The role of emotion regulation in the treatment of child anxiety disorders
Abstract
In this review, we examine the role of emotion regulation in the treatment of children with anxiety disorders. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been shown to "work" for children with anxiety disorders and it has been categorized as an evidence-based treatment. However, most studies have shown that the treatment is effective for about 60-70% of children, leaving the remaining children symptomatic and oftentimes with persisting psychological disorders. Of importance, it has also been shown that many children with anxiety disorders demonstrate poor emotion regulation skills. Despite these findings, little attention has been directed toward incorporating emotion regulation strategies into these relatively effective cognitive-behavioral treatments. It is possible that CBT programs do not work as well for a portion of children because their emotion regulation deficits, if present, are not being targeted sufficiently. In this review, it is suggested that adding an emotion regulation component could increase treatment efficacy. In addition, strategies aimed at improving emotion regulation at the individual level and at the family level are introduced. Details of how improved emotion regulation skills could be beneficial in bringing about change are discussed. Finally, issues of measurement and the clinical implications for research and practice are considered.
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One possible reason for not completing or not responding to ERP is the aversive nature of exposures, which requires patients to engage in challenging tasks without utilizing maladaptive coping strategies such as emotional suppression.
“One possible reason for not completing or not responding to ERP is the aversive nature of exposures, which requires a patient to engage in challenging tasks without utilizing maladaptive coping strategies such as emotional suppression (Hannesdottir & Ollendick, 2007;Mitchell, Riccardi, Keough, Timpano, & Schmidt, 2013).”
From How willing are you? Willingness as a predictor of change during treatment of adults with obsessive–compulsive disorder (2017) · cites this paper as Hannesdottir & Ollendick, 2007
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- Authors
- Hannesdottir, D. K., & Ollendick, T. H.
- Affiliations
- Virginia Tech (US)
- ORCID
- Ollendick, Thomas H.
- Venue
- Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review
- Published
- 2007-08-20
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 275-293
- ISSN
- 1096-4037 (ISSN-L)
- 1573-2827
- OpenAlex
- W1963550785
- Cited by
- 151
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2026: 1 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 12 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 12 · 2016: 11 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 11 · 2013: 6 · 2012: 7
- FWCI
- 1.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child and Adolescent Psychosocial and Emotional Development
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Anxiety, Depression, Psychometrics, Treatment, Cognitive Processes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Child Therapy and Development
- Keywords
- emotion regulation, childhood anxiety disorders, cognitive behavioral therapy, treatment efficacy, emotional dysregulation, family intervention, treatment-resistant anxiety
- MeSH terms
- Affect, Anxiety Disorders, Child, Humans, Phobic Disorders, Social Control, Informal, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Panic Disorder
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