(PS3-C72) A Comparison of Telehealth During the COVID-19 Pandemic and In-person Therapy for Youth Anxiety Disorders

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was an increased uptake in telehealth services. However, little research has compared the efficacy of individual cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for youth with anxiety administered via (a) telehealth and (b) in-person. The present study examined outcomes for youth with anxiety disorders (diagnosed by an Independent Evaluator; IE) treated via telehealth during the COVID-19 pandemic and youth treated via in-person therapy prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methods: Participants (n = 92) were 46 families who completed telehealth treatment and 46 families who completed services in-person, matched on age and principal anxiety diagnosis. One-sided t-tests for non-inferiority tested whether telehealth is non-inferior to in-person therapy, a gold standard treatment. ANOVAs and regression models estimated treatment differences and candidate moderators (e.g., social anxiety disorder, comorbid attention problems).

Results: Results support non-inferiority across multiple indices of outcomes (i.e., self- and caregiver-reported anxiety symptoms, IE-rated functional impairment, and IE-rated treatment response). Analyses indicate that both treatments were effective in reducing anxiety symptoms and functional impairment. Caregivers reported higher levels of anxiety for youth treated via telehealth than youth treated in person. Candidate moderators were not supported.

Conclusions: Findings support that CBT administered via telehealth is similarly efficacious as CBT administered in-person. Implications regarding the availability and accessibility of evidence-based treatment for youth with anxiety are discussed.