Clinical Practice Guidelines for Anxiety in Children and Young People

Learning Series Description

This four-part learning series introduces a comprehensive, evidence-based clinical practice guideline for anxiety in children and young people. The sessions cover the rationale and methodology behind the guideline’s development, key clinical recommendations across the care pathway, and practical tools to support implementation. The series also explores how to effectively engage families using co-designed, accessible resources for parents and carers. It is designed to support professionals working in mental health, education, and related fields.

Description

In this talk, Sydney Stevens presents the development process behind the Evidence-based Clinical Practice Guideline for Anxiety in Children and Young People, created by the Melbourne Children’s Campus Mental Health Strategy Anxiety Guideline Development Group. She outlines the need for this resource in the context of rising anxiety prevalence and inconsistent clinical care across services. Stevens details the rigorous, multi-phase development process—including stakeholder engagement, systematic evidence review, and consensus building—and highlights the final outputs, which include the full guideline, a technical evidence report, quick-reference tools for clinicians, and parent-facing resources. The guideline was developed under the Melbourne Children’s Campus Mental Health Strategy and generously funded by The Royal Children’s Hospital Foundation.

Learning Objectives

A. To understand the rationale for developing an evidence-based clinical practice guideline for anxiety in children and young people.

B. To describe the methodological steps involved in creating a high-quality, evidence-based clinical guideline.

C. To identify tools and strategies for implementing and disseminating guidelines in clinical practice.

Related Content Links

Engaging Carers and Family in Anxiety Treatment
Anxiety Essentials: A Guide for Generalist and Early Career Clinicians
Advanced Perspectives on Anxiety: Insights for Specialist Mental Health Clinicians