A case series evaluation of the Fearless Me! © program for children with intellectual disabilities and anxiety

• Published in: Journal of clinical psychology 2024-09, Vol.80 (9), p.2077-2091
• Main Authors: Hronis, Anastasia, Hao, Jichun, Roberts, Rachel, Roberts, Lynette, Shires, Alice, Kneebone, Ian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anxiety; children; Cognition & reasoning; cognitive behavior therapy; Intellectual disabilities; intellectual disability
• ISSN: 0021-9762; 1097-4679; 1097-4679
• DOI: 10.1002/jclp.23709

Objectives Children and adolescents with intellectual disabilities (ID) have high rates of mental health disorders, particularly anxiety disorders. Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) has largely remained unexamined as a treatment option for this population. Fearless Me! © is an adapted CBT treatment program specifically designed for children and adolescents with ID. Method Eleven children, aged between eight and 17, completed 10 therapy sessions. Measures of anxiety were completed pre and posttreatment and at 3 and 12‐month follow‐ups by both the children and parents. Results Six children reported significant reductions in anxiety, with all showing significant reductions in parent‐reported child anxiety at either posttreatment assessment, 3‐month follow‐up, or 12‐month follow‐up. Results varied across the six children as all parents reported heightened anxiety, but not all children reported high levels of anxiety for themselves. Conclusion Overall, this evaluation provides a sound basis for continued investigation and research into the use of the Fearless Me! © modified CBT program to treat children with ID and anxiety.