COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL INTERVENTION FOR CHILD AND ADOLESCENT ANXIETY (ALI) IN FINNISH STUDENT WELFARE SERVICES - A SYSTEMATIC DESCRIPTION OF THE INTERVENTION DEVELOPMENT BASED ON GUIDED FRAMEWORK

Background: The proportion of children and adolescents reporting anxiety symptoms has increased over several years in Finland, being currently more than 20%. Low-threshold evidence-based interventions for primary care are needed. Brief cognitive intervention for child and adolescent anxiety (ALI) has been developed for student welfare services. In general, descriptions of new interventions and their development are under-reported. Aims: The aim of this study was to examine how and from which conceptual foundations the ALI was developed. Methods: The qualitative study followed theory-driven content analysis using the Guidance for Reporting Intervention Development (GUIDED). Interview questions were based on the GUIDED and supplemented by one open-ended item to capture inductive data. In addition, a document analysis was conducted. Results: ALI was developed in response to the needs of children and adolescents experiencing anxiety symptoms, as well as the needs of student welfare professionals. Development was executed in a fairly short time by a small group of experts in child and adolescent psychology and psychiatry supported by a steering group. No established guidelines or theoretical frameworks were used in the development process. Several contextual issues related to student welfare services affected the development. Conclusions: ALI was developed purposefully targeting strong contextual fit in student welfare services. Now that the development phase is completed, it is crucial to assess its effectiveness in a student welfare setting. In the future, when new structured psychosocial interventions are needed to promote mental health of children and adolescents, the choice between developing a new intervention and adapting an existing evidence-based intervention should be carefully considered.