The Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Treatment Study II: rationale, design and methods

Area of Science:

• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Behavioral Therapy
• Pharmacotherapy

Background:

• Pediatric Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) often requires multifaceted treatment approaches.
• Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs) are a common first-line pharmacotherapy for pediatric OCD.
• Partial response to SRI pharmacotherapy necessitates exploring augmentation strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of two cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) augmentation models in youth with OCD.
• To compare a "single doctor" integrated CBT (I-CBT) model with a "dual doctor" conventional CBT model.
• To assess the feasibility of disseminating a streamlined CBT protocol (I-CBT) within routine medical management.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial design balancing efficacy and effectiveness.
• Comparison of three arms: medication management (MM) only, MM + dual doctor CBT, and MM + single doctor I-CBT.
• Recruitment of 140 youth (ages 7-17) with primary OCD diagnosis, assessed by independent evaluators.

Main Results:

• The study is currently concluding recruitment, with data collection ongoing.
• Preliminary analysis will compare treatment outcomes across the three arms.
• Assessment of treatment response at multiple time points during acute treatment and follow-up.

Conclusions:

• The findings will inform optimal service delivery models for pediatric OCD treatment augmentation.
• The study aims to establish the effectiveness of an easily disseminated I-CBT protocol.
• Results will guide clinical practice for children and adolescents with partial SRI response for OCD.