Preventing Anxiety in Children through Education in Schools
Press releases
The PACES Project is a randomised controlled cluster trial comparing the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of a school based cognitive behaviour therapy programme (FRIENDS) in the reduction of anxiety and improvement in mood in children aged 9, 10 and 11.
Project aim
The aim of the trial is to investigate whether children can learn skills during their Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) lessons that will help them to stay happy and able to cope with worries and anxious feelings.
The trial will compare three types of PSHE:
- The FRIENDS programme delivered by a Health professional
- The FRIENDS programme delivered by a PSHE teacher
- Usual PSHE lessons delivered by the school.
Project involvement
Original funding was for 36 months and 1,360 children aged 9-11 from 40 junior schools in Bath and North East Somerset and Wiltshire has taken part. Children filled in questionnaires at the beginning of the project
(baseline) and again after six and twelve months. The primary outcome is anxiety and low mood scores at twelve months.
Recently the project received extra funding to follow the participating children into secondary school. This will allow to undertake further evaluation of changes in levels of children emotional health as they make the transition from primary to secondary school.
The project will also be looking at the cost-effectiveness of the FRIENDS delivered by a health professional versus the FRIENDS delivered by a school teacher versus usual school PSHE.
The University of Bath will be leading the study in collaboration with academics and child and adolescent mental health clinicians from Peninsula College of Medicine and Dentistry, Universities of Exeter and Plymouth, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and Bath & North East Somerset Council Primary Care Trust.
Funding
This project is funded by the National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research programme (project number 09/3000/03)
Research Group
- Professor Paul Stallard • Group Director
- Paul Stallard is Professor of Child and Family Mental Health at the University of Bath where he leads the Child & Adolescent Mental Health research group. He is a consultant clinical psychologist with 30 years of experience working in child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS). Paul’s research interests include child and adolescent metal health, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT), anxiety and depression prevention and use of technology (computerised CBT).
- Dr Elena Skryabina • PACES Project Manager
- Elena has an academic background in Physics (MSc) and Science Education (PhD). She has experience in teaching at HE and her research interests include cognitive development and information processing, effectiveness of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression in children and science education.
- Danielle Byrne • Research Assistant
- Danielle graduated with a BA (Hons) in Creative Expressive Therapies in the Arts in 2006 and then went on to complete an MSc in Psychological and Psychiatric Anthropology at Brunel University. She has extensive experience working with adolescents with social and emotional difficulties, having held a long term interest in anxiety and depression and the effects of psychotherapy and cognitive behavioural therapy on adolescents and children.
- Sarah Rook • Research Assistant
- Sarah has an Undergraduate degree in Drama and a Masters in the Psychology of Education, both from the University of Bristol. Before joining the PACES team, Sarah worked with chronic pain patients and carers, for Bath Research and Development within the University of Bath. Her research interests include depression and anxiety in children and clinical psychology in general.
- Jo Morris • Research Assistant
- Jo has an academic background in Psychology (BSc) and Neuropsychology (MSc). Her research interests include studying the efficacy of psychotherapy programmes, predominantly Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and how these may prevent or reduce mental health problems. She has also conducted research in the use of technology in therapy (such as computerised CBT and biofeedback) and hopes to conduct future research examining the relationship between psychotherapy and neuroimaging.
- Sarah Sedman • MBPsS – Research Assistant
- Sarah received her MEd in Educational Psychology from the University of Bristol in 2010. Having been a Qualified Teacher, Sarah is experienced in working with children, teachers and parents within a school setting. Sarah’s research interests include: children’s social and emotional wellbeing, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), the impact of school environments on teaching and learning, Swedish approaches to teaching and learning.
