Unstoppable Me: iPad Anxiety treatment for children with intellectual disability
Funding or Partner Organisation: James N Kirby Foundation (James N Kirby Project Grants)
Start year: 2016
Summary: Children and adolescents with intellectual disability (ID) are seven times more likely to have a psychiatric disorder than young people in the general population, with anxiety the most prevalent emotional disorder (Emerson, 2003). Yet critically the vast majority of young people with ID and comorbid psychiatric disorders do not receive specialist mental health services (Einfeld & Tonge, 1996). Furthermore, even when this population does access services, there is an unfortunate and distinct lack of evidence-based treatments for young people with ID and emotional disorders. Therefore, the current project has designed and will evaluate an innovative anxiety treatment program specifically for children with mild ID and anxiety using iPad technology to provide low cost, accessible and scalable treatment. The project is specifically seeking funding from the Kirby Foundation to transform the anxiety management program into an iPad application. This project has significant implications for beginning to address a large, unmet need in young people with ID and anxiety disorders.
FOR Codes: Health, Clinical and Counselling Psychology, Mental Health, Clinical and health psychology