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vivo exposure for the children. By age 15, children whose parents attended the program showed significantly fewer anxiety and mood diagnoses compared to children whose parents received no training (Rapee, 2013). Delivery of Cool Little Kids over the internet has also shown promising effects (Morgan et al, 2017). CONCLUSION The past two decades have seen a tremendous expansion in our knowledge of the development and management of childhood anxiety disorders. Many key issues remain to be evaluated and we still have a long way to go but we are currently at a point where anxious children are recognised and can be thoroughly assessed. There are now treatments that work for the majority of patients and programs are beginning to be devised to prevent the development of anxiety. Several promising areas of research are just starting to grow and will hopefully provide further advances in the coming years. These include: • Better understanding of risk factors for anxiety through longitudinal research • Closer evaluation of gene-environment interactions in the development of anxiety • More understanding of peer interactions in anxiety and their influence on its development • Better methods of disseminating treatments, through internet and distance (tele-health) programs • Evaluation of novel improvements to treatment such as the use of memory consolidation agents or cognitive bias modification. REFERENCES Allen JL, Rapee RM, Sandberg S (2008). Severe life events and chronic adversities as antecedents to anxiety in children: A matched control study. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology 36:1047-1056. Barrett PM, Dadds MR, Rapee RM (1996). Family treatment of childhood anxiety: A controlled trial. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology 64:333-342. Bayer JK, Sanson AV, Hemphill SA (2006). Children’s moods, fears, and worries: Development of an early childhood parent questionnaire. Journal of Emotional and Behavioral Disorders, 14:41-49. Beesdo-Baum K, Knappe S (2012). Developmental epidemiology of anxiety disorders.