Anxiety among children ages 6-12 with Cystic Fibrosis and their parents: An exploration of the problem and trial of the Fear-Less Triple P program

Cystic Fibrosis (CF) is a non-curable genetic disorder that requires extensive and often painful daily therapies. Anxiety is prevalent and impactful among adolescents and adults with CF and their parents, but research on anxiety among younger children with CF and their parents is limited.

The aim of this research is to investigate how prevalent anxiety is among children ages 6-12 with CF and their parents, and how anxiety impacts factors such as treatment adherence and health-related quality of life. CF-specific elements of anxiety, such as procedural anxiety and fear of disease progression, will also be investigated. Finally, the Fear-Less Triple P program is a parent-focused anxiety intervention for children, which has showed promising results in other populations. This project will pilot the Fear-Less Triple P intervention for parents of children with CF, to assess suitability and feasibility in this population.