Is the Cool Kids programme working in outpatient psychiatric clinics? A Danish naturalistic effectiveness study

Abstract

Background & aim: This study investigates the effectiveness of the Cool Kids programme in two outpatient psychiatric clinics for children with anxiety. Efficacy studies find that 60–80% of programme completers improve. It is unclear if the intervention is as effective in real-life clinical treatment, as only one previous Danish effectiveness study has ever been conducted. The goal of all evidence-based interventions is the successful transition from research environments to standard care clinical practice, but there can be substantial differences in the environment, therapists’ education and patient population in the two settings.

Method: We have conducted a naturalistic effectiveness study of the Cool Kids programme using the Child Anxiety Life Interference Scale parent-report (N = 39) and child self-report (N = 40).

Conclusion: The intervention significantly decreased the interference caused by anxiety symptoms in both the children’s and the parents’ lives from pre- to post-treatment and results were maintained during the 3-month follow up. Nevertheless, no additional significant reduction in interference was detected in the follow up contrary to the results from previous efficacy studies. Our results confirm that Cool Kids can be successfully implemented in clinical practice.

Keywords:

• Anxiety
• child
• CBT
• effectiveness
• Cool Kids
• treatment

Acknowledgements

We would like to thank all children and their families for participation. We are very grateful to the clinicians, who made this study possible and to the Child and Adolescents Psychiatry Southern Jutland for its support.

Disclosure statement

Neither of the authors have any conflicting interests.

Trial registration

Registered at clinicaltrials.gov: ID.nr NCT03400397; The Danish Data Protection Agency: no. 16/37580.