Skip to main content
Top
Published in: Trials 1/2022

Open Access 01-12-2022 | Anxiety or Fear-Related Disorders | Update

Minimising Young Children’s Anxiety through Schools (MY-CATS): statistical analysis plan for a cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an online parent-led intervention compared with usual school practice for young children identified as at risk for anxiety disorders

Authors: Benjamin G. Jones, Tessa Reardon, Cathy Creswell, Helen F. Dodd, Claire Hill, Bec Jasper, Peter J. Lawrence, Fran Morgan, Ronald M. Rapee, Mara Violato, Anna Placzek, Obioha C. Ukoumunne

Published in: Trials | Issue 1/2022

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

The Minimising Young Children’s Anxiety through Schools (MY-CATS) trial is being conducted to determine whether an online evidence-based parent-guided cognitive behavioural therapy intervention in addition to usual school practice is effective and cost-effective compared with usual school practice in reducing anxiety disorders in children aged 4–7 deemed ‘at risk’ of anxiety disorders. This update article describes the detailed statistical analysis plan for the MY-CATS trial and reports a review of the underpinning sample size assumptions.

Methods and design

The MY-CATS study is a two-arm, definitive superiority pragmatic parallel group cluster randomised controlled trial in which schools will be randomised 1:1 to receive either the intervention (in addition to usual school practice) or the usual school practice only. This update to the (published) protocol provides a detailed description of the study methods, the statistical principles, the trial population and the planned statistical analyses, including additional analyses comprising instrumental variable regression and mediation analysis.

Trial registration

ISRCTN82398107. Prospectively registered on 14 January 2021
Literature
1.
go back to reference Allison PD. Missing data. Thousand Oaks (Quantitati): In SAGE Publications Inc; 2001. Allison PD. Missing data. Thousand Oaks (Quantitati): In SAGE Publications Inc; 2001.
2.
go back to reference Bayer JK, Beatson R, Bretherton L, Hiscock H, Wake M, Gilbertson T, et al. Translational delivery of Cool Little Kids to prevent child internalising problems: Randomised controlled trial. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2018. Bayer JK, Beatson R, Bretherton L, Hiscock H, Wake M, Gilbertson T, et al. Translational delivery of Cool Little Kids to prevent child internalising problems: Randomised controlled trial. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2018.
4.
go back to reference Betancourt, M. A conceptual introduction to Hamiltonian Monte Carlo. 2017. ArXiv Preprint ArXiv:1701.02434. Betancourt, M. A conceptual introduction to Hamiltonian Monte Carlo. 2017. ArXiv Preprint ArXiv:1701.02434.
8.
go back to reference Copeland WE, Angold A, Shanahan L, Costello EJ. Longitudinal patterns of anxiety from childhood to adulthood: The great smoky mountains study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014;53:21–33.CrossRef Copeland WE, Angold A, Shanahan L, Costello EJ. Longitudinal patterns of anxiety from childhood to adulthood: The great smoky mountains study. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry. 2014;53:21–33.CrossRef
9.
go back to reference Fineberg NA, Haddad PM, Carpenter L, Gannon B, Sharpe R, Young AH, et al. The size, burden and cost of disorders of the brain in the UK. J Psychopharmacol. 2013;27(9):761–70.CrossRef Fineberg NA, Haddad PM, Carpenter L, Gannon B, Sharpe R, Young AH, et al. The size, burden and cost of disorders of the brain in the UK. J Psychopharmacol. 2013;27(9):761–70.CrossRef
10.
go back to reference Ford T, Hayes R, Byford S, Edwards V, Fletcher M, Logan S, Norwich B, Pritchard W, Allen K, Allwood M, Ganguli P, Grimes K, Hansford L, Longdon B, Norman S, Price A, Ukoumunne OC. The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Incredible Years ® Teacher Classroom Management programme in primary school children: results of the STARS cluster randomised controlled trial. Psychol Med. 2019;49(5):828–42. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291718001484.CrossRef Ford T, Hayes R, Byford S, Edwards V, Fletcher M, Logan S, Norwich B, Pritchard W, Allen K, Allwood M, Ganguli P, Grimes K, Hansford L, Longdon B, Norman S, Price A, Ukoumunne OC. The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the Incredible Years ® Teacher Classroom Management programme in primary school children: results of the STARS cluster randomised controlled trial. Psychol Med. 2019;49(5):828–42. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1017/​S003329171800148​4.CrossRef
12.
13.
go back to reference Gelman A, Carlin JB, Stern HS, Dunson DB, Vehtari A, Rubin DB. Bayesian data analysis, third edition. In: In Bayesian Data Analysis. 3rd ed. 2013.CrossRef Gelman A, Carlin JB, Stern HS, Dunson DB, Vehtari A, Rubin DB. Bayesian data analysis, third edition. In: In Bayesian Data Analysis. 3rd ed. 2013.CrossRef
20.
go back to reference Hudson JL, Murayama K, Meteyard L, Morris T, Dodd HF. Early Childhood Predictors of Anxiety in Early Adolescence. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2018. Hudson JL, Murayama K, Meteyard L, Morris T, Dodd HF. Early Childhood Predictors of Anxiety in Early Adolescence. J Abnorm Child Psychol. 2018.
23.
go back to reference Kessler R, Berglund P, Demler , Jin R, Merikangas KR, Walters EE. Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in National Comorbidity Survery Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62(6):593–206. Kessler R, Berglund P, Demler , Jin R, Merikangas KR, Walters EE. Lifetime prevalence and age-of-onset distributions of DSM-IV disorders in National Comorbidity Survery Replication. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 2005;62(6):593–206.
25.
go back to reference Lawrence PJ, Rooke SM, Creswell C. Review: Prevention of anxiety among at-risk children and adolescents – a systematic review and meta-analysis. Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2017. Lawrence PJ, Rooke SM, Creswell C. Review: Prevention of anxiety among at-risk children and adolescents – a systematic review and meta-analysis. Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2017.
26.
go back to reference Löwe B, Decker O, Müller S, Brähler E, Schellberg D, Herzog W, et al. Validation and standardization of the generalized anxiety disorder screener (GAD-7) in the general population. Med Care. 2008. Löwe B, Decker O, Müller S, Brähler E, Schellberg D, Herzog W, et al. Validation and standardization of the generalized anxiety disorder screener (GAD-7) in the general population. Med Care. 2008.
30.
go back to reference Parker et al. Characteristics and practices of school-based cluster randomised controlled trials for improving health outcomes in pupils in the UK: a systematic review protocols. BMJ Open. 2021;11. Parker et al. Characteristics and practices of school-based cluster randomised controlled trials for improving health outcomes in pupils in the UK: a systematic review protocols. BMJ Open. 2021;11.
31.
go back to reference Polanczyk G, Salum GA, Sugaya LS, Caye A, Rohde LA. Annual research review: a meta-analysis of the worldwide prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015;56(3):345–65.CrossRef Polanczyk G, Salum GA, Sugaya LS, Caye A, Rohde LA. Annual research review: a meta-analysis of the worldwide prevalence of mental disorders in children and adolescents. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 2015;56(3):345–65.CrossRef
34.
go back to reference Reardon T, Dodd H, Hill C, Jasper B, Lawrence PJ, Morgan F, Rapee RM, Ukoumunne OC, Violato M, Davey E, Halliday G, Jones B, Martineau L, McCall A, Niekamp N, Placzek A, Potts R, Weisser T, Creswell C. Minimising young children’s anxiety through schools (MY-CATS): protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an online parent-led intervention compared with usual school practice for young children identified as at risk for anxiety disorders. Trials. 2022;23(1):1–15. https://doi.org/10.1186/S13063-022-06010-8.CrossRef Reardon T, Dodd H, Hill C, Jasper B, Lawrence PJ, Morgan F, Rapee RM, Ukoumunne OC, Violato M, Davey E, Halliday G, Jones B, Martineau L, McCall A, Niekamp N, Placzek A, Potts R, Weisser T, Creswell C. Minimising young children’s anxiety through schools (MY-CATS): protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an online parent-led intervention compared with usual school practice for young children identified as at risk for anxiety disorders. Trials. 2022;23(1):1–15. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1186/​S13063-022-06010-8.CrossRef
38.
go back to reference Silverman W, Albano A. The Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV –child and parent versions. San Antonio: Physiological Corporation; 1996. Silverman W, Albano A. The Anxiety Disorders Interview Schedule for DSM-IV –child and parent versions. San Antonio: Physiological Corporation; 1996.
41.
go back to reference Stallard P, Skryabina E, Taylor G, Phillips R, Daniels H, Anderson R, et al. Classroom-based cognitive behaviour therapy (FRIENDS): A cluster randomised controlled trial to Prevent Anxiety in Children through Education in Schools (PACES). Lancet Psychiatry. 2014;1(3):185–92.CrossRef Stallard P, Skryabina E, Taylor G, Phillips R, Daniels H, Anderson R, et al. Classroom-based cognitive behaviour therapy (FRIENDS): A cluster randomised controlled trial to Prevent Anxiety in Children through Education in Schools (PACES). Lancet Psychiatry. 2014;1(3):185–92.CrossRef
42.
go back to reference StatCorp. Stata statistical software: Release 17. 2021. StatCorp. Stata statistical software: Release 17. 2021.
Metadata
Title
Minimising Young Children’s Anxiety through Schools (MY-CATS): statistical analysis plan for a cluster randomised controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of an online parent-led intervention compared with usual school practice for young children identified as at risk for anxiety disorders
Authors
Benjamin G. Jones
Tessa Reardon
Cathy Creswell
Helen F. Dodd
Claire Hill
Bec Jasper
Peter J. Lawrence
Fran Morgan
Ronald M. Rapee
Mara Violato
Anna Placzek
Obioha C. Ukoumunne
Publication date
01-12-2022
Publisher
BioMed Central
Published in
Trials / Issue 1/2022
Electronic ISSN: 1745-6215
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1186/s13063-022-06899-1

Other articles of this Issue 1/2022

Trials 1/2022 Go to the issue