Enhancing the Capacity of School Nurses to Reduce Excessive Anxiety in Children an Efficacy Trial of the CALM Intervention

What this Trial Is About

Excessive anxiety is common among elementary school children and can seriously affect their academic, social, and behavioral functioning. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a brief, school nurse-delivered program called Child Anxiety Learning Modules CALM compared to a relaxation-only program CALM-R and a waitlist control. The study also looks at the cost effectiveness of CALM and explores factors that might influence its impact on childrens anxiety and school outcomes. The study involves three groups children receiving the full CALM program, children receiving the CALM-R relaxation modules, and a waitlist group that waits eight weeks before starting treatment. Both CALM and CALM-R include five modules delivered over eight weeks by trained school nurses. The CALM program includes psychoeducation, relaxation training, exposure therapy, cognitive restructuring, and relapse prevention, while CALM-R focuses on relaxation skills like deep breathing and muscle relaxation. Participants will be assessed before treatment, after eight weeks, and again at a 12-month follow-up. Researchers will use various measures including anxiety symptom ratings, behavioral avoidance, school attendance, academic performance, and teacher and parent questionnaires to evaluate outcomes. The study also monitors safety and treatment adherence. The total participation involves these assessments and the intervention period, with long-term follow-up to understand lasting effects.

Efficacy Trial of the CALM Intervention