Research on Anxiety Disorders in Children Awarded NOK 19 Million by Kavli Trust

Inger Elise Iversen, Chief Executive of Kavli Trust, together with Programme Director Jan-Ole Hesselberg and Senior Adviser Ida Svege of The Kavli Trust Programme on Health Research.

Kavli Trust is awarding NOK 19.3 million to research on mental health in children and young people. Two new projects, both focusing on anxiety disorders, have received support from The Kavli Trust Programme on Health Research.

Text: Hanne Eide Andersen

– We are delighted to announce the recipients of funding for 2019, says Jan-Ole Hesselberg, Programme Director of The Kavli Trust Programme on Health Research.

– The scientific quality of the applications was high, and the work carried out by our expert panels has been invaluable. We launched the programme almost three years ago, and we believe we have established a robust process for allocating research funding that supports research where there is genuine need, Hesselberg adds.

The process of announcing the funding call and evaluating applications has followed the established guidelines of The Kavli Trust Programme on Health Research.

The process began with an expert committee identifying 35 knowledge gaps through systematic reviews in the relevant area. These gaps were then ranked by a user panel consisting of patients, relatives, and healthcare professionals. Each panel member listed the five knowledge gaps they considered most important to address, as well as the five they considered least important.

The highest-ranked knowledge gaps were included in the 2019 research funding call. This means that applicants must design research projects aimed at addressing one or more of these priority gaps.

– This ensures that the research we fund will address knowledge gaps grounded in the existing evidence base and prioritised by the relevant user groups, says Ida Svege, Senior Adviser in The Kavli Trust Programme on Health Research.

Of the 29 sketch applications submitted by the deadline, ten were invited to develop full applications. Two projects have now been awarded funding, both based in the United Kingdom.

Together with allocations in 2017 and 2018 – when three projects based primarily in Sweden and two projects based in Norway were funded – this year’s awards contribute to filling important knowledge gaps in this field.

– Kavli Trust congratulates everyone involved in both projects on receiving funding. We look forward to contributing to increased knowledge on anxiety disorders, says Inger Elise Iversen, Chief Executive of the Kavli Trust.

Iversen notes that anxiety, according to the Norwegian Directorate of Health, is one of the two most common mental health disorders, alongside depression.

– Anxiety disorders in children have significant consequences and costs, both for affected individuals and for society. Together, these two projects can provide valuable knowledge on effective treatment and prevention of anxiety disorders, which could benefit many, she adds.

Funded Projects

Both projects address the same knowledge gap: "What is the effect of preventive interventions for the development of anxiety disorders in children and adolescents in at-risk groups, and which factors influence the effect?"

PROJECT: “Online parent intervention to prevent anxiety disorders in at-risk children”

This study will investigate the effect of a guided, online intervention for parents of children at increased risk of developing anxiety disorders.

Sixty schools (1,080 at-risk children aged 4–7 years) will be randomly assigned to either the intervention or control (usual school practices), and researchers will assess whether children are diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, display anxiety symptoms, or have behavioural problems. The study will also evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the intervention and identify factors influencing outcomes.

The study will provide insights into risk factors and mechanisms, and if effective, the intervention could serve as a model for identifying and preventing childhood anxiety disorders.

Lead Institution: University of Oxford, Department of Experimental Psychology
Principal Investigator: Professor Cathy Creswell, Professor of Developmental Clinical Psychology
Collaborating Institutions: University of Reading, School of Psychology and Clinical Language Sciences; University of Southampton, Department of Psychology; University of Exeter, Medical School
Funding: NOK 12.5 million (total budget NOK 26.8 million)
Project Period: 2020–2023

PROJECT: “Preventing anxiety in the children of anxious parents”

This study will examine whether a brief, online intervention for parents with anxiety can prevent anxiety in their children. The intervention is based on a treatment that has shown promising results but which many parents are unable to attend in person. Researchers now aim to test whether an online version can achieve comparable effectiveness and increase participation.

1,754 parents with anxiety (who have children aged 2–11 years) will receive either the online intervention or be assigned to a waitlist control. Researchers will assess whether the children develop anxiety within six months, conduct a component analysis of the intervention, and identify factors affecting treatment outcomes.

This study will evaluate and optimise a simple intervention that could potentially reduce anxiety in a large number of children.

Lead Institution: University of Sussex, School of Psychology
Principal Investigator: Professor Sam Cartwright-Hatton, Professor of Clinical Child Psychology
Collaborating Institutions: University of Southampton, Department of Psychology; Brighton & Sussex Medical School
Funding: NOK 6.8 million (total budget NOK 11.3 million)
Project Period: 2020–2023

Contacts

Jan-Ole Hesselberg, Programme Director, The Kavli Trust Programme on Health Research
joh@kavlifondet.no
+47 900 71 673

Ida Svege, Senior Adviser, The Kavli Trust Programme on Health Research
is@kavlifondet.no
+47 917 11 952

Inger Elise Iversen, Chief Executive, Kavli Trust
ingerelise.iversen@kavlifondet.no
+47 908 94 567

Methodology and Process

The Kavli Trust Programme on Health Research is specifically designed to ensure that funds are allocated to research of the highest relevance and utility for users.

Selection of Research Area

Based on an evaluation comparing disease burden with the distribution of research funding across health areas, which showed that mental health research is underfunded, the Kavli Trust Board decided in 2019 to dedicate the programme’s funds to research projects on children and young people’s mental health for a new three-year period.

The focus remains on mental health, but the age range has been extended from 9–18 years to 0–18 years. Collaboration with Stiftelsen Dam continues, and the programme has a budget of NOK 60 million for 2020–2022.

Identification of Knowledge Gaps

A strategic scientific committee conducted updated searches of systematic reviews to identify important knowledge gaps in mental health among children and adolescents, identifying 35 gaps.

Prioritisation of Knowledge Gaps

The 35 gaps were prioritised by a user panel consisting of patient and family organisations, as well as relevant healthcare professionals. Eight knowledge gaps emerged as the highest priority.

Funding Call

The 2019 funding call included the eight highest-priority knowledge gaps identified by the user panel. Applicants were required to design studies aimed at addressing one or more of these selected gaps.

Application Procedure

The application process was conducted in two stages. First, the 29 sketch applications were assessed by Kavli Trust expert panels. The ten highest-ranked sketches were invited to submit full applications. The expert panel evaluated the applications, which were then thoroughly discussed in a panel meeting. The final ranking from the panel served as a recommendation to the Kavli Trust Board on which projects should receive funding.

Decision and Follow-Up

The Kavli Trust Board followed the expert panel’s recommendation and decided on 29 October 2019 to award a total of NOK 19.3 million to the two highest-ranked projects. Kavli Trust will closely monitor the projects throughout their duration and has high expectations for the relevance and impact of the results.

The next funding call from The Kavli Trust Programme on Health Research will be announced in January 2020.