Research on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Treating OCD in Children

Prevalence of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Nearly four percent of children and adolescents are affected by Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). This chronic condition is characterized by persistent thoughts known as obsessions and a compulsion to perform specific behaviors. Individuals with OCD often struggle to control these thoughts and actions, finding temporary relief from anxiety through their compulsive behaviors.

Specific Type of OCD

One particular manifestation of OCD involves an intense fear of contracting infections from items touched by others. Those affected may go to great lengths to avoid these surfaces, often using towels or their elbows to touch them and engaging in excessive cleaning.

Study Overview

A recent study conducted in Denmark explored the efficacy of a standard 14-week cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) program aimed at treating cleanliness-related OCD in children. The findings were published in the Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.

Study Participants and Methodology

The research involved children and adolescents aged seven to 17 who had been diagnosed with OCD. Participants attended one therapy session each week for a duration of 14 weeks. For those who did not respond to the initial treatment, researchers provided either ten additional CBT sessions or sixteen weeks of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Results and Long-Term Effects

Out of 269 participants who had positive responses to the CBT sessions, follow-up assessments three years later revealed that 210 no longer required further treatment for OCD. However, 59 participants were identified as being at risk for relapse, suggesting that nearly 80 percent experienced lasting benefits from the therapy.

Conclusions and Recommendations

The results indicate that cognitive behavioral therapy can be effective in treating OCD in children in certain cases. Senior researcher Per Hove Thomsen noted that “perhaps the treatment needs to be repeated, or perhaps there’s a need to supplement the treatment with SSRI medicine.”

References

Jensen, S., Højgaard, D. R. M. A., & Hybel, K. A., et al (2019). Distinct trajectories of long-term symptom severity in pediatric obsessive-compulsive disorder during and after stepped-care treatment. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.13155

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. (n.d.). Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml

Standard treatment programmes for OCD are not always enough. (2019, November 18). Retrieved November 18, 2019, from https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-11/au-stp111819.php

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