Exposure-based cognitive behavioral treatment of anxiety in youth: an emerging culturally-prescriptive framework

This invited article presents a brief overview of the status of evidence-based psychosocial treatments for anxiety disorders in mainstream and/or Caucasian youth relative to the little data that has accumulated about psychosocial treatments for anxiety disorders in Latino youth. The article describes an emerging culturally prescriptive framework for working with minority youth and a corresponding exposure-based cognitive behavioral treatment program for anxious Mexican-origin youth. Preliminary treatment effect size data from ten treated youth is presented and, to illustrate the application of the program, a case sample of a Mexican-origin child is described. The article concludes with an evaluative summary and directions for future research.