This research project 'Building blocks of success: Analyzing core components in an effective intervention for young children' is a direct follow-up to the research into the effect of Cool Little Kids (CLK), a preventive intervention intended to reduce anxiety problems in young children through their parents as intermediaries. In Australia, this intervention has been found effective in preventing anxiety problems up to 11 years later, and the study into its effectiveness in the Netherlands is in its final phase. This project focuses on the effective core elements of CLK.

Research aim

The CLK program uses core elements from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Several reviews and meta-analyses show that CBT is the best researched and most well-proven intervention to prevent and reduce anxiety disorders in children and adolescents. However, knowledge about the effective core elements of CBT for young children with onset anxiety problems, with parents as intermediaries using the CLK intervention is still lacking. In this project, three different subprojects examine for whom, when and why a core element works.

Approach

The three subprojects consist of conducting advanced statistical analyses on the data already collected from the large randomized controlled trial (RCT), an additional data collection from parents following the CLK intervention collecting both quantitative and qualitative data, and conducting a Delphi study with CLK professionals. In this way, we can gain insight into when a core element works, for whom and why. We can also find out if a particular core element may not be working. In this way, we expect to make an important contribution to the efficient and effective use of this preventive anxiety intervention, thereby improving outcomes for children and their families.

• anxiety
• cognitive behaviour therapy
• intervention
• parenting