Kidpower Camp - Structured Games or Playgroup

Purpose

Clinically significant anxiety affects 20% of preschoolers and can become chronic, leading to depression, substance abuse, school-drop out and even suicide. To reduce anxiety and prevent its sequelae, clinically affected children must be effectively treated early. Available interventions for clinically anxious preschoolers are effective for some, but not all children, with as many as 50% of 4-7 year olds continuing to meet criteria for an anxiety disorder after treatment. This trial aims to help learn how Camp Kidpower, trainings using either structured games or a playgroup, may lower anxiety in preschool age children. Playing these games and learning that kids can do it, can teach kids how to keep going when they are feeling anxious. To find out if Kidpower works by helping kids stay in charge of their behaviors and emotions, the study will look at parts of the brain as well as behaviors related to effortful control and fear, before and after training. The study hypothesizes that Kidpower will produce greater increases in Error-related negativity (ERN), Interchannel Phase Synchrony (ICPS) and effortful control (EC) behaviors than in the Playgroup control.

Condition

  • Anxiety Disorders

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Between 48 Months and 71 Months
Eligible Genders
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  1. Children between ages 4 -5.99 years at time of consent 2. Children that have a primary clinical diagnosis of separation anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder 3. Written informed consent by a parent/legal guardian and verbal assent from participant 4. Fluent in English

Exclusion Criteria

  1. History of head injury 2. History of serious medical or neurological illness 3. History of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) 4. History of major depressive disorder (MDD) 5. Current psychotherapy or behavioral interventions 6. History of Neurodevelopmental delay, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), or intellectual disability 7. Currently taking medications that affect central nervous system functioning 8. Primary clinical diagnosis is selective mutism or specific phobia 9. Recent history of physically aggressive behaviors that have caused harm to other children 10. Sibling of a child who has participated or is currently participating in this protocol

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention Model
Parallel Assignment
Intervention Model Description
Children and one legal guardian/primary caregiver will be randomized 1:1 to structured games or a playgroup. The structured games and playgroup will run in parallel.
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
Single (Outcomes Assessor)
Masking Description
The rater will be blinded to which intervention, structured games or playgroup, child participants receive.

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Kidpower - Structured Games 		Structured Games Camp.
  • Behavioral: Structured games
    Camp Kidpower - Structured Games is an interactive, child-friendly "camp" and is comprised of short, game-like exercises taught by "camp counselors" to groups of approximately 4-6 children. In total, 15 different exercises will be taught. Children will attend 5 three-hour playgroup sessions over a 4-week period (twice the first week, and then only once per week for the subsequent 3-week period) to match the Playgroup intervention. Parents will be asked to attend an approximately one-hour group meeting, during which information is presented regarding child anxiety, effortful control and the rationale for this treatment. Parents are asked to continue to utilize the intervention at home every day if possible with the child and will receive texts or emails to track the games that are played at home.
Active Comparator
Kidpower - Playgroup 		Playgroup camp
  • Behavioral: Playgroup
    Camp Kidpower - Playgroup includes structured play activities. This will include art activities, dramatic play props, and a "story time". Children will attend 5 three-hour playgroup sessions over a 4-week period (twice the first week, and then only once per week for the subsequent 3-week period) to match the Kidpower intervention. During the first week parents will attend an approximately one-hour group meeting, during which information is presented regarding the positive benefits of child-led play and "special time" with caregivers. Parents well be asked to complete homework with their children during the week between sessions, and are shown how to track time spent in this activity. Parents will receive a daily text (or email) to to measure frequency of homework practice between sessions.

Recruiting Locations

More Details

Status
Recruiting
Sponsor
Columbia University

Study Contact

Sherry Chen
646-774-5632
yc4415@cumc.columbia.edu

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