YCSC Grand Rounds: Is there a future for precision mental health care for anxiety disorders in children?

Session Description

When children receive treatment for anxiety disorders in clinical trials, approximately 50% benefit from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), while the other 50% remain symptomatic, even with enhanced treatments. Additionally, some children relapse after an initial positive response. To date, little is known about the individual differences between those who respond well and those who respond sub-optimally or relapse later. Single randomized controlled trials often lack the power to examine (combinations of) predictors of treatment success.

The iconic question posed by Gordon Paul – “What treatment, by whom, is most effective for this individual with that specific problem, and under which set of circumstances?” – was asked 55 years ago, and we are still not much closer to the truth in the field of child mental health. We urgently need data innovations to better support clinicians and families in assessment, treatment planning, and decision-making to improve outcomes for children and young people with anxiety.

In this presentation, several programs of work will be reviewed that have been in development at the Black Dog Institute, in collaboration with other partners, to move the field closer to offering personalized care driven by data.

The learning objectives for this session are to:

1. Understand the efficacy of CBT in treating childhood anxiety disorders: Attendees will learn about the current success rates of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) in clinical trials for children with anxiety disorders, including the challenges of relapse and sub-optimal responses.
2. Identify predictors of treatment success and relapse: Attendees will explore the individual differences and potential predictors that influence treatment outcomes, and understand why single randomized controlled trials may be underpowered to examine these factors comprehensively.
3. Explore data-driven innovations for personalized care: Attendees will review the latest programs and research initiatives at the Child Mental Health team at the Black Dog Institute aimed at using data innovations to support personalized care in the assessment, treatment planning, and decision-making processes for children and young people with anxiety.

Continuing Education

This session is approved for Continuing Education Credit (CEC) by the National Association of Social Workers, CT and meets the continuing education criteria for Social Work, Marriage & Family Therapist, Professional Counselor, and Licensed Psychologist Licensure renewal. Additional information and instructions for earning CEC for this session will be provided at the live event.

YCSC Grand Rounds are also reviewed for eligibility for Continuing Medical Education (CME) credits on an annual basis and most lecture-style sessions are approved for the year. Yale School of Medicine is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) to provide continuing medical education for physicians. Individual event designation details are provided at applicable live events.

YCSC Grand Rounds sessions are typically presented in the Cohen Auditorium at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesdays from September through June, with a live stream available via Zoom. Internal participants are encouraged to attend sessions in person​​​​​. Recordings are posted on-line as soon as they are available.