Common Treatment Elements of Manualized Evidence-Based Treatments for Youth Anxiety Disorders

This review aims to provide a descriptive evaluation on the commonalities and differences across 15 evidence-based treatment protocols for childhood anxiety, with emphasis on guiding clinicians in mapping a personalized treatment plan that most fits a given child and family. The reviewed treatment approaches contain overlapping strategies that are common to theoretical frameworks of cognitive behavioral therapy , mindfulness , and acceptance and commitment therapy . This review suggests that most practitioners may select materials from any of the included programs, but are encouraged to provide at minimum techniques of psychoeducation , cognitive flexibility, and exposure-based strategies to youth with anxiety.