A randomized controlled trial of a home and school-based intervention for selective mutism - defocused communication and behavioural techniques

Beate Oerbeck; Murray B Stein; Tore Wentzel-Larsen; Øyvind Langsrud; Hanne Kristensen

doi:10.1111/camh.12045

A randomized controlled trial of a home and school-based intervention for selective mutism - defocused communication and behavioural techniques

Child Adolesc Ment Health. 2014 Sep;19(3):192-198. doi: 10.1111/camh.12045. Epub 2013 Oct 26.

Authors

Beate Oerbeck¹, Murray B Stein², Tore Wentzel-Larsen^{1

3}, Øyvind Langsrud⁴, Hanne Kristensen¹

Affiliations

¹ Centre for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, Eastern and Southern Norway, PO box 4623 Nydalen, Oslo, N-0405, Norway.
² University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA.
³ Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies, Oslo, Norway.
⁴ Norwegian Statistics, Oslo, Norway.

PMID: 32878377
DOI: 10.1111/camh.12045

Abstract

Background: Randomized controlled psychosocial treatment studies on selective mutism (SM) are lacking.

Method: Overall, 24 children with SM, aged 3-9 years, were randomized to 3 months treatment (n = 12) or wait list (n = 12). Primary outcome measure was the School Speech Questionnaire.

Results: A significant time by group interaction was found (p = .029) with significantly increased speech in the treatment group (p = .004) and no change in wait list controls (p = .936). A time by age interaction favoured younger children (p = .029). Clinical trail registration: Norwegian Research CouncilNCT01002196.

Conclusions: The treatment significantly improved speech. Greater improvement in the younger age group highlights the importance of an early intervention.

Keywords: Selective mutism; behavioural intervention; childhood anxiety; randomized controlled trial; social phobia.

Associated data

ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01002196

Grants and funding

NCT01002196/Norwegian Research Council