Objective: Treatment specificity and long-term recovery mediation of peer-involvement group cognitive behavioral therapy (GCBT) and parent-involvement CBT (PCBT) were investigated for youth anxiety disorders.
Method: 240 youths with primary anxiety diagnoses participated in a randomized controlled efficacy trial. Youth anxiety and peer variables/mediators (positive peer-youth relationships; social skills), and parent variables/mediators (psychological control; negative parent-youth relationships) were assessed.
Results: At posttreatment and 12-month follow up, positive peer-youth relationships were significantly higher in GCBT than PCBT (specificity). At posttreatment, not follow up, parental psychological control was significantly lower in PCBT than GCBT (specificity). Parental psychological control and positive peer-youth relationships were putative mediators. The two CBTs produced similar anxiety reductions through different mechanisms.
Conclusions: CBT targets show specificity and mediation, providing insight into specific mechanisms through which GCBT and PCBT bring about anxiety reduction and guidance for streamlining these CBTs in practice.
Keywords: CBT; mechanisms; mediation; specificity; youth anxiety.