Defining Treatment Response and Remission in Child Anxiety: Signal Detection Analysis Using the Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale

Nicole E. Caporino, Douglas M. Brodman, Philip C. Kendall, Anne Marie Albano, Joel Sherrill, John Piacentini, Dara Sakolsky, Boris Birmaher, Scott N. Compton, Golda Ginsburg, Moira Rynn, James McCracken, Elizabeth A. Gosch, Courtney Pierce Keeton, John March, John T. Walkup

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine optimal Pediatric Anxiety Rating Scale (PARS) percent reduction and raw score cut-offs for predicting treatment response and remission among children and adolescents with anxiety disorders.

METHOD: Data were from a subset of youth (N = 438; 7-17 years of age) who participated in the Child/Adolescent Anxiety Multimodal Study (CAMS), a multi-site, randomized controlled trial that examined the relative efficacy of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT; Coping Cat), medication (sertraline [SRT]), their combination, and pill placebo for the treatment of separation anxiety disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, and social phobia. The clinician-rated PARS was administered pre- and posttreatment (delivered over 12 weeks). Quality receiver operating characteristic methods assessed the performance of various PARS percent reductions and absolute cut-off scores in predicting treatment response and remission, as determined by posttreatment ratings on the Clinical Global Impression scales and the Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV. Corresponding change in impairment was evaluated using the Child Anxiety Impact Scale.

RESULTS: Reductions of 35% and 50% on the six-item PARS optimally predicted treatment response and remission, respectively. Post-treatment PARS raw scores of 8 to 10 optimally predicted remission. Anxiety improved as a function of PARS-defined treatment response and remission.

CONCLUSIONS: Results serve as guidelines for operationalizing treatment response and remission in future research and in making cross-study comparisons. These guidelines can facilitate translation of research findings into clinical practice.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalJournal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Volume52
StatePublished - Jan 1 2013

Disciplines

  • Child Psychology
  • Clinical Psychology
  • Medicine and Health Sciences
  • Pediatrics

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