Can talk therapy tame severe irritability in kids? new study aims to find out
NCT ID NCT07296939
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study is testing whether cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help children aged 4 to 17 who struggle with severe irritability, anxiety, or mood disorders. Researchers will track changes in irritability and overall functioning using clinician and parent reports. The goal is to understand how CBT works for these emotional and behavioral challenges.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could provide an effective, non-drug treatment option for severe irritability and emotional dysregulation in children and teens.
- What could go wrong
- This is an early-stage study without a control group, so results may not prove the therapy works better than no treatment. Also, CBT requires active participation and may not help everyone.
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 500 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2026
- Expected to finish
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Jul 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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4 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: * Children between the ages of 4-17 years * (a) a principal diagnosis of an anxiety or mood disorder per DSM-5 criteria, OR (b) parent report of clinically impairing irritability, emotional dysregulation, and/or disruptive behavior in youth * Child and parent must be able to complete consent documents, assessments, and participate in treatment in English without a translator * At least one parent must be available and willing to participant in both phases. Exclusion Criteria: * Gross neurological, sensory, or motor impairment * History of seizure disorder, psychosis, or organic brain syndrome * Conditions requiring acute intervention, e.g., active suicidality * Non-English speaking child or parent
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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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Florida State University
RECRUITINGTallahassee, Florida, 32304, United States
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