New online CBT shows promise for anxious kids and teens
NCT ID NCT06661460
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study is developing and testing a new internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) program for children and teens aged 8-17 with anxiety disorders. The 12-week program, guided by a therapist, uses exposure therapy to help young people face their fears. Researchers will measure changes in anxiety severity and gather feedback to improve the treatment.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide an effective, accessible treatment option for young people with anxiety disorders, reducing symptoms and improving daily life.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage open trial with no control group, so results may not be definitive. The intervention may not work for all types of anxiety or may require further refinement.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 48 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Dec 2025
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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8 to 17 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1\) 8 to \<18 years of age. * Confirmed by the child/caregiver and subsequently by the medical record system. 2) A principal DSM-5-TR anxiety disorder of specific phobia, separation anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder or agoraphobia. * Confirmed by the Diagnostic Interview for Anxiety, Mood, and OCD and related Neuropsychiatric Disorders - Child and Adolescent Version (DIAMOND-KID). 3\) Child and caregiver able to read, write and communicate in Swedish. * Confirmed by the child/caregiver. 4) An available caregiver who can support the child in treatment. * Confirmed by the caregiver. 5) Access to a smartphone, tablet, or laptop/desktop device, and the internet. * Confirmed by the child/caregiver. Exclusion Criteria: 1\) Principal DSM-5-TR anxiety disorder of specific phobia concerning the domain of blood-injection-injury (due to the ICBT program not including relevant information on applied-tension techniques to avoid fainting during exposure exercises). * Confirmed by a blood-injection-injury phobia being classified as the principal anxiety disorder as assessed by the DIAMOND-KID. 2\) Established or suspected intellectual disability. * Confirmed by the caregiver (through previous diagnosis) and/or by attending a special needs school for learning difficulties. 3\) Another mental disorder in more immediate need of management than an anxiety disorder (e.g., schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, bipolar disorder, anorexia nervosa, substance use disorders). * According to the DIAMOND-KID and/or other available sources. 4) Social/familial/educational difficulties in more immediate need of management than an anxiety disorder. * Confirmed by the assessor through information from the child/caregiver and/or other available sources. 5\) Immediate risk to self or others that require urgent attention, such as acute suicidality. * Confirmed by the assessor through information from the child/caregiver and other available sources. 6\) Previous CBT for an anxiety disorder, defined as five or more sessions with a certified CBT therapist within the 12 months prior to assessment. * Confirmed by the child/caregiver or the medical record system. 7) Ongoing psychological treatment for an anxiety disorder. * Confirmed by the child/caregiver or the medical record system. 8) Initiation or adjustment of any psychotropic medication for anxiety (i.e., selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor or antipsychotics) within 8 weeks prior to assessment. * Confirmed by the child/caregiver or the medical record system. 9) Participation in user involvement sessions in the present study. * Confirmed by the researcher.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Barn- och ungdomshälsan, Länssjukhuset
RECRUITINGKalmar, Region Kalmar Län, 391 85, Sweden
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