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Fearless Me! © : A feasibility case series of cognitive behavioral therapy for adolescents with intellectual disability
Author(s) -
Hronis Anastasia,
Roberts Rachel,
Roberts Lynette,
Kneebone Ian
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of clinical psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.124
H-Index - 119
eISSN - 1097-4679
pISSN - 0021-9762
DOI - 10.1002/jclp.22741
Subject(s) - anxiety , multiple baseline design , psychology , intervention (counseling) , intellectual disability , cognition , clinical psychology , cognitive behavioral therapy , randomized controlled trial , cognitive therapy , psychiatry , medicine , surgery
Abstract Objective This study evaluated the feasibility of the Fearless Me! program, an online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program for children with intellectual disability (ID) and anxiety. Method Twenty‐one adolescents with mild to moderate ID participated in ten sessions of the therapist‐assisted Fearless Me! program, combining face‐to‐face group sessions and an online component. A case series design was adopted to assess anxiety symptoms at baseline, throughout intervention, and postintervention. Feasibility of the measures, intervention, and trial design were considered. Results The measures were appropriate and sensitive to changes in anxiety, whereas the need for attention to factors influencing parent’s completion of them was identified. Reliable Change Index and visual analyses of results indicated reductions in anxiety, particularly for older adolescents with heightened levels of anxiety at baseline. Conclusions This is one of the first CBT programs for adolescents with ID, and provides preliminary evidence of adapted CBT as a feasible treatment.