Coping Kids: a randomized controlled study of a new indicated preventive intervention for children with symptoms of anxiety and depression

The research project Coping Kids (Norwegian: Tidlig intervensjon – Mestrende barn, TIM) is a cooperation between the Regional Centre for Child and Youth Mental Health and Child Welfare – Central Norway, North Norway and the Centre for Child and Adolescents Mental Health, East and South Norway. The study has a clustered, randomized controlled design, comparing two treatment conditions in 30 Norwegian primary schools. The teachers and health professionals in the control schools conduct treatment as usual (TAU), whereas the children in the intervention schools receive an intensive transdiagnostic indicative intervention. The target group are 8 to 12 years old children (4th to 6th grade), identified as high scorers on measures of symptoms for depression- and/or anxiety prior to the intervention. The study is conducted with attention to treatment fidelity (3 days training, manualized intervention, weekly supervision, video recording of the sessions). The study aims to answer several research questions. A primary research questions is to examine if the intervention is more effective than treatment as usual (TAU) in symptoms of both anxiety and depression and if effects are stable at one-year follow-up. A secondary aim is to study the influence of implementation quality, such as fidelity and staff support, in treatment outcome. The presentation is divided in two parts. Part one presents the study in general. Part two presents the rationale for the implementation research and describes how treatment fidelity is ensured.