Effectiveness of the unified protocol for transdiagnostic treatment on improving emotional symptoms and quality of life in Iranian children with anxiety/depression disorders

The high prevalence and comorbidity of anxiety/depression (A/D) disorders in children negatively impact their quality of life. The Unified protocol for Transdiagnostic treatment of Emotional Disorders in Children (UP-C) improves children’s emotional symptoms by addressing the underlying factors of A/D disorders, thereby enhancing children’s quality of life. The present study investigated whether UP-C could improve emotional symptoms and quality of life in children aged 8 to 12 by focusing on transdiagnostic factors, rather than addressing specific symptoms of A/D disorders. 38 Children (21 girls) with A/D disorders were randomly assigned to two experimental and control groups. The experimental group received 15 sessions of the UP-C, while the control group received the Progressive Muscle Relaxation. The results showed that the UP-C effectively improved symptoms of depression, separation anxiety, panic, social anxiety, and overall quality of life. However, there was no significant reduction in symptoms of generalized anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder compared to the control group at both post-test and follow-up. -The findings suggested that individual UP-C treatment improved children′s ability to regulate their emotions and enhanced their overall quality of life. It is recommended that future studies involve a larger sample size, use parental versions of Revised Children Anxiety and Depression and PedsQL, and extend the follow-up period.