FRIENDS Program

OVERVIEW

The FRIENDS Program is designed to teach clinically anxious students ways to cope with their anxiety through cognitive-behavioral individual or group sessions. Results of this random assignment experimental evaluation find that the intervention had a significant reduction in anxiety symptoms among sixth grade students that continued 36 months after the intervention; impacts were concentrated among girls at 24 and 36 months. There was no impact on ninth grade students, and there were no impacts on depression for sixth or ninth grade students.

DESCRIPTION OF PROGRAM

Target population: Clinically anxious middle and high school students

The FRIENDS Program is a cognitive-behavioral intervention for clinically anxious children. The program can operate individually or in a group setting, and there are different versions of the program available for children as well as youth. The intervention teaches youth problem-solving skills as a way to cope with and manage anxiety. The program lasts for ten, weekly, 70-minute sessions. Two booster sessions occur after the program sessions end. Sessions are facilitated by teachers who are assisted by clinically trained psychology postgraduate students. The postgraduate students participate in a one-day teacher-training workshop prior to working with the teachers. Four parent sessions are held in the evening throughout the ten weeks of sessions. In the parent sessions, parents can discuss parenting strategies and learn about the FRIENDS Program.

EVALUATION(S) OF PROGRAM

Barrett, P. M., Farrell, L. J., Ollendick, T. H., & Dadds, M. R. (2006). Long-term outcomes of an Australian universal prevention trial of anxiety and depression symptoms in children and youth: An evaluation of the friends program. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 35(3), 403-411.

Evaluated population: Six hundred and sixty-nine children from six schools in the metropolitan area of Brisbane, Australia. Students were in sixth and ninth grade and approximately 50% of the sample was female. Participants’ families were middle class in terms of socioeconomic status

Approach: Based on geographical location, six schools were placed in matched pairs. Within each pair, schools were randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. At 24 and 36 months, students were assessed on anxiety (Spence Children’s Anxiety Scale (SCAS) and Revised Children’s Manifest Anxiety Scale (RCMAS)) and depression (Children’s Depression Inventory).

Results: Among sixth grade students at the 36-month follow-up, there was a significant decrease in anxiety symptoms measured by the SCAS and RCMAS for intervention students when compared with the control group. There were no significant differences on the SCAS or RCMAS among ninth grade students. Intervention group girls scored significantly lower on the RCMAS at 12- and 24-month follow-ups when compared with control group girls. There was no significant impact at the 36-month follow-up for girls or at any follow-up for boys. There were no significant impacts on depression.

Analysis was adjusted to account for random assignment at the school level and analysis at the individual level.

SOURCES FOR MORE INFORMATION

http://www.friendsinfo.net/

References

Program categorized in this guide according to the following:

Evaluated participant ages: 10-14

Program age ranges in the Guide: Middle childhood, adolescence.

Program components: Counseling/therapy,

Measured outcomes: Mental health

KEYWORDS: Children, Adolescents, Middle School, High School, Co-ed, White/Caucasian, Clinic/Provider-based, Parent/Family Component, Counseling/Therapy, Urban, Anxiety Disorders/Symptoms, Depression/Mood Disorders

Program information last updated 2/25/10

		© Child Trends 2004