FLIKK receives ongoing funding

“It is crucial to receive this grant and be able to continue to empower parents of anxious children,” says dr. Brynjar Halldórsson, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychology at RU and one of the leading experts at FLIKK; a parent-centered online solution for anxious children. The Minister of Health recently agreed to ensure the project continues to receive funding to cover the full-time positions of professionals within it and to further strengthen its implementation.

Brynjar, together with prof. Anna Sigríður Islind,  prof. Hafrún Kristjánsdóttir and dr. Steinunn Gróa Sigurðardóttir, has led the development and implementation of the resource. Þuríður Hallgrímsdóttir Viðar, project manager and doctoral student at the Department of Psychology, has also been actively involved in developing FLIKK and in training therapists within the program.

"FLIKK, in short, is about training parents to provide children with anxiety with approved treatment without having to go to the health center or see a psychologist or end up on a long waiting list," says Brynjar, pointing out that a long wait for a solution increases stress for both parents and children and can cause parents to feel helpless in the face of the problem.

"The time from when people apply for the resource, which is done directly and without a request, until the treatment can begin, is much shorter than waiting for traditional individual therapy. Parents can go through the treatment material whenever it suits them. Instead of having to leave work to meet with a professional, parents can now read about children's anxiety problems and learn helpful techniques when it suits them, for example, in the evenings when the children are asleep," says Brynjar, emphasizing that early intervention when it comes to children's anxiety problems can make a difference.

In recent years, news of long waiting lists has been prominent in the media, with more and more children needing intervention for anxiety and parents feeling that the system is failing. Long waits for treatment can cause the problem to escalate and become more difficult to manage. FLIKK gives parents the opportunity to help their children manage their disabling anxiety and achieve recovery.

This is the first time in the world that such a system has been provided within the public health system. Similar treatment has been used in the UK for years and has been shown to be successful.

It has previously been reported that the Wellcome Trust has awarded the University of Oxford a £7 million grant to implement FLIKK in Chile, the Philippines, Thailand, Japan, and Pakistan. Researchers at RU have been entrusted with a significant role in the project, which involves implementation and translation. “This is an incredibly important and exciting project that is now underway. Mental health services for children in these places have not been good, and it is an honour to be able to participate in supporting this aspect,” says Brynjar.

How does FLIKK work?

A child does not need to have been diagnosed with anxiety by a professional before seeking treatment; it is enough for parents to suspect that anxiety is causing their child distress.

Some symptoms of anxiety in children:

• Doesn't want to go to school
• Has difficulty separating from the parent
• Excessive worry
• Sleep problems
• Talks about having a stomach or headache for no apparent reason
• Crying
• Persistent distress
• Problems with relationships with friends
• Avoids going out
• Needs constant reassurance

FLIKK - step by step

Do you have a child aged 5-12 who you suspect may have an anxiety problem?

• Go to skraning.flikk.is. There, you read the informed consent and answer basic information.

• You will then be sent a link with a questionnaire that assesses the child's anxiety symptoms.

• You will receive access to flikk.is and can begin the treatment, which consists of 7 parts.

• If the anxiety symptoms are measured above the criteria, a psychologist from the FLIKK team will call you to ensure that the treatment is appropriate for the child in question. (If the child is measured below the criteria according to the questionnaire, you can still request a conversation with a psychologist to review the situation.)

• You will receive access to flikk.is and can begin the treatment, which consists of 7 parts.

• After each treatment part, a parent or guardian must answer a questionnaire to complete the part. A psychologist monitors the treatment's progress and contacts the parent by phone once a week to ensure it is going well and yielding results. Parents are also given the opportunity to ask more questions about the treatment.