RE-CBT in the Treatment of Anxiety, Fears, and Phobias Among Youth

Anxiety disorders impact a significant number of youth with a 6.5% worldwide prevalence of anxiety disorders among children and adolescents. Anxious children and adolescents are at risk for significant negative outcomes, both in the short and long term. The cognitive behavioral therapies including rational emotive and cognitive behavioral therapy (RE-CBT) have been shown to be the most efficacious form of psychotherapy for the treatment of anxiety disorders, fears, and phobias among youth. This chapter is intended to provide a comprehensive overview of the clinical characteristics and maintenance factors of child and adolescent anxiety, an overview of current assessment methods, and discuss effective implementation of RE-CBT treatment strategies in children and adolescents.