Changes in Emotion Regulation Following Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxious Youth

Abstract

This study examined emotion-related functioning following cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) with 37 youth with anxiety disorders (22 boys, 15 girls) ranging in age from 7 to 15 with a principal diagnosis of generalized anxiety disorder (n = 27), separation anxiety disorder (n = 12), and/or social phobia (n = 13). Treated youth exhibited a reduction in anxiety and increased anxiety self-efficacy and emotional awareness at posttreatment. Treated youth also demonstrated improved coping and less emotional dysregulation with worry but not with anger or sadness. The results suggest that the gains made in worry regulation do not generalize to other emotions that are not specifically targeted within the CBT protocol.

The preparation of this article was supported in part by an NIMH grant (MH 59087) awarded to Philip C. Kendall.

Notes

¹Analyses examined differences between participants recruited through the OPC and RCT on all pre-, post- and change-variables. Bonferroni corrections were conducted to limit the experiment-wise error to p < .05 (e.g., three tests on each emotion regulation measure 05/3 = .016). No significant differences emerged on any of the variables. Note that if the p < .05 criterion was applied, the groups would have differed on the post Sadness and Anger Inhibition subscales. Although they did not reach the criterion we set a priori, we nonetheless conducted follow-up analyses on these subscales. There were no significant difference from pre- to posttreatment on the Sadness Inhibition scale for the OPC participants but there was for the RCT participants. No significant differences emerged from pre- to posttreatment on the Anger Inhibition scale for either group.

Note: Pre = pretreatment; Post = posttreatment; MASC = Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children; CQ = Coping Questionnaire; EESC = Emotion Expression Scale for Children; CEMS = Children's Emotion Management Scale. ∗∗p < .01. ∗∗∗p < .001. ∗∗∗∗p < .000.

Note: MASC = Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children; CQ = Coping Questionnaire; EESC = Emotion Expression Scale for Children; CEMS = Children's Emotion Management Scale.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01. ∗∗∗∗p < .000.

²Analyses examining changes in MASC and CQC scores included 12 participants from a larger study that also examined treatment changes on these same measures (Kendall et al., 2008).

Note: MASC = Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children; CQ = Coping Questionnaire; CEMS Worry Dysregulation = Children's Emotion Management Scales where higher scores indicate greater levels of dysregulation, CEMS Worry Coping = Children's Emotion Management Scales where higher scores indicate greater levels of coping.

∗p < .05. ∗∗p < .01.