Tele-SPACE: group parent-based treatment for pediatric anxiety via telemedicine in a public health clinic

IntroductionSupportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is an evidence-based treatment for parents of children with anxiety disorders and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Given the many barriers to accessing such evidence-based treatments, we evaluated for the first time the a...

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Main Authors: Naama de la Fontaine, Tal Cohen, Nimrod Hertz-Palmor, Shirel Dorman-Ilan, Noa Rubin, Gal Itav, Shlomit Tsafrir, Yael Carmel, Hana Weisman, Doron Gothelf, Eli R. Lebowitz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-08-01
Series:Frontiers in Psychiatry
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1570497/full
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author Naama de la Fontaine
Naama de la Fontaine
Tal Cohen
Tal Cohen
Nimrod Hertz-Palmor
Shirel Dorman-Ilan
Shirel Dorman-Ilan
Shirel Dorman-Ilan
Noa Rubin
Gal Itav
Shlomit Tsafrir
Shlomit Tsafrir
Yael Carmel
Hana Weisman
Doron Gothelf
Doron Gothelf
Doron Gothelf
Eli R. Lebowitz
author_facet Naama de la Fontaine
Naama de la Fontaine
Tal Cohen
Tal Cohen
Nimrod Hertz-Palmor
Shirel Dorman-Ilan
Shirel Dorman-Ilan
Shirel Dorman-Ilan
Noa Rubin
Gal Itav
Shlomit Tsafrir
Shlomit Tsafrir
Yael Carmel
Hana Weisman
Doron Gothelf
Doron Gothelf
Doron Gothelf
Eli R. Lebowitz
author_sort Naama de la Fontaine
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionSupportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is an evidence-based treatment for parents of children with anxiety disorders and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Given the many barriers to accessing such evidence-based treatments, we evaluated for the first time the application of group-based SPACE, delivered to parents via telemedicine within a public health outpatient setting.MethodsIn this single arm retrospective analysis of routine-care data participants, recruited from a hospital-based anxiety clinic, were mothers (N=50) of fifty children, ages 6.7-18.0 years (mean 11.2 ± 3.1), diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and/or OCD. Parent and child self-report measures assessed the impact of treatment on child anxiety symptoms, parental accommodation, parental anxiety and depression. Treatment feasibility, acceptability and satisfaction were assessed.ResultsPost treatment, significant reductions were evident in child self-reported separation anxiety symptoms (p =0.008), mother-reported child anxiety symptoms (p=0.002), maternal accommodation (p=0.006), anxiety (p=0.004) and depressive symptoms (p=0.011). Treatment proved feasible, with completion rates of 77.3%, and participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the telemedicine format.DiscussionThis is the first study of group-based SPACE over telemedicine. Results support the utility of this modality for overcoming treatment barriers in public health settings with highly heterogenous populations.
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spelling doaj-art-eb546cc6a8d444338949cf3dee14e9d32025-08-20T03:44:11ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychiatry1664-06402025-08-011610.3389/fpsyt.2025.15704971570497Tele-SPACE: group parent-based treatment for pediatric anxiety via telemedicine in a public health clinicNaama de la Fontaine0Naama de la Fontaine1Tal Cohen2Tal Cohen3Nimrod Hertz-Palmor4Shirel Dorman-Ilan5Shirel Dorman-Ilan6Shirel Dorman-Ilan7Noa Rubin8Gal Itav9Shlomit Tsafrir10Shlomit Tsafrir11Yael Carmel12Hana Weisman13Doron Gothelf14Doron Gothelf15Doron Gothelf16Eli R. Lebowitz17The Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, IsraelChild Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United StatesThe Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, IsraelSchool of Psychology, The Gershon Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelMedical Research Council (MRC) Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United KingdomThe Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, IsraelSchool of Psychology, The Gershon Gordon Faculty of Social Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelBaruch Ivcher School of Psychology, Reichman University, Herzliya, IsraelThe Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, IsraelThe Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelThe Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, IsraelThe Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelThe Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, IsraelThe Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, IsraelThe Edmond and Lily Safra Children’s Hospital, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, IsraelThe Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel-Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelSagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, IsraelChild Study Center, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, United StatesIntroductionSupportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE) is an evidence-based treatment for parents of children with anxiety disorders and/or obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Given the many barriers to accessing such evidence-based treatments, we evaluated for the first time the application of group-based SPACE, delivered to parents via telemedicine within a public health outpatient setting.MethodsIn this single arm retrospective analysis of routine-care data participants, recruited from a hospital-based anxiety clinic, were mothers (N=50) of fifty children, ages 6.7-18.0 years (mean 11.2 ± 3.1), diagnosed with an anxiety disorder and/or OCD. Parent and child self-report measures assessed the impact of treatment on child anxiety symptoms, parental accommodation, parental anxiety and depression. Treatment feasibility, acceptability and satisfaction were assessed.ResultsPost treatment, significant reductions were evident in child self-reported separation anxiety symptoms (p =0.008), mother-reported child anxiety symptoms (p=0.002), maternal accommodation (p=0.006), anxiety (p=0.004) and depressive symptoms (p=0.011). Treatment proved feasible, with completion rates of 77.3%, and participants reported high levels of satisfaction with the telemedicine format.DiscussionThis is the first study of group-based SPACE over telemedicine. Results support the utility of this modality for overcoming treatment barriers in public health settings with highly heterogenous populations.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1570497/fullpediatric anxiety disordersparent guidancetelemedicineparent group treatmentremote treatmentpublic health
spellingShingle Naama de la Fontaine
Naama de la Fontaine
Tal Cohen
Tal Cohen
Nimrod Hertz-Palmor
Shirel Dorman-Ilan
Shirel Dorman-Ilan
Shirel Dorman-Ilan
Noa Rubin
Gal Itav
Shlomit Tsafrir
Shlomit Tsafrir
Yael Carmel
Hana Weisman
Doron Gothelf
Doron Gothelf
Doron Gothelf
Eli R. Lebowitz
Tele-SPACE: group parent-based treatment for pediatric anxiety via telemedicine in a public health clinic
Frontiers in Psychiatry
pediatric anxiety disorders
parent guidance
telemedicine
parent group treatment
remote treatment
public health
title Tele-SPACE: group parent-based treatment for pediatric anxiety via telemedicine in a public health clinic
title_full Tele-SPACE: group parent-based treatment for pediatric anxiety via telemedicine in a public health clinic
title_fullStr Tele-SPACE: group parent-based treatment for pediatric anxiety via telemedicine in a public health clinic
title_full_unstemmed Tele-SPACE: group parent-based treatment for pediatric anxiety via telemedicine in a public health clinic
title_short Tele-SPACE: group parent-based treatment for pediatric anxiety via telemedicine in a public health clinic
title_sort tele space group parent based treatment for pediatric anxiety via telemedicine in a public health clinic
topic pediatric anxiety disorders
parent guidance
telemedicine
parent group treatment
remote treatment
public health
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1570497/full
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