Brief cognitive-behavioural treatment for anxiety-disordered children exhibiting school refusal

This study evaluated the efficacy of a brief intervention programme for 20 anxiety-disordered children exhibiting school refusal. Treatment consisted of individual child cognitive-behaviour therapy and parent/teacher training. Children underwent a comprehensive assessment before and after treatment, and at a 3-month follow-up. Marked improvements were evident on nearly all measures, including school attendance. The findings signal the need for a controlled evaluation in order to establish the efficacy of this cost-efficient intervention. Copyright (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.