Work package H4 Anxiety is led by psychologist specialist Lars Ravn Øhlckers, psychological advisor at the Clinic for Children, Adolescents and Drug Addiction in Stavanger Health. Together with psychologists Majen Bjerke and Pia Rygg Hauge, researchers, content developers, reference groups and a focus group from Kongsgaard VGS, the team in Stavanger will develop, test and evaluate a digital treatment and self-help intervention that will strengthen young people's implementation of exposure in anxiety treatment.
Anxiety disorders lead to difficulties in everyday life such as physical activation, thoughts of possible dangers, avoidance of anxiety-provoking stimuli, and inappropriate fear responses that are not related to real danger. Anxiety disorders in young people create significant burden, and are associated with poorer social functioning, poorer performance and functioning at school, and an increased risk of developing other anxiety disorders and depression. Young people may also experience a generally reduced quality of life, sleep difficulties and are at increased risk of developing substance abuse.
The goal of the treatment is to provide knowledge about coping strategies and increase young people's belief in their own coping abilities. We want to increase their motivation for treatment, and reduce anxiety and stigma associated with help-seeking behavior. The treatment will help young people by providing knowledge about sleep hygiene and other good habits, and reduce avoidance and limited life expression. The treatment will also help young people who struggle with low coping beliefs in social situations so that they can experience increased coping at school and in social situations.
In work package H4 Anxiety, Helse Stavanger is responsible for developing digital treatment and self-help for anxiety disorders that can be used via www.ung.no. Through a user-centered approach, we will seek to gain sufficient insight into what users want to emphasize in a digital treatment for anxiety. We therefore include people with personal experience, therapists in municipal and specialist health services, public health nurses, guardians and others to get input before and during the development. In Stavanger, we have also entered into a collaboration with an upper secondary school to include the youth group in the development.