The Anxiety Project

Prospective users

Aims & approach

The Anxiety Project is a two-year project developed by Principals' Association for implementation in the context of Australian primary schools.

In its child form, CBT techniques are mainly used to develop skills in an age-appropriate way, assisting children to:

• Apply 'emotional' problem-solving techniques
• Help 'reframe' their anxious reactions to adverse events
• Interrupt their anxious thinking
• Learn how to use arousal-reduction techniques

The Anxiety Project uses a theory of change to support schools over a two-year period to:

• Reduce anxiety and build resilience in primary school children.
• Improve child and staff mental health and wellbeing resulting in improved attendance and academic results.
• Provide school leaders, teachers and school staff with the skills and knowledge to respond to individual anxiety issues.
• Engage parents and carer in the task of managing their child's anxious behaviours.

The Anxiety Project program follows three key principles:

1. Significant adults in a child's life can make a difference to children's capacity to manage stress.
2. Internal locus of control (ILOC) matters because ILOC is correlated with low levels of anxiety.
3. Modest changes can make a significant difference to the ways children develop resilience capacity.

While the principles of the program are designed to be used by teachers, SLSOs, and school leaders in their conversations with children, the program materials have also been designed to be offered to parent groups.

Cost is based on enrolment. For current costings visit: https://www.nswppa.org.au/the-anxiety-project

Implementation support

• Access to professional facilitator, instructor or mentor
• Implementation training webinars or modules
• Ongoing helpdesk, email or phone support
• Regular webinars or access to community of professional practice

Evidence

The Anxiety Project brings together current research on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) with a strong pedagogical framework for teaching the program in the context of Australian primary schools.

The research indicates that a series of modest changes consistently applied over time can significantly shift a child's locus of control and, by extension, their anxiety. One of the strengths of this form of training is that it does not rely on the clinical-level skills of psychologists, especially as these kinds of services can be difficult to access. There is research showing that an adult-led model of support for children who have mild-level anxiety can be as effective as seeing a psychologist.