The Development of a Transdiagnostic, Cognitive Behavioral Group Intervention for Childhood Anxiety Disorders and Co-Occurring Depression Symptoms

Anxiety and depression are highly prevalent and frequently comorbid classes of disorder associated with significant impairment in youth. While current transdiagnostic protocols address a range of potential anxiety and depression symptoms among adult and adolescent populations, there are few similar treatment options for school-aged children with symptoms of these emotional disorders. Such a protocol could be of particular benefit to children experiencing emergent anxiety and depressive symptoms prior to adolescence, as these youth may be at risk for a more severe and protracted course of illness. For this reason, Emotion Detectives, a cognitive behavioral group treatment program, was developed as a downward extension of existent transdiagnostic protocols for emotional disorders in older populations (e.g., Barlow et al., 2010; Ehrenreich et al., 2008) for use with children ages 7 to 12 and their families. This paper will discuss the theoretical basis for Emotion Detectives and provide a description of its 15-session protocol, its unique and developmentally sensitive features, and case studies of 2 children enrolled in an ongoing open trial.