Extinction learning and return of fear in a large sample of children and adolescents with and without anxiety disorders.

Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent mental health problems in childhood and adolescence, highlighting the importance to study their underlying mechanisms. One key process in fear reduction, particularly in exposure-based cognitive behavioral therapy, is extinction learning. While extensively studied in adults, its role in youth remains underexplored.

Bochum Assessment of Avoidance-based Emotion Regulation for Children (BAER-C): Development and evaluation of a new instrument measuring anticipatory avoidance-based emotion regulation in anxiety eliciting situations.

Avoidance-based emotion regulation plays a central role in the development and maintenance of anxiety disorders across the life span. However, measures for children that account for different avoidance strategies, are scarce. Derived from Gross' Process Model of Emotion Regulation, the Bochum Assessment of Avoidance-based Emotion Regulation for Children (BAER-C) was developed to assess avoidance strategies (cognitive avoidance, behavioural avoidance, verbal reassurance, and social reassurance) and reappraisal in anticipatory anxious situations.

Measuring extinction learning across the lifespan - Adaptation of an optimized paradigm to closely match exposure treatment procedures.

Here, we tested the feasibility of a new paradigm developed to investigate the mechanisms of exposure-therapy. The protocol was previously developed for the use with adults and optimized to closely model the mechanisms underlying exposure, i.e.

Personalized Assessment of Anxiety and Avoidance in Children and Their Parents-Development and Evaluation of the Anxiety and Avoidance Scale for Children.

In treating childhood anxiety disorders, therapists use highly individualized anxiety hierarchies to assess anxiety-eliciting situations and to personalize treatment. In contrast, psychometric assessment of anxiety symptoms in children usually consists of standardized questionnaires, assessing either total anxiety or disorder-specific symptom scores, prioritizing comparability over individual information. To account for interindividual differences, the Anxiety and Avoidance Scale for Children (AVAC) was developed, following a precise, personalized, assessment approach.

[Assisting the Forgotten Ones - Interventions for Children of Parents with Psychological Disorders].

Mental diseases are associated with high levels of distress in various areas of life for those, who are affected. Taking a closer look at the social circumstances, not exclusively the people themselves but also their family members are affected, especially children. In adult treatment these children are often neglected, even if they have a higher risk of suffering a mental illness themselves.

The role of exposure in the treatment of anxiety in children and adolescents: protocol of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: In children and adolescents, anxiety disorders (ADs) are among the most prevalent mental disorders. While there is a solid empirical foundation to support CBT as an evidence-based treatment for childhood ADs, the mechanisms underlying the efficacy of CBT are not well explored. Exposure is assumed to be vital to the efficacy of CBT in ADs, but empirical evidence (e.

[Unwanted Side Effects in Children and Youth Psychotherapy - Introduction and Recommendations].

Psychotherapy in children and adolescents is effective, but unwanted effects can occur. Until now, psychotherapy research has neglected this important topic, although children and youths are in need of special protection. Unwanted effects caused by therapy are not systematically investigated and a corresponding conceptualization is missing.