Mills JA, Cornwall GJ, Sakolsky D, Birmaher B, Compton SN, Piacentini J, McCracken JT, Ginsburg GS, Kendall PC, Walkup JT, Albano AM, Rynn MA. Placebo Response in Pediatric Anxiety Disorders: Results from the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study. J Child Adolesc Psychopharmacol. 2017 Aug;27(6):501-508. doi: 10.1089/cap.2016.0198. Epub 2017 Apr 6.
• Results Rynn MA, Walkup JT, Compton SN, Sakolsky DJ, Sherrill JT, Shen S, Kendall PC, McCracken J, Albano AM, Piacentini J, Riddle MA, Keeton C, Waslick B, Chrisman A, Iyengar S, March JS, Birmaher B. Child/Adolescent anxiety multimodal study: evaluating safety. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2015 Mar;54(3):180-90. doi: 10.1016/j.jaac.2014.12.015. Epub 2014 Dec 31.

Drugs

Indications