Department for Developmental and Clinical Psychology, University of Pécs, Ifjúság u. 6., Pecs, 7624, Hungary.
Hungarian Demographic Research Institute, Budapest, Hungary.
Child Psychiatry Hum Dev. 2022 Apr;53(2):256-267. doi: 10.1007/s10578-020-01103-4. Epub 2021 Jan 23.
The aims of the present study were to evaluate the efficacy of a brief intervention, and to determine for whom the treatment works. 73 children between 3 and 8 years of age with significant nighttime fears were enrolled in an intervention group (n = 36) or in a waitlist group (n = 37). The intervention involved a 5-week parent delivered therapy. Assessments took place at baseline, post-treatment, and 20 weeks following baseline. In the intervention group, compared with the waitlist group, nighttime-related fears and phobic symptoms decreased more, whereas adaptive nighttime behavior increased to a greater extent. The more time children spent with exposure and relaxation games during the intervention, the more their separation anxiety and maladaptive nighttime behavior were reduced. Girls' fear of darkness was reduced to a greater extent. The present study provides support for the use of parent-delivered therapy in the treatment of childhood nighttime fears.
本研究旨在评估一项简短干预的疗效，并确定哪些患者从中获益。73 名 3 至 8 岁、夜间恐惧症状明显的儿童被纳入干预组（n=36）或候补组（n=37）。干预措施包括为期 5 周的家长实施的治疗。评估在基线时、治疗后和基线后 20 周进行。与候补组相比，干预组的夜间相关恐惧和恐惧症症状减少更多，而适应性夜间行为增加更多。在干预过程中，儿童花在暴露和放松游戏上的时间越多，其分离焦虑和适应不良的夜间行为减少得越多。女孩对黑暗的恐惧减少得更多。本研究为家长实施的治疗用于治疗儿童夜间恐惧提供了支持。
