Evaluating Knowledge Insight Tools (KIT) for Reducing Anxiety and Low Mood in UK Secondary School Students

Knowledge Insight Tools (KIT) is a CBT-based model of one-to-one therapy for secondary school pupils who are struggling with low mood and/or anxiety. KIT incorporates the key features of CBT (e.g., agenda setting, formulation around maintenance cycles, inter-session work involving exposure and/or behavioural activation) but is delivered in a semi-structured way that meets the young person's needs and pace of learning. Whilst there is an emphasis on symptom reduction, the primary focus is on the young person's goals for living and co-producing an understanding of how symptoms can interfere with these goals. Practitioners are encouraged to incorporate different therapeutic tools and modalities that complement the young person's strengths and ways of learning, including non-verbal forms of expression like arts and crafts, music, and dance. By being flexible, person-led, goal-focused, and integrative, KIT was designed to suit the needs of secondary school students.