Comparing Traditional Cognitive Behavior Therapy with Mindfulness-Based Interventions as a Treatment Option for Anxiety Disorders in Pediatric Patients

Abstract

Nearly one in three adolescents meets the criteria for an anxiety disorder (31.9%) according to the National Institute of Mental Health, and it is commonly underdiagnosed and untreated. The use of behavioral therapies such as Cognitive Behavioral Group Therapy (CBGT) and mindfulness-based group interventions (MBIs) is on the raise with more evidence showing the effectiveness of these therapies. The first aim of this review is to assess the effectiveness of an MBI in adolescents with anxiety disorders and chronic illness. The second aim is to look at the differences in outcomes of MBI and standard CBGT in adolescent patients with anxiety disorders. For the first aim, we performed a literature search for studies comparing MBI with CBGT in the treatment of children and adolescents. For the second aim, we assess the effectiveness of MBIs in adolescent patients at our Academic Center by performing a retrospective chart review of the ratings on the SCARED (Screen for Child Anxiety Related Disorders) scale before and after a MBI in 8-week group therapy immediately following CBT. The data was compared to our previous published results from patients who underwent CBT treatment alone. Two out of six participants completed the pre- and post-group session SCARED rating scale. This was due to the high dropout rate, which is not uncommon for group therapy. There was an overall decrease in total anxiety scores in the MBI group in our limited sample size compared to CBT group results previously reported. A major limitation of our study is a high dropout rate not uncommon in this patient population. Additional studies comparing these two treatments are needed, especially considering limited available literature comparing these two therapy approaches.

Keywords

• mindfulness
• chronic illness
• children and adolescents
• anxiety
• cognitive behavioral therapy