Systematic reviews of behavioural therapies

✍ Scribed by Katrina Williams

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 59 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1557-6272
• DOI: 10.1002/ebch.201

✦ Synopsis

This issue presents five systematic reviews of research in which cognitive behaviour therapy or other behavioural interventions were used in the treatment of mental and physical health issues in children. These systematic reviews analyse the application of these therapies to a broad range of problems: anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, faecal incontinence, behavioural disorders and those who have been sexually abused. For four of the topics the interventions were delivered in the individual clinical care setting; for behavioural disorders a media-based, rather than individually delivered, method of intervention delivery was reviewed. Many of these problems are common and can cause substantial short and long term detriment to the individuals affected, their families and the community. Collectively they comprise a substantial proportion of health and well-being concerns for children and young people.

It is heartening that five Cochrane systematic reviews are now published to synthesise existing evidence about cognitive and behavioural treatments for children and young people. The number of reviews for these types of interventions is still dwarfed by that for physical and drug therapies, but this is an important beginning. However, as discussed in the summaries and commentaries accompanying these systematic reviews, there are important issues that need to be addressed before we have the best evidence about cognitive behaviour therapy and other behaviour therapies and before that evidence will be readily applicable to clinical care, service development and policy for