(PS5-A9) The Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents via Telehealth in Spain

Background: Anxiety and depression in youth represent a growing public health concern. Transdiagnostic cognitive-behavioral therapy (T-CBT) is a new and promising approach that targets shared mechanisms between anxiety and depressive disorders. However, there are several barriers, including those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, that hinder access to face-to-face treatments. This study aimed to provide preliminary evidence on the clinical utility of the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders in Adolescents (UP-A; Ehrenreich-May et al., 2018) delivered via telehealth.

Methods: The sample consisted of 30 adolescents living in Spain (78.3% females, 29 White, 1 Hispanic, M_age = 14.66, SD_age = 1.91) and diagnosed with various primary anxiety and depressive disorders. All of them completed the following self-report questionnaires at pre- and post-treatment: Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale–30 (RCADS-30), Anxiety Scale for Children (Escala de Ansiedad para Niños, EAN) and Depression Questionnaire for Children (Cuestionario de Depresión para Niños; CDN). A structured clinical interview was also administered before and after treatment. The intervention was the same as the UP-A but was delivered through weekly individual therapy sessions via video call. The adolescents attended an average of 12.7 sessions (range = 11-17).

Results: After treatment, 16 adolescents (59.3%) no longer met the clinical criteria for a mental health disorder according to a structured clinical interview. Additionally, a significant decrease in the mean number of diagnoses per participant from pre- to post-treatment was observed (t = 4.53; p</span> < .001). Based on paired-samples t-tests (n = 27; three adolescents dropped out before completing the post-treatment assessment) we found a significant decline from pre- to post-treatment in general levels of anxiety (EAN: t = 3.37; p = .002) and depression (CDN: t = 5.67; p < .001). Likewise, there were significant reductions in total anxiety and depressive disorder symptoms (RCADS-30_{total score}: t = 5.43; p < .001). Similarly, there was a significant decrease in symptoms according to all 6 RCADS-30 subscales: major depressive disorder (RCADS-30_{MDD score}: t = 5.88;  p < .001), panic disorder (RCADS-30_{PD score}: t = 4.46; p < .001), obsessive-compulsive disorder (RCADS-30_{OCD score}: t = 3.92; p < .001), social phobia (RCADS-30_{SP score}: t = 3.60; p < .001), separation anxiety disorder (RCADS-30_{SAD score}: t = 2.43; p = .002) and generalized anxiety disorder (RCADS-30_{GAD score}: t = 3.33; p = .003).

Conclusion: This study provides preliminary evidence of the efficacy of the UP-A delivered via telehealth for the treatment of adolescents with anxiety and depressive disorders.