Finnish digital therapy program cuts children's anxiety and boosts functioning

A population-based follow-up study from the University of Turku tested the Master Your Worries program, a 10-week internet-based cognitive behavioral therapy intervention with weekly telephone coaching for children aged 10–13 and their parents. The trial enrolled 465 Finnish children who screened positive for anxiety symptoms during routine school health checkups.

Participants were randomized to either the full Master Your Worries program or a control group that received digital materials on anxiety, well-being, and healthy lifestyles. Anxiety symptoms declined in both groups over the follow-up period, but the reduction was significantly larger for children in the active intervention.

Functional ability also improved to a greater extent in the intervention group. The advantage was evident in both child and parent reports at one-year and two-year follow-ups.

Researchers observed that the treatment effect continued to strengthen between six and 12 months after the active therapy period ended, a pattern they describe as a delayed treatment effect. Cognitive and behavioral skills learned during the program appear to integrate gradually into daily family life.

The benefit was most pronounced among children with more severe baseline anxiety symptoms. Parents in the intervention group also reported improved well-being and greater confidence in supporting their child.

The study, published in JAMA Network Open, is the first to evaluate a population-based screening program that identifies anxious children and delivers remote guided therapy. Anxiety disorders affect an estimated 6%–18% of school-age children globally, and rates have risen over the past decade.

Specialist child mental health services face workforce shortages, leaving most affected children without evidence-based treatment. The researchers suggest that guided digital programs like Master Your Worries could complement existing services and expand early access regardless of geographic location.

Early identification through school or primary care, followed by accessible digital therapy, may mitigate downstream risks such as school difficulties, physical complaints, later depression, and self-harm associated with untreated childhood anxiety.