COPE for Children With Asthma: A Cognitive Behavior Skills-Building

Detailed Summary

Children with a chronic condition are at a significantly higher risk for anxiety and depression than those without a chronic condition. Asthma is the most common childhood chronic condition. Children with asthma and co-morbid anxiety and/or depression are at risk of poor health outcomes. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effects of a manualized cognitive behavior skills-building intervention on key physical and mental health outcomes in 8 to 12-year old children with persistent asthma and co-morbid anxiety and/or depression. The results of this study will inform a large scale randomized controlled trial to fully test this needed intervention. COPE (Creating Opportunities for Personal Empowerment), developed by Dr. Melnyk, is a manualized intervention that has been implemented with children, adolescents, and young adults. COPE is a cognitive behavior skills-building program based on cognitive behavior theory. Results from previous studies using COPE have shown consistent decreases in anxiety and depression as well as an increase in healthy lifestyle behaviors in youth with elevated anxiety and depressive symptoms in inner city and rural settings, youth with obesity, and teens experiencing chronic recurrent headaches. However, the COPE program has never been adapted and tested with children who have persistent asthma. This study proposes to test an adaptation of this evidence-based program, "COPE for Asthma," with 8 to 12-year-old children with persistent asthma and elevated anxiety and/or depressive symptoms. COPE for Asthma combines components of asthma education with cognitive behavioral skills. This novel adaptation could fill a gap in research by providing a scalable intervention for this highly vulnerable population.

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Interventions